1. Create a list of all the types of media you or your group can think of. If you are on your own, you may need to check out other 8th graders work as the week progresses.
Newspaper, magazine, video, internet, television, blogs, radio, billboards, posters,
2. Identify the purposes of all media messages – for example to entertain, to inform etc.
To get word around the world/area, sometimes the purpose is to give an emergency notice, or to entertain, such as if magazines want to put out information about a celebrity just for fun, though it may not all be true.
3. How is the media influenced by social, political and economic factors? What other influences do you think media is affected or influenced by?
The media is influenced by social, political, and economic factors because our society tends to judge people by social, economic, or political status, being the rich and powerful are much better treated than the working class and the poor. The media often views the poor as bad and the rich as good, and sometimes slander celebrities. Also, people who are not in the upper class can be discriminated against or ignored.
4. What do you think are the effects on those groups of people who are not represented by these media stories and those who portray them?
People discriminate against or ridiculed by certain groups of people because of their social and economic status, or their opinions are simply ignored.
A webquest is a quest that is undertaken on the internet about a certain task that requires research, time, and work. They can be on any subject, and include the who what, when, where and why. The 8th grade webquest is about how one event can have many different perspectives (views) and how they can change and shape history. The event we will be using and researching is about 9/11 and the war over in Iraq and Afghanistan.
1. How are both sides of the war (i.e. Iraqis and the Americans) portrayed in these images and video?
They are portrayed as joyful and happy.
2. Your group will now undertake research on the Internet to gain a brief overview of the Iraqi culture. Consider information such as major cities, religion, government, social structures.
Iraqis are mostly Muslim, with a gap in between the rich and poor, the capitol of Iraq being Baghdad. The main languages they speak there are Arabic and Kurdish, with their currency being the Iraqi Dinar.
3. Using the Presentation (Resource 1), compare the images portraying the same event. Point out the similarities and differences between them.
They are similar because of the topic of all the articles, and all of them have to do mainly with the liberation of Iraq/Baghdad. They are different because each of them have different views and/or focuses about the topics, some more realistic, and some less.
4. What choices were made in depicting this event in a certain way (i.e. through photographs, video, or written articles)?
Choices that were made were not all good, in my opinion, such as the decision to say that Saddam Hussein was caught like a rat, and though some say that's what it was like, it isn't a very good idea because it could enrage old supporters of him and make them angry and violent, but others, like showing how they were liberated were better.
5. How did this information affect your understanding of the event?
This information affected my understanding of this event because now I realize that some of it was staged (in the bringing down of the statue) and that it isn't all true, but is still somewhat good that the United States is freeing millions of people in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other third world countries.
6. What choices were made by the media in how they captured this event? What elements did they choose to omit or select to show? What do you think the intentions were by portraying the event this way?
The media made the choice to falsify some images, which is not good, and omitted that much of the crowd was reporters and showed the backs of them so you couldn't see the cameras, and only showed a little of the footage, not all of it. I think the intentions of portraying it this way were to make it so it seemed more like the liberating of a country, rather than a kind of publicity act.
7. Why do you think the newspaper images were doctored?
I think the images were doctored so it looked as if there were more people there to celebrate for the toppling of the statue and so it looked like a bigger, more important event.
8. What purpose did it serve?
I think it served the purpose of making it seem more important and better for the people of Iraq.
9. Who gains from altering these images?
The media and government does because it makes them look better.
10. Do you think an altered image can change history, and if so, how?
I think it can because then people in the future will see it and think that that is how it actually happened, when in this case, it wasn't.
Each group or individual will be assigned a pair of newspaper images covering the war in Iraq. These can be found in Resource 2 "Newspaper Covers of War in Iraq". Your group is to analyse these newspaper covers and respond to the following questions. An example has been provided for you to work through as a whole class activity with your teacher. Record your answers to your work in your Working Document.
1. Consider how the Newspaper Editors have chosen to portray the war in Iraq. Consider elements such as
a) Image size
b) Use of colour and font size
c) Dedication of space to a particular article – consider the size of the article. Does this give it more prominence?
2. Who is the audience of the newspaper?
The audience of the newspaper are the citizens of the United States and other places in the world.
3. Consider the ‘other’ side of the story. Who is not being represented in these newspapers? What ramifications does this have for ‘their’ side of the story?
The people not being represented are the people of Iraq, even though it is about and in Iraq, and this changes their side of the story because now it looks like the supported this.
1) What was the outcome for particular groups of people, such as the Iraqi and Muslim population?
This made people not like them because of 9/11 and so they were prejudiced and biased against them.
2) Do you think the media coverage contributed to their treatment?”
I think they did because they showed pictures of people in Iraq that were bad that were of the same religion but were terrorists, unlike the people in America.
3) Australia prides itself on being a multicultural community but is it truly ‘multicultural’ when there is evidence of increasing racial vilification against particular groups, such as Muslims?
I don't think it is because now they are becoming biased and prejudiced against people of certain religions or cultures/races, which is not a good thing to do and alters how they view these people.
4) How has understanding how the media has portrayed the war in Iraq affected your view of the Iraqi or Muslim population?
It has made me realize that Muslims and Iraqis aren't all bad, just the terrorists that say they are part of that religion.
5) The title of this webquest is One Event: Many Perspectives. Has the critical analysis of the media portrayal of the war in Iraq altered your perspective, or made you see that there are other sides to the story?
The analysis of the media has helped me see other sides of the story because now I realize that some of the things that the media does to make things seem better are unethical and wrong.
6) What impact do you think the media has had on the historical accuracy of this event? Do you consider that the media has helped change or ‘shape’ history in any way?
I think the media has helped change the way history will see the events because of the doctored images and the staged events because then they can have history how they want it, not how it really was.
Why would we do a 9-12 grade webquest?
What does it have to do with the war in Iraq/Afghanistan?
I thought we were doing a unit on utopia, so why are we doing this?
How much influence does the media really have over what people believe and do, and how much influence do people have over the media?
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8DanE's Web Quest page.
Visit my wiki- Dan's Wiki
1. Create a list of all the types of media you or your group can think of. If you are on your own, you may need to check out other 8th graders work as the week progresses.
Newspaper, magazine, video, internet, television, blogs, radio, billboards, posters,
2. Identify the purposes of all media messages – for example to entertain, to inform etc.
To get word around the world/area, sometimes the purpose is to give an emergency notice, or to entertain, such as if magazines want to put out information about a celebrity just for fun, though it may not all be true.
3. How is the media influenced by social, political and economic factors? What other influences do you think media is affected or influenced by?
The media is influenced by social, political, and economic factors because our society tends to judge people by social, economic, or political status, being the rich and powerful are much better treated than the working class and the poor. The media often views the poor as bad and the rich as good, and sometimes slander celebrities. Also, people who are not in the upper class can be discriminated against or ignored.
4. What do you think are the effects on those groups of people who are not represented by these media stories and those who portray them?
People discriminate against or ridiculed by certain groups of people because of their social and economic status, or their opinions are simply ignored.
A webquest is a quest that is undertaken on the internet about a certain task that requires research, time, and work. They can be on any subject, and include the who what, when, where and why. The 8th grade webquest is about how one event can have many different perspectives (views) and how they can change and shape history. The event we will be using and researching is about 9/11 and the war over in Iraq and Afghanistan.
1. How are both sides of the war (i.e. Iraqis and the Americans) portrayed in these images and video?
They are portrayed as joyful and happy.
2. Your group will now undertake research on the Internet to gain a brief overview of the Iraqi culture. Consider information such as major cities, religion, government, social structures.
Iraqis are mostly Muslim, with a gap in between the rich and poor, the capitol of Iraq being Baghdad. The main languages they speak there are Arabic and Kurdish, with their currency being the Iraqi Dinar.
3. Using the Presentation (Resource 1), compare the images portraying the same event. Point out the similarities and differences between them.
They are similar because of the topic of all the articles, and all of them have to do mainly with the liberation of Iraq/Baghdad. They are different because each of them have different views and/or focuses about the topics, some more realistic, and some less.
4. What choices were made in depicting this event in a certain way (i.e. through photographs, video, or written articles)?
Choices that were made were not all good, in my opinion, such as the decision to say that Saddam Hussein was caught like a rat, and though some say that's what it was like, it isn't a very good idea because it could enrage old supporters of him and make them angry and violent, but others, like showing how they were liberated were better.
5. How did this information affect your understanding of the event?
This information affected my understanding of this event because now I realize that some of it was staged (in the bringing down of the statue) and that it isn't all true, but is still somewhat good that the United States is freeing millions of people in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other third world countries.
6. What choices were made by the media in how they captured this event? What elements did they choose to omit or select to show? What do you think the intentions were by portraying the event this way?
The media made the choice to falsify some images, which is not good, and omitted that much of the crowd was reporters and showed the backs of them so you couldn't see the cameras, and only showed a little of the footage, not all of it. I think the intentions of portraying it this way were to make it so it seemed more like the liberating of a country, rather than a kind of publicity act.
7. Why do you think the newspaper images were doctored?
I think the images were doctored so it looked as if there were more people there to celebrate for the toppling of the statue and so it looked like a bigger, more important event.
8. What purpose did it serve?
I think it served the purpose of making it seem more important and better for the people of Iraq.
9. Who gains from altering these images?
The media and government does because it makes them look better.
10. Do you think an altered image can change history, and if so, how?
I think it can because then people in the future will see it and think that that is how it actually happened, when in this case, it wasn't.
Each group or individual will be assigned a pair of newspaper images covering the war in Iraq. These can be found in Resource 2 "Newspaper Covers of War in Iraq". Your group is to analyse these newspaper covers and respond to the following questions. An example has been provided for you to work through as a whole class activity with your teacher. Record your answers to your work in your Working Document.
1. Consider how the Newspaper Editors have chosen to portray the war in Iraq. Consider elements such as
a) Image size
b) Use of colour and font size
c) Dedication of space to a particular article – consider the size of the article. Does this give it more prominence?
2. Who is the audience of the newspaper?
The audience of the newspaper are the citizens of the United States and other places in the world.
3. Consider the ‘other’ side of the story. Who is not being represented in these newspapers? What ramifications does this have for ‘their’ side of the story?
The people not being represented are the people of Iraq, even though it is about and in Iraq, and this changes their side of the story because now it looks like the supported this.
1) What was the outcome for particular groups of people, such as the Iraqi and Muslim population?
This made people not like them because of 9/11 and so they were prejudiced and biased against them.
2) Do you think the media coverage contributed to their treatment?”
I think they did because they showed pictures of people in Iraq that were bad that were of the same religion but were terrorists, unlike the people in America.
3) Australia prides itself on being a multicultural community but is it truly ‘multicultural’ when there is evidence of increasing racial vilification against particular groups, such as Muslims?
I don't think it is because now they are becoming biased and prejudiced against people of certain religions or cultures/races, which is not a good thing to do and alters how they view these people.
4) How has understanding how the media has portrayed the war in Iraq affected your view of the Iraqi or Muslim population?
It has made me realize that Muslims and Iraqis aren't all bad, just the terrorists that say they are part of that religion.
5) The title of this webquest is One Event: Many Perspectives. Has the critical analysis of the media portrayal of the war in Iraq altered your perspective, or made you see that there are other sides to the story?
The analysis of the media has helped me see other sides of the story because now I realize that some of the things that the media does to make things seem better are unethical and wrong.
6) What impact do you think the media has had on the historical accuracy of this event? Do you consider that the media has helped change or ‘shape’ history in any way?
I think the media has helped change the way history will see the events because of the doctored images and the staged events because then they can have history how they want it, not how it really was.
Why would we do a 9-12 grade webquest?
What does it have to do with the war in Iraq/Afghanistan?
I thought we were doing a unit on utopia, so why are we doing this?
How much influence does the media really have over what people believe and do, and how much influence do people have over the media?
Works Cited
http://www.statenews.com/index.php/article/2011/09/american_sikhs_911_perspective
http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/spotlight/the911decade/2011/09/201197155513938336.html
http://english.aljazeera.net/