Questioning the Media

Grade: 3rd
Essential Questions:

Who created the media and for what purpose?

How do you think or feel about the media? How might it make
others think or feel?
What does this tell me about how other people live or behave? Is
anything or anyone left out? Is it true?
Did you see any stereotypes presented in the media?

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.1
Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text,
referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.7 Use information gained from
illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to
demonstrate understanding of the text

Objectives:

Students will be able to discuss and answer the 5 key questions of

media literacy on their station handout (RI.3.1)
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the importance of
asking questions about the media messages they receive within
their written response to the exit slip question (RI.3.1)
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the terms media
and media literacy within their exit slip response. In other words,
students discuss the importance of asking questions (media
literacy) about TV shows, Ads, Music etc. (Media). (RI.3.7)

Materials:
Chart Paper
Markers
Writing utensils
Copies of station handouts
Sticky Notes
Copies of exit slip
Projector or SmartBoard
White Board Markers
Selected media samples
Chart Paper with stereotypes from previous lesson

Hook:
The teacher will begin the lesson by asking, has anyone heard of the
word Media before? The teacher will write the word on the board and
any student feedback he or she receives from the students. The teacher
should use the students feedback to create a class definition. The
definition may be similar to what is below.
Media: Mass communication that we receive such as TV, advertisements,
newspaper, magazines, music, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram,
or the news
The teacher will say, The media is all around us! The media is anything
that communicates a message to us. Since we receive SO MANY
messages from the media, it is important that me think about the
messages we are receiving. That is why today we are going to learn
about Media Literacy.
Media Literacy is: when you ask questions about the media you see
instead of simply listening to the message. You analyze and evaluate the
message you are receiving. You decide what the media is communicating,
why it is communicating that message, and if that message is true.
The teacher will write what is highlighted in blue on the board.
The teacher will ask the students: Do you think the media always tells
the truth?
Students will probably respond with: NOOOOO!
Teacher: I agree. Thats why we need to be detectives in order to find
out what the media is REALLY telling us! We need to work on becoming
media literate. Its actually pretty fun!
Today you are each going to get a detectives notebook. There will be 5
detective questions you will need to answer at each of the media stations
you will visit. You can respond in sentences, in bullet point notes or with a
picture, as long as you will be able to share your notes with others. We
are going to do 2 together to start so we get the hang of it.
The teacher should have the media literacy 5 questions written on chart
paper taped to the board (example below). Furthermore, chart paper
with stereotypes should be displayed in room for assistance. On the
overhead projector or SmartBoard the teacher should project the media.
I suggest that the first example is something the kids could easily
connect to and the second to be a bit more difficult.

The teacher models a think-aloud after watching the media and writes
their answers to the questions on the chart paper.
An example of a media model is below.
Media: TV Show Clip: Jessie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWpc99HFOs0
Teacher shows video to the class. After video is complete teacher model
dialogue is below.
OK so I know this show Jessie. I watch it on the Disney Channel. Alright
let me look at my detective sheet. Ill put my name here: Detective Wyant.
First question asks what is this and how was it put together. Well I know
this is a Disney Channel Show Jessie, Ill write that down. Ok how was it
put together well I mean with a video camera and actors and stuff.
Ok next question, who created the media? Ummm I think Disney
created this show. Ill write that down. Next, for what purpose? Huh?
That is hard. Why did they create this show? I mean its pretty funny,
maybe to make people laugh! But maybe there are other reasons. Well
dont actors make lots of money? Maybe Disney made the show to make
money? Ill write down money.
The third question asks me how I think or feel about the media. I think it
was funny! OK how would others feel? Thats a hard one. I should
probably watch the video again and think about that while I watch. Ok so I
was thinking and I think other people would think it would be funny too.
But maybe not people from India like Ravi, or other people who know
many Indians. Maybe they might think hey we dont all dress or talk like
that. And maybe people who dont know very many Indian people will think
that ALL Indian people will be like Ravi. Also, I noticed there was lots of
laughing when Ravi talked about his clothes and studying. This made it
seem like they were making fun of Ravi. People who dress or talk similar
to Ravi might feel made fun of. Ill write that down.
Ok the next question is what it tells me about how other people live.
Well I remember Jessie saying that they were eating rich people
breakfast when they were eating croissants and something else. I know it
showed Indian people as dressing in traditional clothes and with accents.
Ok Ill write that down. Ok next, is anyone left out? Well I guess Indian
people different from Ravi or other breakfasts rich people could eat.
And is it true? I dont think so because every person is different. Not all
Indian people or rich people are the same.

Alright finally stereotypes. Well, I remember that stereotypes are

things we assume about groups of people. I can look at our stereotype
sheets we made for help. I see we made some stereotypes about rich or
poor people and some about people of different races. Well in this video
they assumed all rich people eat fancy breakfast. They also assumed
Indian people wore traditional clothes, had a accents, and were excited to
study on the weekend.
Wow! Now I feel like I know a lot more about what is going on in this TV
show and what messages it is telling me.
Example of Detective Notebook
Media Detective Notebook
Detective Name: Detective Wyant
What is this? How was it put together?
Disney Channel Show Jessie
Video Camera
Actors
Who created the media and for what purpose?
Disney
Make people laugh
Money
How do you think or feel about the media? How might it make others
think or feel?
Funny
Indian people or people who know many Indians may not like the TV
show because they might think that its unfair that Ravi has an
accent and wears those clothes because not ALL Indians are like
that.
People who dont know many Indians might think that ALL Indians
are like Ravi.
People who dress or talk similar to Ravi might feel made fun of
because of the laughing.
What does this tell me about how other people live or behave? Is anything
or anyone left out? Is it true?
Rich people eat fancy breakfast.
Indians wear traditional clothes and have accents.
Indian people and rich people different from what we saw on the
show.
I dont think its true because not all rich people eat fancy
breakfast and not all Indian people dress in traditional clothes or

have accents.
Did you see any stereotypes presented in the media?
Rich people eat fancy breakfast
Indian people wear traditional clothes, have an accent, and are
excited to study on the weekend

Lesson Procedures:
(Students will be in 4 to 5 groups)
After the teacher has finished modeling 1 or 2 examples they will explain
the directions for the stations. The teacher will explain that each station
will have a theme. For example, the theme could be Disney movies, or it
could be Instagram posts, or newspaper articles etc. The students will
move in their groups through each station. The students will only fill out 1
detective sheet per station even if there are multiple forms of media.
The teacher will say, Try to answer the questions after looking over all
of the media at each station. Answer the questions about all of the media
as a whole. The detective sheets are just for notes. Also the teacher
should explain that students should use the stereotype sheets they
created to help them answer some of the questions on their sheet.
There could be anywhere from 5 to 10 stations depending on how much
time or how many days you can devote to giving the students time to
explore the media. There should be a unifying trend or stereotype in
each station. The media you use should depend on your student body,
what would be relevant and appropriate for them.
Examples for Stations

Disney Princesses (books, images, video clips)

Preteen Magazines
Commercials (Common trends in car commercials, cleaning product
commercials, fast food commercials etc.)
The News (Newspaper clips, online videos, Magazine clips)
Pop Music (Music Videos & Lyrics)
Billboards
Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, SnapChat etc.)

The teacher will move from station to station to provide assistance and
answer questions.

Lesson Closure:

After students have completed station work have each group make a list
of common themes they discovered at each station using their detective
sheets. The common themes could have to do with stereotypes, who the
media leaves out of the picture, reasons why they think the media was
created, who the media was created by, how the media made them feel
etc. The students will write each item on their list on a sticky note and
then place it on the board. After the groups have completed the list the
teacher will ask one member from each group to come up to the board
and sort their peers responses into categories. The students will get to
choose how they sort the responses.
After the sorting is done the students will explain their categories they
created. Moreover, the teacher will discuss with students the categories
and responses they came up with. The teacher will help facilitate the
discussion and connect what the students came up with to the five core
concepts of media literacy below. The students do not need to have
these ideas memorized the point is to get them to start thinking about
the messages they receive and to have a discussion with students about
their evaluations of the media messages they received.
1. All media messages are constructed.
2. Media messages are constructed using a creative language with its
own rules.
3. Different people experience the same media message differently.
4. Media have embedded values and points of view.
5. Most media messages are organized to gain profit and/or power.

Concept Evaluation:
At the end of the lesson students will be given an exit slip asking them to
explain how learning about stereotypes and media literacy might change
the way they receive media messages.
Name:
How will learning about stereotypes and media literacy change the way
you receive media messages?

Students will also be formatively assessed throughout the lesson plan.

The teacher will do this by evaluating if students can participate in
discussion regarding detective questions within their groups and provide
written or pictorial notes on what they have gathered at the station on
their detective worksheet. Furthermore, students will be evaluated on
their participation in finding common themes or trends across media at
stations. Students should be participating in discussion and writing down
ideas.

Gear up:
Gifted Students
Gifted students will be called upon to help sort student responses of the
common themes across media. Sorting student responses into categories
without direction is a more challenging task because it requires students
to categorize ideas with understanding.
In addition to being asked How will learning about stereotypes and media
literacy change the way you receive media messages?, gifted students
will be asked to write about a stereotype they encountered in the media
that day and why they think that stereotype was included in the media
message.

Gear down:
Struggling Students & ELL Students
Struggling students will be given a job within their group. This could be
recording the groups ideas on the sticky notes, or being the speaker for
the groups answers for the discussion questions. These jobs keep the
student involved and empowered, however since they will be working in a
group there is less pressure. If the student is stuck they can use the
group for support. For example, they dont have to come up with the
answers to the discussion questions alone. However, the do have to pay
attention to their groups discussion so they can report to the class.
If there is another student in the class who speaks the same language as
the ELL student the teacher should make sure they are in a group
together so they can help each other with translation. Furthermore the
ELL student depending on their level of English could write their
detective sheet responses and exit slip in their native language (if
translator available) or using a drawing. Moreover, if the student can
read some English their exit slip could be in multiple-choice form.

Resources
Medialit.org
http://www.medialit.org/sites/default/files/mlk/01_MLKorientation.pdf