It's Bitstrip Time!

Nicole Reczek No comment yet

It's Bitstrip Time!

Good morning, Grade 8s! For the past few days, we've been spending time creating our avatars/characters and learning how to use BitStrips! As an example, we all created a quick comic strip on a "day in the life of our grade 8 classroom."  The examples I have seen so far are phenomenal, and your characters are so unique!

Here is my comic creation:

Click on the image to make it larger!

Now, we're focusing on making connections between what we've done in Language class and creating a comic to promote our Big Idea! Remember our classroom code (it is written on chart paper in class), and login to our class and your specific avatar. 

CREATE: a comic on what it means to be a Global Citizen in a local environment - in your school, at home, at the bus stop, in the mall, etc. What actions can you do on a daily basis to promote being a global citizen in your society?

Remember your audience and the purpose - what do you want them to learn? We will be printing out these comics and putting them up on our reserved wall in the hallway to teach the students around us what it means to be a Global Citizen!

Remember spelling and grammar - pretend this will be printed in a newspaper; make sure you double-check your grammar (even though it's typing online, use "you" instead of "u"!)

Once you're finished, make sure to "share" the comic,

and post a link to the comic in the comments below!

Along with the link, EXPLAIN what your message is

and what you want your audience to learn!

Global Citizens: Having a Critical Eye

Nicole Reczek No comment yet

Global Citizens: Having a Critical Eye

Part of our BIG IDEA of being a GLOBAL CITIZEN is keeping a critical eye (or two!) on the media that is found all around us. In class we discussed the various places we see advertisements: TV commercials, billboards, magazines, newspapers, bus shelters, on websites, etc. 

We also discussed how a lot of advertisements contain stereotype and bias (click on these words to be taken to their definitions and add to your "words of the day" journals!) and how we need to be aware of how they are used in commercials because they have an influence on the audience.

PONDERINGS: Have you ever been effected or influenced by a commercial (for food, clothing, a movie, etc)? What kind of effect did it have on you? Do you find yourself bombarded by advertisements or do you not pay attention to them?

Our BIG PROJECT is to create our own commercials - but first, let's analyze a few! Here is a Dove commercial that became popular because it challenged the stereotypes and biases found in most advertisements targeted towards girls and women. Have a look!

Commercial made by Dove and found from YouTube

In the comments below either: (A) analyze this commercial and if it had any effect on you, or what it made you think about as a critical thinker; or (B) pick your own commercial from YouTube that contains stereotype/bias and describe what it is and what audience the commercial is targeting.

Dear Parents: Through this activity, students will be able to analyse and discuss how media addresses their intended purpose and audience, according to the media literacy section in the curriculum, as well as discuss the effectiveness of advertisements. As a result, students will be able to critically think about stereotypes/bias which will lead to their big idea and group project coming up!