Media Literacy Lesson Plan: Identifying a Message's
Purpose
Student Resource: "Faces
in Sports: Jackie Joyner Kersee," by Judith P. Josephson
Media Type: Biography
Health Topic: Fitness, Character Education
Objectives
After completing this lesson, students will be able to:
- Discuss how the character trait of perseverance can help a person rise above
social limitations and other setbacks
- Explain how goal setting can help a person achieve their highest ambitions.
- Apply the media literacy skill of identifying a message's purpose to a biography
about a notable athlete.
Introducing the Lesson
Download or bring to class clippings from newspapers and/or magazines about
athletes students might recognize. Vary the articles. Include simple reports of
athletes changing teams or negotiating new contracts. Others might be about athletes
who have set new records, or athletes who accomplished goals in addition to their
sports achievements.
Distribute these among students and ask them to skim the articles. Discuss
briefly what these articles have in common and what is different about each. List
some of students' comments and reactions to this question on the chalkboard.
Teaching Strategies
Explain that another important distinction among the articles exists. Next
to the list of differences on the chalkboard, write the word purpose.
Note that every media construction is written with a purpose behind
it. Observe that sometimes the purpose is to explain, at others to persuade, still
at others just to entertain. Add that some media constructions have more than
one purpose.
Review with students the articles they skimmed. Ask what was the purpose of
the article that dealt with the athlete who has contributed in ways other than
in sports? Of the article about the athlete who set a record? Note that an awareness
of the purpose is a vital part of media literacy.
Distribute copies of the biography, or direct students to the Web site. Reveal
that they will be reading one more media construction about an athlete. Add that
this construction is a short biography, a non-fiction article about details
from the life of a sports personality. Instruct them to be on the lookout for
the message's purposes as they read.
Assign the following to student groups to use in their media analysis. You
may either follow up the analysis with a class discussion, or may assign the analysis
to be applied by individual students to another media construction as homework.
Followup
- Awareness. What does the article reveal about Jackie Joyner Kersee's
childhood? For whom do you think this biography was written? For what purpose
was it written? Why do you feel this is true?
- Analysis. The biography contains a message regarding perseverance and
how this character trait can help a person achieve goals. What goals did Jackie
Joyner Kersee achieve? What difficulties and setbacks did she overcome? What does
this cause you to feel about her as a person?
- Evaluation. Do you think this construction is sending a positive health
message? Why or why not? Is it an effective media construction? Why or why not?
- Communication. What is your overall reaction to the information presented?
What other forms of communication would have been more effective at reaching you?
Explain.
Applying Media Skills
Jackie Joyner Kersee came far on the road to athletic stardom. One reason for
this was the clear goals she set for herself as a child.
Think about a goal that you share with many other teens in your community or
in the country. The goal might be something as far-reaching as getting into a
top college or something as immediate as getting a good grade on an assignment.
Map out an action plan that can help a person reach this goal. On the bottom of
your action plan, note its purpose as a media construction. Display your message
along with those of classmates.
