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Time for Mercy

Program Length: 1/2 hour
Produced: 1997

Time For Mercy is a video dealing with issues about our knowledge and feelings towards AIDS/HIV and those who are victims of the virus. The video presents victims of AIDS/HIV, both those who have the disease and those who love them. It also examines many teens' attitudes towards, and conceptions about AIDS/HIV. This study guide is intended to help viewers process their own preconceptions, reactions and ideas about the issues.

The Before-viewing section is to be completed prior to screening, and will help viewers understand what knowledge and feelings about AIDS/HIV they are bringing to the video. The Before-viewing questions arise directly from statements and issues in the video and, in many cases, are addressed in the video. The After-viewing section will help viewers process what they have seen and heard to make AIDS/HIV issues personally relevant. Not all activities need to be completed, nor do they have to be completed in the order presented; choose those that fit the time and best match the needs and maturity of the viewers.

Before-viewing Activities

Multiple Choice Quiz (What do you know about AIDS/HIV?)
1. Which age group is the most vulnerable to infection from HIV?
a. 25 - 35
b. 14 - 25
c. 35 - 45
2. What is the population of Canada?
a. 28 million
b. 35 million
c. 19 million
3. How many adults in the world are HIV positive?
a. 72 million
b. 13 million
c. 21 million
4. What is the difference between HIV and AIDS?
a. HIV is the virus, AIDS is the disease
b. There is no difference
c. HIV means AIDS in French
5. How would your parents/friends react if you became an an AIDS volunteer?
a. They would think I was crazy
b. They would stop talking to me
c. They would support me
6. How many cases of HIV are reported every day?
a. 5500
b. 2500
c. 8500

Short-answer Quiz (How do you feel about HIV/AIDS?)
1. How would you behave towards someone with AIDS?
2. List the most common misunderstanding people have about HIV/AIDS.
3. How old will you be in the year 2005?
4. How big a problem do you think AIDS will be in 2005?
5. Do you and your friends talk about AIDS?
a) If yes, what do you talk about?
b) If no, why do you think you don't talk about it?
6. How would you react if you or a friend got AIDS?
7. What would be the worst thing about having AIDS?

After-viewing Activities

1. Review the results of the multiple choice portions of the Pre-viewing quiz. What do the results of the quiz reveal about the accuracy of what the students know about HIV/AIDS? Where did the students get their Pre-viewing knowledge? [friends, school, TV, movies, radio] What new facts did the students learn from the video? Which fact surprised them the most? Why? Which fact do they think is the most important for teens to be told? Why?

2. Review the results of the short-answer portion of the Pre-viewing quiz. How did the students feel about HIV/AIDS before viewing? What is the main source of their feelings? [friends, school, TV, movies, radio] How have their feelings changed as a result of viewing? What parts of the video have caused the changes?

3. What is the 'Superman syndrome?' Why is it so enticing to believe in the Superman syndrome? How might the Superman syndrome make it easier for young people to catch HIV? How else might the Superman syndrome make teens vulnerable? What is the best way to help people lose their Superman syndrome?

4. The prospect of dying forces people to change their priorities and values. How did the people's values change when they learned they had AIDS? How do you think you would change if you discovered you had AIDS? What new kinds of conversations would you have with your friends and family? Which image was most touching/pathetic? Why? How might this image encourage viewers to change their attitude towards HIV/AIDS?

5. Why is having AIDS so different from having cancer or kidney disease? Name some movies/TV shows about people with AIDS, people with cancer, and people with kidney disease. How do the attitudes towards the victims differ from movie to movie? How does the connection between AIDS and sexual activity make AIDS harder to talk about? How does the connection between AIDS and homosexuality make AIDS harder to talk about? How do these connections make it harder for us to get accurate information about HIV/AIDS?

6. If you were an AIDS volunteer, what would you talk about with your buddy to make his/her life easier and more interesting? What activities could you plan, considering the physical limitations of the patient? How would you prepare yourself for the certain death of your buddy? Which of the scenes with Koreen had the most effect on you? Why?

7. Think back on the video. Which image(s) and statement(s) have stuck in your memory? Why do you think they stuck? What do these image(s) and statement(s) tell you about your concerns about AIDS?

8. What new information about AIDS/HIV did you get from this video? What do you understand about HIV that you did not realize before? List the changes in your attitude towards AIDS/HIV as a result of watching this video.

9. Koreen lost her friend, David, when he was 35. Write a diary entry Koreen might make or a conversation she might have with a friend after returning from David's funeral. How does she feel? Did she expect to feel this way? Does she feel that she has done some good, or wasted her time? Will she continue to be an AIDS volunteer with another patient, take some time off, or take on a different role in the fight against AIDS?

10. 'A worse disease than AIDS is the misinformation surrounding it.' What does this statement mean? Why might the misinformation be worse than AIDS? How can the misinformation surrounding AIDS be called a 'disease?'
11. 'HIV thrives on misinformation.' What does this statement mean? What could you do to help stop the misinformation about HIV?

12. Why would someone want to be an AIDS volunteer? What would be the hardest part? What would be the most rewarding part?

13. 'AIDS is everyone's problem.' What does this mean? What could you do to solve the problem? 

Written by: Neil Andersen
Neil Andersen is an award-winning Curriculum Consultant with the Toronto District School Board. He is also a speaker and consultant in media and communications technology. His most recent work includes the Between the Lines CDs, the teachers' study guide for the award-winning Scanning Television, and study guides for Space, Bravo! and MuchMusic's Cable in the Classroom broadcasts of original media literacy programming.

For more information about MuchMusic's educational programming -- or to give us your feedback -- please contact: 

Calla Dewdney
Public Affairs Coordinator
CHUM Television
416-591-7400 x5940
callad@chumtv.com




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