Lesson #5: The Consumption/Production of Media
Lessons Page
Date of Lesson: Tues. May 4th & Wed. May 5th 2010
Teacher: Alexis
Grade Level: 3rd
Subject Area: Social Studies
Time Needed: 40mins
Class Size: 16
Topic: The Consumption/Production of Media
UW-Madison Standards Addressed:
· Standard #5: Explains and Justifies Educational Choices -- Teachers can articulate and defend their curricular and instructional choices with sound ethical and pedagogical justifications.
· Standard #6: Connects School and Community – Teachers use the knowledge and abilities necessary for collaboration with individuals, groups, and agencies within the school and local community. They base instruction of students on an understanding of curricular goals, subject matter, and the local community, and help students make connections between community-based knowledge and school knowledge.
· Standard #13: Is a Reflective Practitioner -- Teachers are reflective practitioners who evaluate the effects of their assumptions, choices and actions on others (students, parents/guardians, and other professionals in the learning community) and who actively seek out opportunities to grow professionally. They examine assumptions embedded in ways of thinking and in familial, institutional, and cultural lore and practices.
· Standard #14: Relates Well with Families and Communities-- Teachers relate to students, families, and community members in a fair and sensitive manner that shows respect for cultural diversity.
MMSD Standards Addressed:
· Political Science and Citizenship #1: Define the roles, duties, and responsibilities of school/local community government.
· Political Science and Citizenship #2: Identify three of the rights that people have under our system of government (freedom of religion, speech, right to have personal belongings, etc.)
· Political Science and Citizenship #4: Recognize and interpret how the "common good" can be strengthened through various forms of citizen action.
· Economics #4: Show how people are both producers and consumers of goods and services.
· Behavioral Science #2: Interpret the components of a culture (i.e. language, literature, art, architecture, foods, traditions, beliefs, values, behavior) present in a community.
· Behavioral Sciences #4: Explain how the media may influence behaviors, opinions, and decisions.
· Behavioral Sciences #8: Apply and practice skills of conflict resolution (persuasion, compromise, debate, and negotiation).
NCSS Standards Addressed:
§ I: Culture
§ II: Time, Continuity, and Change
§ IV: Individual Development and Identity
§ VI: Power, Authority, and Governance
Materials Needed:
· One Television commercial for a product (chips)
· The product that the commercial is attempting to sell (chips)
· Four Computers
· http://pbskids.org/dontbuyit/buyingsmart/question.html
· Paper, Pencils, Writing Materials
· CD
· Water Bottle
· Tennis Shoes
· Jeans
· Picture of soda in paper cup
Objectives – SWBAT:
· Explore the idea of propaganda within the sales of items that they like
· Ask critical consumer questions about products being advertised
· Discuss what it means to be a critical consumer and how propaganda affects producers of products.
· Think critically about products that they are familiar with.
Context:
The students have just finished making their own commercials that were devil’s advocate and truthful opposites of commercials that contained propaganda. This process allowed them to think about what it felt like to be in the shoes of an advertiser and things that they needed to think about to attract an audience and appeal to consumers without being deceitful. The students are now going to learn and discuss about what they can do in order to think critically and act intelligently as consumers in their communities and both in and out of school.
Essential Questions:
· What does it mean to be a critical consumer of media?
· How will we practice this type of consumption outside of school?
· In what ways are we targeted as consumers?
· Who is affected by propaganda other than the consumer?
· What is the role of the producers? What do they do?
Lesson Opening:
· The students will be introduced to the four stations that they will encounter over the next couple of days.
· They will be divided into four groups by playing the dice game.
Procedures:
· Station #1: Media Literacy discussion with the teacher.
o The students will have a small group discussion with me about how the unit has gone.
§ What did they enjoy?
§ What did they learn?
§ Have they changed their opinion or ways about anything?
§ How will they help relay this message to others?
§ Also, the above essential questions.
§ Why do you think it’s important to learn about this?
o This is a great space for me to be able to get into my student’s heads more about their opinions, how they are feeling about this unit, and to clear up any misunderstandings or misconceptions that they may have. This would also be a safe space for them to have a group discussion among themselves and ask questions they still may have.
o These small discussions will help me complete our KWL chart that we created at the beginning of the unit which will also help me answer questions that they had come up with during that time too.
· Station #2: Commercials and Products:
o I will provide the students with a commercial of a product that they should be familiar with (chips perhaps). Then I will actually bring in the product being advertised.
o The students will be challenged to think of how the commercial contains propaganda. Who are the advertisers trying to target?
o Does the product advertised look like the product they have? Is the bag as full or look as big?
o What makes the commercial exciting? What elements are added to do this?
o The students will then be challenged to discuss why this may be and what can be done about it or how this can help us be critical consumers.
· Station #3: Write it out!
o This station will be a space where students will have the opportunity to write a poem that expresses how they feel about propaganda or they could start a letter to a corporation addressing propaganda that they have scene.
o This literacy piece may not be finished in the time period that they have it will be a piece that is eventually published or sent to the intended audience.
· Station #4: Critical Consuming
o This station will pull from the information found on the PBS website.
o I will place items that students are familiar with such as soda, a water bottle, jeans, tennis shoes etc on the table with questions for them to try to answer.
o There will be multiple choices (such as what is the most expensive part of a water bottle a. the water or b. the bottle and the advertising on it).
o Near each item there will be a box for them to put their estimations (with explanations as to why they are answering that way) in it.
o At the end of this last lesson time we will graph our answers, discuss them, and then I will reveal the real answer to the question.
· The students will have about 20 minutes at each station per day.
Closure:
· This activity will be closed with a large group discussion similar to the small group discussion that I have during this last day.
· I will also reveal the answers through graphing and discussion to Station #4.
· I will ask for students to let me know if they have any further questions or comments about the unit afterwards to bring it to me so that we can continue our investigation as critical consumers.
Special Considerations:
§ Students may not be familiar with all of the materials that I bring in so I will find time to introduce them to the students so that they have some form of knowledge with the products.
Assessment:
· Students will mainly be assessed during their small group discussions with me.
o What is their idea of propaganda and products that are advertised using it?
· Students will be informally assessed on their ideas of how they will be effective consumers outside of the school through the discussion.
· Assessment will occur informally at each of the other stations by examination of their work and how cohesive and comprehensive their knowledge seems.
§ To finish the summative assessment I will revisit some of the previous issues brought up to see if the students have worked through them and found the correct answers. I will also continue to observe their exploration as I have previously.
Lessons Page
Date of Lesson: Tues. May 4th & Wed. May 5th 2010
Teacher: Alexis
Grade Level: 3rd
Subject Area: Social Studies
Time Needed: 40mins
Class Size: 16
Topic: The Consumption/Production of Media
UW-Madison Standards Addressed:
· Standard #5: Explains and Justifies Educational Choices -- Teachers can articulate and defend their curricular and instructional choices with sound ethical and pedagogical justifications.
· Standard #6: Connects School and Community – Teachers use the knowledge and abilities necessary for collaboration with individuals, groups, and agencies within the school and local community. They base instruction of students on an understanding of curricular goals, subject matter, and the local community, and help students make connections between community-based knowledge and school knowledge.
· Standard #13: Is a Reflective Practitioner -- Teachers are reflective practitioners who evaluate the effects of their assumptions, choices and actions on others (students, parents/guardians, and other professionals in the learning community) and who actively seek out opportunities to grow professionally. They examine assumptions embedded in ways of thinking and in familial, institutional, and cultural lore and practices.
· Standard #14: Relates Well with Families and Communities-- Teachers relate to students, families, and community members in a fair and sensitive manner that shows respect for cultural diversity.
MMSD Standards Addressed:
· Political Science and Citizenship #1: Define the roles, duties, and responsibilities of school/local community government.
· Political Science and Citizenship #2: Identify three of the rights that people have under our system of government (freedom of religion, speech, right to have personal belongings, etc.)
· Political Science and Citizenship #4: Recognize and interpret how the "common good" can be strengthened through various forms of citizen action.
· Economics #4: Show how people are both producers and consumers of goods and services.
· Behavioral Science #2: Interpret the components of a culture (i.e. language, literature, art, architecture, foods, traditions, beliefs, values, behavior) present in a community.
· Behavioral Sciences #4: Explain how the media may influence behaviors, opinions, and decisions.
· Behavioral Sciences #8: Apply and practice skills of conflict resolution (persuasion, compromise, debate, and negotiation).
NCSS Standards Addressed:
§ I: Culture
§ II: Time, Continuity, and Change
§ IV: Individual Development and Identity
§ VI: Power, Authority, and Governance
Materials Needed:
· One Television commercial for a product (chips)
· The product that the commercial is attempting to sell (chips)
· Four Computers
· http://pbskids.org/dontbuyit/buyingsmart/question.html
· Paper, Pencils, Writing Materials
· CD
· Water Bottle
· Tennis Shoes
· Jeans
· Picture of soda in paper cup
Objectives – SWBAT:
· Explore the idea of propaganda within the sales of items that they like
· Ask critical consumer questions about products being advertised
· Discuss what it means to be a critical consumer and how propaganda affects producers of products.
· Think critically about products that they are familiar with.
Context:
The students have just finished making their own commercials that were devil’s advocate and truthful opposites of commercials that contained propaganda. This process allowed them to think about what it felt like to be in the shoes of an advertiser and things that they needed to think about to attract an audience and appeal to consumers without being deceitful. The students are now going to learn and discuss about what they can do in order to think critically and act intelligently as consumers in their communities and both in and out of school.
Essential Questions:
· What does it mean to be a critical consumer of media?
· How will we practice this type of consumption outside of school?
· In what ways are we targeted as consumers?
· Who is affected by propaganda other than the consumer?
· What is the role of the producers? What do they do?
Lesson Opening:
· The students will be introduced to the four stations that they will encounter over the next couple of days.
· They will be divided into four groups by playing the dice game.
Procedures:
· Station #1: Media Literacy discussion with the teacher.
o The students will have a small group discussion with me about how the unit has gone.
§ What did they enjoy?
§ What did they learn?
§ Have they changed their opinion or ways about anything?
§ How will they help relay this message to others?
§ Also, the above essential questions.
§ Why do you think it’s important to learn about this?
o This is a great space for me to be able to get into my student’s heads more about their opinions, how they are feeling about this unit, and to clear up any misunderstandings or misconceptions that they may have. This would also be a safe space for them to have a group discussion among themselves and ask questions they still may have.
o These small discussions will help me complete our KWL chart that we created at the beginning of the unit which will also help me answer questions that they had come up with during that time too.
· Station #2: Commercials and Products:
o I will provide the students with a commercial of a product that they should be familiar with (chips perhaps). Then I will actually bring in the product being advertised.
o The students will be challenged to think of how the commercial contains propaganda. Who are the advertisers trying to target?
o Does the product advertised look like the product they have? Is the bag as full or look as big?
o What makes the commercial exciting? What elements are added to do this?
o The students will then be challenged to discuss why this may be and what can be done about it or how this can help us be critical consumers.
· Station #3: Write it out!
o This station will be a space where students will have the opportunity to write a poem that expresses how they feel about propaganda or they could start a letter to a corporation addressing propaganda that they have scene.
o This literacy piece may not be finished in the time period that they have it will be a piece that is eventually published or sent to the intended audience.
· Station #4: Critical Consuming
o This station will pull from the information found on the PBS website.
o I will place items that students are familiar with such as soda, a water bottle, jeans, tennis shoes etc on the table with questions for them to try to answer.
o There will be multiple choices (such as what is the most expensive part of a water bottle a. the water or b. the bottle and the advertising on it).
o Near each item there will be a box for them to put their estimations (with explanations as to why they are answering that way) in it.
o At the end of this last lesson time we will graph our answers, discuss them, and then I will reveal the real answer to the question.
· The students will have about 20 minutes at each station per day.
Closure:
· This activity will be closed with a large group discussion similar to the small group discussion that I have during this last day.
· I will also reveal the answers through graphing and discussion to Station #4.
· I will ask for students to let me know if they have any further questions or comments about the unit afterwards to bring it to me so that we can continue our investigation as critical consumers.
Special Considerations:
§ Students may not be familiar with all of the materials that I bring in so I will find time to introduce them to the students so that they have some form of knowledge with the products.
Assessment:
· Students will mainly be assessed during their small group discussions with me.
o What is their idea of propaganda and products that are advertised using it?
· Students will be informally assessed on their ideas of how they will be effective consumers outside of the school through the discussion.
· Assessment will occur informally at each of the other stations by examination of their work and how cohesive and comprehensive their knowledge seems.
§ To finish the summative assessment I will revisit some of the previous issues brought up to see if the students have worked through them and found the correct answers. I will also continue to observe their exploration as I have previously.
Lessons Page
