Print Media and Pop Culture

Goals
The goal of this lesson is get students thinking about genre #2 of their multi genre project. This genre can
be anything within the category of print media. They will begin to understand how media and
advertisements shape who they are and their thinking.

Rationale
Media and society shape the way we live our lives, even if we are conscious of it or not. Students
especially buy into all types of advertisements put out into the world by the media. In a way, our students
serve as walking advertisements to the public. This lesson will help students recognize the way certain
types of media shape who we are. They will also take into account how form=audience+purpose plays
into this concept and we will connect this lesson back to the previous one concerning this. It will also
help them get started on genre #2 that deals specifically with print media.

Assessments
I will assess students on their artifact that they brought in to share in the large group discussion about
advertisements in popular culture. I will also assess students on their participation during the in-class
discussion and whether or not they turn in their reflection and their artifact at the end of the hour (This
artifact can also be included in their final portfolio as well).

Standards
Standard 3.4

Objectives
Students will be able to:
• Make informed inferences about what advertisements in print media are aiming for.
• Utilize the concept of form=audience+purpose to incorporate it into their research.
• Construct a print media genre of some sort to express in their second genre assignment.
• Understand what it means to be media literate.

Tasks
1. Students will turn in their Informative Essay at the beginning of the hour.
2. Have students write down a rationale/reflection as to why they chose to bring in the artifact that
they did and give them some questions to think about (5-7 minutes).
3. Arrange desks in a circle like a Socratic seminar and have students voluntarily share their artifacts.
4. We will then take a few of them and discuss whom that particular advertisement is created for and
why it was created.
5. We will also discuss what it means to be persuasive and what messages from the media do to get
us to buy or use certain products or wear a particular type of clothing.
6. I will then explain the requirements for genre #2.
7. Students will get started on their second genre requirement and will be able to ask any questions
they have before class is over.
8. Students will continue their work on genre #2 the following day and turn in their final product on
the following Monday at the beginning of the hour.

Materials
• Extra magazines with advertisements
• Blank paper
To-Do List
• Gather a bunch of different magazines to show in class

References
Slaton, Adie. “The Messages We Send to Our Students.” TE 302. Feb. 2007.

Smagorinsky, Peter. Teaching English by Design: How to Create and Carry Out Instructional
Units. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2008.

Handouts (Please refer to “Handout” tab)

Media Artifact