7 Think For Yourself

Think For Yourself
Media Messages

Resource Ideas

Description

We live in a world that is profoundly influenced by mass media. The media provides more than news, information, or entertainment - it can influence opinion and shape popular culture.

"Think for Yourself" focuses mostly on the medium of television, but the approach of analysing media through critical thinking applies to all media including the Internet.

Major Integrated Resource (MIR)

Identities 7 Series available from Oxford University Press (Canada)

Web Resources

Understanding Advertising - Guidelines and Codes - How Marketers Target Kids. Special Issues for Young Children. Special Issues for Tweens and Teens
Rules for Advertising to Kids - A Handout - a printable sheet for students outlining 10 rules that advertisers must follow.
Caught in the Web: Online Advertising Targets Kids - from Education World comes this information about advertising on the Internet. It includes activities for students
Campaign Ad Critique - from A to Z Teach comes this lesson plan where students analyze current campaign TV ads and literature. They identify the ad by "type." They learn to look beyond the ad to understand its intended purposes and its real content
Critical Media Literacy: Commercial Advertising - This lesson provides students with the opportunity to look at mass media in a critical way. Students become aware of the tremendous amount of advertising that they are exposed to on a daily basis. By looking at advertising critically, students begin to understand how the media oppresses certain groups, convinces people to purchase certain products, and influences culture.
Critical Media Literacy: TV Programs - Television programming has a huge impact on the lives of children. This lesson focuses on the stereotypical and racial messages that are portrayed through television programming with a focus on situational comedies.

Web Quests

Media Propaganda - A WebQuest for Middle Years students about lies, manipulation, and influence of the media
And now a Word from Our Sponsor - Students study techniques used by advertisers and design their own ad.
Cyberganda Advertising - Students analyze ads and develop a campaign for a new product.

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