POPULAR CULTURE AND MEDIA

LITERACY
ESSENTIAL QUESTION: WHAT WOULD BABRIE LOOK LIKE IF SHE WAS AS BIG AS YOU?
This project has been developed with resources from: (1) Facing our Future and (2) Rethinking Mathematics

What are you going to KNOW

DECONSTRUCTING BARBIE PROJECT

• How to measure an object
• How to write proportions
• How to use proportions to create a scaled drawing of an object

What are you going to UNDERSTAND

DECONSTRUCTING BARBIE PROJECT

• How proportions are used to change the size of an object
• How Barbie, Ken dolls and other children’s toys may influence images of self

What are you going to DO

DECONSTRUCTING BARBIE PROJECT

• Use proportions to create a full-size drawing of a Barbie doll
• Compare the full-size Barbie doll drawing to a drawing of a real life student

GRADING THIS PROJECT:

ITEMS SCORE
PARTICIPATION Total is 4 points
DATA TABLE AND MEASUREMENTS Total is 4 points
SUMMARY WRITING: 4 points each
(A) Conventions, (B) Check-list, (C) Depth & Quality Total is 12 points
PART 1: Video Hooks:
(1) DAY 1: Evolve vide from dove:
http://www.dove.ca/en/default.aspx#/features/videos/video_gallery.aspx[cp-documentid=9150719]/
(2) DAY 1: Criss Angel: Youtube video: Turns Barbie Doll into Real Girl
(3) DAY 2: Consuming Kids: Barney vs. Power Rangers

PART 2: Research and collecting data

(1) Determine the average height for your group. Trace the outline of this person on your poster
paper.
How do you determine the person in your group that represents the average height of your group?

What is the height of this person?

(2) Use the height of the average person in your group and the height of your doll to create your
scale factor.

SCALE FACTOR =

What is the height of your doll?

What is your scale factor?

(3) Complete the CREATING OUR DATA TABLE worksheet to organize measurement data of
the Barbie doll to create new measurements for your human size doll.
USING PROPORTIONS TO DETERMINE NEW MEASUREMENTS
DOLL WRITE YOUR PROPORTIONS WHAT ARE YOUR
MEASUREMENTS TO DETERMINE YOUR NEW
HUMAN SIZE BARBIE DOLL MEASUREMENTS

HEAD:
Vertical

Horizontal

NECK:
Vertical

Horizontal

SHOULDERS:

CHEST:
Shoulders to bust

Shoulders to waist
 USING A SCALE FACTOR TO DETERMINE NEW MEASUREMENTS
DOLL THE SCALE WHAT ARE YOUR NEW
MEASUREMENTS FACTOR MEASUREMENTS
BUST:

Horizontal
ARMS:

Length

Width
HANDS:

WAIST:

LEGS:

Length

Width

(4) Use the new measurements to draw the outline of the human size Barbie doll
over the outline from the person in your group on the poster paper.
Thinking about your math:

Answer this questions:

(1) How are using proportions to enlarge your doll and a scale factor to enlarge your doll different?

(2) Do you prefer using one method instead of the other? Why or why not?

DATA TABLE RUBRIC

4 3 2 1
-Both tables -Both tables -Both tables -Tables are 1/2 or
completed completed completed less complete and
-All measurements -No more than 3 -More than 3 errors may or may not be
accurate and errors with with measurements accurate
calculations correct measurements or or calculations
calculations
PART 3: Reflections and Journal Writing
Answer the following questions in your journal and be prepared for us to discuss
your answers in class.
• What is the math your group used to create your data table?

• How do you know your data table is correct? Is there anything you could have done differently?

• When you drew an enlarged image of the Barbie doll how did it compare to the outline of the person
in your group that was used for an average height?

• What does your data table and drawings tell us about the design of toys and what do you think their
possible impact on ideas of body image are?

• How did we use mathematics to stimulate a conversation regarding toy manufacturing, body image
and representation? How do these themes relate to issues of social justice?

• http://www.eatingdisorderinfo.org (a) 1 in 5 woman struggle with an eating disorder. (b) 24 million

Americans and 70 million individuals worldwide are affected with an eating disorder. (c) 90% of
individuals with eating disorders are women between the ages of 12-25. (d) About 11% of HS
students are diagnosed with an eating disorder. (e) About 10-15% of individuals with eating disorders
are male. What do all these statistics make you think about?

COMPARING YOUR GROUPS WORK TO ANOTHER GROUPS WORK

• Compare your data table to another group. How are the tables similar and how are they different?
Why are they similar and/or different?

• What do you notice when you compare your groups drawings to another groups drawing?

Draw a quick sketch of images your group drew on the poster paper.
Remember to label all the appropriate measurements.
PART 4: LITERACY AND WRITING MATHEMATICALLY
NAME: ________________________ DATE: ______________ PER: ______
Summarize the work your group did. ___________________________________
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 MATH LITERACY BARBIE PROJECT SUMMARY WRITING RUBRIC
WRITING CONVENTIONS
4 3 2 1
-Contains complete -Contains complete -Contains mostly -Contains many
sentences sentences complete sentences incomplete sentences

-No errors in spelling, -Minimal errors in -Some errors in spelling, -Many errors in
capitalization, spelling, capitalization, capitalization, spelling, capitalization,
punctuation, grammar, punctuation, grammar, punctuation, grammar, punctuation, grammar,
or usage or usage (does not or usage(Does interfere or usage(Does interfere
interfere with reader’s with reader’s with the reader’s
-Typed understanding) understanding ) understanding)
-Indentation
-12 point font -Typed One of the following is One or more of the
- double spaced -Indentation missing: following is missing:
-12 point font -Typed -Typed
-double spaced -Indentation -Indentation
-12 point font -12 point font
-double spaced -double spaced

WRITING CONVENTIONS GRADE: _______

CHECK-LIST ITEMS
Vocabulary Words Content Connections
 Average  Describes the process by  Explains how we used math
which average was found to have a conversation about
 Measurements
media literacy
 Describes the process /
 Ratio
procedure of how the scale  Explains how the doll
 Scale Factor factor was identified and distorts the human form
used
 Proportion  Explains how the distorted
 Enlarge  Describes the process / form of the doll may affect a
procedure by which the person’s sense of self image
 Scale Drawing proportion was made and
used
 Describes how the scale
drawing of the doll was made
4 3 2 1
14 items are checked 12-13 items checked 10-11 items checked Less than 10 items

CHECK-LIST GRADE: _______

DEPTH AND QUALITY OF WRITING
4 3 2 1
Writing is meaningful, Writing is meaningful, Writing is limited in There is minimal to no
thoughtful, thorough, thoughtful, and meaning, depth, connections, and
and beyond expectations thorough thoughtfulness, and thoughtfulness
thoroughness

DEPTH AND QUALITY GRADE: _______

DECONSTRUCTING BARBIE PARTICIPATION RUBRIC (Be a presence)
4 3 2 1
-You were responsible, -You were responsible, -You were responsible, -You were not:
patient, reliable, patient, reliable, patient, reliable, responsible, patient,
supportive, supportive, supportive, reliable, supportive,
respectable, and respectable, and respectable, and respectable, and
productive during the productive most of the productive some of the productive while we
entire time we were time we were working time we were working were working on this
working on this on this project (ie: you on this project (ie: you project
project missed a HW missed multiple HW
assignment, were assignments, were
playing around one day, playing around multiple
forgot your work, were days, forgot your work
busy talking about other on more than one
things,etc) occasion, were busy
talking about other
things, etc)
POSSIBLE EXTENSIONS
CLASSROOM SIDES DEBATE TOPIC STATEMENT:
(1) Only ads promoting healthy foods and activities should be allowed during television shows targeting
children under the age of 8.
(2) People who make commercials and advertisements are responsible to tell the truth and to spread a
positive message.
(3) Advertisements should be removed from television during children’s programming.
MAKING YOUR OWN COMMERCIAL: Are You Buying This?!
(1) Review both sides of the product card the teacher gives your group. Facing the future p.155-156
(2) As a group you will make 2 commercials that you will perform in class. 1 commercial will focus on
the attractive side of the product. The second commercial will focus on the consequences related to
the product card given to you by your teacher.
(a) What is the demographic you are selling to? __________________________________________
(b) Why is this your demographic?
_____________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
(c) What is the advertising technique you will use? (celebrity, humor) What’s the impact of using the
product? (smarter, sexier, stronger, etc.) __________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
(3) Each advertisement can be no longer than 1 minute.
(4) You must create at least 1 graph for the commercials. For the commercial that will focus on the
attractive side of the product the graph must be truthful, accurate and represent the actual product. For
the second commercial I want you to re-create your graph by making it misleading to your
demographic. Maybe this graph tells a lie or stretches the truth. To make both of these graphs you
will have to make up some statistics. Talk with your teacher to make sure you are able to
distinguish between (a) the data you make up to be able to create a graph and (b) the creation
of a graph that misleads the audience to misunderstand the data.
(5) Groups will perform their commercials in class.
Discussion questions:
(1) What was similar and different about each others’ commercials?
(2) What did you notice?
(3) When you were deciding how to sell your product, why did you choose the advertising techniques
you used?
(4) Do you think these advertising techniques influence what you and your friends purchase?
(5) If you only knew of America through its commercials, what would you think about America? Why?
(6) What could be some of the consequences (both positive and negative) if the government decided to
greatly restrict how much advertising we are exposed to each year?
(7) How does advertising influence a society’s vision of “the good life”?
PART 5: DECONSTRUCTING DOLLS HW DATA COLLECTION SHEET
NAME: ______________________________ PER: ______ DATE: __________

For HW you must collect the following data: COLLECT DATA FOR 1 NIGHT
ITEM TIME/FREQUENCY
BILLBOARDS AND POSTERS
(1) How many billboards do you see on the way home?
(2) How many billboards were about body image?
(3) How many billboards were about food?
(4) How many billboards were about children toys?
RADIO
(1) How many minutes did you spend listening to the radio?
(2) How many commercials played while you were listening?
(3) How many commercials were about body image?
(4) How many commercials were about food?
(5) How many commercials were about children toys?
TELEVISION
(1) How many minutes did you spend watching television?
(2) How many commercials were on while you were watching TV?
(3) How many commercials were about body image?
(4) How many commercials were about food?
(5) How many commercials were about children toys?
(6) While watching TV how many acts of violence did you see?
(7) While watching TV how many acts of kindness did you see?
(7) While watching TV how many skinny people did you see?
(8) While watching TV how many overweight people did you see?
(9) While watching TV how many sexual references do you see?
INTERNET
(1) How many minutes did you spend on the internet?
(2) How many advertisements did you see while on the internet?
(3) How many advertisements were about body image?
(4) How many advertisements were about food?
(5) How many advertisements were about children toys?
 DECONSTRUCTING BARBIE HW DATA ANALYSIS SHEET
TABLE GROUP #: _____________ PER: ______ DATE: ________________

GROUP NAMES: __________________________________________________

WARM UP: WHAT ARE THE TABLE GROUP TOTAL FREQUENCIES
ITEM TIME/FREQUENCY
BILLBOARDS AND POSTERS
(1) How many billboards do you see on the way home?
(2) How many billboards were about body image?
(3) How many billboards were about food?
(4) How many billboards were about children toys?
RADIO
(1) How many minutes did you spend listening to the radio?
(2) How many commercials played while you were listening?
(3) How many commercials were about body image?
(4) How many commercials were about food?
(5) How many commercials were about children toys?
TELEVISION
(1) How many minutes did you spend watching television?
(2) How many commercials were on while you were watching TV?
(3) How many commercials were about body image?
(4) How many commercials were about food?
(5) How many commercials were about children toys?
(6) While watching TV how many acts of violence did you see?
(7) While watching TV how many acts of kindness did you see?
(7) While watching TV how many skinny people did you see?
(8) While watching TV how many overweight people did you see?
(9) While watching TV how many sexual references do you see?
INTERNET
(1) How many minutes did you spend on the internet?
(2) How many advertisements did you see while on the internet?
(3) How many advertisements were about body image?
(4) How many advertisements were about food?
(5) How many advertisements were about children toys?
YOU WILL BE PROVIDED WITH BUTCHER PAPER TO MAKE GRAPHS & REFLECT