Lesson 8: Who’s in Control?

Understanding the “Powers that Be” - Political Domain

Common Core State Standard(s):

● CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.6

Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author

acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints.

● CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.2

Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g.,

visually, quantitatively, orally) and evaluate the motives (e.g., social, commercial,

political) behind its presentation.

● CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.8

Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the

reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant

evidence is introduced.

● CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.1

Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with

diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and

persuasively.

● CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.2

Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g.,

visually, quantitatively, orally) and evaluate the motives (e.g., social, commercial,

political) behind its presentation.

⠂Sarah Taylor ⠂USofD ⠂Capstone ⠂ 2018 ⠂

 ● CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.4

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including

vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.

● CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.6

Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author's point of view or purpose (e.g. loaded

language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts).

Time Needed: 40 minutes

Materials Needed:
● LCD Projector
● Class Set of Computers with Internet Access
● Student Lesson Guide (Shared via Google Classroom)
● Student CML Growth & Reflection Blog

Essential Question:
● How do politics affect media?

Lesson Objective:
● Students will be able to exercise critical autonomy by thinking for themselves and
“controlling the interpretation of what they see” (Loucky, 2015) by identifying and
explaining the political impact on media construction.

Bellwork:
Blog Activity:
1. Sign into your blog.
2. Open: President Trump Promotes “Buy American and Hire American” Website
3. Reply to YOUR OWN response for your post: LP7 - CRAP or Not? :
YES! This source is technically legitimate.
a. Did you correctly identify this article as legitimate?

⠂Sarah Taylor ⠂USofD ⠂Capstone ⠂ 2018 ⠂

 b. Type a “letter” to the White House making two to three suggestions on how they
could have written the article to make it more legitimate.

Anticipatory Set:
1. Elicit student responses and discuss as a class the following:
a. How do politics play a role in media?
b. Give real life examples of political media.
Lesson:
1. Project on the LCD projector and watch: Anti-Trump Video - CNN
a. Discuss:
i. The political implications of this video that affected this media.
ii. What was the editor’s agenda/bias?
2. Project on the LCD Projector: PEW Report - Distinguishing Between Factual and
Opinion Statements in the News (scroll down to visuals)
a. Teacher reads through relevant information and uses visuals to differentiate
between how the Republicans & Democrats read and consume news media. [See
Appendix L.1 & L.2]
i. Review what bias is
ii. Discuss study

Closure:
1. Individual “Exit Ticket” Assignment:
a. Sign into your blog and click ‘New Post’
b. Label your post: LP8 - Political
c. In three to four sentences, answer one of the two responses:
i. Write about a real life example (that we did not talk about during class) of
political based media you have recently seen or read in the news.
ii. Write a summary of what we learned about today.

Assessment:
Formative:
● Student Discussion of the Political Influence on Media

Summative:
● “Exit Ticket” Blog Post

⠂Sarah Taylor ⠂USofD ⠂Capstone ⠂ 2018 ⠂

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References:

Loucky, J. P. (2015). Motivating and Empowering Students Language Learning in Flipped

Integrated English Classes. Flipped Instruction Methods and Digital Technologies in the

Language Learning Classroom Advances in Educational Technologies and Instructional

Design, 108-138. doi:10.4018/978-1-5225-0824-3.ch005

Kirk-Wiggins, J. (Adapter). (2017, August). Compiled Media Madness [Video file]. Retrieved

from https://videos.files.wordpress.com/jlbXjDPE/media-hate_dvd.mp4

Media Education Lab. (2015). Home | Mind Over Media. Retrieved from

http://propaganda.mediaeducationlab.com/

Mitchell, A., Gottfried, J., Barthel, M., & Sumida, N. (2018, June 18). Distinguishing Between

Factual and Opinion Statements in the News. Retrieved from

http://www.journalism.org/2018/06/18/distinguishing-between-factual-and-opinion-

statements-in-the-news/

⠂Sarah Taylor ⠂USofD ⠂Capstone ⠂ 2018 ⠂

Stuff They Don't Want You To Know - HowStuffWorks. (2014, October 15). 7 Propaganda

Techniques Used on You Every Day. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8R9MDt4jEc&feature=youtu.be

The White House (Ed.). (2017, April 18). President Trump Promotes "Buy American and Hire

American". Retrieved from

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/president-trump-promotes-buy-

american-hire-american/

⠂Sarah Taylor ⠂USofD ⠂Capstone ⠂ 2018 ⠂