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Dig Deeper Activity Descriptions
 Raleigh Racer Industries
Overview
Raleigh Racer puts you in the driver's seat as you help two students, Maria and Ricky, figure out why a company would sell a dangerous product--especially to children.
After watching an ad for the Raleigh Racer on TV, Maria and Ricky buy a racer immediately. When you meet up with them, they're already buckled into their racer and revving the engine! But before you can blink an eye, Ricky's crashed the racer into a tree. When you climb into the Raleigh Racer to try it yourself, you soon end up just like Ricky.
 While Ricky recovers from his injuries at the hospital, Dr. Molena sends you and Maria out to interview some people about the Raleigh Racer. You meet the president of Raleigh Industries, the salesman who sold you the Raleigh Racer, and a championship cyclist who offers to race you in your Raleigh Racer. Even the mayor has something to say about Raleigh Racer: in fact, he's ready to outlaw the racer altogether!
By the time you're ready to write your Consumer Report for the Dig Deeper newpaper, you've heard enough opinions to make your head spin! Should the government step in to regulate dangerous products? Should Raleigh Industries be forced to improve their product? Or should the old adage "caveat emptor" (let the buy beware!) prevail?
Some of the issues raised by this activity include the value of health warnings, conflicts of interest between manufacturers and consumers, and responsibility for the safety and control of a product. By analogy, Raleigh Racer illustrates the ways in which tobacco companies have attempted to avoid regulation, the use of warning labels to avoid liability, and the ability of advertising to shape public perceptions of tobacco use.
Learning Objectives
- The Raleigh Racer activity will acquaint 10-12 year olds with the concepts of product liability, personal responsibility, and market forces--and it will do this in terms that are familiar and engaging to this age group. The concept of personal responsibility naturally spotlights the role of consumer choice.
- The Research Module for Raleigh Racer presents facts which illustrate the ways in which tobacco companies have attempted to avoid regulation, the use of warning labels to avoid liability, and the use of advertising to shape public perceptions of tobacco use.
 Other "Dig Deeper" Activities
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