Lesson 5- Dangerous Impacts and A Call for Change
LESSONS/ACTIVITIES
a. Presentation of results of the Self Esteem Questionnaire. (5 minutes)
b. Lecture on devastating mental and physical health impacts of gender stereotypes maintained by the media (ie. not everyone fits into those rigid boxes of BOY & GIRL. Those who define themselves outside of these boundaries feel lost, confused, sad. This means that their mental health may be affected.)
c. Show http://demo.fb.se/e/girlpower/retouch/retouch/ (Example of a magazine cover page which highlights the extent to which images are manipulated and changed)
d. Show Dove Evolution Ad. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U
e. Speak about the importance of self-confidence and self-esteem and the need to change this problem.
f. Individual review of the learning journals to note any changes or progress (5 minutes)
g. Write a reflective piece of 250 word on thoughts and comments on the unit.
ASSESSMENTS
a. Write a 1000 word informative essay on the dangers of media
b. Students will have an opportunity to express their thoughts and feelings to the class - 1 minute per student maximum
c.Wrap-up vocabulary quiz (Definitions of gender-role, self-esteem etc. )
HOMEWORK
- Informative essay
a. Presentation of results of the Self Esteem Questionnaire. (5 minutes)
b. Lecture on devastating mental and physical health impacts of gender stereotypes maintained by the media (ie. not everyone fits into those rigid boxes of BOY & GIRL. Those who define themselves outside of these boundaries feel lost, confused, sad. This means that their mental health may be affected.)
c. Show http://demo.fb.se/e/girlpower/retouch/retouch/ (Example of a magazine cover page which highlights the extent to which images are manipulated and changed)
d. Show Dove Evolution Ad. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U
e. Speak about the importance of self-confidence and self-esteem and the need to change this problem.
f. Individual review of the learning journals to note any changes or progress (5 minutes)
g. Write a reflective piece of 250 word on thoughts and comments on the unit.
ASSESSMENTS
a. Write a 1000 word informative essay on the dangers of media
b. Students will have an opportunity to express their thoughts and feelings to the class - 1 minute per student maximum
c.Wrap-up vocabulary quiz (Definitions of gender-role, self-esteem etc. )
HOMEWORK
- Informative essay
Understanding by Design:
Established Goals:
- Realize the harmful consequences of gender roles and stereotypes which are perpetuated by the media.
- Provoke feelings of unease in order to encourage students to create their own media and spread awareness beyond the classroom.
Understanding(s):
- The importance of critical analysis
- How and why media creates low self-esteem
Essential Question(s):
- Why is it important to read between the lines, ask questions, and have a critical eye?
- Can media have an impact on mental health?
Students will know...
- Key facts about media's creation of low self-esteem among youth.
Students will be able to...
- Recognize and define important vocabulary words.
- Express findings, opinions, feelings, and thoughts orally and in writing.
- Use research skills to find information regarding media's negative impacts.
Performance Task(s):
- Write a 1000 word informative essay on dangers of media.
Other Evidence:
- Oral and written responses to unit
- Vocabulary quiz
- Learning journals
Learning Plan:
Where are your students headed? Where have they been? How will you make sure the students know where they are going?
Our students are headed in a positive direction. They have been educated on how media has a tremendous influence over an individual's life, this influence being ingrained as a seed from a very young age. This unit has been the stepping stone in their process of learning how to critically analyze media. The hope is that they will continue to transfer this newly gained and developed skill in their everyday lives.
How will you hook students at the beginning of the unit?
On the first day of the unit, we instructed the students to fill out a questionnaire about media's impact on their self-esteem. This 5th lesson will begin with informing the students about the results of the questionnaire. This will spark their interests given the fact that the theme of this lesson is the negative influence media has had on them.
What events will help students experience and explore the big idea and questions in the unit? How
will you equip them with needed skills and knowledge?
Throughout this unit, students have done a wide variety of interesting activities, classwork, and homework which has led up to the final goal of teaching the importance of critically analyzing media rather than simply accepting is seen.
How will you cause students to reflect and rethink? How will you guide them in rehearsing, revising, and refining their work?
Throughout this unit, students are encouraged to take note of any feelings they may have regarding this issue. They are instructed to write daily learning journals, and the reflective pieces they have written have enabled them to reflect and to think consistently.
How will you help students to exhibit and self-evaluate their growing skills, knowledge, and understanding throughout the unit?
Students will be able to self-assess improvements and progress during class discussions based on their daily viewing of television shows and music videos. They are given the opportunity to exchange ideas and these discussions with their peers will allow them to see their progress in comparison to others. Moreover, the last lesson sets aside 5 minutes for them to review all of their learning journals in order to identify any changes in their understanding.
How will you tailor and otherwise personalize the learning plan to optimize the engagement and effectiveness of ALL students, without compromising the goals of the unit?
The learning plans throughout the unit have been based on a student-centered approach to learning. This has fostered engagement and effectiveness.
How will you organize and sequence the learning activities to optimize the engagement and achievement of ALL students?
All activities and learning activities have been designed to optimize the engagement and achievement of all students. For example, information presented in lectures was basic and not overwhelming. Also, students were engaged given the fact that they had a fair level of control in this unit via their ability to complete assignemnts and projects based on their personal interests.
Established Goals:
- Realize the harmful consequences of gender roles and stereotypes which are perpetuated by the media.
- Provoke feelings of unease in order to encourage students to create their own media and spread awareness beyond the classroom.
Understanding(s):
- The importance of critical analysis
- How and why media creates low self-esteem
Essential Question(s):
- Why is it important to read between the lines, ask questions, and have a critical eye?
- Can media have an impact on mental health?
Students will know...
- Key facts about media's creation of low self-esteem among youth.
Students will be able to...
- Recognize and define important vocabulary words.
- Express findings, opinions, feelings, and thoughts orally and in writing.
- Use research skills to find information regarding media's negative impacts.
Performance Task(s):
- Write a 1000 word informative essay on dangers of media.
Other Evidence:
- Oral and written responses to unit
- Vocabulary quiz
- Learning journals
Learning Plan:
Where are your students headed? Where have they been? How will you make sure the students know where they are going?
Our students are headed in a positive direction. They have been educated on how media has a tremendous influence over an individual's life, this influence being ingrained as a seed from a very young age. This unit has been the stepping stone in their process of learning how to critically analyze media. The hope is that they will continue to transfer this newly gained and developed skill in their everyday lives.
How will you hook students at the beginning of the unit?
On the first day of the unit, we instructed the students to fill out a questionnaire about media's impact on their self-esteem. This 5th lesson will begin with informing the students about the results of the questionnaire. This will spark their interests given the fact that the theme of this lesson is the negative influence media has had on them.
What events will help students experience and explore the big idea and questions in the unit? How
will you equip them with needed skills and knowledge?
Throughout this unit, students have done a wide variety of interesting activities, classwork, and homework which has led up to the final goal of teaching the importance of critically analyzing media rather than simply accepting is seen.
How will you cause students to reflect and rethink? How will you guide them in rehearsing, revising, and refining their work?
Throughout this unit, students are encouraged to take note of any feelings they may have regarding this issue. They are instructed to write daily learning journals, and the reflective pieces they have written have enabled them to reflect and to think consistently.
How will you help students to exhibit and self-evaluate their growing skills, knowledge, and understanding throughout the unit?
Students will be able to self-assess improvements and progress during class discussions based on their daily viewing of television shows and music videos. They are given the opportunity to exchange ideas and these discussions with their peers will allow them to see their progress in comparison to others. Moreover, the last lesson sets aside 5 minutes for them to review all of their learning journals in order to identify any changes in their understanding.
How will you tailor and otherwise personalize the learning plan to optimize the engagement and effectiveness of ALL students, without compromising the goals of the unit?
The learning plans throughout the unit have been based on a student-centered approach to learning. This has fostered engagement and effectiveness.
How will you organize and sequence the learning activities to optimize the engagement and achievement of ALL students?
All activities and learning activities have been designed to optimize the engagement and achievement of all students. For example, information presented in lectures was basic and not overwhelming. Also, students were engaged given the fact that they had a fair level of control in this unit via their ability to complete assignemnts and projects based on their personal interests.
Dangers of Media
The dangers of media's perpetuation of gender roles include low self-esteem, depression, and even eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. All of these dangers have given rise to a call for change. We hope you will be inspired to create your own media to counteract this issue even after the completion of this unit.
Interesting video about the importance of youth creating their own media:http://vimeo.com/25219063
Interesting video about the importance of youth creating their own media:http://vimeo.com/25219063