Episode Name: Bathroom/Project Partners
Targeted Age Group: Tweens (10-14)
Plot:
Episode 1: After running into a school bully in the girls bathroom, Moze suggests that her, Ned, and Cookie come up with some survival tips on how to survive a school day with little or no bathroom use.
Episode 2: Moze chooses a partner for the class project based on "hottie" ratings. However, when her partner refuses to do any of the work, he dumps her for another partner who's project is completed and willing to let him put his name on it. Will Ned and Cookie be able to help Moze get a partner last minute and have the project done by 7th period?
Personal thoughts:
Ned's Declassified addresses school issues, such as dealing with bullies, school crushes, and dreaded tests, with light-hearted humor. Although the situations are over-dramatized and silly in their presentation, the writers do address important issues with the possible consequences presented.
In Bathroom, the choices are to go at home before leaving for school and holding it till they get back home, get a hall pass and go during class, or go the to nurses office claiming a stomach ache then ask to use the restroom. The show presents the students facing these situations on their own as though they have no adults to turn to. For some, this may be how they feel and for others, it may actually be the case when dealing with bullies.
In Project Partners, Moze has three choices for partners. She can choose 1) the nerd who will do all the work, but wants to follow her around like a love-sick puppy, 2) a reliable friend who will share the work equally with her, or 3) the hunk that does nothing but spin a basketball on his finger, but at least she will get to stare at him. The moral is that it is more fun and rewarding (both in grade and in personal satisfaction) for all project partners to contribute and share the work equally.
Educational tie-ins/Learning Activity:
Have the students create a survival guide of their own. It can either be how to survive Mr/s. So-and-So's class, or like Ned's, how to survive the Xth grade. This would be a project done toward the end of the school year and should be written in a way as though they are leaving it for the next incoming class.(My daughter's junior high school actually does something similar for the incoming 6th graders.)
