KIDS FIRST! Junior Film Critics Curriculum
Becoming a Film Critic
SESSION TWO: How Media Affect Us
Inventory Your Own Media Use & What's Real and What's Not
Time: 60 minutes
A. Welcome transparency up. Sign in.
Housekeeping & agenda posted, cover breaks, snacks, bathroom location, no-smoking, confidentiality, etc.
B. Homework Review
Media Log. Write on board. Share.
Give us your first review. Invite one or two people to share their review with the group. More than one person on the same program is fine. It shows the idea of no right or wrong opinion.
C. Media Perceptions. What's real? (Use Video Clips)
Watch the first three video clips. Discuss.
What was real and what was not real on the clips?
How did the clips get us to think of feel in a particular way?
D. "Speaking the Truth" (Game show format)
Choose host
Choose 3 kids to play popular stars as game show contestants.
Remainder of class is audience.
After the show, discuss. What did you already know? Were there any surprises? Why?
E. OPTIONAL. If kids really enjoy doing the game show, you may want to rehearse it and put it on for parents or community at the close of your final Junior Film Critics session or at your local KIDS FIRST! Film Festival. You can also put it up on YouTube and notify KIDS FIRST! so we can link to it from KIDS FIRST! website.
F. Homework: Have volunteer read assignment to the group.
Media log. Look for what's real and what's not in the media they watch this week.
Write your 2nd review. Choose another program from your media log. Focus on what's real and what's not. You may include commercials.
Remember . . . (Your Review Guidelines)
OPTIONAL:
Go online and look up www.slate.com. This is a web site that compares the headline news from five major U.S. newspapers daily in their section called, Today's Papers. You can also subscribe to getting this emailed to you every day. Read what they have to say every day for a week. Ask yourself how the different papers report the news and whether it varies depending on the source. Ask yourself the question, "What is real and what is not as reported in the news? What is the truth?"
TEACHER RESOURCES
Speaking the Truth Cover Page
How TV and Video/DVD Viewing Affects Children Under the Age of 2
