Lesson Plans and Worksheets
I have used several hands-on lessons that have helped to engage my students in topics that may have been mundane to them. I do not have a text book or resources for many of the topics that I teach, and it is nice to find so many resources in one place.
- Bowerston, OH
- 09-29-11
Information, Media, & Technology Teacher Resources
Find teacher approved Information, Media, & Technology educational resource ideas and activities
How many treats do you buy each week? Learners investigate diets and how the media tricks consumers into purchasing unhealthy snacks. They will investigate the designs and logos affiliated with cereal boxes and identify specific phrases that help sell products. Then they create their own cereal box design using an Internet program.
Search a variety of sources to create a multimedia or book project about Japan. Learners use the independent investigation method to plan and conduct research about Japan. They use the information they discover to create a computer book or a multimedia project for an oral presentation. Multiple resources and reproducible materials are included.
What is a media baby? Discuss at what age children should be exposed to electronic media. After reading an article, they identify the types of media products for infants and toddlers. Learners will predict the effects of media on the children at various stages of development. Then they will write their opinion on the marketing for this age group.
Bring the multiple cultural perspectives of a state to life in a lesson designed to challenge assumptions. Learners develop criteria to evaluate different cities, looking to find the one that should be "the heart of Florida capital." A playful element involves using "Top Secret" folders with informational texts from which the class will draw their conclusions. While this focuses on Florida, any location could be substituted to make the lesson relevant to your particular region.
Locating and synthesizing information is an essential part of the research process but can be overwhelming for many young writers. Eliminate some of the stress and confusion, this resource suggests, by separating these steps. To focus just on the synthesis of information, assemble for your pupils a resource packet, including materials that come from a variety of information sources. Researchers are then taught how to analyze and synthesize this information.
Middle and high schoolers practice informative and explanatory writing by exploring The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. They identify games and pastimes of the time period in the novel and compare them to modern games and pastimes. Using this information, they write clear explanations of historical games and compare them to modern pastimes.
How can word choice affect a political speech? Middle and high schoolers examine the text of the 1999 State of the Union Address, and then determine how newspaper articles and television reports describe and analyze the event. Use this lesson to examine conflicting evidence and viewpoints in informational text, or to focus on evaluating a speaker's argument.
How has the Internet of Things affected our lives? Scholars examine the massive influence of mobile devices in this analysis lesson, which begins with a seven-minute documentary clip. They also read a New York Times article (linked) which acts as the basis for a pro/con list analyzing Google's privacy policies. After creating a paired perspectives poem, learners read excerpts from Fahrenheit 451 and The Veldt, connecting to current technology expansion. Finally, pupils synthesize what they have learned in an essay evaluating a quote (provided). A rubric is included and informational text are included.
Study the importance of word choice in informational text. Middle and high schoolers locate unfamiliar words and phrases in newspaper articles of their choosing, and use online word sites to explore the definitions and histories of each. They finish the activity by creating illustrated vocabulary posters incorporating this information in a fun way.
Analyze the issues that affect the state of the economy. Have your class explore media reports about recent economic recessions, the housing bubble, and loan defaults in order to chart information about recessions and participate in an activity based on the labor market. This activity is a good way to practice evaluating claims in a text. All links and handouts are included. Use this resource to emphasize textual evidence to support an argument.