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Critical Literacy - Representations of Climate Protests in the media

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Critical Literacy - Representations of Climate Protests in the media

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Group 1 - Amy Memory, Ethan Laffey, Poppy Jones, Haoran Jiang

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By the end of this unit, students will be able to analyse and evaluate the representation of climate activists in various news outlets, recognising and articulating differences in viewpoint, bias, and potential agendas. Students will demonstrate their understanding by critically comparing media sources, identifying instances of bias and evaluating the impact of these biases on public perception and policy discourse regarding climate change.

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Peer-to-peer discussions

Class discussions

Structured debates

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1. Media Literacy: Understanding how to access, analyse, evaluate, and create media in a variety of forms.

2. Bias in the Media: Identifying subjective statements, bias by omission, selection of sources, and story framing.

3. Climate Change: Basic concepts such as global warming, greenhouse gases, carbon footprint, and sustainability.

4. Climate Activism: Roles and actions of climate activists, historical and contemporary movements, and their portrayal in the media.

5. Critical Thinking: Skills necessary to question and critique information sources, including distinguishing between facts, opinions, and propaganda.

6. Comparative Analysis: Techniques for comparing how different media outlets report on the same issue.

7. Fake News: Understanding what constitutes fake news, how to identify it, and its impact on public opinion.

8. Political Agendas: How media ownership, political affiliations, and economic interests influence media content.

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Focus Group: Year 9

A mixed-ability group from a rural village.

The students have a good understanding of climate change already but these lessons will help to build their understanding of climate protests, bias in the media and how to spot a fake news story.

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Bias: An inclination or prejudice for or against one person or group, especially in a way considered to be unfair.

Framing: The way an issue is posed; how an issue is framed can significantly affect decisions and judgments.

Agenda-setting: The power of the media to bring public attention to particular issues and problems, determining what topics are discussed.

Echo Chamber: An environment where a person encounters only beliefs or opinions that coincide with their own, so their existing views are reinforced and alternative ideas are not considered.

Partisanship: Strong allegiance to one's own political party, often leading to unwillingness to engage with opposing points of view.

Greenwashing: Disinformation disseminated by an organisation so as to present an environmentally responsible public image.

Propaganda: Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a political cause or point of view.

Climate Denialism: Refusal to accept established facts about climate change and global warming.

Advocacy Journalism: A genre of journalism that intentionally and transparently adopts a non-objective viewpoint, usually for some social or political purpose.

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Lesson 1: Climate Activists in the Media

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Lesson 1: Climate Activists in the Media

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Lesson 1 Plan:

1. Introduction (10 minutes):

Begin by discussing the importance of media representation and bias in shaping public perception - why do Newspapers want to do this? What news sources do they already know that may be biased? what news sources do they know that shouldn't be biased?

Introduce the topic of climate activist protests and explain that students will be analysing how these protests are covered in the media with different biases.

2. Background Information (10 minutes):

1. Show students a range of images and ask them what they think the picture is showing and how this links to climate change. Encourage them to think about how the images make them feel

2. Provide background information on recent climate activist protests that have received media coverage. Discuss the goals and messages of these protests - what is each group trying to achieve? how does this differ from group to group? are any of the groups trying to achieve the same thing but in different ways? (perhaps link this idea to suffragettes and suffragists which is likely two groups they are familiar with already to help them understand this concept)

3. Show students clips about the same topic from different news reports to discuss the differences in the ways these are reported.

Discussion points:

1. is one showing a clear bias perspective?

2. is one more factual?

3. is one trying to scare the audience rather than provide information?

4. Group Formation

Divide the class into small groups of 3-4 students.

5. News Outlet Assignment

Assign each group a different news outlet known for having different political biases (e.g., Fox News, BBC, The Guardian, etc.) to analyse.

Provide each group with a 'starter article' from their news outlet to begin analysing. Help them pick up on any biases

6. Analysis Task (30 minutes):

Instruct each group to find and analyse 5 other articles from their assigned news outlet that cover climate activist protests or climate change in general, see if they can find any which contradict each other and why this might be the case

Students should pay attention to the language used, framing of the protest, inclusion/exclusion of certain perspectives, and overall tone of the article.

7. Group Discussion (15 minutes):

Have each group present their findings to the class.

Between each group encourage discussion on the differences in coverage between the various news outlets and how bias may have influenced the portrayal of the protest - e.g., how does CNN differ to The Guardian? How are they the same? What language do both use and why?

8. Reflection (10 minutes):

Ask students to reflect individually on what they learned from the activity.

Prompt them to consider how media bias can impact public perception of important issues like climate change and specifically how this is shown in the news outlet they were looking at

provide sentence starters to help them write this paragraph

summary of what they have found (e.g., in CNN they often use derogatory terms such as "______" when describing climate activists which suggests....)

9. Closing (5 minutes):

Summarise key takeaways from the lesson as a class. Get students to read out/talk about what they wrote during the reflection

Encourage students to continue critically analysing media coverage in the future.

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1. Inquiry-Based Learning

Approach: Encourage students to ask questions, investigate, and explore topics independently or in groups. This method promotes curiosity and allows students to take ownership of their learning process.

Application: Use open-ended questions that require students to research different media outlets, find data on climate change, and interpret biases.

2. Collaborative Learning

Approach: Promote group work to facilitate learning through the shared development of knowledge. Group tasks can help students encounter diverse perspectives and refine their communication skills.

Application: Assign group projects where students analyse different news sources and present their findings in a structured debate or a panel discussion.

3. Critical Pedagogy

Approach: Encourage students to question dominant ideologies and structures, especially regarding power relations in media. This approach helps develop critical consciousness about societal issues.

Application: Guide students through analysing how media representation can influence public opinion on climate change, discussing concepts such as hegemony and power dynamics in media production.

4. Problem-Based Learning (PBL)

Approach: Present real-world problems to solve, which helps students apply their knowledge practically and enhances problem-solving skills.

Application: Use case studies on climate change activism and ask students to devise strategies that could have been used to better represent the activists' messages.

5. Multimodal Learning

Approach: Engage different senses by using various forms of content and communication, including texts, videos, discussions, and practical activities. This accommodates diverse learning styles.

Application: Integrate videos, podcasts, articles, and interactive media to study and analyse the portrayal of climate activism.

6. Reflective Learning

Approach: Encourage students to reflect on their own beliefs, values, and learning processes, which helps deepen understanding and personal growth.

Application: Implement reflective journals where students record their thoughts on how their perception of media bias and climate change evolves throughout the course.

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Step 1: Setup and Role Assignment (5 minutes)

Begin with a quick recap of the characteristics of the different media outlets previously studied.

Assign students randomly to groups and give each group a card indicating their specific media outlet.

Step 2: Introducing the Hypothetical Event (5 minutes)

Detail the hypothetical climate event, providing the same factual background to each group: specifics about the event’s location, magnitude, impacts, and resulting controversies.

Forest fire happens in Australia. Some countries send funding to help Australia to combat this and to rebuilt their economy following this. America refuses. There are climate protests against this in America as many climate groups think the US should be more supportive of Australia and they feel by not sending funding that is suggesting climate change isn't real

Step 3: Article Drafting (25 minutes)

Groups draft a news article that reflects their outlet's editorial stance and writing style. They should consider how their outlet would prioritise information, frame the event, and choose language to keep their identity guessable yet not overtly obvious.

Students can use their notes from lesson 1 to help them with this

Step 4: Presentation and Guessing (10 minutes)

Each group presents their article to the class without revealing their assigned outlet.

After each presentation, the class votes or writes down their guess of which outlet the article represents from the list of potential news outlets based on the style and bias exhibited.

Step 5: Reveal and Discussion (5 minutes)

Reveal each group’s assigned media outlet and discuss which features led to correct or incorrect guesses.

Encourage a discussion on the effectiveness of the biases and styles in signalling the outlet's identity and how this exercise reflects real-world media consumption challenges.

Get students to think about how differently they feel about the situation after each presentation. Do they support the climate activists or are they encouraged to think of the event as fake?

Evaluation:

Assess students based on the accuracy with which their article reflects the assigned outlet’s style and bias, creativity in maintaining secrecy, and their ability to engage peers in the guessing game.

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1. Introduction (5 minutes):

Begin by introducing the topic of climate protests and why people partake in climate protests and how this is done (e.g., road blockades)

Explain that students will be participating in a one-hour debate to explore the arguments for and against allowing climate protesters to block roads.

2. Group Formation and Preparation (15 minutes):

Divide the class into two groups: Proponents (in favor of allowing climate protesters to block roads) and Opponents (against allowing climate protesters to block roads).

Give each group time to brainstorm and research arguments supporting their assigned perspective.

Encourage students to consider ethical, legal, economic, and social implications in their arguments.

3. Debate Structure (5 minutes):

Review the basic rules and structure of the debate.

Explain that each group will have a short time to present their arguments, followed by a brief cross-examination and rebuttal.

4. Presentations (15 minutes):

Allow each group 7-10 minutes to present their arguments in favor of or against allowing climate protesters to block roads. Each group should have a designated speaker to present their arguments.

5. Cross-Examination and Rebuttal (30 minutes):

After each presentation, allow 2-3 minutes for the opposing group to ask questions and cross-examine the presenting group.

Then, give each group 3-5 minutes to provide a brief rebuttal to the opposing group's arguments.

6. Conclusion and Discussion (5 minutes):

Conclude the debate by summarizing key points raised by each group.

Open the floor for a short discussion on the complexities of balancing the right to protest with other considerations such as public safety and disruption to communities.

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1. Newsela - Provides news articles at various reading levels, many with a focus on climate change and activism, which are useful for differentiated learning.

2. AllSides - Shows news stories from multiple perspectives side by side, helping to illustrate media bias and framing.

3. FactCheck.org - This website can be used to verify facts and debunk myths, helping teach critical evaluation of information.

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1. TED Talks on Climate Change - Offers a range of expert talks that cover various aspects of climate change and solutions, providing credible information and innovative perspectives.

2. YouTube Channels like National Geographic or the Climate Reality Project - Provide visually engaging content that can enhance understanding of complex environmental issues.

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Simulations like “Climate Interactive” - Offers simulation tools that can help students understand the potential impacts of climate policy changes.

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Leverage a curated selection of articles from a diverse array of news outlets, across the political spectrum, to explore climate change coverage. This selection will help students analyse how different media viewpoints, biases, and potential agendas shape public discourse on environmental issues.

Examples of News Outlets:

Mainstream Media: Such as the BBC which tend to present news in a more neutral tone but can still exhibit subtle biases in how they prioritise news stories and the aspects they choose to highlight.

'Conservative' Media: Including Fox News and The Daily Mail which may present climate change with a degree of scepticism or emphasise economic concerns over environmental ones.

'Liberal' Media: Outlets like The Independent, or Huffington Post typically stress the urgency of addressing climate issues and support progressive environmental policies.

International Media: Sources such as Al Jazeera offer valuable insights from beyond the Western perspectives on climate change, often highlighting different regional concerns and policy approaches.

Specialised Environmental Outlets: Such as InsideClimate News offer in-depth coverage of environmental and climate science developments.

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FOUR Key take-aways that all students should have after completing our sequence of lessons

1. Media Literacy: Students will demonstrate the ability to critically analyze media representations of climate protests, identifying biases, framing techniques, and the impact of language on public perception.

2. Critical Thinking: Students will engage in structured debates and written analysis, evaluating complex issues surrounding climate activism, such as the ethics of protest tactics, the role of media in shaping public discourse, and the balance between individual rights and societal interests.

3. Communication Skills: Students will develop effective communication skills through writing articles, participating in debates, and engaging in group discussions, articulating their ideas clearly, persuasively, and respectfully to their peers.

4. Perspective-Taking: Students will gain insight into diverse perspectives on climate activism, including those of activists, local communities, law enforcement, government officials, and business owners, fostering empathy and understanding across different viewpoints.

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Success Criteria - Critical Media Literacy

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Success Criteria - Critical Media Literacy

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This is how we will check pupils' have met the learning outcomes of our unit. These are the success criterias for the protests and debate lessons.

1. Understand and Identify Media Bias:

Outcome: Students will be able to define and identify different types of media bias and understand their implications in journalistic content.

Demonstration: Students will analyse multiple articles from different news outlets on the same climate event to identify and compare the biases and perspectives presented.

2. Evaluate Sources and Claims:

Outcome: Students will critically evaluate the credibility of sources and the validity of claims within the context of media coverage of climate change.

Demonstration: Students will use fact-checking tools and techniques to assess the accuracy of information presented in various news articles and media messages.

3. Analyse Media Representations:

Outcome: Students will analyse how climate change is represented in various forms of media, including news articles, opinion pieces, and multimedia sources, considering the influence of political and commercial interests.

Demonstration: Through written tasks and presentations, students will critique the portrayal of climate change issues in selected media, referencing specific media literacy concepts.

4. Develop and Express Informed Opinions:

Outcome: Students will develop their own informed opinions on media portrayals of climate change and articulate these viewpoints effectively.

Demonstration: Students will participate in debates, using evidence-based arguments to support their opinions on the media's role in shaping public perception of climate change.

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Location: Kineton - small, secluded, rural area

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Location: Kineton - small, secluded, rural area

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Connection to Environment: Residents of rural areas such as Kineton often have a closer connection to the natural environment, which can be leveraged to make lessons on climate change more relevant and impactful.

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Starter

1. Give students a list of 5 words and get them to use a thesaurus to improve these and add 5 extra words that are more ambitious

2. e.g., scared, dirty, run down

Main activity

1. Show students the prompt image and as a class plan make a plan on a story you could write based around this image

2. Encourage the students to think about what life would be like if we did nothing to stop global warming

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Using Frayer Models to teach key vocab to students at the beginning of every lesson and then challenging them to use this vocab in the lesson tasks (debates, written tasks...)