Module C

Lesson 1: The Story in a Photograph

Time: 3 -4 class periods

Overview
Initially, photographs will be used as a way to gain and provide an understanding of
the students background knowledge of refugees and the issues involved. Then
students will explore how a photographer uses his/her medium to express emotions
and trigger responses from his/her intended audience. The students will understand
that the emotions and responses vary among individuals and is dependent upon their
personal experiences with the subject.

Materials:
Photos taken from the web depicting refugees fleeing their countries, refugees in
their relocation camps, stories of the refugees experiences.
Photograph Analysis Handout (See Appendix C/1)
Reflections on Photograph Handout (See Appendix C/1).
Student Lap tops.
Cameras and/or students own cell phones to create photographs.

Lesson Objectives:

Photographs will be used to determine and deepen the students current

knowledge about the refugees coming to Germany. Where are they coming
from, what are they escaping, what problems are they facing now?

Students will understand the CML Media Lit Kit Core Concept #1: All Media
messages are Constructed, Core Concepts #2 Media messages are constructed
using a creative language with its own rules, Core Concept #3: Different
people experience the same media message differently, and Core Concept #4
Media have embedded values and points of view.

Students will become aware, analyze, reflect and take action on the refugee
crisis.

Students will write a reflection about a photo in terms of the Core Concepts
mentioned above.

CML Concepts and Key Questions:

Core Concept #1 All media messages are Constructed Who Created this
message? (Author).

Core Concept #2 Media messages are constructed using a creative language

with its own rules.What techniques are used to attract my attention?
(Format).

Core Concept # 3 Different people experience the same media message

differently How might different people understand this message differently
from me? (Audience).

Core Concept #4 Media have embedded values and points of viewWhat

lifestyles, values and points of view are represented in, or omitted from, this
message? (Content).

Day 1: Whole Class Activity

1. Project a photograph on the whiteboard.
2. Guide a class discussion using the following structure:
Observe: Describe what you see. What is the setting? How would you describe the
people?
Reflect: What emotion does the photo evoke in you? Why do you think the photo
was taken? What is happening in the image? Who was the intended audience for
the photo and why? Whose point of view is presented? What is this photo telling
us?
Further Questions: What does this image make you wonder about? Who are these
people? Where are they going? Where are they coming from? Why? What reasons
might the photographer have had for taking this photo? Whose point of view is
depicted? How might different individuals interpret the message from the photo
differently?
3. Present and Discuss the Core Concepts 1-4 and Key Questions 1-4 as it relates to
the photograph.

4. Based on the discussion have each student write a headline or caption for the
photo.
5. Collect and Share the Headlines/Captions
6. Discuss how these different headlines illustrate how a photograph can be
interpreted in different ways.

Day 2: Small Group Activity

1. Each table of 4 students will be given a photograph to discuss as a group. The
photographs will be include images of refugees fleeing their countries, refugees
arriving in their asylum country, refugees in their camps.
2. Give students the Photograph Analysis Handout and the Reflections on Photograph
Handout.
3. Students will discuss as a group their specific image (of refugees fleeing their
countries, refugees arriving in their asylum country, refugees in their camps) using
the same framework modeled in Day1.
4. After discussion, students will write their responses on the Reflections on
Photograph Handout.
5.

Students will write a caption or headline for their image.

6.

Each table will share their photo with the rest of the class. They can chose to
read one of their reflections and a caption or briefly discuss what the group talked
about.

7.

Wrap-up Discussion:

Predict what happened after the photographer took the picture. Explain your
reasons
behind your prediction.

What more do you want to know about the photo and how can we find out?

Day 3: Assessment
1.

Project a photograph that they have not seen and have each student write a
headline/caption.

2.

Share the different headlines/captions for the same photograph to illustrate to

them Core Concept #3: Different people experience the same media
message differently How might different people understand this message
differently from me? (Audience)

3.

Handout Photograph Reflection.

4.

Students will write a critical reflection on the photograph that answers the key
questions. They should link these answer to an understanding of how the
photographer manipulates the setting (lighting, weather, camera angle) to
gain his/her desired effect. in the whiteboard and have students write a
caption or headline for it.

Extensions:
1. Students can create a photo essay of the refugee crisis from a determined
perspective.
2. Students can gather 4 to 5 photographs or take their own and tell a story about
the refugee crisis from a specific perspective (their own, the refugees, a
parent, a politician, the host country etc). Using the 6 Word Haiku Deck,
they can develop a 6 word headline that reflects their intended
perspective. For each photograph students will be given the prompt: You
have six words. What would your story be?

Lesson 2: The Voices of the Refugees

Overview:
Students will learn about the differences between a refugee and a migrant. They will
learn key words and organizations that are associated with refugees. The plight
of the refugees will be humanized for students as refugee voices will be
incorporated into the lessons through video vignettes, individual stories and
poems.
Keywords: Refugee, Migrants, Internally Displaced People, Asylum, Host Country, The
United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) www.choices.edu
Objectives:
Students will understand the difference between a refugee, migrant and internally displaced
person.
Students will understand where the refugees are coming from and why.
Students will develop empathy for the refugees as they hear their personal stories of struggle,
sacrifice and survival.
Materials:
Life on Hold Vignettes
Key Terms
Mapping the Global Crisis

Current Refugee and Internally Displaced People (IDP) Chart

Mapping One Refugees Journey Handout

Refugee Stories
A Book of Poems: Expressions from our Youth

Day 1: Defining the Terms

1. Students will do a quick write (5 to 10 minutes) in their journals answering the
question: What might force you to leave your home? or your country?
2. Give students a few minutes to discuss their reasons for leaving their home and
country.
3. Write Refugee and Migrant on the board. Ask students: What is the difference
between a Refugee and a Migrant? Make a list of their ideas on the board.
Ask: How many of us in this room are migrants? Where did you migrate
from? Why did you migrate? How many of us are refugees? Where did you
come from? Why did you leave your country?
4. Hand out and project Key Terms on the white board. Discuss and define the key
terms.
5. Watch the Choices Video to further understand the difference between a
refugee and an internally displaced person.
6. Wrap Up Discussion

Day 2: Mapping the Refugee Crisis

1.

Project the Current Refugee and Internally Displaced People (IDP) Chart (2014)
on the white board.

2. Hand out a copy of the Chart to students and read through it with them.
3. Hand out Mapping the Global Crisis
4. Students work with a partner through the questions.
5. Wrap up discussion: What countries have the greatest number of refugees? What
do you know about these countries? Why are people leaving? Where do the
refugees go? What do you know about these host countries?
6. Each pair will pick a country on the list to find out more current data.
7. Each pair reports to the class about the country that they researched.

Day 3: Personal Stories

1. As a class watch Mayas story Life on Hold Vignettes.
2. Each pair will be given one of the Refugee Stories to read through and the
Mapping One Refugees Journey Handout
3. Students read through their assigned refugee story.
4. Answer the questions from the graphic organizer.
5. Following the instructions in the handout work with your partner to map out the
refugees journey.
6. Reflection: Write your reflection on any new understandings you have gained from
reading about an individuals story about escape.
7. Each pair will share their story with the class.

Day 4/5: Adding your Voice

1. Students will be given time to explore Life on Hold Vignettes and A Book of
Poems: Expressions from our Youth.
2. Students will have options and the freedom to choose a medium (written piece,
art piece, digital app) to create a message that incorporates the voices of
the refugees struggle. This may take the form of a newspaper article,
poetry, or a type of digital remix reflecting the voices and the struggles of
the refugees.
Ideas:
You are a journalist and need to turn the story you just read into a persuasive
article for the local newspaper. What will your message be? How will you
persuade your audience?
You have one bag and 15 minutes to gather what you need for your escape. What
will you take and why?

Lesson 3: Political Cartoons used to Persuade

Key Words: Political Cartoon, symbolism, exaggeration, labeling, analogy, irony
Objectives:
Students will understand the purpose of political cartoons.
Students will learn the figurative techniques (symbolism,
exaggeration,labeling, analogy, irony) used by the artist to persuade the
audience.
Students will be guided by the Core concepts and Key questions to deconstruct
a political cartoon
Materials:
Political Cartoon Game
CML Core Concepts and Key questions Chart (see appendix c)
Cartoon Analysis Guide and Questions (in appendix C)
Collection of Political Cartoons
Lap Tops
Reflection Journal

Day 1:
1. Discuss the figurative techniques used by both artists and authors to relate
a message.
2. Write the techniques on the board and have students work together to
define and provide an example for each.
3. Hand out the Cartoon Analysis Guide and compare these definitions with
the students.

4. Project a political cartoon about the refugee crisis on the overhead. The
cartoon you choose is dependent on the issue that is relevant to your
students.
5. With their partner students analyze the cartoon using the Cartoon Anaylsis
Guide and questions.They should also refer to the 5 key questions of media
literacy:
Who created this message?
What techniques are used to attract my attention?
How might different people understand this message differently from
me?
What lifestyles, values and points of view are represented in, or
omitted from, this message?
Why was this message sent?
6. Students should take a few minutes to write down their answers to the
questions and any questions that they may have about the cartoons message,
subject, or use of images or words.
7. Discuss as a whole class.

Day 2:
1. Write on the board What is a political cartoon? Discuss. Come to a
definition: A political cartoon takes an issue or current event and tries to
persuade the audience about that issue. While the cartoon offers a funny or
satirical comment on the issue it is meant to persuade. Good political
cartoons make you think about an issue and are intent in swaying you to the
cartoonist perspective.
2. Briefly review the techniques that a cartoonist uses to create his/her
message.
3. Students work with their partners and a laptop to complete the online
activity Political Cartoon Game, Its No Laughing Matter. Students will
practice identifying the figurative techniques used by the cartoonist to
create his/her message.
4. When students have finished the activity, project the cartoon from Day 1 on
the board. Have them use the experience from the activity to answer the
questions they had from the day 1 exercise.

5. Discuss the cartoon as a class using the techniques used and the Media
Literacy Key Questions.
6. The discussion should be wrapped up with an explanation of how to
evaluate a political cartoon by identifying the overall subject and the
artistic techniques used to convey the message.

Day 3:
1. Start with a class discussion of Political Cartoons. Ask the following questions:
What is the purpose of a political cartoon?
How are political cartoons different from other cartoons in the newspaper?
How can you identify the difference?
How are political cartoons different from a news article on the same issue?
Why would you choose to draw a political cartoon over writing an article on
the same issue?
2. Give each partner or tabletop a different cartoon depicting the refugee crisis.
3. With their partner students will analyze the cartoon using the information learned
from the first two days. Student should describe what they see and use the key
questions from Media Literacy to help structure their analysis. The analysis should
include what the authors message is.support your ideas with the artistic techniques
(symbolism, irony, exaggeration, labeling and analogy) used to convey the message.

Are any of the images being used as a symbol to stand for a larger concept or
idea? If so, what is the meaning of the symbol?

Which artistic techniques does the cartoonist use to express his or her opinion
on an issue?

Does the writer label anything in the cartoon? If so, what is the importance of
the label?

What message is the author trying to convey in this cartoon?

Support your ideas with evidence from the cartoon.

Homework: Have students find a political cartoon of interest or importance to them

(this could be the refugee crisis, an environmental issue, political etc.). Have
them bring this to school the next day.

Day 4:
1. Give them the Editorial Cartoon Analysis sheet to organize their ideas about their
cartoon.
2. Students will work individually or with a partner to develop a 5 minute
presentation of their cartoon to the class. They may use any presentation technique
they want. The presentation should be about 5 minutes and the student will:
present the political cartoon
identify the techniques used by the cartoonist to persuade
explain the message presented by the cartoonist
How might others interpret the message
Evaluate their position on the message. Do you agree or disagree?

Day 5: Student Presentations and Reflection

1. Students will present their cartoon and allow for questions and further
interpretation from the audience.
2. Reflection: In their journals students will reflect on the various political cartoons
presented. Explain their understanding of political cartoons and how the author
uses various techniques to persuade the audience. What cartoon did they find
most effective and why? What effect do these cartoons have on public opinion
about the refugee crisis?
Extensions: Also in Taking Action section
Students create their own political cartoon regarding an issue of importance to them this may or
may not be the refugee crisis. Students need to incorporate at least two of the artistic
techniques that we discussed during the lesson. Students will share their cartoons with
the rest of the class. Their peers will have a chance to reflect upon the message presented.

Lesson 4: Analysis of Magazine Covers and/or Posters

Objective:
Students will analyze magazine cover and a poster of the same person to see
how the medias portrayal of the individual embeds a specific point of
view regarding the proposed issue. Students critique the individual
covers and then compare and contrast them with regard to technique,
content and impact.
Core Concept and Key Question #2:Media messages are constructed using a
creative language with its own rules, What Techniques are used to attract my
attention?
Core Concept and Key Question #4: Media have embedded values and points
of view. What lifestyles, values and points of view are represented in, or
omitted from, this message?
Note: For this activity you can use any person. For my purposes and to keep it
relevant to my students I am choosing images of Angela Merkelto continue with the
public perceptions of the refugee crisis. Students will work together as the magazine
and poster use German language to further convey a message. The students will be
paired with a German speaker.
Materials
Two images of Angela Merkel
Reflection Journals

Steps
1.

Project the cover from Der Speigel (9.19.2015). Image is Angela Merkel on as
Mutter Angela on the board.

2.

Ask the following questions to students such:

Who is this person?
What feeling or emotion does a quick look at this cover evoke from you?
Describe what you see on the cover?
What do you think about this person based on the cover of the magazine?

 How is she being portrayed?

3. Remove this magazine cover.
4. Project the poster image of Merkel.
5. Ask the same questions that were asked for the first cover.
6. Next project the magazine cover and the poster on the board so that students can
view them simultaneously.
7. Students will look for similarities and differences between the two depictions.
8. Discuss: body language, eye contact, facial expression, clothing, background,
camera angle, lighting, make up.
Discuss Cover/Poster Design: color, font, other photos, composition, choice of words.
9. Reflection: Answer Key question#2: about the different construction techniques
used and the way these techniques conveyed a different message. Also reflect on Key
question #4: What lifestyles, values and points of view are represented in, or omitted
from, this message? What messages about the refugee crisis is the magazine and
poster trying to convey?
EXTENSION
Students can create different photographs of their peers using the same techniques
that they identified in the Merkel covers. Have them photograph the same person to
look positive in one picture and negative in the other.

Lesson 5: Taking Action

Objective:
Throughout the year, students will be exposed to many different issues and these
issues will become part of the learning process. Part of this curriculum calls
students to be social agents and take responsibility for an issue in their local or
global community. Through some type of action students can provide a service,
a voice, or a message to those in need. This Taking Action lesson presents one
means to provide a voice through a Public Service Advertisement. Lesson 5
specifically guides students through the process of making a PSA. After this
lesson, additional ideas for students to express their ideas and voices is
included. Many of the project ideas mentioned in this section will be
demonstrated throughout the year.
Note:
At different times during the school year, former students or current student will
present their Community and Service or Service-learning projects. Students will
get an idea of the variety of ways that students can take action for a concern that
they are passionate about.
Materials:
Access to laptop
Video equipment
PSA activity and question sheet
PSA
Reflection Journals

Day 1: Understanding PSA

1.

Explain to students what a Public Service Announcements: A type of ad whose

objective is to raise awareness and change attitudes and behavior toward social
issues.

2.

View one of the following PSAs: Whats in your Bag?/Refugee PSA , Welcoming
Refugees PSA , Meals on Wheels, The Randomness of our Best Friends , Not
Acceptable R-Word PSA Environmental PSA,

3.

Discuss as a class:
What is the message? Does this message persuade you? Why or why not?
How did the producers use words, images, music to convey their message?
How did the actors portray the message? Were they effective? Why or why not?
What changes might you make to this PSA?

4. Watch another PSA and follow the same discussion prompts

5. Reflection: In their journals, students should write about which PSA they found
most effective and why. They should support their ideas with examples from the PSA.

Day 2: Research your PSA

1.

Watch the Slideshare on effective development of a PSA.

2. Students have the option to work individually or in small collaborative groups on a

PSA.
3. Research and find your topic. The topic should be something you are passionate
about. One that you want to take action for and feel you can effectively call others to
take action. Find key details and statistics to support your issue. Pick a central idea to
focus on one that you can represent visually.
4. Towards the end of the class period ask the following questions:
What did you find most interesting in your research?
How is this information different from what you believed?
5. Think About Solutions to your issue. Ask yourself these questions:
What would you do to fix this problem?
What are some other solutions to the problem?
How could peoples actions solve this problem?

Day 3 : Plan your PSA

1. Have students think about how they would take their issue/topic and create a 30
second PSA. Ask them to think about the following questions:
What type of words should flash across the screen to convey your message or
goal?
Think of a catchy phrase or slogan.

 How could you discuss the reasons in the video? How would you convince
people to listen to your message?
What are your facts?
How will you share these facts dramatically?
2. Plan your PSA using the PSA Script Outline
Decide on your audience. Who is the announcement targeting: parents,
children, teens, elderly, etc.
Hook your audience with a clear, visual message. Create humor, surprise, an
emotional response through your visual message.
Create and write a script (use PSA outline for script) with about four
statements and visuals.
Transfer ideas to Google Docs
Revise script
Storyboard
3. Film your PSA using available and desired video recording device.
4. Edit your PSA using Movie Maker software (use the Movie Maker tips or find it in
Appendix C)
5. Students will upload PSA to schools site.
6. View student PSAs, reflect and celebrate.
Additional Resources for developing PSAs: Edugains PSA Resource, ReadandThink.org
Other Ideas for Taking Action and Creating your Voice:
1.

Students create their own political cartoon regarding an issue of importance

to them this may or may not be the refugee crisis. Students need to
incorporate at least two of the artistic techniques that we discussed
during the lesson. Students will share their cartoons with the rest of the

class. Their peers will have a chance to reflect upon the message
presented.
2. Students create a photographic essay.
3. Write their own poetry, create an art piece influenced by an issue.
4. Create a collage
5. Students create a remix using one of the poems from the poetry book, or create a
remix incorporating your reflections from the year with pictures and video.
6. Students can gather 4 to 5 photographs or take their own and tell a story about a
crisis/issue. Using the 6 Word Haiku Deck, they can develop a 6 word
headline that reflects their intended message. For each photograph students
will be given the prompt: You have six words. What would your story be?