Week Six Activity

This week we had to pick a media literacy lesson plan and follow it ourselves. I choose:

Exploring Change through Allegory and Poetry

The first lesson was to create a "Me-Tree" to represent a visual allegory. I involved my whole family in this project and this is what we created (it was fun!):

Mine is on left, Mazie (age 3.5), on right.

Jamez on left; Avery (age 8) on right.

I then had to complete a worksheet with a few questions about the Me-Tree:

“Me Tree” Reflection Questions 

1. What is an allegory?
   Something that has multiple meanings. On the surface it seems or looks like one thing, but they can also be read as having deeper or different meanings.
2. What type of allegory does the “Me Tree” represent?
   On the surface it is a tree, but it actually represents me - who I am, what I like, where I want to go.
   
3. In what way does the “Me Tree” fit the characteristics of an allegory?
   It was created using my hand print & its leaves were characteristics of me. However, It looks like a tree.
   
4. Why is a tree a fitting symbol to represent a person?
   There are many different kinds of trees - just like there are many different types of people. Trees can be mighty and strong, or small & weak - they can start small & weak but grow mighty & strong. They also loose their leaves every year, and get new ones in the spring. People have many different interests, but they can change from year to year.
   
5. In what ways are your traits, interests, and roles like the leaves on a tree?
   They can change from year to year. I could cut my hair next year, I could decide I really like bowling. Many different things could change, just like leaves on the trees change, fall, and grow up anew.
   
6. If you were to make a “Me Tree” next year, would it look the same as the one you just made? What would its likely differences and similarities be?
   Not in all ways - I might not include shy and outgoing on the tree. I would include mother and daughter because I am that and those designations wouldn't change.
   
7. View your classmates’ “Me Trees.” Select two student trees, and explain which aspects of each tree you feel most accurately depict the creator.
   My husband's tree reflects his personality - he's creative and different, and it SHOWS in that tree! My son's reflects his personality because he is everywhere at once and has a great imagination. 

The second step was to read a text about change. The lesson plan was geared for grades 6-8 and suggested "The Giving Tree" as a suitable text. It also linked to a list of other suggested texts, which included the book "Who Moved My Cheese?" I had heard of this book before, and knew that it typically pertained to the workplace, so I chose to read this one instead. I completed the following worksheets in relation to the book:

 

Change Reflection Questions

1. Who in this text is undergoing change?
   Sniff & Scurry, Hem & Haw
2.  How does this character respond to change?
   Sniff & Scurry are mice who just put back on their running shoes & go find bigger cheese. Hem continually resists change, complains and declares the world "unfair" and doesn't change nor seek out bigger cheese. Haw resists change at first, but then confronts his fear, learns to adapt and finds bigger cheese after several set backs.
3. Do other characters provide help or advice for the character that is undergoing change? What advice do they give?
   Haw continually leaves messages - "writings on the wall" to help remind himself about what is happening and how to adapt to change. He also leaves these with the hope that Hem will eventually face his fear and look for cheese - with these messages as a guide.
   
4. What does the character learn about change?
   That change is inevitable, and you should always be prepared for it. That fear holds you back from seeking change. That watching for signs of change and being prepared for it can help. That change can lead to bigger cheese.
   
5. In what way is this text a literary allegory?
   On the surface, this story is about two mice, two little people, some cheese and a maze.  However, it is an obvious literary allegory for how people react to change. The maze is the journey and trajectory of life. The mice are people who seek out change, who don't ever get complacent and are always ready to move and adjust with the change. The little people - Hem & Haw, are allegories for people who resist change because of fear. The cheese is something you need to live on, that can make you happy and content. The cheese is typically read as an allegory for money or a job, but could just as easily be an allegory for marriage and love.

Then we had to create diamante poems that were about change:

How this relates to the 21st Century Skills Framework:

Core Subjects and 21st Century Themes - English/Language Arts. With some slight tweaking, I can also see this relating to Financial, Economic, Entrepreneurial and Business Literacy because I could use this during a lesson I do entitled "coping with change in the workplace." It could also have a Civic Literacy slant if the students were encouraged to think about change within their communities and lives.

Learning and Innovation Skills: This lesson addresses creativity through the "me-trees" and the Diametric Poems. Critical thinking skills are challenged during the worksheets about the text readings and through the application of allegory to their me-trees. Communication and collaboration is addressed through group work, sharing of creative work and using on-line tools to create the diametric poems.

Information, Media and Technology Skills: These skills are addressed and used in online interactives, and through the dissection of individual texts for information.

Life and Career Skills: This lesson is fundamentally about change, and dealing with change. This is a valuable life and career skill. I plan to use "Who moved my cheese" as the change text, which is more appropriate and directly addresses the work I do.