Media Literacy / ICT Project: Term 3

Media Literacy/ICT Project: Term 2

This project looks at many aspects and products of the Media. Each class, a topic is introduced and discussed. Students then write a response to the topic in Appleworks. By the end, they add a conclusion and a cover (made using PhotoShop).

After the writing is complete, students will videotape a brief oral presentation about something in the Media they want to comment on. They will then edit this tape using iMovie. Students may present by themselves or in small groups (maximum 3).

Students who are absent or late for lessons will be responsible for catching up by speaking to classmates.

ONE REQUIREMENT BEFORE WE BEGIN: PAY FOR EARBUDS - 2$.

The order of the topics and activities is as follows:

1) The History of the Media - a Timeline - Pick a few of your favourite inventions and write about what made them so important in the evolution of the Media.

2) Television: Social values from "Father Knows Best" to "The Simpsons" - Have a look at these two glimpses of family life, one from the 1950's and the other from our time. How have our values changed?

3) Media Icons - What is an "icon"? - An example is: Rocky - Write about some icons you know of; what makes them iconic?

4) Literacy, Education and Thinking: Are We Losing it or Going into Hyper Mode? - Compare the Grade 8 Exam from 1895 with this modern-day video, and you decide: Are we getting smarter, or is our education getting dumbed down?

5) Hiphop: Telling the Rap from the Cr@p - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. What has hiphop/rap added to music? What could we do without?

6) Facebook: Social Networking or Societal Nuisance. Students generate the content here. The questions: What is Facebook and why do people use it? How has it enhanced our lives? What problems has it brought with it?

7) Viral Videos and the Youtube Phenomenon - What is a viral video? How does it work? Who watches viral videos? Who creates them? What is the social impact? Do you have some favourites? If so, what makes you watch them? Do you think this is a good use of your time?

8) Google - What is the Google mega-industry made of? What happens when you type something in the box and click enter? How does Google make its money? What is cloud computing? How does google Adsense work? This entry has you asking and answering questions about this thing that we all use every day, and yet most of us know so little about.

9) Is something wrong with Canada's proposed Copyright law? - Watch this segment from The Hour, that discusses some of the measures the Canadian government is considering to clamp down on music and software piracy. What do you think? Should these controls be implemented? Why or why not?

10) Conclusion: Your thoughts on the Media - Sum up all your entries in one rousing finale.

11) Cover (PhotoShop) - 2 periods

12) Oral Presentations: By yourself or in a small group (maximum 3), make a comment on the media. Choose any media-related topic - music, tv, movies, advertising, computers, gaming - and just vent your views. Think of it as your little moment on Speaker's Corner!

13) Editing your oral presentation - 3 periods - Import your presentation to your computer and create a short movie. Include titles and credits, transitions, effects, music and sounds.

Evaluation:

The total project will be marked on the following criteria:

Journal - Appleworks - 30%

Cover - PhotoShop - 10%

iMovie - 30%

Participation - 30%