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Earth Day: Maps as media - Lesson | MediaSmarts

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Earth Day: Maps as media - Lesson | MediaSmarts

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Briann, Bryanna and Eugénie

Grade(s) 4-6

Resource types: Lesson Plan

Topic: Maps as media - Lesson

Media Type: Google maps - Internet navigation, advertising/marketing aesthetics

Description of activity:

Using google maps (satellite view), students will have to explain the number of green spaces in a city (e.g. parks), indicate how green a city is and how many green spots there are in a neighborhood/city/province. It is an activity to demonstrate how to use maps online and to navigate the map of the city.

Opens conversation about our environment : greenhouse gases, energy efficient, solar panels, recycling

Cross curricular opportunity with science (gr 4 life sci, gr5 energy)

Discussion about maps being used for different purposes

Overall rating: 8/10

Flexible subjects

Could be transferred as a larger project

A bit long

Requires previous knowledge (through the attached lesson)

Detailed and includes a clear student handout.

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Sam, Sierra R, Marina - Avatars and Body Image

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Sam, Sierra R, Marina - Avatars and Body Image

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Title: Avatars and Body Image
Resource Type: Digital Resource
Grade: 4-6
Description: This resource focuses on health and gender/body representations, as well as the portrayal of different genders' body types in the media. The students can create their own avatars that resemble themselves, as well as comparing real bodies vs. photoshopped bodies.
Our thoughts: We enjoy that it helps to reinforce bodily confidence and self-esteem in our students. It also encourages proper representation of all genders' bodies. It creates awareness of how the media tries to distort body image. It can spark a discussion on media and body image.

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Level: Grades 4 to 6

About the Author: Matthew Johnson, Director of Education, MediaSmarts

Duration: 60-90 minutes
Overview Learning Outcomes
This lesson is part of USE, UNDERSTAND & CREATE: A Digital Literacy Framework for Canadian Schools.

In this lesson students are introduced to the concept of "avatars" and share their experiences creating and playing avatars in video games and virtual worlds. They then create avatars using a program that is intentionally limited in terms of available body types and gender markers, first creating an avatar of their own gender and then of the opposite gender, and then discuss the program and relate it to representations of gender and body image in games and virtual worlds and in other media. Students then create avatars using a much more flexible version of the program and compare that experience to the more limited version. Finally, students use the more versatile program to create avatars that represent how they see themselves and how they would like others to see them online and reflect on the choices that went into creating them.
Home and School Connection
Students will:

Learn the definition of the term "avatar" in a digital context

Consider and discuss the influence of avatars in games and virtual worlds on identity and body image

Create a media product that communicates their self-perception and desired representation

Reflect on the relationship between identity and online representation

Download the Avatars Online slideshow.

This lesson and all associated documents (handouts, overheads, backgrounders) are available in an easy-print, pdf kit version.

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In this lesson students are introduced to the concept of "avatars" and share their experiences creating and playing avatars in video games and virtual worlds.

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Renée T., Gracie A., Sierra K. & Emilie B.

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Renée T., Gracie A., Sierra K. & Emilie B.

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Grade: 4

Title: He shoots he scores

Resource type: Lesson plan

Topic: Alcohol advertising and sports

Media Type: Advertising

Brief description:

Students explore the ways in which companies use sporting events and athletes to sell products and influence consumers – especially young people.

Day One, with an “I love sports” show and tell that provides students the opportunity to discuss the sports they love to play and watch, and the values and attributes that make sports an important part of a person’s development.

Students integrate their feelings about sports into a classroom display of words, images and artifacts.

Another day: students discuss words and images relating to sports and compare them with the ways in which advertisers – particularly alcohol advertisers – use these associations to sell products.

Students also examine two case studies: beer advertising at the 2002 Winter Olympics and a controversial series of Molson commercials featuring the popular sports commentator Don Cherry.

As an extension activity, students conduct a survey of ads that appear during a televised sporting event.

Overall rating: 8/10

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Facing TV Violence: Rewriting the Script

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Facing TV Violence: Rewriting the Script

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Cassandra, Victor, Lillian
Grades 4 (can also used in primary level)
This lesson teaches children that television doesn’t always offer the best solutions to conflict.
-examines and brainstorms conflict resolution strategies

Rate: 8/10

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Grades 2-5, Lesson Plan, Media Literacy
Chloe, Marinette, Emilie J.

In this lesson plan, students learn how the media construct reality by studying families portrayed on television, and comparing them to the real-life families they know. Students will choose a television program and create a report on it in groups.

The lesson plan is originally a week long (to allow time to watch the TV shows), but we all agreed that if we were to use this lesson plan, we would modify it so it could be done in a shorter time frame.

We rate this activity 8/10 because it is highly customizable to different age groups. We took away 2 points because we did not like the length of the activity.