Content Area: Language Arts Literacy

 

Index: 3.5A Grade 8 CPI 2

 

Standard: 3.5 - Viewing and Media Literacy

 

Strand: A - Constructing Meaning

 

Cumulative Progress Indicator: 2 - The student will analyze the use of elements (e.g., setting plot, theme, characters) to understand media presentations, such as film, video, television, and theatrical productions..

 

Grade: 8

 

Sample Activities:

 

·       Each of four groups of students watches the evening news on a different channel. Each group identifies the network’s lead story and point of view by listening to the language and observing the key photos. Students compare notes and discuss the biases they observed in the news.

 

·       Students collect and duplicate examples of editorial cartoons on the same subject from the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and one or more local newspapers. They then discuss how the different cartoonists reflect editorial positions on the same subject.

 

·       Students view a taped talk show, such as Crossfire or Politically Incorrect, that features discussion among guests representing a political spectrum. After the topic is announced and the guests are introduced, the teacher stops the tape and asks the students to write down their predictions of what each guest will say about the topic. After sharing predictions, the class watches the rest of the show and then discusses each guest’s credibility.