COMMUNICATION
LESSON 8: MEDIA: A FORM OF COMMUNICATION
Words - so innocent and powerless
as they are, as standing
in a dictionary, how potent,
for good and evil they
become, in the hands of one
who knows how to combine them!
- Author Unknown
I. Literacy Objective: The students will identify the varieties of media available in today's society, their uses, and the motive appeals used by them to capture audience attention.
II. Materials for Lesson: Old magazines and newspapers
A portable radio (if possible)
"Motive Appeals" handout by Fran Averett Tanner
"The Forecast" handout by Dan Jaffe
"Will ABC-TV Blitz Louisville?" handout
III. Suggested Reading: A Variety of Newspapers, Magazines, Flyers or any community form of media.
IV. Additional Activities: Classroom billboard
"The Six O'clock News"
Billboard research
V. Notes to Instructor: Communication surrounds us in our everyday lives. One only has to turn on the radio or the television, read newspapers and magazines, or walk down the street to be exposed to the multitude of media in our environments. In this section of the unit on communication the focus will be on identifying media, finding what you need from the media, and interpreting the media. As instructor, you are asked to provide materials which are not possible to include in the following lessons, such as magazines, newspapers, shopping guides and telephone books. The theme of this lesson is to explore the various forms of media and how they affect our individual lives. For this reason, you are encouraged to provide as many examples as possible.
Communication p. 9
Project FORWARD Curricula / Texas Education Agency & El Paso Community College
Journal Entry: Describe a commercial you have seen on television, heard on the radio, or seen in a magazine that has strongly effected you in some way.
Review: Begin the class by designing an outline of the past seven lessons. Write this on the chalkboard or overhead projector as you create it with the assistance of the students. Discuss the points the students and you consider important and that could use reemphasis. Then ask for volunteers to read their summaries of the different communication styles they use with strangers, acquaintances, friends, and intimates from their home assignments.
INITIAL INQUIRY
Today's lesson explores the variety of ways that messages are communicated to the public.
Provide examples of media, such as newspapers, magazines, and radio, to emphasize that communication is accomplished through a variety of ways.
The discussion may be stimulated by the following questions:
1. What attracts the reader's eye to the written word in the environment? (i.e., billboards, magazines, etc.)
2. Give each student a magazine and ask them to find an ad that they find attractive. Then ask what attracts them to the ad.
3. Looking at parts of a newspaper, ask the students how the writers in this business attempt to get their messages across?
4. Where do you see billboards? What sort of things are communicated through billboards? Why do you think this is so?
5. When you are listening to the radio do you hear more music than talk? What is the talk you hear?
LEARNING ACTIVITY
Discuss with the students the various types of media that surround us everyday. Create a list. Ask the students to answer the following questions in writing for each item on the list in either large or small groups:
1. What are the unique features of this type of media?
1. How does this type of media communicate to us?
2. What does this type of media regularly communicate to us?
3. How often do you find yourself exposed to the messages from this type of media?
4. What are the advantages to this type of media?
5. What are the disadvantages to this type of media?
Communication p. 9
Project FORWARD Curricula / Texas Education Agency & El Paso Community College
Each media form is trying to capture the attention of an audience. Each one uses "motive appeals" which are visual or verbal images that stimulate audience desires. Human motives are complex but they generally can be categorized into ten themes. Distribute the Motives Appeals handout and discuss each of the categories.
Ask the students to individually search through the magazines and select a colorful, appealing advertisement. Ask them to determine the motive appeals used in the ad. Ask each student to give a one minute report to the class discussing the appeal of the advertisement.
LANGUAGE EXPERIENCE
Fran Averett Tanner reports that "the most persuasive words" in American usage are: you, money, save, new, results, health, easy, safety, love, discovery, proven, guarantee. Either as a whole class or in small groups, design a commercial for one form of media chosen by the group. The commercial will attempt to tell the world what a wonderful class this is using all of the most persuasive words. The instructor may begin the group writing with the following sentence:
"Have you heard what is going on in room 7-C?"
Self-paced Activities:
Activity 1: Ask these students to describe in writing the media form that they use the least and why.
Activity 2: Ask these students to describe in writing the media form they are most exposed to and the effect it has on them.
Activity 3: Ask these students to choose the media form they consider to have the most influence in society today. Ask them to describe why this so and the positive and negative aspects of this media form.
READING IN CONTEXT
Two readings have been provided. One is the poem "The Forecast" by Dan Jaffe. Discuss the poem's meaning and the mental images, thoughts, and emotions that it elicits in the readers.
Comprehension Questions:
1. Why is this titled "The Forecast"?
2. Who is the author writing to?
3. Do you agree with the author?
4. What conclusions can you draw from the poem?
5. Does the poem apply to you?
Communication p. 9
Project FORWARD Curricula / Texas Education Agency & El Paso Community College
The other reading is "WILL ABC-TV BLITZ LOUISVILLE?" This story may be difficult for your students so you may read it to them as they follow along silently. Discuss its meaning, images, thoughts, and emotions.
Comprehension Questions:
1. What is the theme of this story?
2. How does the television media produce a show that will attract people?
3. Why would television want to attract people?
4. Are you satisfied with what you see happening on television? Why or why not?
5. How might exposure to television negatively effect you?
Personal Dictionary
HOME ASSIGNMENT
Ask the students to describe in writing their standards for selecting television programs for their children. Ask them to write them in the form of "My Family"s Guidelines for Watching Television".
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
1. Using materials you supplied, ask the class to create a classroom billboard advertising the importance of this class. Brainstorm ideas of what to put on the billboard. With the items identified through the brainstorming activity, get a consensus within the group on which items they will put on their billboard. Allow the students to design and create the classroom billboard. Display the finished product in the classroom.
Self-paced Activities:
Activity 1: Ask these students to create a slogan for the classroom billboard. These slogans can be displayed around the billboard.
Activity 2: Ask these students to write a one paragraph description of what it would be like to create a "real" billboard. What would they put on their billboard? Why? If they wish, allow them to also create a miniature size billboard of the one they described.
Activity 3: Ask these students to compare and contrast electronic billboards with traditional billboards.
Communication p. 9
Project FORWARD Curricula / Texas Education Agency & El Paso Community College
2. "The Six O'Clock News" from 100 Ways to Enhance Self-Concept in the Classroom by Jack Canfield and Harold C. Wells. Ask the students to write a TV news report beginning with a dateline and telling something that the writer might do at some future date. The newscast should elaborate on the major events of the person's life. The six o'clock news becomes a kind of "hoped-for" autobiography. For example:
July 5,1995
A TV-8 exclusive!
Yesterday a young American woman named Patricia Valle was elected President of Cuba. Ms. Valle is the first American citizen to be elected president of another nation and also the first non-Cuban to be elected to a major office in that Caribbean country. Ms. Valle's climb to fame began in Chicago, with her early professional career of teaching.
3. Ask the students to research your community regulations regarding billboards.
Communication p. 9
Project FORWARD Curricula / Texas Education Agency & El Paso Community College
MOTIVE APPEALS
1. Self preservation is the desire to survive; the need of food, clothing, shelter, oxygen, and rest. Self preservation is usually considered the foremost motive, until it is satisfied. Then other needs take precedence. Closely associated with self preservation is the need for security and safety--free from worries. We are responding to this motive when we have our tonsils out, lock our doors at night, get a smallpox vaccination, stop (or never start) smoking, use safety devices, take prescribed medications, or get our chests X-rayed for diagnosis.
Examples: "Buckle up your seat belt and live."
"If we don't stop air pollution, in twenty years man will be asphyxiated."
"Speed kills."
2. Pride is self esteem or a feeling of personal worth and accomplishment. Frequently we need to strengthen our "ego," the Latin word for "I," We don't like to feel inferior or to be made fun of, so we work hard to build our morale and win approval of friends and family. We become a football player or the editor of the school paper. We get good grades, win awards, join clubs, wear new clothes, and acquire possessions.
Examples: "If you make the honor roll, you are to be congratulated."
"Buy this new cassette tape recorder, and you'll have the best one in town."
"For a real sense of accomplishment, volunteer your services at the children's hospital."
3. Personal enjoyment is the desire for beauty, comfort, and recreation. "Man cannot live by bread alone." He needs beauty in his life. In the dreariest of tenements you may see a tin can planted with blossoming geraniums that attests to this need. We adorn ourselves with jewelry, decorate our rooms with colorful posters, have soft overstuffed chairs. We don't need a $100,000 home to keep out the wind and rain, but a love of fine things motivates us. We like a car with the "extras." We like food and drink that give us pleasant taste sensations. We like to own a boat for the fun of fishing and other water sports.
Examples: "Order Sullivan's ice cream for that melt-in-your-mouth smoothness of rich goodness."
"Baker's Music has an excellent selection of folk songs."
"For an evening of fun, attend the wiener roast at Green Park."
4. Love and affection is the need to give and receive love, to have friends, to share life with others, to promote the common good. This drive motivates us to take out insurance for family security or to fight a war to protect our loved ones. This drive spurs donations to charity to help the less fortunate. It interests us in dating and in making friends with the opposite sex.
Examples: "People who work together build strong and lasting friendships."
"Learning to dance will make you a better dating partner."
"Take a foster child into your home and enrich both his life and yours."
Communication p. 9
Project FORWARD Curricula / Texas Education Agency & El Paso Community College
5. Acquisition and Saving is an appeal to the pocketbook, to a desire for ownership. It is often this drive that makes us work hard to earn money to buy what we want. It is this drive that entices us at the bargain table.
Examples: "Buy now and you'll save $10.00."
"Train for the job and you'll earn more money."
"Deposit by the tenth and your saving will earn interest from the first."
6. Adventure and curiosity is a need for exploration. We resist boredom by participating, reading, watching, and daydreaming. We feed our hungry mind by searching for the answer to "why."
Examples: "For excitement join the Explorers in a rubber boat trip down the white water rapids."
"Why does your car get poor gas mileage? Open the hood and find out."
"For a thrill every minute go to the carnival."
7. Loyalty is faithfulness to nation (patriotism), school (school spirit), city (civic pride), and friends and family. You may frequently fight with your brother, but family loyalty sends you to his assistance when there is trouble. Flying the "Stars and Stripes" on holidays, bragging about your favorite team, and cleaning up litter in your town stem from loyalty.
Examples: "Love America or leave it."
"Attend the game and cheer for the home team."
"The Newmans are a Navy family."
8. Imitation is a need to conform. This is what prompts you to "go along with the crowd" in dress, hair styles, slang, and actions. When your children tell you "all the other kids are doing it," they are motivated by imitation. This motive also interests people in eating the breakfast cereal recommended by a football hero or buying a perfume used by a movie star.