Lesson Plans. teaching critical media skills.
A few places to go...
While this is not one of our own lesson plans, this website is a great place to look for some ideas and lesson plans on consumerism. The teacher who made this site offers worksheets, ideas for activities, and has essentially outlined an entire unit on the topic of consumerism.
http://urbandreams.ousd.k12.ca.us/lessonplans/consumerism/t_comment.html
Another great site provides consumerism lesson plan ideas for not only social studies, but specifically History, ELA, and even Science. The site has resources for teachers that are appropriate for teens as well as younger students. There is a chance you could end up teaching a different age group than the one you originally anticipated, so having a place to go for younger students is also great:
http://economics.mrdonn.org/consumerism.html
An awesome website for lesson plans and sources for all grades levels for subject areas including English Language Arts, Social Studies, Health and Technology education. Media Smarts is a Canadian non-profit organization for individuals seeking to teach and/or learn about digital and critical media literacy. It is definitely worth checking it out.
http://mediasmarts.ca/
This website is devoted specifically to the promotion of Media Literacy Week and has links to several lesson plans.
http://www.medialiteracyweek.ca/en/101_curricular.htm
http://urbandreams.ousd.k12.ca.us/lessonplans/consumerism/t_comment.html
Another great site provides consumerism lesson plan ideas for not only social studies, but specifically History, ELA, and even Science. The site has resources for teachers that are appropriate for teens as well as younger students. There is a chance you could end up teaching a different age group than the one you originally anticipated, so having a place to go for younger students is also great:
http://economics.mrdonn.org/consumerism.html
An awesome website for lesson plans and sources for all grades levels for subject areas including English Language Arts, Social Studies, Health and Technology education. Media Smarts is a Canadian non-profit organization for individuals seeking to teach and/or learn about digital and critical media literacy. It is definitely worth checking it out.
http://mediasmarts.ca/
This website is devoted specifically to the promotion of Media Literacy Week and has links to several lesson plans.
http://www.medialiteracyweek.ca/en/101_curricular.htm
Group Lesson Plan
Approaching Advertisements and Consumerism Through Critical Media Literacy
Through advertisement and consumer strategy analysis, educators aim to equip students with critical media literacy awareness. These skills will help them recognize how media and marketing target specific audiences with the intention of reinforcing social constructs.
Click here for the PDF
Click here for the Worksheets
Through advertisement and consumer strategy analysis, educators aim to equip students with critical media literacy awareness. These skills will help them recognize how media and marketing target specific audiences with the intention of reinforcing social constructs.
Click here for the PDF
Click here for the Worksheets
Lesson Plans
1. "Talking Back" To Advertisements and Products.
The purpose of this lesson is to To expose students to the idea that the marketing and advertising of many products influences the hegemonic norm within society. This
lesson will specifically focus on the messages toys convey to boys and girls, as well as to society as a whole. Students will be given the opportunity to go to a
toy store and find examples of such messages, and will then do an assignment in which they will "talk back" to these messages through any means they wish.
Click here for the PDF
2. An Overview of a Consumerism Novel Study: Feed by M.T. Anderson
Feed by M.T. Anderson is a futuristic novel which satirically addresses consumerism and corporate power. Students will be doing a novel study which will develop their ability to critically think and respond to texts. Students will also be exposed to consumerism and its effect on society, and will be asked to apply critical thinking to make connections between the consumerism and advertisements portrayed in the novel and the consumerism and advertisements present in today’s society.
Click here for the PDF
3. Analysis of Viewpoints and Advertising Campaigns
This lesson examines different viewpoints surrounding gun control laws in the United States of America. The lesson includes many discussion questions designed to challenge students to critically assess that relationship between gun violence and gun regulation. The lesson also allows students to explore different gun related advertisements and determine the intention of each advertisement.
Analysis of Viewpoints and Advertising Campaigns Lesson Plan : Click here for the PDF
Gun Control Proposed Methods: Click here for the PDF
NRA View on Colorado Gun Proposal: Click here for the PDF
Gun Classes For Teachers: Click here for the PDF
4. Psych 20 Head Fake
This lesson involves an analysis of modern commercials examining how advertising companies target emotions to sell their products.
Click here for the PDF
5. Psych 20 Media Lesson Plan
This lesson explores Jeffery Arnett's five uses of media. Through role playing students are challenged examine how different media targeting correlates with Jeffery Arnetts five uses.
Click here for the PDF
6. Psych 20 Media and Violence
This lesson focusses on the violence in media and advertising today. Students recall the five uses of media learned in prior lesson and apply those same strategies to the use of violence in media and advertising. Lesson includes a viewing of the documentary "Tough Guise."
Click here for the PDF
7. Construction of Female Beauty
In this lesson, the students will learn about the construction of female beauty and how it relates to them. The aim is to give the students an understanding how media controls the construction of beauty and how society ensures these ideals remain prevalent. Students will gain an understanding of how marketing and advertising targets females so they will want to buy their product in order to be beautiful and attain perfection.
Click here for the PDF
The purpose of this lesson is to To expose students to the idea that the marketing and advertising of many products influences the hegemonic norm within society. This
lesson will specifically focus on the messages toys convey to boys and girls, as well as to society as a whole. Students will be given the opportunity to go to a
toy store and find examples of such messages, and will then do an assignment in which they will "talk back" to these messages through any means they wish.
Click here for the PDF
2. An Overview of a Consumerism Novel Study: Feed by M.T. Anderson
Feed by M.T. Anderson is a futuristic novel which satirically addresses consumerism and corporate power. Students will be doing a novel study which will develop their ability to critically think and respond to texts. Students will also be exposed to consumerism and its effect on society, and will be asked to apply critical thinking to make connections between the consumerism and advertisements portrayed in the novel and the consumerism and advertisements present in today’s society.
Click here for the PDF
3. Analysis of Viewpoints and Advertising Campaigns
This lesson examines different viewpoints surrounding gun control laws in the United States of America. The lesson includes many discussion questions designed to challenge students to critically assess that relationship between gun violence and gun regulation. The lesson also allows students to explore different gun related advertisements and determine the intention of each advertisement.
Analysis of Viewpoints and Advertising Campaigns Lesson Plan : Click here for the PDF
Gun Control Proposed Methods: Click here for the PDF
NRA View on Colorado Gun Proposal: Click here for the PDF
Gun Classes For Teachers: Click here for the PDF
4. Psych 20 Head Fake
This lesson involves an analysis of modern commercials examining how advertising companies target emotions to sell their products.
Click here for the PDF
5. Psych 20 Media Lesson Plan
This lesson explores Jeffery Arnett's five uses of media. Through role playing students are challenged examine how different media targeting correlates with Jeffery Arnetts five uses.
Click here for the PDF
6. Psych 20 Media and Violence
This lesson focusses on the violence in media and advertising today. Students recall the five uses of media learned in prior lesson and apply those same strategies to the use of violence in media and advertising. Lesson includes a viewing of the documentary "Tough Guise."
Click here for the PDF
7. Construction of Female Beauty
In this lesson, the students will learn about the construction of female beauty and how it relates to them. The aim is to give the students an understanding how media controls the construction of beauty and how society ensures these ideals remain prevalent. Students will gain an understanding of how marketing and advertising targets females so they will want to buy their product in order to be beautiful and attain perfection.
Click here for the PDF