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Media and its Impact on Us

Created by

Debby Wine

Summary

Strengthen learners’ media literacy by exploring how two alternative strategies and approaches in bullying prevention media influence our perceptions of others. Learners will use these two approaches to analyze the behavior and motivation of two characters in the short story, “Tuesday of the Other June,” by Norma Fox Mazer. (For Grades 9-10)

Learning Objectives

• Identify how media can influence our perceptions of others’ (characters’) behavior
• Identify how media can influence our problem-solving abilities (in suggesting how characters should resolve their conflict)
• Apply the concept of empathy to analyze the behavior of others (characters)
• Develop and practice ways to communicate empathy towards others (characters) through role-play exercises

Lead-in / Preparation

• Project and/or print the short story, “Tuesday of the Other June,” by Norma Fox Mazer

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/schools/westms/departments/english/6th%20grade%20short%20story%201%20Tuesday%20of%20the%20Other%20June.pdf

• Print and distribute the PDF version of https://bullies2buddies.com/stop-thinking-of-bullies-as-bad-guys/ to half of the class.
• Print and distribute the following google doc on bullying prevention strategies to the other half of the class https://docs.google.com/document/d/1n0a0-LDOrU6bZ5hP9fpp39mhaS7x62rHY2GiZJ74zSc/edit#
• Print and distribute the attached two pages: 1) for listing 5 key ideas from the bullying prevention media plus advice for June, and 2) for listing key ideas about the empathy clip, and for listing three possible empathic statements or questions for the characters in the short story
• Youtube clip on empathy, played at 0.75 playback speed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzPMMSKfKZQ
• Computer with projector

Estimated Class-Time Required

Two 90-minute lessons

Description of Activities

1. Brainstorm with pupils to create a web for what they know about strategies for dealing with bullying, and what they know about their own school’s policy, if any, regarding bullying. Ask pupils to identify where and/or from whom they learned these strategies, and add this to the web.

2. Read aloud with the class, “Tuesday of the Other June,” by Norma Fox Mazer. Pupils who wish to read character voices should be encouraged, while the teacher reads the narrator’s voice. Remind pupils to think about the strategies they brainstormed as they read the story.

3. (Second 90-minute lesson) Distribute the two bullying prevention media documents evenly among two groups of pupils. Allow pupils to change seats to sit with their group. Pupils may either take turns reading in their respective groups or read quietly.

4. As pupils read with their groups, each pupil writes (on the attached page, at the end) at least 5 key ideas expressed in the bullying prevention media. In addition, pupils write how they would advise the main character to deal with bullying. They may share ideas in their groups, but each pupil must write on his or her own sheet.

5. Whole group sharing – pupils in each group share the key points they collected from the bullying prevention media and advise the main character. The teacher types the key points and advice on a projected comparison chart (attached) to visually demonstrate the differences between the key points and respective advice given by each group.

6. Ask pupils if they have ever heard of the word, “empathy”. Any pupils who know the word are invited to share what they know. Show the following clip about empathy at 0.75 playback speed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzPMMSKfKZQ and assign pupils to write key concepts of “empathy” from the clip on the following sheet (attached). Elicit from pupils what they wrote and type on a projected doc or slide.

7. Dramatic role-play – in groups of three, pupils assume the roles of the two main characters from the short story and an outsider. The characters express how they feel about the conflict between them. The outsider advises how each character can either ask a question or make a statement that expresses empathy. Pupils write at least three examples of empathic statements or questions on their “empathy” key concept sheets.

8. Reflection – summarized in section on “Reflection”

Key Vocabulary / Phrases (if applicable)

• (understanding a different / someone’s) perspective
• (speaking from / taking a point of view)
• victim
• obvious
• admire
• courage
• ban
• assertive
• “Turn the other cheek.”

Assessment

• Check-in questions for comprehension of the short story:
• Thumbs up if you agree with how the main character is dealing with “the Other June”
• Thumbs down if you disagree with how the main character is dealing with “the Other June”
• If you disagree, explain why.
• Check “key ideas” pages on bullying prevention media and on empathy clip. Ask pupils to share their observations while typing on a projected word document or ppt slide. Collect all pages, on which pupils must write their names, to ensure accountability.
• Check examples of empathic questions and statements by asking pupils to share with the class what they came up with in their dramatic role-play groups. Collect all pages, on which pupils must write their names, to ensure accountability.
• Check written responses assigned for homework

Reflection

Questions for Reflection:

• Compare and contrast the advice pupils gave to June after reading the bullying prevention media. Did you learn anything new?
• Read through the key concepts on the entire chart (below) and rate from 1-5 the degree to which you agree with each concept (1 = strongly agree and 5 = strongly disagree). Would you change your advice to June after learning new information?
• What is the main message of each piece of bullying prevention media?
• What can we say to show empathy toward people who bully, and toward victims of bullying?

Comments

Any other notes that would be helpful for someone running the activity.

During whole group sharing (5) when gathering pupils’ written key concepts that they gleaned from the bullying prevention media, set up the projected comparison chart for typing as follows:

*********

Name: _________________________________

Today is: _______________________________

Title of the Bullying Prevention Article: ___________________________________________________________________

********

Name: _________________________________

Today is: _______________________________

Attached Files