Ms.+Cabral's+Class

=**Welcome to the Red Team!**=

[[image:global-social-media-296x300.jpg width="90" height="84"]]
This summer we are learning about media, the world and ourselves and have a lot of fun doing it! The theme of this class is media for social change. We will be exploring many different forms of media together, including visual, audio, print and digital media ====

= __OVERVIEW__ =

=**WEEK ONE: Introductions to Media Literacy**= This week we began to explore basic topics in media literacy like genre, purpose, target audience and author. Big questions: What is media? What are the purposes of media? What is communication? Key Words: Media, Genre, Audience, Author, Subject, Message, Communicate, Interpret, Feedback, Purpose, Persuade, Inform, Entertain.

In addition to learning about media, the Red Team created a list of classroom rules to ensure a safe space where learning can happen. After agreeing on the rules, students performed skits to illustrate why they are important. Below is an image of Melvin and Devyon performing a skit about respecting one another. By Friday, students begin writing a song about an issue they care about it.
 * WEEK TWO: Media for Social Change (MUSIC)** This week we begin to explore media that is used to raise awareness about social and world issues, and we start with MUSIC!

Big Questions: What is social change? What is media for social change? How have people used music for social change? What social issues are important to you? Key Words/Concepts: social change, media for social change, apartheid, self-destruction, hope, community, society.

Kiara shares her summary of the film, //Amandla//! a film about the power of music in the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa. Shawn describes key ideas about the film in our concept map. Amandla helped us learn more about how the people of South Africa used song to send a message about issues that were happening. Here are some questions students came up with while viewing the film: * Was some people mad at Nelson Mandela? *Why would they stop people from singing songs? *Why do they spell Afrika with a K? *What does spirituall hung mean? *Why was apartheid used in South Africa? *What were some of the songs that they sung called? *Why does South Africa look like America?
 * Amandla! Learning about music for social change in South Africa**

Matia, Najla and Melvin are reading lyrics to one of hip hop's most socially conscious songs, "Self-Destruction," as the video plays in the background. This song was created by several rap artists and produced by KRS-One as part of the "Stop the Violence Movement."
 * Analyzing hip hop song "Self-Destruction"**


 * Song Writing**

Matia, Najla and Shanna write their lyrics to their song about ending violence. Jaliyah and Kiara are writing a song that encourages girls to follow their dream of becoming a fashion designer.

Big Questions: What do you believe should change?

**WEEK THREE: Media for Social Change (Making our message VISUAL!)**
This week students will explore more media texts that include a social message as they finish writing their songs. Once their songs are completed, students will start planning a music video, PSA or short film to help them get their message across visually.

On Tuesday we read and watched several media texts about the topic of bullying. With each text, students identified the author, target audience, purpose and message.
 * Reading, Watching, Thinking, Speaking and Writing about a social issue**



Above students are reading a news article about an 11 year old girl from Philadelphia who sent an opus (new vocab word!) about school bullying to President Obama and received a response. This article was a great reminder that young people can send powerful messages with a powerful voice. To see the other texts we used visit Miss Cabral's Lesson page!

Above students are expressing a powerful voice by presenting their song lyrics to one another and special guests.
 * Presenting our Work**

Below Najla and Shanna present a storyboard for their PSA about violence. media type="youtube" key="n-Ydt7Rho2s" height="385" width="480"

Below Melvin and Shawn present their Storyboard before rehearsing their PSA about sexual harassment.

Noble and Devyon rehearse their PSA about choosing peace over violence when an accident happens during a thumb war.

Big Questions: How can you use media to get across your message? What techniques will you use? Who is your target audience? How might different audiences interpret your message

**WEEK FOUR: Making Media for Social Change (PRODUCTION and REFLECTION)**
This week students will complete production of their films and reflect on the process and their finished products. On Thursday and Friday students will present their films to their peers and families. These screenings will include a question and answer period where students will reflect upon their goals and lessons learned.

Below are images from the PSA production and editing process. Students tried to get a variety of shots and camera angles to make their videos look interesting and unique. They learned it takes a lot of patience and hard work to shoot and edit a video!



In addition to production activities, this week we are exploring other areas of media literacy, like advertising and news. On Tuesday our class took a field trip to the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News.

Below students analyze advertisements that they chose from popular magazines. Using the advertising wheel, students identify who benefits from each advertisement and what is omitted.

PSAs:

Stop the Fighting by Devyon and Noble

media type="youtube" key="oADqgFY_VDg" height="385" width="480"

The Victim by Najla, Matia and Shanna media type="youtube" key="5UC4MMlHOQQ?fs=1" height="385" width="480"

Sexual Harassment by Shawn and Melvin media type="youtube" key="1w1O5KRYqpo" height="385" width="480"

Big Questions: What was this experience like? How does your media make a difference?

= __STUDENT PAGES__ =