UNIT #2  CRITICAL MEDIA LITERACY

BROOKLYN TIDES

Potential Research Topics

  1. Should student-athletes be paid?
  2. How can we ensure gender equality in professional sports?
  3. Should the federal government increase its efforts to minimize the negative impact of social media?
  4.  How should schools manage technology in the classroom?  Ban cell phones?  Ban AI?  Make use of technology? 
  5. Should there be Congestion Pricing in NYC?
  6. Is AI good for the economy?
  7. Social Media and the Upcoming Presidential Election
  8. Should we fund NASA?

TOPICS

Abdurakhmon, E.   ____________________

Hilda G.  Should Pit Bulls Be Pets?

Moussa I.   Media Bias in Politics

Ramcis, L.  Should College Athletes Be Paid?

Kevin P.  Mental Health, Gen. Z, and Technology

Richard, R.  Local Racism

Jerry T.  Are Professional Athletes Overpaid?

Suha A. ________________________

Thowhir, U.   Turmoil in the Middle East

Weeks 8-10: 

Week 10

  • “What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains”: Interview with Nicholas Carr, author of The Shallows
  • “ChatGPT is Making Universities Rethink Plagiarism” 
  • Rhetorical analysis and determining representative quotations
  • Work on your RAB (Reflective Annotated Bibliography) 
  • Summary and Response
  • Find articles for your research topic
  • Chat GPT

Week 11: 

  • Unit 2 Rough Draft Due in Google Drive  — IN-CLASS ESSAY
  • Share draft with peer reviewer
  • Use feedback to revise draft and prepare final version with cover page reflection
  • Work on your RAB

Name: ________________________________

Unit 3: Research Presentation and Essay (or related genre)

Unit 2 asked you to write an essay in which you discuss the importance of media literacy in the classroom and in your daily life.  Unit 3 asks you to research a topic currently in the news or one related to your major or other interests. 

Step One 

Select your topic: ____________________________

Due Date for Topic:

Step Two

Find one or more “core” sources (article, website, film, podcast) and PRINT THEM

New York Times; Library Databases (                                                ); Google Scholar

Step Three

Create a Reflective Annotated Bibliography (RAB) of your source(s)

Due Date for RAB:

Step Four

Present your topic to the class in a Power Point Presentation

Due Date for Presentation:

Step Five

Using your Power Point Presentation as an outline, produce an essay of your research (or in a genre of your choice).

Due Date for Unit 3 Essay:

 

Potential Research Topics

  1. Should schools ban the use of technology like ChatGPT? Should schools make creative use of AI tools?
  2. Should public libraries be allowed to ban certain books?
  3. Should the government fund public universities adequately to make higher education more accessible to students from across the economic spectrum?
  4. Should the federal government cancel all student loan debt?
  5. Based on the 1619 project, should history classes change how they teach about the founding of the U.S.?
  6. Should the federal government increase its efforts to minimize the negative impact of social media?
  7. Should the federal government ban all fossil fuels, despite the potential economic impact on specific industries and communities?
  8. Should colleges compensate student-athletes?
  9. How should sports teams and leagues address the gender pay gap?
  10. Should the federal government make human exploration of space a more significant priority?
  11. Should the U.S. government enact a universal basic income?

Week 11:

  • Unit 2 Due in Google Drive

 Unit 3: Final Research Topic and Genre Determination

  • Emily Hu (City Tech Student) “Many Years After: A Letter on Anti-Asian Violence”
  • Many Years After (short film based on Emily Hu’s essay)
  • Arnold Ludd (City Tech Student): “Critical Race Theory: Pass it On”
  • Prof. Hellman, Understanding Unit 2 PPT
  • Find a New York Times article on a topic of your choice.  Write a 1-paragraph summary and response.  What are three things you learned about the topic?  What quotes stand out? What are some potential questions you still have/ what sparks your interest? Create a list of 1-2 additional sources in different genres that you plan to consult.
  • Consider how you now want to present your topic to a wider audience, which genre and writing style best suits your project, and your intended audience. 

 

Week 12:

Review research process and discuss the importance of finding and vetting appropriate sources.

 

Week 13:

  • Unit 3 Workshop: Outline due
  • Use your outline and annotated bibliography to generate a rough draft of Unit 3
  • How to make a great Powerpoint Presentation
  • Schedule writing conference

 

SPRING BREAK MONDAY APRIL 22 – TUESDAY APRIL 30

 

Week 14

  • Unit 3 Rough Draft due in Google Drive
  • Class presentations
  • Revision workshop

 

Week 15: Unit 3 & Final Reflection Due in Google Drive

 

Week 1: January 29 & 31

  • Welcome and introductions
  • Housekeeping: Course and site review
  • Diagnostic: Beginning-of-Term Reflection (core values)
  • Introductions/ Student Interviews
  • Create free New York Times account
  • Mike Bunn, “How to Read Like a Writer”  What are your regular reading and writing habits?  What do you tend to read?  What kinds of writing do you do, and how/where do you write?
  • Reading strategies:  annotating, understanding main ideas, considering how reading and writing work together [Integrated Reading and Writing/IRW]

 

Week 2: February 5 & 7   

  • Unit 1: Education Narrative

 

Week 3: No Class February 12 (College is closed); February 14

 

Week 4: No Class February 19 (College is closed); February 21 & Thursday February 22 (Classes follow a Monday schedule in the CUNYverse)

 

Week 5: February 26 & 28 (Classes follow Monday schedule in the CUNYverse)

  • Unit 1 Rough Draft due in Google Drive
  • Fareed Zakaria, “Learning to Think”
  • Revising and proofreading. How can a piece of writing be improved? What does it mean to revise? What does it mean to proofread? Revision components: argument, structure, development, grammar, word choice, sentence structure.
  • Peer review
  • Revise Unit 1 essay with feedback from Professor, peer review partner

 

 

Unit 1: Education Narrative (approx. 1000 words; double spaced typed pages)

 Essay Breakdown & Quote Sandwich Info Powerpoint

 

Together, we have read and/or watched several “education narratives.”  In these narratives, writers describe a time when they learned something important, either inside or outside a school setting.

 

Now it is time for you to write your own education narrative. You will want to fully develop your ideas with rich detail and explanation, along with 2 connections with class texts, integrated with a Quote Sandwich. Think of one or more experiences in your life when you learned something important and transformative (you do not have to discuss school specifically). Describe these experiences in detail.

 

  • Who/what taught you this lesson?
  • What did you learn or conclude, and take with you moving forward?
  • How did that experience affect you and shape who you are today?

 

Essay Structure

  1. Introduction (1 paragraph)
  • Begin with a hook to engage your reader, then introduce your topic to provide context
  • End with a clear thesis (overarching point) about what your experience taught you
  1. Body Paragraphs (2-3 paragraphs)
  • You convey a main idea, one particular event or a series of events that support your claim
  • Rich details illustrate your claims and paint a picture for the reader. You use examples (one particular memory, or a series of significant experiences or ideas) to support your main point
  • Quote Sandwich: You quote one of the education narratives we read for class (or one that you have found on your own, as long as you have your professor’s approval). You explain how it relates to your experience, using a quote sandwich.
  1. Conclusion (1 paragraph)
  • Reiterate your thesis and bring things up to date: what you are doing now; how did earlier experiences influence you

 

Title and Revision Process:  Aim for a creative title that speaks to themes in your work

 

Evaluation Criteria Checklist: Interesting ideas, text connections, length requirement; sentence clarity, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, spacing, and citation are important.

 

Unit 1 Student Models:

Unit 2: RAB & Critical Media Literacy Response Essay

 

Together, we have read articles on new technologies and the importance of critical media literacy.  Nolan Higdon introduces this topic in “Teaching Media Literacy,” in which he argues for federal funding to teach students how to be more critical of the media they consume. He offers the Critical Media Project as a place students can explore to understand how their world is shaped by the media, including representations of gender, ethnicity, sexuality, ableism, and other categories.  In The Shallows, Nicholas Carr argues that the ability to think deeply and maintain concentration is a lost battle during a time when social media and the internet has altered our brains.  Adding to these concerns is the film “Social Dilemma” and the uses and abuses of ChatGPT.

 

Step 1: In preparation for writing a response essay, we will compile a Reflective Annotated Bibliography on these different kinds of sources. Unit 2 RAB Student Model

 

RAB Contents:

  • Introduction (200-300 words)
    • Introduce the topic of Critical Media Literacy and its importance
  • List of sources in alphabetical order, MLA citation & info below (400-500 words each)
    • 1-paragraph Summary + 2-3 Key Quotes (include citation page or paragraph #)
    • 1-paragraph Rhetorical Analysis (Who is the author? What kind of publication is this?  How do you feel the author’s writing style, awareness of audience and purpose (reason for writing), and choice of genre affect the meaning and credibility of the document?)
    • 1-paragraph Response (what do you think of these ideas?)
  • Conclusion (200-300 words)
  • Reflect on what you have learned and how this knowledge connects to your own technology and media use

 

Step 2: Response Essay

In this essay, consider some of the ideas raised in one or several of these works, alongside your own use of technology and social media.  What are your thoughts about the capabilities– and liabilities– of technology?   What good can it do?  What are its dangers as applied to how we think, act, and create?  What are the best ways to protect ourselves from becoming passive consumers of technology? Establish your own argument in dialog with these authors.  Support your points with specific examples.

 

Evaluation Criteria Checklist

  • Reflection should be engaging, informative, and thorough, offering a clear sense of both the author’s ideas and your own
  • Sources should be varied in content and genre
  • Formatting should be clear, with attention to visual presentation
  • Citations should follow MLA format
  • Clear sentence structure, grammar, and punctuation

Unit 3: Final Research Project and Genre Determination

 

Unit 2 asked you to discuss the importance of Critical Media Literacy in the classroom and in your daily life.   Unit 3 asks you to research a current topic that interests you.   You will:

 

  1. Create an RAB of 2-3 source(s)
  2. Bring your thoughts out of the classroom and into the community, in the genre you determine is most appropriate. How will you entreat people to engage with your work? Will they view a photo essay, listen to a political speech or podcast, watch a video documentary, read a magazine article or newspaper editorial?
  3. Present this information to the class, in a PowerPoint Presentation

 

The genre choice is yours, as long as it is appropriate to communicating your message effectively and considers how to best reach your target audience.

 

Helpful resources for composing in various genres: 

 

Evaluation Criteria Checklist

  1. Genre: Part of this assignment is choosing the most appropriate genre to communicate your message and reach your target audience. Video montage/ letter/ interview/ etc.
  2. Appropriateness for audience: Word choice, approach to the topic, and use of visuals should be tailored to your target audience. 
  3. Effectiveness of message: We’ll share these in class so you’ll get a chance to see if you got your point across. Did it fulfill your purpose?
  4. Length: should be tailored to conventions of genre.
  5. Reflection: Consider the choices you made for Unit 3 and degree of success.
  6. Clarity: sentence structure, grammar, and punctuation

 

 

 

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

  • Unit 1 Rough Draft due in Google Drive
  • “Learning to Think” Fared Zakaria
  • Revising and proofreading. How can a piece of writing be improved? What does it mean to revise? Revision components: argument, structure, development, grammar, word choice, sentence structure. What does it mean to proofread?
  • Peer review
  • Revise Unit 1 essay with feedback from Professor, peer review partner

Week 6

  • Unit 1 due in Google Drive

Unit 2: Critical Media Literacy (Guided Reflective Annotated Bibliography and Response Essay)

Week 7

  • “What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains” : Interview with Nicholas Carr, author of The Shallows
  • “ChatGPT is Making Universities Rethink Plagiarism”  NYTimes Article
  • Rhetorical analysis and determining representative quotations
  • Work on your RAB (Reflective Annotated Bibliography) and Response Essay
  • The “Response” Essay (with directions)
  • Sample Student Essay

Week 8

  • Unit 2 Rough Draft Due in Google Drive
  • Share draft with peer reviewer
  • Use feedback to revise draft and prepare final version with cover page reflection

Week 9

  • Unit 2 Due in Google Drive

 Unit 3: Final Research Topic and Genre Determination

  • Emily Hu (City Tech Student) “Many Years After: A Letter on Anti-Asian Violence”
  • Many Years After (short film based on Emily Hu’s essay)
  • Arnold Ludd (City Tech  Student): “Critical Race Theory: Pass it On”
  • Prof. Hellman, Understanding Unit 2 PPT
  • Find an article in the New York Times (or on one of the library databases) on a current topic of your choosing.  Using information from this article, write a 1-paragraph summary and review.  What is the topic of the article?   Why are you  interested in the topic?  What are three things you learned about the topic?  What quotes stand out? What are some potential questions you still have? Lastly,  create a list of 1-2 additional sources (in different genres perhaps) that you also plan to consult.
  • Consider how you now want to present your topic to a wider audience. Which genre and writing style best suits your project, and your intended audience.  If in doubt about choosing a genre, consider submitting the written text that accompanies your Powerpoint presentation.

Week 10

Library Visit. November 8 (2:30-3:15).  Review databases for research and discuss the importance of finding and vetting appropriate sources.

Week 11

Review Research Methods

Week 12

  • Unit 3 Workshop: Outline due
  • Use your outline and annotated bibliography to generate a rough draft of Unit 3
  • How to make a great Powerpoint Presentation
  • Schedule writing conference

Week 13

  • Unit 3 Rough Draft due in Google Drive
  • Class presentations
  • Revision workshop

Week 14

  • Unit 3 Class Presentations continued
  • Revision workshop

Week 15

  • Unit 3 Class Presentations continued
  • Revision workshop

Week 16

  • Unit 3 Due in Google Drive

Week 17

  • Final Reflection Due

 

Fareed Zakaria Homepage

Fareed Zakaria Interview

Jose Olivarez talks about his book of Poetry Citizen Illegal

Olivarez reads Mexican America Disambiguation

The Buzz

AIinPictures

jose olivariz

Dictionary.com

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