Rationale/Process Behind Video Clip Lesson Plan
In planning this assignment, Amanda and I knew that we wanted to incorporate much of what we have been learning on media literacy and enabling our students to quickly and accurately sort through the myriad of multimedia they are going to be faced with every day. Therefore, it made sense to us to do an exercise on identifying product placement and its effects, if any, on what we as an audience take in during a film. We want our students to be able to identify whether or not product placement enhances a film or detracts from it. Or, in some cases, do they even notice that it’s happening? We geared our clip and assignment towards older students in 11th and 12th grade English classes because we felt that they could really get into a rich discussion about the impact product placement has on us as consumers and as readers of these media texts. This assignment could also be used for 9th and 10th graders, but they might have to prompted more to truly understand the purpose of the assignment.
In choosing a clip from “Men In Black II,” we hoped to immediately gain our students attention by showing them something that they were familiar with and felt instantly positive about. We split the assignment into several steps because we felt that each step was necessary for the students to go through before they could realize the impact that product placement has on our texts and be cognizant that they should notice these things the next time they’re just browsing the web or watching a movie. Not only does it teach our students to do a “close reading” of a text that doesn’t necessarily seem like a text, it also translates out of the classroom and can help them to be smarter and more media literate in their everyday lives. We think that students are really going to enjoy this assignment because it takes something that they can relate to and enjoy and pairs it with a deeper learning experience both inside and outside the classroom.
List of Questions to Facilitate Discussion:
- How many movies have you seen in which you’ve noticed this type of advertising?
- Remind students that movies aren’t the only forums where this technique is popular: bring in examples of magazines (especially ones popular for their age group) or possibly find clips from TV shows
- Why do you think we’re able to simply glaze over these products when we see them? Do you recognize as you’re watching a film that you’re being targeted as a consumer?
- Ask them to relate this to English—not only would it be interesting to hear their ideas about how it relates to the subject matter, it would be a thinking exercise for them—making a popular media, something they’ve all probably seen fit into a context that they may or may not have considered.
By incorporating this assignment into our classrooms, Amanda and I hope to show our students that English concepts can be found in places they wouldn’t often think to look. I think that this could be an assignment that motivates even reticent students to get involved. It incorporates both audio and visual parts and we feel that would appeal widely to most, if not all, of our students. This lesson is intended to be a sneaky way to get students to begin to realize that English/Language Arts is actually applicable to their every day lives.
How Alien is Media Literacy to You?
Product Placement & Media Literacy in Men in Black II
I. What do you think product placement means in relation to media literacy?
II. List any/all products you saw in the clip from “Men in Black II”
| 1. | 7. |
| 2. | 8. |
| 3. | 9. |
| 4. | 10. |
| 5. | 11. |
| 6. | 12. |
III. Brainstorm with your group. Write down any ideas you and/or your group come up with for or against product placement in film, TV, Internet, and print text.
IV. Do you think product placement is an effective tool for advertising? Defend your position. We will have a class debate where you will effectively defend your position in a well thought out manner. Have fun but use your brain!!! This is not you running for President, but you need to construct a convincing argument for your “side.”
V. How has this exercise helped you to enhance your own media literacy? Why is media literacy important when faced with multiple media sources?
VI. Write a 1-2 page argumentative essay defending your position regarding product placement. Is it a useful tool for advertisers? Is it an effective way to reach the general public? A specific market? Provide at least two (2) reliable and credible sources. In addition to your essay, please bring in any form of media that displays what we have discussed in class. This is due on Friday.
Amanda and Allison, I thought this concept of relating product placement and media literacy to a film that most high school students could relate to was very effective. I think it’s a great way to link everyday advertising exposure to elements of English/Language Arts. Your actual assignment was creative and encouraged students to be critical thinkers. As a suggestion, maybe you can add an element in the assignment that will have students compare what they have learned to a modern YA novel that contains product placement. Good Job!!