Beginning Nov.

10, 2014
Student Teacher: Natalie Davis
For: Ms. Camick, Gr.6, Oakdale Park

Language Arts Unit Plan: Media Literacy

Learning goal: To understand the role of the media in depicting stereotypes of various groups
(text-to-self connection: the Jane and Finch community AND depictions of developing world-many students in class are from these countries or second generation)
Differentiated instruction: PPT(visual/spatial learners), independent writing: intrapersonal
learners; group discussion: interpersonal learners, Telagami: mathematical/tech learners
Curriculum Expectations:
Media Literacy
Overall Expectations
1. demonstrate an understanding of a variety of media texts;
2. identify some media forms and explain how the conventions and techniques associated
with them are used to create meaning;
3. create a variety of media texts for different purposes and audiences, using appropriate forms,
conventions, and techniques;
4. reflect on and identify their strengths as media interpreters and creators, areas for
improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful in understanding and creating media
texts.
Specific Expectations
Oral Communication
Extending Understanding
1.6 extend understanding of oral texts by connecting, comparing, and contrasting the ideas and
information in them to their own knowledge, experience, and insights; to other texts, including
print and visual texts; and to the world around them (e.g., use dialogue or drama to explore
similarities and differences between ideas in oral texts and their own ideas)

Point of View
1.5 identify whose point of view is present- ed in a media text, identify missing or alternative
points of view, and, where appropriate, determine whether the chosen view achieves a particular
goal (e.g., identify biases in two different media texts that focus on the same topic or event;
evaluate the portrayal of Aboriginal people in the media)
Teacher prompts: What bias or stereo- types can you detect in this advertisement? Can you
think of reasons why this view of the subject is used? What does this advertisement achieve?
Are there different portrayals of Aboriginal people in the media? How are they different? Why
are they different? Which ones are most accurate?

Lesson #1 (Nov 10, Day 3)

PERIOD I (9:00 am)
Looking Through the Lens (PART I)
FOCUS: Media stereotyping of the developing world
PART I: MINDS ON: Journal Reflection
Show the following quote on PPT and have students reflect on it in their journals (40 minutes of
writing):
"Children are exposed to a large number of mass media images and messages everyday. Some
teach children about the world around them. Others promote stereotypes and sometimes
harmful images of children."

1. What do you think this quote means?

2. What does it mean to be stereotyped?
3. How does the media stereotype children living in developing countries? How does this make
you feel and why?

PART II: POST-JOURNAL DISCUSSION:

Students will now reflect on questions with class. Ask volunteers to share answers and have
discussion throughout. Just a conversation based on what students know (OF learning). Ask:
"Who would like to share what they have written?" (20 minute reflection)
-----------------------------

PERIOD II (10:00 am)

PART III Vocabulary: Project the following definitions on PPT. Have students write these
definitions in their journals.
Images: What we see
Perception: How we understand images based on our experiences
Subject: A person or thing that is being described or dealt with
Stereotype: Assuming that a number of individuals share one attribute based on race, gender,
or religion (example: girls love pink, boys love blue)
Bias: Prejudice in favour of, or against one thing
Portrayal: A representation of someone or something in a particular way
Point-of-View: A particular attitude or way of seeing something
Optical Illusion: Something that deceives the eye by appearing other than what it is
Developing World: The nations of the world which are less economically and technologically
advanced
PART III: OPTICAL ILLUSION (see PPT)

Show students the following images on PPT and ask them to explain what
they see

Image I: Young woman with a hat or old lady in fur

Image II: Triangles or various angles (in fact, no triangles exist in this pic)
Image II: Glass half empty or half full

Follow with discussion about "Perception"

Just as people learn how to read they learn to make sense out of what they see. The brain
learns "rules" of seeing. We make rules of what we see based on our own experiences, because
we are all different. Because we apply these rules our brains may give us wrong information or
one perception of the information that makes most sense.
Stereotypes work the same way. We create rules for how we think individuals are or should be
based on how we identify them with a group defined by race, gender, class. So "all girls wear
pink" or "all Canadians live in igloos" or all people in the developing world are starving in huts.
But, thinking this way, we get an incorrect or partial view of the world.

PART IV: ANALYZING MEDIA IMAGES OF DEVELOPING WORLD

Show the following image from the developing world on PPT. Have class reflect on image. First:

Think pair share; Next: Class reflection using the below guiding questions:
Source: unicef.org. Famine in South Africa. http://www.unicef.org/southafrica/support_8981.html
Questions:
1. What biases or stereotypes can you detect in this advertisement?
2. Can you think of reasons why this point-of-view of the subject is used (Who is "He" who are
"We")?
3. What does this advertisement achieve?
4. Are there different portrayals of people from the developing world in the media? How are they
different? Why are they different? Which ones are most accurate?
Homework: Find an advertisement (television, internet, magazine, newspaper, or the radio) and
find a stereotype that exists in it. Using 3 of our vocabulary words, write a paragraph about why
you think this is a stereotype. (Vocabulary words: Images; Perception; Subject; Stereotype;
Bias; Portrayal; Point-of-View; Optical Illusion; Developing World.)

Lesson #2 (Nov 12, Day 5)

Focus: to help kids analyze stereotypes and how stereotypes can

be broken. First: analyze media images with students and have
them collectively come up with how each text contains the above
definitions
-Have students branch off in groups and find ads where they will
discover and record similar information on chart paper.
Images; Subject; Portrayal; Perception; Stereotype;

Lesson #3 (Nov 11, Day 4)

Looking Through the Lens (PART I)
FOCUS: Stereotyping the Jane and Finch community in the media
PART I: MINDS ON:
Provide students with one or two of the following articles, to read independently and reflect on in
table groups. Perhaps we could discuss these articles for the whole period.
Task: 1 article to 3 groups, 2nd article 3 groups. For todays lesson we are going to be looking at
two articles. 10 minutes to read with a partner and discuss
Groups will discuss article
The Toronto Star: Jane and Finch: Toronto's Most Dangerous Place to be a Kid?
http://t.thestar.com/#/article/news/crime/2013/08/31/jane_and_finch_torontos_most_dangerous_
place_to_be_a_kid.html
The Toronto Star: Black Creek Neighbourhood Deemed Toronto's Least Liveable
http://t.thestar.com/#/article/news/gta/2014/03/13/black_creek_neighbourhood_deemed_toronto
s_least_livable.html
FOCUS: The media's perception of our community
Discussion Questions:
How is the Jane and Finch community being stereotyped in this (or these articles. If we use two
articles, we could do a Jigsaw)

How do you feel about the media's perception of the Jane and Finch community in these
articles? Explain.
----------------

Lesson #4 (Nov 17, Day 2)

Looking Through the Lens (PART II)
-Read "I'm Like You, You're Like Me" Author: Cindy Gainer. About appreciating differences. Tell
students "we read this book because I want you to start to understand how beautiful it is to have
differences. How every person and every community is special in its own unique way."
-Celebrating our differences is how we break and challenge stereotypes.

- Today you are going to be writing letters in response to the Toronto Star articles that we read

last week. In these letters we are going to let the Toronto Star know how incredible the Jane
and Finch community is. We are going to show the Toronto Star that the best way to break the
stereotypes presented in their article is to talk about all the things that make our community
amazing.

-Begin with success criteria:

Success Criteria: Response to Toronto Star Articles
-Begin with brainstorm map in journals (think of 4 things that make Jane and Finch a great
community"
- (Brainstorm with class)
-Choose one article to respond to (choices: "Jane and Finch: Toronto's Most Dangerous Place
to be a Kid" Author: Jennifer Pagliago OR "Black Creek Neighbouhood Deemed Toronto's Least
Livable" Zoe McKnight.
-Your letter must begin with: Dear _______________, My name is_______________ and I am a
grade 6 student at Oakdale Park Middle School at Jane and Finch. After reading your article

entitled________________________ I would like to tell you about all the things that make Jane
and Finch such a great community.....
-Must include at least 4 things that make Jane and Finch such a great community
-Letter must be 1 page in length
-Homework: find a picture of yourself doing something in the Jane and Finch community (playing
sports, at the park, with your family, etc)
Culminating
Student write and submit letters to the Toronto Star with their "REALITY" of Jane and Finch. I
would like to submit these directly to the editors of the Toronto Star in response to the articles
discussed in class (Letters to the Editors). Students can also create Telagami's in a PSA format.
Will include a 30 sec to 1 min PSA from each student along with a picture backdrop depicting
their "REALITY" of the Jane and Finch community.