Shareefah Pereira

EDU 374- Teach Elem School Science

Professor Beth Klein
3 April 2016

Constructivist Media Decoding Activity

1) Teaching Context
Grade level: 1
Subject area: Science and ELA
Unit: Global Warming
What might need to come before or after this activity: This activity will
come after the students have learned about the causes of global warming.
2) Literacy/Critical Thinking Objectives: (i.e. CCSS for literacy, media literacy)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.2: Ask and answer questions about key details in a text
read aloud or information presented orally or through other media. Clear and
achievable

Content Objectives:
Students will understand the controversies surrounding the medias influence
surrounding global warming. Less clear. I dont see how discussion of this
clip will lead to an understanding of media and climate change
controversy. What about
Students will understand that media messages are constructed for
particular purposes and contain messages. (although this is also a
literacy objective I dont see a clear science objective here)

3) Document(s) description and link:

Happy Feet-No Fishing https://youtu.be/A1w7TbyxNQQ
This 1 minute 54 second excerpt from the animated movie Happy Feet shows
empire penguins dancing and trying to get the attention of the scientist on the
island and people around the world. It shows how the actions of the penguins
caused an uproar and a change in governments around the world.
I am wondering about focusing on 1) getting 1st graders to follow the
story line and then 2) reflect on the constructed nature of the movie.
4) Key Questions:
From what you learned about the causes of Global Warming what do you think is
the purpose of the clip in a childrens cartoon? I dont follow, perhaps
because I have not seen the movie only the clip (although that is all
most of your students will have seen) I did not see any reference to
Global Warming. I heard human comments about fishing but nothing
explicitly about global warming. I dont see how the students could
answer this question.
How do you think the media influences what people know about Global
Warming? Same response
1

5) Probe Plan:
The media reflects the society that we live in and the messages shape our
ideas and beliefs. Great, use this clip to have the students recognize
that media messages are created and communicate a point of view
they want you to think a certain way. In this case, can the students
identify that the filmmakers see the Penguins as the good guys and
are trying to get the politicians to help save their ecosystem (their
environment).

Lots for a 1st grader to understand including:

This is a clip from a longer film about ________________ (perhaps just tell them
that)

Films are often made to entertain audience to be fun

could that dance scene really happen? Why or why not?
Why would the film show that if it could not happen?
Introduce the concept of fiction

Films often communicate ideas they have a message to share.

What is the main idea the film is communicating in this segment?
What is the message about Humans?
What is the message about humans and animals
Who were the good guys in this clip?
What makes you say that?

filmmakers communicate ideas using characters, shots, music, etc.

How did the film communicate that message?
What did the music add?
Why were some of the humans sown in black and white?
Continue to probe around specific parts of the clip that have meaning
and were used to communicate the key message (e.g. the love
scene, the 4 red scientists at the top fop the hill, etc.

I want to use this clip along with other lessons to help my students develop an
informed understanding of global warming by view cartoons that they can
relate to. Again not seeing the clips connection to global warming

Because some of the students might have seen the movie Happy Feet before
this clip will serve as a great link between home and school activities. I will
show the clip twice, the first time to let them preview the clip without asking
specific questions and the second time I will ask them to focus on specific
information. Good to show twice After they watch the clip the first time I
will have the students do a think-pair-share about anything they noticed in the
clip. Before showing the clip a second time I will review what they know about
the causes of global warming. Then I will ask the following questions:
o Why do you think this cartoon was made? (Entertainment, fun).
o Why would the makers of Happy Feet show the penguins dancing?
2

o Was the purpose of the movie to teach us about Global Warming?

o What messages does it give us about global warming?

I will show the clip again and ask the students more questions, such as:
o Who might benefit from the message in the movie?
o What is left out of this message that might be important to know?
o What does this teach you about watching TV, about what we can
trust and not trust to have truthful scientific information?
o I suspect these are too abstract and vague for 1st graders. Stick to
the document-based questions then you can perhaps generalize
to broader understandings.

Hope this helps

Chris Sperry
Director of Curriculum and Staff Development
Project Look Sharp, Ithaca College
Email: csperry@ithaca.edu
Cell: 607-592-9273
Web: www.projectlooksharp.org