Title: World of media

Lesson plan elaborated by: Magdalena Trysińska

Topic:

Media language – how are the press texts built?

Target group:

7th‑grade students of an eight‑year elementary school.

Core curriculum

I. Literary and cultural education.

2. Receipt of cultural texts. Student:

1. searches for the necessary information in the text and cites relevant parts of journalistic, popular or scientific texts;

2. organises information depending on their function in the message;

3. recognises the differences between the fine literature and scientific literature, popular science, journalism and determines the functions of these types of writing;

4. recognises journalistic genres: reportage, interview, article, column and defines their basic features.

2. Differentiation of language. Student:

7. understands the concept of style, recognizes colloquial, official, artistic, scientific and journalistic style.

III. Creating statements.

1. Elements of rhetoric. Student:

2. collects and organizes the material material needed to create statements; edits the compositional plan of his own statement;

3. creates a statement using the appropriate composition for a given form and the principles of linguistic consistency between paragraphs; understands the role of paragraphs as a coherent whole of thought in the creation of written utterances and applies the paragraph rhythm (interweaving of long and short paragraphs);

4. agrees with other people's views or polemicizes with them, substantively justifying their own opinion.

IV. Self‑study. Student:

1. reliably, with respect for copyrights, uses information;

2. develops skills of independent presentation of the results of his work;

3. develops the ability to think critically and formulate opinions.

The general aim of education

The student learns the media genres and analyses the elements of the press text composition.

Key competences

• communication in the mother tongue;

• communication in foreign languages;

• social and civic competences;

• cultural awareness and expression;

• learning to learn.

Operational objectives

Student:

• lists various types of media, determines their specificity;

• talks about the differences in the way information is conveyed by different types of media;

• gives information on the parts of the press release;

• analyses the text of the press release.

Teaching methods / techniques

• problematic: directed conversation, discussion;

• programmed: using a computer and e‑textbook;

• practical: subject exercises.

Forms of work

• individual activity;

• collective collective activity;

• group activity.

Lesson plan overview (Process)

Introduction

1. The teacher defines the purpose of the classes, which is to learn the principles of constructing media information. Together with students, he develops success criteria.

2. The teacher introduces students to the subject, drawing students' attention to the fact that the modern world of the media (press, radio, television and the Internet) is developing at such a pace that it is impossible to organize it. New information technologies appear in which the word permeates with the image and sound. We can use various press sources, which in democratic societies, guided by the principles of freedom of speech and the individual, express a diverse view of the world and offer recipients various ways of documenting reality and events. The media reflects knowledge - from colloquial to scientific - and also creates our way of looking at important social and civic issues.

Realization

1. The teacher provokes a discussion about the specificity of various types of media. The teacher displays on the board the photographs of the following: book, newspaper, TV, computer, smart phone, tablet. The teacher asks students what is the difference in the way information is conveyed by the indicated media; which media are most frequently used by the students, which are the ones they could do without, and which are the ones they cannot imagine life without.

2. The teacher draws attention to journalistic genres. The teacher mentions that they are divided into informative and publicist texts. The former deal with facts and events, while the latter present the journalist's assessment and opinion on important social, political, cultural issues, etc. The teacher asks students to recognize them – students do task 2 in the abstract.

3. The teacher asks if the students are able to give the characteristics of a press article (press release). The teacher displays on the board an exemplary press release from the abstract, drawing attention to its components: title, lead and body.

4. Students design a press release made of the components included in task 3.

5. The teacher asks students to give titles of radio and television broadcasts, specify their subject matter and genre. In case there are no ideas, a radio and TV program can be found on the Internet and displayed on the board. Students will notice that generally there is information on genre given next to each title, and by clicking on the link one can also get information about the content.

6. Working in pairs, students analyse articles from the front pages of newspapers (newspapers are brought by the teacher or the teacher asks students to bring them to the lesson) - they indicate the headline, lead, body; they look for answers to the following questions: who talks to whom? about what? what is the purpose, what are the circumstances? what means are used?; They look for interesting linguistic operations; they think about the relationship between photographs and a text.

7. At the end, in order to consolidate the knowledge, students do task 6 from the e‑textbook, dividing the given genres into informative and publicist texts.

Summary

1. The teacher asks the students what they have learned today and if they found the lesson interesting. The teacher asks the students to perform self‑assessment of their individual work during the lesson. For this purpose, the teacher can use a previously prepared questionnaire or a decision tree, or can carry out the assessment orally.

2. Students write down in their notebooks the key words to the lesson they consider to be the most important.

Homework

Present in a few points your favourite newspaper or your favourite TV or radio station. Answer the following questions:

What information or genres appear in this medium?

How would you rate the journalistic skills?

Which thematic offer do you use most often and why?

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

World of media

Modern world of the media (press, radio, television and the Internet) develops in such speed that it is impossible to organise it. All the time new information technologies in which word interwines with picture and sound appear. We can use different press sources, which in democratic societies guided by the principles of freedom of both speech and the individual, express a diverse world view and offer various ways of documenting reality and events. Media reflect knowledge – from common to scientific – and influence our way of perceiving important social and civic issues.

In journalism – just like in the literature – we have different genres. Generally speaking, we can divide journalism to informational texts and journalistic texts. The first describe facts and events and the second present the journalists’ opinions and views on the important social, political, cultural, etc. issues. Can you recognise them?

The news (very often: information) Is probably one of he most important informational genre in all the media. It is characterised by being up‑to‑date and objective (as required by most of the editors) in presenting events. The news composition should remind reversed pyramid, the most important events are presented at the beginning and all the additional information – at the end. Well composed news should answer six classical journalistic questions: what? who? where? when? how? why? The most important press releases are most often on the newspaper’s front page and are accompanied with inscripted photos.

News – just like any other journalistic genre – consists of three parts.