Media Literacy
The importance of educating our students regarding the long-term effects of climate change using different Media Strands
Resource 1: Al Gore’s famous An Inconvenient Truth
I believe any form of documentaries plays a vital role in the learning world today. Documentaries can be defined as an informative resource, with dialogue that is used to help educate or inform its audience. They serve as powerful tools that ultimately bring important topics to the table in a captivating manner. I believe documentaries can spark interesting conversations no matter the topic. Therefore, I believe documentaries are a vital tool for teachers to use when educating their students in the Media Strand.
Take for example Al Gore’s famous documentary An Inconvenient Truth, this resource is extremely useful and relays a powerful message because to me it was the introduction of what climate change is and what it does to harm our world. I believe this concept needs to be readdressed, and just as Al Gore did in 2006, we as educators should do the same. Having said this, the goal of this documentary regarding climate change is for students to think critically about how climate change has affected our planet. It will have students engaged and talking to one another about the topic of climate change, and sharing their thoughts on it.
I would use this resource in grade 8 classrooms, as it uses a more advanced vocabulary. This documentary can relate to the Ontario Language Curriculum using both the Grade 8 Media Literacy Overall Expectations and some Specific Expectations. One Overall Expectation that relates to this resource is Overall Expectation 3. Creating a variety of media texts for different purposes and audiences, using appropriate forms, conventions, and techniques. I believe it relates to this expectation because after the students watch the documentary, it will allow the students to showcase their ideas they have learned.
For example, I could assign a Twitter assignment where they must create a poster on three facts learned after watching the documentary. Two of the Specific expectations that can relate to this resource are from section 1. Of Understanding Media Texts 1.1-Purpose and Audience and 1.3-Responding to and Evaluating Texts. I believe it relates to these expectations because they will know who this documentary is meant for, and how strong the message was within the documentary. For example, how effective was Al Gore’s points within the documentary regarding Climate Change? Does he make you want to go out and protect our world?
For example, I could assign a Twitter assignment where they must create a poster on three facts learned after watching the documentary. Two of the Specific expectations that can relate to this resource are from section 1. Of Understanding Media Texts 1.1-Purpose and Audience and 1.3-Responding to and Evaluating Texts. I believe it relates to these expectations because they will know who this documentary is meant for, and how strong the message was within the documentary. For example, how effective was Al Gore’s points within the documentary regarding Climate Change? Does he make you want to go out and protect our world?
Resource 2: Greta Thunberg's speech to the United Nations that shocked the world
I also believe that educational videos go along way regarding teaching the Media Strand especially in grade 8. The influence of videos in teaching and learning serves to not only benefit students but also teachers. The nature of accessing videos online allows them to be shared and accessed at any time of the day. Rather than using boring textbooks to teach your lesson, why not educate your students with an inspirational YouTube video such as this one.
A YouTube video that shows a teenage girl with Asperger’s disease named Greta Thunberg, who stood alone against the world, criticizing and calling out some of the world’s leaders, as they do nothing, regarding climate change. She accused them of ignoring the science behind climate change and global warming. Greta Thunberg is now considered an environmental activist on a global scale, as she has established a large group of followers full of environmental protesters to help protect our planet from climate change. From this, Thunberg’s message inspired a global phenomenon regarding a protest called School strike for the climate. This strike is led by students from all across the globe, as they rise against climate change.
This video will leave students inspired to do something right. It will teach them how to critique different ways public speakers get their message across by using educational videos. They will critique either how poor or effective Greta Thunberg’s motivation speech was on climate change. For example, I could assign an assignment that allows the students to elaborate on one point Greta said in the video and whether they thought it was effective or not.
Resource 3: Picture Book
Lastly, I believe the uses of picture books are an essential tool especially learning about Media Literacy. Picture books for young readers are the foundation that promotes literacy, story analysis, and interpretation. Picture books for young children are one of the essential aspects of their education. However, I also believe picture books can be used for education at the higher-grade levels as well. My third and final resource is a picture book titled Who Will Save My Planet? The book was composed by Maria Cristina Urrutia and relays a strong message by illustrating to the readers that we as humans are damaging our planet.
I believe Urrutia is calling out to the world that humans are the reasoning behind the damaging effects happening to nature, and that humans are in desperate need of developing a course of action. The book consists of eight pages, with no words, and instead uses pictures, that focus on a different figure in nature on each page.
Urrutia outlines this by showing powerful displays of before and after pictures of those select figures of nature and how we as humans over time have done so much to harm and destroy them. I would use this picture book in grade 8 classrooms because it allows the students to look at each picture and come up with their interpretation of what they think the message is behind the book. The book has no words, having said this, there could be endless amounts of theories they could come up with.
Urrutia outlines this by showing powerful displays of before and after pictures of those select figures of nature and how we as humans over time have done so much to harm and destroy them. I would use this picture book in grade 8 classrooms because it allows the students to look at each picture and come up with their interpretation of what they think the message is behind the book. The book has no words, having said this, there could be endless amounts of theories they could come up with.
This book can relate to the Ontario Language Curriculum using any of the Media Literacy Overall Expectations but more specifically it connects to Overall Expectations 1. Demonstrate an understanding of a variety of media texts and 3.
Creating a variety of media texts for different purposes and audiences, using appropriate forms, conventions, and techniques. This will allow the students to have been able to analyze different kinds of Media texts, such as documentaries, educational videos and now picture books. It has them reflect that even picture books that are more targeted for children, can also deliver powerful subliminal messages that can be critiqued at higher grade levels. I would create an assignment where my grade 8 students would have to create their own picture book, using important points on climate change.
Resources:
Who Will Save My Planet? (Maria
Cristina Urrutia, Tundra Books, 2007).
This was a great read Gianfranco, you really dove into all three resources with great descriptions of the resource and classroom activities to be used. In my grade 8 class, we used the Greta Thunberg video to practice writing summary paragraphs and I loved seeing an alternate use for it. It could be an activity we build on for a cross-curricular activity. Great post.
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