Love Your Body: Activities for Elementary and Middle School Students

Elementary School

Students: Ask your teacher to show the "Redefining Liberation" or "Hollywood Smoke & Mirrors" video in your classroom, then talk about what you think about the ads you see on TV or in magazines. What should advertisements say? What could the class do to change the way advertisers talk to children?

Ask the school nurse to talk to your class about healthy eating and daily exercise. Plan some fun exercises to try in class. Bring in a healthy snack for the class to prepare.

Make your own advertisements—after you decide the features of a good advertisement, get into groups and create a print ad or a TV ad, then share them in class.

Celebrate Love Your Body Day at school. Art projects, videos, healthy and fun snacks, games and music that celebrate growing up happy and healthy.

Middle School/High School

Organize a meeting of people on your campus that are interested in viewing the video—plan a lunchtime viewing or an after class viewing. Discuss ways to get active in opposition to harmful advertising. Invite the campus and local press to cover your meeting.

Write an article for your school newspaper on the Love Your Body campaign. Send it to the city newspaper as well.

Write letters to the editor about advertising in your city—offensive billboards, radio and TV ads—and give them a solution!

Pass out petitions, get signatures and mail them to NOW Foundation and to local businesses that promote offensive images of girls/women.

Host a Love Your Body house party. You can show "Redefining Liberation" or "Hollywood Smoke & Mirrors" and have a discussion about body image and how it impacts you and your friends.

Celebrate Love Your Body Day at school. Give out stickers, have students sign petitions for local and national advertisers. Hold a poster contest, have a dance with women-friendly music, get teachers and administrators involved! Petition for healthy vending machines!

Organize a picket of a business, movie, or public figure that promotes offensive images of women and girls.