Hands on Media Literacy project

LESSON PLAN

Subject /Course: English

Topic: Media addiction and literacy

Level: Upper-Intermediate
Lesson duration: 80 minutes ( 2 normal lessons in Latvian school- each 40 minutes long)

Lesson objectives: 1) To rise students’ awareness of the modern addictions, including

media addiction;
2) To develop students’ vocabulary on the topic Media addiction;
3) To facilitate exchange of opinions and practice speaking skills in
English;
4) To develop students’ self-confidence and empathy skills.

Summary of tasks/ actions:

1) Warm-up- 10 minutes:
Give out to students a special questionnaire about their media habits in
order to break the ice and listen to their opinions on their daily use of
phones, tablets, etc. (material attached below)- reading, speaking is
practiced here as they discuss the answers.

2) Introduction- 10 minutes:
Teacher states the topicality of the subject and elicits the students’
responses to that. Key words are written on the board. (Instead
wordle.com app can be used to create a key word set)- speaking is
practiced here, as well as teacher’s frontal presentation work method is
applied.

3) Practice- 20 minutes:
 Students are given a text to read, “Are online friends a threat to the
development?” and write out 15 key words that refer to the topic
discussed (or any other unknown vocabulary that they consider
important). Additionally, students have to write a 10-15 sentence-
summary that states the main idea of the text and reflects their personal
opinion on the issues raised in the reading material.

During the second lesson, students are working on the following.

1) Warm-up phase 5 minutes-

Teacher reminds of the previously discussed topic. Facilitates the class
to write down on the board 10 key words on the subject Media
addiction.

2) Production 20 minutes:
Class work is given to the students. They work in pairs. They read each
other their summaries from the previous lesson. Then they have to
make a dialogue on the topic: Parent and a child face a problem too
much social media in a teenagers’ life. The choice is whether to act out a
family or a school situation, one student can be a parent, other a child,
or a teacher. They have to focus on a problem and offer some kind of a
solution.- Thus speaking skills alongside with current vocabulary are
practiced.

3) Review 15 minutes:
Teacher facilitates students’ to give feedback on how difficult or easy it
is to perform such dialogues- what information or part is more difficult,
what behaviors or attitudes are most difficult to imagine or act out.
Class is given homework. Answer 5 questions in order to strengthen
their understanding about the topic Media addiction.

Materials/equipment:
Text to read.
Questionnaire.
White board.
References:

https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-social-networking-addiction-2655246

Take home tasks:

Questions to answer:
What is media literacy?
What is social networking?

What are pros and cons of media use in daily life?

Why can social media be addictive?

How would you spend a week without any media available to you?

Questionnaire:

1.Do you often absent-mindedly pass the time by using your phone even when there are better
things to do?

2. Do you lose track of time when on your phone?

3. Do you spending more time on your phone than talking to real people face-to-face?

4. Do you wish you could be less connected to your phone?

5. Do you regularly sleep with your smartphone ON next to your bed?

6. Do you use your phone at all hours of the day and night—even when it means interrupting
other things?

7. Do you use your phone while driving or doing other activities that require your focused
attention?

8. Are you reluctant to be without your smartphone, even for a short time?

9. When you leave the house do you ALWAYS have your smartphone with you and feel ill-
at-ease when you accidentally leave it at home?

10. When you eat meals is your smartphone always part of the table place setting?

11. When your phone buzzes do you feel an intense urge to check for texts, tweets, emails,
updates, etc.?

12. Do you find yourself mindlessly checking your phone many times a day even when you
know there is likely nothing new or important to see?