an introduction to media literacy
INTRODUCTION/MAKING THE COVER.
ICE BREAKER:
BRING DIFFERENT TYPES OF MAGAZINES TO CLASS. HAVE STUDENTS LOOK THROUGH THEM AND CHOOSE THEIR TWO FAVORITES. (write this on board) ASK STUDENTS WHAT SPECIFICALLY THEY LIKE ABOUT THE MAGAZINES THEY PICKED. (write this on board).
-THE COVER
-COLOR PICTURES
-GENERAL TOPIC
* GUIDELINES FOR DISCUSSION:
- Work with students to create a list of types of magazines (categories such as sports, cooking, toys, cartoons, TV., etc.) Also discuss differences between magazines and newspapers- daily, weekly, monthly.
-Discussion on the different types of magazines.
Questions such as : What are magazines for? Who contributes to magazines? Why are magazine covers so different? Who are the different audiences.
- Talk about the different magazine covers and explain/discuss how they help to sell the magazine and also inform the reader what the issue is about.
- Have students brainstorm and choose a type of magazine they would like to create- tell the students we will publish it for them on the Internet and it might be read by millions!
- Students should create a cover for the magazine in groups of two (four covers: four different issues) then vote on the one they want to develop as a full issue.
- Use KidPix and MS Word.Day 2
THE INSIDE SECTIONS - EDITORIAL CARTOONS
ICE BREAKER:
BRING A COPY OF A SUNDAY PAPER WITH ALL THE SECTIONS GIVE EACH STUDENT A DIFFERENT SECTION AND HAVE THEM BROWSE THROUGH IT. ASK EACH STUDENT TO PRESENT TO THE CLASS THEIR SECTION (SHOW AND TELL). YOU CAN HELP THE STUDENT THROUGH THE PRESENTATION BY ASKING QUESTIONS (Y/N, ONE WORD ANSWERS- BUILD UP DIFFICULTY LEVEL).
* GUIDELINES FOR DISCUSSION:
-Work with students to clarify specific parts of magazines/newspapers: Editorials, Sports, Classifieds, Business, Living, feature story, special interest, graphics.
-Discuss the concept of an editorial section and the cartoon. Show students samples of cartoons, explaining to them how the opinion is "expressed" in the picture. Cartoons tell the reader the opinion the artist/writer has on some subject.
-Brainstorm with students 3 "hot" opinion topics that kids may have strong ideas about (allowances, school, homework). Assign student pairs to develop a cartoon based on drawing a "parent", a "teacher", a "student."
-These cartoons should be finished by the end of class.
* Use KidPix and KidPix typing functions.
Day 3.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF ARTICLES
Discussion of different types of articles: Features, news, sports, reviews, gossip columns, question person, fiction, love advice columns, editorials.
* Decide what the feature article will be and what other articles would work within the scope of the magazine's theme.
* Have students write articles individually. Students may choose to collaborate with another student who will do a graphic for that story.
* Have students read to students a short paragraph that uses a lot of descriptive language (adjectives, alliteration) and another that focuses on action (verbs, plot). With the students, write a few sentences as examples.
* Have students write a short article (paragraph-4-5 sentences) that use alliteration, action words, adjectives about activities/products or items related to their magazine topic. These articles should describe something, inform, or persuade the reader.
* Use MS Word.
Day 4.
INTERVIEWS/REPORTING
Discussion about shyness and public speaking techniques. The technique that needs to be emphasized is "preparedness". This means that students need to know in advance what questions they will be asking, rehearse them and understand what types of questions don't work (yes or no, for example). Students need to practice asking the questions and answering them themselves. This will allow them to learn how to ask follow-up questions.
* Use MS Word.
* Ask students 7 questions. From these you should get a well rounded idea of their opinion about a particular topic. Use the staples: what, how, when, why, who, how many?
* Work with the students to generate a list of people on site they can interview. They should vote on the top 3 (in case they are not interviewable that day). They should then write six questions they want to ask this person.
* Rehearse the questions with each other as a group and figure out the types of answers they might get. Compare those to the types of answers they might "want" to get. Help them figure out possible follow up questions.
* Students should go out and interview one person. They should write down the answer and type it into the computer.
Day 5.
Assembling the Magazine (Layout)
* Print out copies of all pieces and work together on laying out a paper version of the magazine.
* Discuss the possible formats and how they affect the way the reader "reads through" - making articles continue on a different page, advertisement to entice readers, etc.
* Assemble the magazine as a group using Pagemaker on a Quadra if possible.
.
Brainstorms:
a.___Magazine Types_______________________
1. ______________________________________________________
2._______________________________________________________
3._______________________________________________________
4._______________________________________________________
5._______________________________________________________
6._______________________________________________________
b.__Magazine Topics_________________________
1. ______________________________________________________
2._______________________________________________________
3._______________________________________________________
4._______________________________________________________
5._______________________________________________________
6._______________________________________________________
c.___Magazine Parts_________________________
1. ______________________________________________________
2._______________________________________________________
3._______________________________________________________
4._______________________________________________________
5.____________________________6.________________________
Interview Questions
Name of the person (s) you are interviewing:
a.______________________________________
1. Why_____________________________________________________?
Answer:______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
2. When____________________________________________________?
Answer:______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
3. What_____________________________________________________?
Answer:______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
4. How______________________________________________________?
Answer:______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
5. Who______________________________________________________?
Answer:______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
6. Where____________________________________________________?
Answer:______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________