In this media literacy activity, students analyze how a news article, an opinion article, a tweet, an Instagram post, and a Facebook post provide information about activists Greta Thunberg and Malala Yousafzai meeting one another.
Students will evaluate how each media form conveys information about an event and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each form.
Teaching Tips
Positives
The activity plan provides discussion questions for several academic subjects.
Students will enjoy analyzing social media posts along with news articles.
Additional Prerequisites
Teachers must create a free account to open the resources.
Teachers may want to provide some background information about Greta Thunberg and Malala Yousafzai, as some students may not be familiar with them.
Differentiation
The questions can be answered by an entire class, in small groups, or individually.
English language arts and social studies classes could use this activity in a larger discussion about the role that social media plays in delivering information to people.
Other resources on this topic include this video of Greta Thunberg's speech at the UN's Climate Action Summit and this ClimateScience activity on climate activists.
Scientist Notes
The resource contains media reports and information that can spur students to be creative in climate conversations and advocacies. It is recommended for teaching.
Standards
College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards
Dimension 2: History
D2.His.3.6-8 Use questions generated about individuals and groups to analyze why they, and the developments they shaped, are seen as historically significant.
D2.His.10.9-12 Detect possible limitations in various kinds of historical evidence and differing secondary interpretations.
Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
Reading: History/Social Studies (6-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.7 Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.
Reading: Informational Text (K-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.7 Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a particular topic or idea.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.6 Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness or beauty of the text.
