Joseph Brush

PED4177: Teaching English in the Senior Division

Course: Grade 11 University English (ENG3U)
Strand: Media Studies
Lesson: Social Media Literacy Investigation
Overall Expectation
1. Understanding Media Texts:
Demonstrate an understanding of a variety of media texts
Specific Expectations
1.3 Evaluating Texts:
Evaluate how effectively information, ideas, themes, issues, and
opinions are communicated in media texts, including increasingly
complex or difficult texts, and decide whether the texts achieve
their intended purpose
1.5 Critical Literacy:
Identify the perspectives and/or biases evident in media texts,
including increasingly complex or difficult texts, and comment on
any questions they may raise about beliefs, values, identity, and
power
1.6 Production Perspectives:
Explain how production, marketing, financing, distribution, and
legal/regulatory factors influence the media industry

!
75 min

Data
Projector or
SMART
Board
Personal
devices
(phones,
tablets,
laptops)
If class does
not have
devices, a
computer lab
will need to
be booked

Learning Goals
Students will develop social media literacy through an analysis of
the advertising they see on their own Facebook pages. Students
Facebook
will then interpret an article that details invasions of privacy in
Privacy
regard to this advertising. Students consolidate their knowledge
by organizing their thoughts and developing a perspective on their article
personal use of social media through a reflective paragraph.
Hook (5 mins)
-Show students youtube video Shameless Product Placement on
TV which conveys multiple instances of product placement on
popular television shows (students will recognize many including
The Big Bang Theory, The Simpsons, and Glee)
Introduction (10 mins)
-Have a brief class discussion generating a list on the board of
products they saw. Ask students why they feel these products
were shown on certain shows.
-Use discussion to segway into todays topic of social media
advertising; people are being targeted by advertisers online
based on their likes and interests just as certain products are
placed in television shows to target a specific audience.
-Go over schedule for the day (personal Facebook investigation,
article analysis, four corners activity, reflection)

Introductio
n
Minds On
Catch Em
Hook

Materials
Shameless
Product
Placement on
TV Youtube
video

Joseph Brush
PED4177: Teaching English in the Senior Division
Body (50 mins)
Facebook Investigation Activity (Part 1) (10 mins)
-Have students use personal devices (phones, laptops) to log on
to their Facebook accounts (if they do not have an account, have
them partner with a peer who does). Have students list 10-15
items they have liked on Facebook as well as all of the products/
brands that are advertised along the side bar. If students are
unfamiliar with these brands, they can use Google to research
them.
Facebook Investigation Activity (Part 2) (15 mins)
-Have students join in groups of 3-4. Students will generate
discussion based on the following questions:
1. Were you and your peers advertised any of the same
brands/products?
2. Do you and your peers share the same likes and
interests?
-As an entire class, go around the room and have each group
briefly share their findings

Action!

Article Analysis (10 mins)

-Have students remain in groups and hand them out copies of
short article entitled I Asked a Privacy Lawyer What Facebooks
New Terms and Conditions Will Mean For You
-Article details the interpretation of Facebooks new Terms of
Service by a Privacy Lawyer. Students can read the article and
discuss with their group members, their response will inform the
next activity.
Four Corners Activity (15 Mins)
-Allow students to ask questions regarding the article if they are
unclear about anything therein.
-Students can move to a corner of the room representing
strongly agree, agree, strongly disagree, and disagree
based on the following statements:
1. Facebook has provided me with useful advertisements for
products I would purchase or use.
2. I consciously think about my online privacy
2. My use of social media will remain unchanged after today
-Students will discuss their position with others in their corner
before sharing with the class

Exit Card/Reflection (10 mins)

In a one-paragraph reflection, have students write and submit a
Consolidate response to the following question:
Debrief
Review
With reference to advertising and privacy, will you alter your use
Next Day or of Facebook in any way? Why or why not?
Homework
Having scaffolded their knowledge of how social media
advertising works, and the implication Facebooks Terms of
Service could have on the privacy of its users, this response
forces students to organize their thoughts about the days topics
and formulate a personal opinion.