Resources

Student Resources:

• Limitations and Benefits of Media Types Graphic Organizer
• Source Analysis Questions

Teacher Resources:

• Lesson Plan Discussion and Questions

Facilitation Notes

• This first activity utilizes interactive discussion between teacher and student.
• The third activity contains a political cartoon, quotation comparison, and chart. If students have not worked with these sources before, the lesson time will be extended to help students process analyzing the sources.
• There are supporting lessons on “How the Media Presents Information,” “Media as a Watchdog,” and “Being a Critical Consumer of Media” that can be used along with or independently from this lesson.

Engage

• Ask students to define “media” and list as many forms or examples of “media” as they can.
• Record a class definition and student produced examples, filling in any missing examples including newspapers, radio, television, magazines, Internet, and social media.
• A definition could be “means of mass communication that are used to share information with society.”
• Scaffolding note: Students are likely to struggle with definitions but have less trouble listing examples. (“Media” is the plural of “medium,” which is the means of doing something. Students might be familiar with this if they have taken an art class and worked with different mediums.)
• Transition: Inform students that today’s lesson will introduce them to the limitations and benefits of the main types of media, specifically when making political information available. But first, they will do some estimating of years and media.

Explore

Activity One

• Ask students to guesstimate the following years. Then share and check answers as a class:
• Year the presidential inauguration was photographed for the first time – 1857 (Buchanan)
• Year the presidential inauguration was on the radio for the first time – 1925 (Coolidge)
• Year the presidential inauguration was on television for the first time – 1949 (Truman)
• Year the presidential inauguration was streamed online for the first time – 1997 (Clinton)
• Scaffolding note: Refresh students on symbolism and the importance of presidential inaugurations including taking the constitutional oath of office, the address to the nation, transfer of power, start of second term, and ceremonial traditions.
• Transition: Ask students how each new media type changed how people experienced inaugurations. Example question: “How do you think hearing or seeing the president deliver an inauguration speech was different than reading about it in a newspaper after the fact?”
• Use the graphic organizer to introduce students to different types of media and have them describe limitations (how it falls short in informing citizens) and benefits (how it helps inform citizens).
• Scaffolding note: Decide on group work, whole class, or individual completion.

Activity Two

• Review with students the role(s) and purposes of the media.
• Students might mention informing, educating, and entertaining.
• Extend student understanding: Media helps citizens make informed decisions and hold the government accountable.
• In AP U.S. Government: The media is a linkage institution and serves in a watchdog role.
• Ask students to rank media types from most to least effective in helping citizens make informed decisions and hold government accountable. They must defend their rankings. AP students can include “media as a watchdog.”

Activity Three

• Students read sources and answer analysis questions.

Assess and Reflect

• Classroom discussion on media rankings provides formative assessment opportunities.
• Source Analysis Questions can be scored or reviewed as preferred.

Extend

• Three related media lessons can also be completed: “
• How the Media Presents Information,” “Media as a Watchdog,” and “Being a Critical Consumer of Media.”
• Students can research political cartoons to analyze media perspectives or create their own.
• Students can research the history of media and make a timeline showing media forms from past to present, identifying outdated or obscure ones.