Get the Message?

Mass media is all around us: TV, radio, movies, magazines, newspapers. And much of it SEEMS free, but someone is paying for it, whether through advertisements or people who have an agenda. Remember that all (mass) media try to persuade you: to buy something or to think like they do.  You need to be aware of mass media’s intent in order to understand that information accurately and know how to respond to it.

 
CONNECT:
All media messages are constructed using a creative language with its own rules. And each person experiences that media in a unique way. When examining media messages, you should consider WHO is making the message, HOW the message is made, WHAT the message is, WHY the message is made. 

• View a television show or a video without the sound. Then listen to a television show without the picture. Can you describe the message? What is the impact of a missing medium? Try replacing a video or television footage original soundtrack with a conflicting/contradictory soundtrack. For example, use ballet music to accompany a football play. How does that impact the message and the experience?
• Examine online magazines and newspapers written in languages that at least part of the family does not know, such as http://www.readwhere.com/category/17/kids.  What information can you figure out – on what basis?
• Research a conglomerate to determine its related corporate entities (such as http://www.timewarner.com/ or http://thewaltdisneycompany.com/). How does their website convey their message or value.
• Locate a historical advertisement from the Library of Congress’s American Memory collections (http://memory.loc.gov/). Try to analyze the advertisement without consulting the bibliographic description. Locate other documents from the same period of time and/or same producer or type of product in order to contextualize the advertisement and gain more information. As another activity, identify advertisements that they think are targeted one group, such as females or children or one ethnic group, explaining the basis for their assessment. Do different members of the family have different opinions?

CREATE:

• You can also develop the skills to produce your own messages to build your own influence.
• Watch this video to see the “language” of camera shots: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwr0VQJyYro&feature=related. Then take pictures of your family and neighborhood with the idea of expressing a value, such as the importance of pets.
• You can make MAGIC with UNICEF at http://www.unicef.org/magic/index.html. This website has media activities for and by children.
• Try your hand at creating a commercial. The following activities are geared for the classroom, but can be done by a family group:

1. http://plays.about.com/od/actvities/a/commercial.htm
   http://pbskids.org/dontbuyit/teachersguide/createyourownad.html
   http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/04/lp332-03.shtml 
2. WikiHow has some good tips on creating (and understanding) advertisements: http://www.wikihow.com/Create-an-Advertisement

CARE:

• It’s important to become politically aware, especially this fall. Common Sense Media has a list of great activity-based websites for different ages that can enlighten the family about media in the political process: http://www.commonsensemedia.org/new/politics-for-kids-get-kid-friendly-ways-to-steer-kids-through-the-political-season.  You can download campaign commercials, and edit them to support one candidate – and then re-edit them to support the opposing candidate. What production techniques did you use to modify the message? Does this activity change the way you think about political messages?
• You be the judge. Using the criteria at http://www.childrennow.org/index.php/learn/judging_educational_tv/, decide the quality of a television program that is targeted to children. If the program does not live up to its expectations, you can contact your local commercial broadcast television station about it (see http://www.childrennow.org/index.php/learn/educational_tv).
• Does your family have a favorite film or television show? Perhaps you know of a new show that you really hope stays on the air. You can submit your recommendations to Kids First (http://www.kidsfirst.org/submit-a-title/), which is a national media endorsement program that is based on community reviews.
• Are you “turned off” by some of the commercials you hear and see, especially those that are shown on children’s shows? What can you do about it? Help the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood at http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/

CAREERS:
The media industry is HUGE! Most companies and organizations use media to communicate, and think of all the entertainment fields! Most media productions require specialized skills of many people and lots of teamwork: performers, accountants, artists, writers, technicians, researchers, historians, scientists, and so on. This website provides links to many different media careers: http://faculty.ccbcmd.edu/~hzlotow1/MCOM_111.pdf
On a more personal note, here are interviews with people who work in children’s media: http://www.wgbh.org/impactcommunity/kids_media_matters.cfm

To Parents:
Even though young people “get” the messages that mass media send, they may be unaware of the underlying agendas. Youth respond to the language that mass media use: arresting images, fast-paced scenes, clever word play. They may get so caught up in the delivery of the message that they may miss the message itself on a conscious level, but may fall prey to that underlying objective, be it to buy a product or support a cause. When those messages encourage children to smoke or to exploit others, then the harm done by ignorance can be significant. For more in-depth information about (mass) media literacy, you can explore http://www.medialiteracy.com/kids_parents_media.htm

Talk to the animals

Animals are all around us. People are animals too. So let’s find out more about our living neighbors. You will find that we can help each other.

Connect:

• Let’s make tracks! BioKids (http://www.biokids.umich.edu/) enables you track animals in their natural evnironments. What kinds of conclusions can you make from the evidence? How do tracks reflect aimal adaptations, such as webbed weet or long claws?
• Animals live in different parts of the world. You can locate the the homes of more than 26,000 species worldwide at http://www.worldwildlife.org/wildfinder/
• Animals interact with their environment or biome. Life on Earth (http://edugreen.teri.res.in/explore/life/life.htm) enables you to look for biodiversity of animals by species, ecosystem, biome, and even wildlife trade.
• Have you heard about the animal kingdom? It’s classified, much like families. Animal worlds (http://www.animalsworlds.com/classification-of-animals.html) has a clickable classification chart linked to lots of information about animals worldwide.
• What impact has humankind had on animals – and vice versa? Here are some ways that animals help people: http://www.animalhumanwellbeing.com/content.php?PageId=117&PHPSESSID=063e63f7f68b107a229438e733fa5233

Create:

• Do you like to take photos of your pets or other animals? You can deepen that experience by looking at animals with new eyes, such as human-animal interaction or ecological aspects. You can upload them on photo-sharing websites such as Picasa (http://picasa.google.com/), and determine with whom you want to show those images.
• Share your story about your favorite animal; digital storytelling is a fun way to do that. Try http://www.animoto.com or  PhotoStory3 (http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/photostory.html).   http://inhabitat.com/digital-storytelling-101-how-kids-can-use-technology-to-tell-their-story-online/ is a good website for adults about digital storytelling for children. http://www.teachingvillage.org/2010/03/09/moving-your-kindergarten-into-web-2-0-with-5-different-tools-by-ozge-karaoglu/ focuses on young children’s use of digital storytelling, particularly with respect to animals.
• Lots of animals live in the sea and on the seashore. Enchanted Learning (http://www.enchantedlearning.com/themes/beach.shtml) offers many crafts, pictures, to print, and information about these animals.
• Want to raise butterflies? This website helps you get started:  http://www.butterflyfarm.co.cr/

Care:

• What impact has humankind had on animals? Find out at http://www.e-pioneer.com/Animals/Impacts/index.html
• How might you help preserve endangered species? This website suggests several ways for adults and children to help: http://www.endangeredspecie.com/Ways_To_Help.htm
• It’s never too early to think about Mother Earth. The National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis collaborates with youth to collect and analyze data for ecology issues. You can join in the effort, and learng more about biomes and consevatio proejcts at their webite: http://nceas.ucsb.edu/nceasweb/kids/.
• What rights do animals have? Do different animals have different rights? What impact do animal rights have on people? Do they differ by locale? People are the ones who can protect animal rights. Check out some of those animal rights organizations from  this list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_animal_rights_groups. Your family might consider volunteering for a local agency.
• Want some tips about caring for pets? Explore http://www.avma.org/careforanimals/kidscorner/. What would you do if you and your pets were affected by a disaster? FEMA has some important guidelines: http://www.ready.gov/animals

Careers:

• You can read one person’s perspective on animal-related careers at http://www.anapsid.org/resources/jobs.html. Universities such as Cornell provide good sources about animal careers: http://animalcareers.cornell.edu/
• Animal rights organizations also provide guidance on related careers: http://www.aspca.org/about-us/faq/animal-careers.aspx