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Lesson Plan 3

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Becky Blosser

Media Literacy: Integrating 21st Century Life Skills Across the Curriculum

Final Project: Media Literacy-Based Lesson Plan

August 10, 2021

 

Social Media and Body Image:  How am I affected and What Can I Do about It?

 

Lesson Plan for Grade 8: Health

(Depending on the length of the class period, this lesson may stretch over 2 periods.)

 

EDUCATION STANDARDS

  1. H2.So2.4. Describe influence of peers and social media on body image
  2. ISTE 7c. Students contribute constructively to project teams, assuming various roles and responsibilities to work effectively toward a common goal.
  3. AASL Standards Framework for Learners AI 2. Learners display curiosity and initiative by: Recalling prior and background knowledge as context for new meaning.
  4. AASL Standards Framework for Learners BI 1. Learners engage with new knowledge by following a process that includes: Using evidence to investigate questions.
  5. AASL Standards Framework for Learners DVI 1. Learners engage with information to extend personal learning by: Personalizing their use of information and information technologies.

OBJECTIVES

  1. Students will recognize ways that social media can impact body image positively and negatively.
  2. Students will identify one way to increase body positivity – for themselves or others – when using social media.

STUDENT INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Think about pictures or videos or messages on social media (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, etc.) that made you think about or compare your own body.  Now think about what you thought about your body.  Were you encouraged and supported?  Did it make you feel positive?  Did it make you feel unhappy or negative?  (You don’t need to share this aloud.  This is just your own analysis of how/if social media has impacted your body image.)
  2. Make a copy of this document so that you can edit it.
  3. As a class, we’ll watch this video.  (FYI, it was made in Australia, so you’ll hear them refer to Aussie children.)  As you watch, record any negatives and positives (in their columns) about social media’s effect on body image as you hear them mentioned in the video.  You will use the document you just copied in your drive to record the positives and negatives.
  4. In your groups of 5, share your list of positives and negatives.  Many will probably overlap.  Go around your group’s circle and share.  Your group’s facilitator will let you know who will start.   Your group’s recorder will write the positives on green sticky notes and the negatives on pink sticky notes.  If there is more than 1 person with the same positive or negative, it only needs to be written on a sticky note once, but please add a tally mark to the sticky note for each repeat.  The group’s communicator will help the recorder know what to write/tally.  Your group’s materials organizer will draw a big T table on your big poster paper.  He/she will label one side positive and one side negative.  He/she will place the positive (green) sticky notes under the positive column & the pink/negative sticky notes  under the negative column.  You have 5 minutes for this, so each person has 1 minute to share.  The group’s timekeeper will help keep everyone on track.  (If someone is missing from your group today, I’ll help you either reshuffle groups and/or re-assign group tasks.)
  5. Now you will look at 2 pieces of information to see if you can find any more positives and negatives around social media’s impact on body image.  As a group, you will pick 1 article or video from the negatives list and 1 article from the positives list.  Please read or listen to the information together.  When you come across something positive or negative around social media and body image, the recorder will jot it down (or put a tally mark on the sticky note if it is already one you have listed).  Pink sticky notes are for the negative body image messages/effects.  Green sticky notes are for the positive body image/effects.
    1. Pick 1 of these to listen to/read.  Make sure to let your recorder know what to write on the sticky notes (and if it’s positive/green or negative/pink) as you listen/read.
      1. YouTube video Social Media and Body Image
      2. Article “How Does Social Media Influence Body Image?”
      3. Article “How Does Social Media Affect Your Body Image” (effects shared by teens)
      4. Article “Why Social Media Can Make You Feel Bad About Your Body – and 3 Easy Tips to Use Social Media to Boost Your Self Esteem”
    2. Pick 1 of these to read.  Make sure to let your recorder know what to write on the sticky notes (and if it’s positive/green or negative/pink) as you read.
      1. Article “Body Positivity on Social Media is a Work in Progress”
      2. List of “53 Body Positive Influencers You Should Follow” (You don’t have to read the entire list, but read through information about a few of the influencers and their impact on body image.)
  2. Again, the materials organizer will place the green sticky notes under the positive column and the pink sticky notes under the negative column.
  3. Now we will take a walk around the room to look at other groups’ positive and negative T-charts.  Be sure to read at least 3 red and 3 green sticky notes at each group.  Note if any differ from your group’s list.
  4. We have seen some of the positive and negative body image effects that social media can have.  It is helpful to be aware that there can be negative effects.  What can we do to curb negative effects and increase the positive effects?
  1. We’ll finish by watching this YouTube video together: “Learning Self Love and Body Positivity”
  2. As we read the 2 paragraphs and watch the video together, choose 1 thing you can do (the article will have suggestions) to promote body positivity as you use social media.  Be ready to share this on a Google form.
  1. As a reflection on today’s learning, please answer the 3 questions on this Google form.
  2. This week, please find 1 positive or negative example of body image on social media and post it to this Padlet.  (I will approve it after you submit it/before it posts.)  Please share the image or a screenshot.  If it is a video, please share the link.  We will look at/discuss the Padlet as a class next week.

MATERIALS NEEDED

  1. This document for students to record positives and negatives of social media’s impact on body image.  (Print if you want students to use paper/pencil.)
  2. Links to the following videos and websites:
    1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKZfB1CCHlE
    2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdh7RDq7yok
    3. https://emotionmatters.co.uk/2018/10/04/how-does-social-media-influence-body-image/
    4. https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/blog/how-does-social-media-affect-your-body-image
    5. https://www.insider.com/how-social-media-affects-body-image
    6. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/smart-people-don-t-diet/202008/body-positivity-social-media-is-work-in-progress
    7. https://www.verywellmind.com/body-positive-influencers-4165953
    8. https://news.illinoisstate.edu/2021/04/social-media-effects-on-body-image-and-eating-disorders/
    9. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrD28DPc7z0
  2. Pink and green sticky notes (if available – otherwise they can just write on the poster paper)
  3. Large poster paper
  4. Students will need their Chromebooks.
  5. Each group will need a writing utensil
  6. Google Form for quick assessment
  7. Padlet for examples of positive and negative body image on social media

ASSESSMENT

  1. Please answer the 3 questions on this Google form.
  2. This week, find 1 example from social media that either impacts body image in a positive or negative way.  You can add your example to this padlet.  (I will approve it after you submit it/before it posts.)  Please share the image or a screenshot.  If it is a video, please share the link.  We will look at/discuss the Padlet as a class next week.

 

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