Unit 10: Media and Information (11th Grade US and the World)

How Does WHERE We Get Our Information Influence What We Know and Understand?

What will you Know, Understand, and be able to Do?

Content (Know) Big Picture (Understand) Skills (Do)
-How to effectively blog in a -The importance of accessing more Communication: communicates through
respectful and timely manner than one source of information in the exchange of ideas and information in a
variety of circumstances and media
researching a subject. including:
-How to access different news 1.1- communicating ideas
sources, audio, visual and textual -How different parts of the brain 1.4- a variety of media
are stimulated by different types of Reading: comprehends, interprets, and
-The basics of the Triune Brain media. evaluates a wide range of written material
including:
-reptilian 3.1- word knowledge
-limbic -Our brains process the reading, 3.3- basic understanding of text
-neo-cortex watching and listening of Writing: writes using standard English for
information in different ways. a variety of purposes and audiences
-The basics of Bloom’s Taxonomy including:
2.1- purpose
of Learning -That WHERE and HOW we get 2.2- organization
-knowledge our information dictates our 2.3- evidence and analysis
-comprehension knowledge, comprehension, and Complex Reasoning: effectively uses a
-application evaluation of that information. variety of complex reasoning strategies
-analysis including:
5.1- similarities and differences of
-synthesis
important characteristics and relevant
-evaluation items
5.6- analyzing perspectives
Unit Assessment: Reflective blog entries and Jigsaw potluck dinner conversation (see description on back of
this page)
This calendar is as always subject to change
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
1 2 3 4 5
Unit Kick-Off Unit Kick-Off Blog entry #1 Due Blog entry #1 Due Blog entry #2 Due
Bloom and Triune Bloom and Triune In-Class Discussion In-Class Discussion In-Class Discussion
Get Your Group Get Your Group Text Book Work Text Book Work Text Book Work

8 9 10 11 12
Blog entry #3 Due Blog entry #3 Due Potluck Dinner! Potluck Dinner! Final Blog Due
In-Class Discussion In-Class Discussion
Text Book Work Text Book Work
HW: Potluck Prep HW: Potluck Prep

15 16 17 18 19
Final Blog Due
NEW UNIT
 Project Description:

Over the next week and a half, you will each be assigned to one of 3 groups:

READING LISTENING WATCHING

Your homework assignments will consist of learning about current events by either reading about them online
or in a newspaper, listening to online podcasts or radio broadcasts, or watching them on TV or online videos.
All students will be learning about the same information and events, just in different ways. You will be
responsible for writing 4 blog entries reflecting on the information you are learning. 3 of these blog entries will
be with students who are accessing the news using the same medium, and the final blog entry will be with
students who have been accessing the other mediums. On the last day of this unit, we will have an in-class
potluck dinner, where you will sit at your dinner table with students who have been learning about the news in
different ways from yourself. The goal is to have a sustained conversation about the news you have been
“consuming” and look for any differences you notice between what you know. Your final blog entry will be
with the students you have dinner with, and you will reflect on the entire process.

You will be assessed on your writing (see rubric), as well as your participation in class and on the blog.

Some helpful hints:

Access more than just one news story, video, or podcast for each blog entry. Remember there are
multiple sides to EVERY event. Don’t limit yourself to only one perspective.

Write your blog early. It may be harder to find something new to write about if you are the last one to
respond.

Comment on other people’s responses (always respectfully). Think of Bloom, use your analysis and
evaluation skills. Disagree with each other (again, respectfully), what fun is an online discussion if everyone
agrees?

Include your sources in your blog entries. Let your fellow bloggers know where you are getting your
information so that they can access the same things.