Outcomes
Materials
Procedures
Time Organisation Teaching/ learning activities
0-15 Video Welcome students into class. Introduce the new
projector topic of ‘Representation’ to the students. Advise
ready with that we will be looking at two short texts and in
a youtube particular the way youth are represented in these
clip. texts.
Introduction activity
Pose three questions to the students. Have
questions written on board or on powerpoint and
let the students know what they need to look out
for before watching the short clip.
1. Who or is targeted in this video and are
they being represented in a positive or
negative way?
2. Why do you think the director/film creator
chose to target this audience?
3. Do you think the target audience is being
fairly represented in this video?
Show students youtube clip.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvC6RryUn0
Y
Evaluation/ Extension
Throughout the course of the lesson the teacher evaluates the overall
discussion of the students to see if they are understanding and meeting
the requirements of the outcomes. Additionally the teacher can check
the bookwork of the students whilst they are in groups. The exit activity
will also give the teacher a way to evaluate the way students are
understanding the concept of representation.
In retrospect
This lesson could have included a closer look at the main text and I
possibly could have provided students with context surrounding the TV
show. However, maybe seeing the trailer blind was beneficial as it might
not taint their response. The response to the text could also be done in a
number of ways. Possibly, a response that involves the opinions or views
of themselves compared with the views of themselves in the past or
even the future.
ENGLISH LESSON PLANNING TEMPLATE
Outcomes
Materials
Projector with slides and graphs ready. Newspaper articles printed out (2
or 3 of each) 30 handouts of worksheets.
Procedures
Time Organisation Teaching/ learning activities
0-15 Projector Introduction Activity
with graphs Reintroduce the topic of youth representation in
and images the media. Advise students that todays lesson
will be looking in particular at the way youth are
represented in the newspaper (articles, images
etc.)
Have the 3 graphs on projector for students to
observe. Explain these are graphs that analyse
certain trends from a local newspaper.
Evaluation/ Extension
Throughout this lesson the teacher can evaluate class discussion to see
how successful the understanding of the outcome is in the students.
Particularly focussing on the number of students who are engaging with
the texts and understanding how they are conveying information. The
teacher can also collect the student’s worksheets and evaluate their
answer. Additionally the exit activity can give the teacher an idea of how
the students perceive the representation of youth in the media and if
they have had their opinions influenced throughout the lesson.
In retrospect
This lesson may have more success if the students were able to search
and find their own articles. This may also give them a sense of the
prevalence of articles that highlight youth in positive ways. The
introduction activity could also be done in a way that provides more
tangible figures and graphs for students to more easily comprehend.
ENGLISH LESSON PLANNING TEMPLATE
Outcomes
Materials
Procedures
Tim Organisatio Teaching/ learning activities
e n
0-15 Projector Inform students that this lesson will be spent
with image comparing the two texts studied in the previous
5 on it lesson and evaluating the way bias/stereotypes
are constructed within these texts.
Introduction activity
Start with analysing a picture on the projector
that displays the hulk’s finger with a band-aid on
it. (Image 5)
Have students:
point out what stands out to them
what they think this picture is representing
what the message of the picture is trying
to say.
Students should write down their answers in
their books, give them 5 minutes.
When everyone is done discuss how
representation is being construction in this
image.
Evaluation/Extension
The teacher will be able to evaluate how students are progressing
through this lesson by their interaction with the students during group
discussions and also by reading the response they have in their books.
The creative writing task also will give the teacher and idea of how
students understand the concept outlined throughout the lesson.
Finally, the exit activity will help the teacher understand how students’
opinions have changed about representation and the media over the 3
lessons.
In retrospect
This lesson could have compared and contrasted the texts in numerous
ways. Possibly looking at the may these types have been portrayed over
time and what effect this has had on the culture during these times. The
short writing task could also be flexible in the way it is presented to the
students. Some students might not be able to immediately grasp a
somewhat abstract concepts of living in a world without social media, so
a more applicable task may be to look at how the media has influenced
their personal actions and if the media has changed the way they acted
based on how they feel they are supposed to act.
Appendix
Image 1
(Mason, 2011)
Resource 5 (Hansen, 2013)
1. The prom-bound teens who came to the aid of car-crash
victims
Wearing three-piece suits and floor-sweeping gowns, 20 seniors
from Western High in Davie, Fla., were heading to their prom in
a white stretch limo on May 11. In front of them on a highway, a
Honda Odyssey van started swerving wildly, nearly driving on
two wheels, until it hit a side barrier and flipped over. The limo
screeched to a halt, narrowly missing the van, whose passengers
were already in a panic, yelling, crying and trying to free
themselves from the broken glass and crumpled metal. The limo
driver and the students scrambled out to help. The limo driver
reportedly kicked one door open to get access to the passengers
inside. A student climbed on top of the van, forced the sliding
door open, and reached inside to free some of the passengers.
There were young kids in the van, including a small child who
was stuck under one of the seats. The limo driver was able to
pull the child out and handed the kid over to one of the gown-
clad students. The group continued to help the bloodied and
petrified passengers until firefighters and police arrived. All told,
seven injured passengers were taken to nearby hospitals. And
the students? They were shaken but continued on. "I went on to
prom and a lot of girls were helping me get the blood out of my
dress, so it was good," one student told the Sun Sentinel.
How
persuasive
would you
say this
newspaper
is?
How does
only
presenting
one side of
youth inform
the reader?
How do you
feel about
youth about
reading this
newspaper?
What could
the
newspaper
to do
become
Image 5 (JWT, 2010)
Resource 3
Skins TV Trailer Newspaper article
Would this texts
representation
of youth be valid
50 years ago?
Imagine these
stories were
based in Africa,
how would the
stories different
based on cultural
context?
How do these
texts influence
those who
read/watch
them?
Rationale
Throughout this series of three lessons I am aiming to teach year 9
students about representation, in particular the way the media
represents youth. A specific focus throughout these lesson is several
media sources with various texts, including a television (TV) show trailer
from the show Skins, several newspaper findings, and various sources
which highlight representation in various contexts. Lesson one focusses
on the TV show skins and the way youth are represented to be a party
driven destructive group who spread chaos and only think of themselves.
I also chose to start this lesson with a video advertisement about
speeding and hopefully relate it somewhat to the TV show and overall
link of television media to representation. Lesson two focuses on the
written side of media, in particular the newspaper and how it represents
youth. The lesson draws examples from several newspapers and using
statistics as well as stories to give the students a wide variety of
information to draw from. The final lesson draws these texts together to
look at the way representation is constructed in the media and what
influences this has both within the world of media and to consumers of
media. Beginning the lesson by showing them a picture of the hulk for
advertising purposes and later comparing and contrasting the two
studied texts.
I chose to teach representation and the way the media represents youth
as it is an increasingly important thing to consider in todays evolving
technological world. When students engage with English textual concepts
such as representation, a higher level of intellectual quality is promoted
and skills such as higher order thinking and deep knowledge is embedded
within the student (Gore, Griffths, & Ladwig, 2004). Students require
certain skills to judge representations of themselves and by showing
them how they are often portrayed in the media and why, I am giving the
students the knowledge to know how to discern certain information. It is
also necessary to recognise when something or someone is being
represented poorly, an understanding of when this might be the case is
beneficial for students to learn as it is a skill that may be used commonly
throughout their lives. With regards to teaching how a representation is
constructed within the media, it is important for students to learn how
the construction and interpretation of texts is influenced by cultural
perspectives and other social norms. This is why there is an evaluation of
various types of media and the way it is portrayed. Certain skill is required
to recognise how texts are created, the point of view and representation
of a text shapes the values and meaning of a text (Boas & Gazis, 2018).
Mastering the skill of understanding the reasons why an author creates a
text is a pivotal skill for a student to have.
Reading in this unit has shown me useful ways and strategies to aid
students learning and improve my teaching pedagogy. Reading chapter 1
of The Artful English Teacher has given me an insight into the processes
that are involved when teaching English to students at all levels.
Highlighting the main concepts that are dealt with throughout the English
curriculum and how students engage with them is a useful way to aid
teachers understanding of the English textual concepts and how to teach
them. This series of lessons has helped me relate my reading in this unit
in a practical way in which I am able to look at concepts and strategies
and attempt to put them in a practical setting and hypothesis how they
would work in a class room. Related readings have also improved my
pedagogical style as they have given me a framework in which to shape
my teaching strategies. Gore, Griffiths and Ladwig as well and Pope help
structure learning processes and give examples of how to effectively
teach students concepts and ideas.
Bibliography
Boas, E., & Gazis, S. (2018). Chapter 1 Teaching English through textual concepts. In
E. Boas, & S. Gazis, The Artful English Teacher (pp. 1-20). Kensington
Gardens: The Australian Association for the Teaching of English.
Gore, J. M., Griffths, T., & Ladwig, J. G. (2004). Towards better teaching: productive
pedagogy as a framework for teacher education. Teaching and Teacher
Education. Vol 20, Issue 4, 375-387.
Hansen, L. (2013, May 15). 9 heroic teens and their incredible acts of bravery.
Retrieved from The Week: https://theweek.com/articles/468498/9-heroic-
teens-incredible-acts-bravery-updated
JWT, D. (2010, March 02). Band aid Hulk. Retrieved from Ads of the World:
https://www.adsoftheworld.com/media/print/band_aid_hulk
Mason, G. (2011). The Representation of Young People in the Media . Glasgow:
Youth Justice Research Team .
Pope, R. (1998). The English studies book. London: Routledge.