Week 12: Media Integration Post

This class has been a tremendous experience for me to learn about ways in which I can better integrate media into the English curriculum. Through the process of creating our unit plan, I was easily able to recognize simple and practical ways in which I could use media in my classroom on a daily basis. Such methods would include students keeping online journals, showing movie clips, or using different types of media propaganda to discuss the lesson’s relativity in our current society.

Some of the film adaptations that I have considered using in the classroom are, “Clueless,” “She’s the Man,” and newer renditions of Shakespeare’s plays such as, “Romeo and Juliet,” “O,” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” I would use these adaptations while studying the original text that these movies follow.

Two ways in which I will implement what I’ve learned in this course is to try the pbwiki with my students. I have gained confidence using this tool, and I believe it can be effective for students to use in the classroom. With this tool, students are able to collaborate on a group project as well as work on independent creative assignments. Another way that I will implement what I’ve learned in this course is by evaluating media in my classroom more often. While it is easy to use media in the classroom, critiques are often overlooked and students are expected to take what they get without thinking about the media and how it was presented to them for themselves. I want my students (and myself) to think critically about media and what it portrays. I think this will be an important implementation in my classroom.

I have grown greatly in this class. I feel comfortable using media tools that I would not have even considered using in the past. I am excited to enhance my students’ learning by using these tools and the knowledge I’ve gained. I am also excited to continue my own learning in this area, and continue to work hard to bring new aspects of media in my own classroom.

Check out my unit plan!

The Dangers of Prejudice

The Holocaust and Crimes against Humanity

Objectives:

ü To encourage students to expand their study of the Holocaust and current world issues.

ü To foster critical thinking skills in addition to compassionate responses to the study of the Holocaust and current genocides in the world.

ü To explore new strategies of learning through media.

ü To develop an awareness of historical documents and testimonies through the study of the Holocaust and other acts of hate and violence.

ü To develop an interest in poetry, video, art, and music in collaboration with the book of choice for book clubs.

Activities:

ü Students will use the pbwiki tool to post responses, thoughts, ideas, and assignments as well as collaborate with other students about class topics on the Holocaust and current issues.

ü Students will create a documentary on a specific aspect of the Holocaust (ex: a person, a specific camp, the medical experiments performed on the Jews, the ghettos, etc.).

ü Students will complete 100 independent project points by the end of the unit.

ü Students will write to a magazine, book or any publication that they feel discriminates against women, men, disabled, different races, cultures, gay or lesbian, etc.

Evaluation:

ü Students will be given daily points for active or inactive participation.

ü Students will be evaluated on their contributions using the wiki tool.

ü Students will be given 100 points if they complete their independent projects.

ü Students will be assessed on their understanding displayed in their final projects.

Day 1: Introduction

Introduction: Today we will introduce the Holocaust by showing a power point that covers the history and what took place during this time period.

Questions to consider for discussion:

-What are some of the things that were shocking?

-How do survivors cope after experiencing such horrific things?

-What questions do you have about the Holocaust?

-What parts of the Holocaust are you interested in learning more about?

-Other thoughts/concerns?

-We will introduce three novels, Night and Dawn, by Elie Wiesel, Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl or Never to Forget: The Jews of the Holocaust by Milton Meltzer Students will choose which novel they wish to read for their book clubs and complete the novels by the end of the unit. They will be meeting periodically throughout the two weeks.

-We will give an overview of what the unit will look like and what topics we will cover.

-We will watch the film, “Paper Clips,” which portrays the vast representation of how many people were killed in the Holocaust.

-We will introduce class projects that students should be working on during the entirety of the unit (wiki and independent project points).

Materials Needed:

ü Books: Night by Elie Wiesel, Dawn by Elie Wiesel, Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl, Never Forget: The Jews of the Holocaust by Milton Meltzer

ü Holocaust PowerPoint

ü Movie: Paper Clips - Documentary

ü Independent Project Points Handout (bottom of unit plan)

Day 2: Life before and life in the Ghetto

Introduction: We will begin class by showing a film clip from Sylvia Richmond’s life in a Jewish ghetto in Poland.

Questions to consider for discussion:

-What is Semitism?

-What was the ghetto like?

-Who controlled the ghetto?

-What type of problems do you think came about as a result of living in the ghetto?

-How was this a form of Anti-Semitism?

-Today we are going to split the class up into four groups. Each group is responsible for reading an article about a specific ghetto. After the groups read the article they will discuss five facts specific to their ghetto. Then we will do a jigsaw with the other groups and each member of the new groups will present their findings to the other group members.

- Students will go to the media center and print off pictures of different ghettos they find (from the time of the Holocaust through today).

-As students bring these back to the classroom, they will write a three paragraph story that goes along with the picture.

Examples:

-What life was like before the ghetto

-Life in the ghetto

-Living in the city before the ghetto was established

-Etc.

Assignment:

Students will begin their wiki postings tonight. They must post at least three times per week responding to this question, “Why didn’t the Jews fight back or revolt against the Germans? What do you know now that supports your thinking?” Out of the three responses per week, students must respond at least twice to another classmate's thoughts or ideas.

Materials Needed:

Movie Clip: http://fcit.usf.edu/HOLOCAUST/resource/MOVIES/RICHMAN/INDEX.HTM

Ghetto articles:

Warsaw – http://www.aish.com/holocaust/overview/he05n27.htm

Lodz – http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/lodz.html

krakow – http://www.deathcamps.org/occupation/krakow%20ghetto.html

Kovno - http://jewishmag.com/35MAG/kovno/kovno.htm

Day 3: Concentration/Death Camps

Introduction: Today we will begin the class by showing previous students’ movie projects on concentration camps.

-Next we will give background information on the three biggest concentration camps: Auschwitz, Buchenwald, and Bergen-Belsen.

-We will watch Oprah’s interview with Elie Wiesel.

Questions to consider for discussion:

-What are some things that surprised you about Wiesel’s experience?

-What did you notice about Wiesel’s demeanor? Why do you think it was like this?

-Why would conducting this type of interview be difficult for both the interviewer and the interviewee?

-What is the difference between this type of interview and an interview with someone who is remembering a positive life experience?

-What specific aspects of this interview have the producers enhanced in order to evoke emotion?

-What are some questions you would like to ask Mr. Wiesel?

Assignment:

-Write ten questions for an interview as if you were going to interview someone who had experienced life in the concentration camps. Then type 1-2 pages responding to Mr. Wiesel’s quote, “There’s so much suffering here in this place, so much agony. How grateful I should be that I am here – that you and I are here walking, remembering, helping, thinking of what to do with our lives, with our memories. It is kind of enriching.” Would your outlook on life change? How will you live in order to honor those that died during the Holocaust?

Materials Needed:

ü Video clips from previous students (attachments)

ü Auschwitz information- http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/index.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005143

ü Buchenwald information- http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/index.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005143

ü Bergen-Belsen information-http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005224

ü Oprah’s interview with Elie Wiesel – Documentary http://www.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/200605/tows_past_20060524.jhtml

Day 4: Poetry and Music

Introduction: Today the students will begin the class by meeting in their book club groups (20 min.) They will discuss these questions:

-What do you think of your book and why?

-What are some new things you’ve learned about the Holocaust through your book reading?

-What emotions have you dealt with when reading this book (give passage examples)?

-Has this reading caused you to think about any of your own personal experiences? What are they?

-Talk about striking words, images, phrases, or details. Speculate about them. Why did the author choose them? What do they add to the story? Why did you notice them?

- (Entire Class) Have students imagine if it would be possible for them to forgive and forget all the pain, suffering, and loss that was inflicted if they were an individual of the Holocaust. Would they be able to forgive the individuals that killed their family and friends, as well as the individuals that put them through the most strenuous and life-threatening conditions? Discuss the reasons why it takes a strong person to be able to move on in their lives as well as the reasons it takes a strong person to educate the individual that lack the understanding of a particular culture or religion.

-Have students first read the piece slowly to themselves (We Have Survived). Tell them to take brief notes on questions or reactions they have to certain lines in the poem.

-Next we will listen to three songs, Girl America (Mat Kearney), Where is the Love (Black Eyed Peas), and Waiting on the World to Change (John Mayer). Have students take brief notes on questions or reactions they have to certain lines in the songs.

-Questions for Discussion:

-Personally, are you more influenced by poetry or music, why?

-Can any form of poetry be turned in to music and vise versa?

-What are some of the messages you’ve read or heard today?

-What did you think about or feel when you heard these things?

-What type of media would you choose in order to influence people?

Materials Needed:

ü Copy of Poem (bottom of unit plan)

ü Songs:

Girl America: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KL5cxbJBms

Where is the Love: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJV9EMkv0u4

Waiting on the World to Change: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXWXQeHCWpo

Day 5: Media Propaganda

Introduction: Today we will meet with the class about their wiki posts. We will be discussing responses and questions that have been brought up on the wiki posts.

-First, we will show several pictures of propaganda that Hitler used to influence public opinions and perspectives of the Jews.

Questions to consider for discussion:

-How do these images portray Jewish people?

-In what ways are these images influential?

-Why does Hitler use these images?

-Why is this propaganda effective?

-Why is this form of media more effective than perhaps an article or a speech?

-Next, we will show several pictures from today’s media (including women, men, wealth, African Americans, different cultures, etc.)

Questions to consider for discussion:

-How do these images portray different people?

-In what ways are these images influential?

-Why do advertisers use these images?

-Why is this propaganda effective?

-Why is this form of media more effective than perhaps an article or a speech?

Assignment:

Find one picture that Hitler used for propaganda against the Jews and find one advertisement that portrays people in a certain light. Then, compare the two pictures and create some form of “project” conveying the effects of this type of media.

-Examples:

-Collage of pictures

-A paper

-The two main pictures surrounded by different words

-A jumpcut video (www.jumpcut.com)

Materials Needed:

ü Nazi propaganda-

http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005274

http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005202

http://www.ushmm.org/uia-cgi/uia_query/photos?hr=null&query=kw122571

ü Current day propaganda

http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=en&gbv=2&q=african+american+advertisement

http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=en&gbv=2&q=women+advertisement

ü Rubric for project (bottom of unit plan)

Day 6: Liberation

Introduction: The day will start by having students listen to “I have a Dream” speech by MLK Jr.

-Background on liberation for the Jews from the concentration camps.

-We will ask the kids to look into their own lives and think about a time or situation that they have had to overcome something difficult. They will be asked to produce a two page essay that elaborates on the event that has happened to them.

-Examples:

-divorce

-death of a family member or friend

-moving to a new city

-In groups of 4-5, students will work together to create a interview video of other students and teachers asking them about what people groups in society they feel are oppressed. Today they will be generating questions to ask the interviewee. Throughout the next couple of class periods, each group will be allowed time to complete this assignment.

Materials needed:

ü I Have a Dream Speech: http://blog.lextext.com/_attachments/1676937/IHaveADream.mp3

ü Liberation articles:

http://fcit.usf.edu/HOLOCAUST/timeline/rescue.htm

http://www.queensu.ca/cora/polls/2005/January24-holocaust.pdf

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/local_news/holocaust/index.html

http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/focus/auschwitz/

Day 7: the oppressed

Introduction: Touch base with wiki discussion board. Classroom discussion generated from comments made on the wiki.

-Introduce other targeted groups of the Holocaust besides the Jews. (Homosexuals, gypsies, Jehovah’s Witnesses, disabled individuals)

Questions to consider for discussion:

-Why were these groups targeted?

-What was the criterion for being “pure”?

-How did this affect society?

-What did society lose because of the elimination of these particular

groups?

- Show clips from The Simpson’s and South Park to portray how our society still discriminates against these groups.

-Introduce other oppressed groups in our society.

- African Americans

- Hutu and Tutsi’s- Rwandan genocide

- Catholic’s and Protestants- Northern Ireland

Materials needed:

ü Targeted groups of the Holocaust:

Roma, Disabled, POW’s, Homosexuals, Jehovah Witnesses http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/index.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005143

ü Simpson’s TV clips

http://www.tv.com/the-simpsons/bart-gets-hit-by-a-car/episode/1308/summary.html

ü South Park TV clips http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/index.jhtml?ml_video=75879

Day 8: African Americans Civil rights movement

Introduction: We are going to be showing a 10-15 segment from the movie The Shadow of Hate. This section will focus on the intolerance of African Americans in America.

- Show student’s timeline of key events that took place during the Civil Rights Movement.

-Discuss what it would be like to live during this time period.

- We will tap into a local college or university to find a speaker knowledgeable about the Civil Rights movement.

Assignment:

A copy of the Langston Hughes poem Me and the Mule will be posted on wiki for the students to write their thoughts and emotions after learning about the Civil Rights movement. What do you think Langston Hughes is talking about in this poem?

Materials needed:

ü The Shadow of Hate:

http://www.tolerance.org/teach/resources/shadow_of_hate.jsp

ü Timeline of Civil Rights Movement:

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/civilrightstimeline1.html

ü Langston Hughes Poem:

http://jls-web.pausd.palo-alto.ca.us/~mwillis/wd/spring05/7/Benjamin/poems/tiled.html

Day 9:Tutsi oppression in Rwanda

Introduction: The students will be shown a clip from the film Hotel Rwanda.

- Go over facts about the Genocide in Rwanda. Give student’s background information and read an actual article from either a magazine or newspaper that covers this genocide.

-Student’s will spend the rest of the period in the media center researching more about the Rwandan Genocide. Student’s will then create a newspaper article incorporating the information they have research as well as pictures to go along with their findings.

Materials needed:

ü Hotel Rwanda

http://www.amazon.com/Hotel-Rwanda-Xolani-Mali/dp/B0007R4T3U/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-6958519-4827039?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1176822502&sr=8-1

ü Rwandan Genocide Information http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/ghosts/

http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/index.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005143=

ü Rwandan newspaper article

ü Rwandan newspaper assignment

Day 10: Catholic and Protestants in Northern Ireland

Introduction: Student’s will meet in their book club groups to finish discussions about their book and begin to brainstorm ideas for their final book club presentations.

- Play U2’s song Bloody Sunday for students. When the song is over they will take 10-15 minutes to journal about any knowledge they have about the history behind this song.

-Go over history of conflict in Northern Ireland and show a movie clip from Bloody Sunday.

-From the knowledge that they have students should decide which is best for Northern Ireland: to be Catholic or Protestant. They will write down ideas and facts they’ve learned and be able to defend their thinking. We will take the last 15 minutes of class to set up a debate for the two sides.

Questions to ask:

-Why did you choose the side that you did?

-What are some of the benefits your group receives from being either Catholic or Protestant?

-What are the dangers of remaining Catholic or Protestant?

- Why do you think this conflict has persisted for so long?

-What can you as a Catholic/Protestant do to change it?

Assignment:

-Finalize wiki post and IP points.

-Work on book club presentations.

Materials needed:

ü Song: Bloody Sunday:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFM7Ty1EEvs

ü Timeline of Conflict in Northern Ireland:

http://www.stolaf.edu/nppf/2000/resources/past.htm

ü Movie Clip: Bloody Sunday:

http://video.aol.com/video/paramount-pictures-bloody-sunday/1747065?sem=1&ncid=AOLVID00170000000006

ü Rubric for Book Club Presentations (bottom of unit plan)

Week Trhee:

During week three, we will take time to finish lesson plans and debrief what has been covered in the past two weeks by talking through any other issues or wiki discussions. We will give one of two days throughout the week to work on projects that haven’t been completed yet, or to meet with book club presentation groups. Students will also have the opportunity to explore more about the Holocaust and current day acts of violence and discrimination if they are completed with all of their projects.

On Friday, the last day of the unit plan, students will present a book presentation summarizing the book they chose to read at the beginning of this unit. Each group will give a 15-20 minute presentation on their book.

*Other documents are at the bottom of the unit plan.

We have survived

Anonymous

We have survived by hiding

in the shadows of confusion;

to scatter and to gnaw through

yet another day.

We shared illusion of a purpose,

of a mission; of being special ,

in a very special way.

We thought that our survival

had a reason;

we were to warn the world

and make it change its ways-

we, who’ve survived the camps, the grimmest of all prisons,

and then emerged from darkness into light.

But now, that our end is growing nearer,

and our tie to leave will soon arrive,

what can we say to force the work to hear?

What we have learned through suffering and pain.

That murder’s no solution for the living;

that evil multiplies itself and nurtures hate;

that man must learn the practice of forgiving,

and must suppress the urge to take revenge.

Independent Project Points

Throughout the course of this unit, you will be required to earn 100 independent project points. There is a list below that contains just a few options with the point values. However, this is also a creative aspect of the unit. You may create your own opportunities to earn IP points, as long as you discuss these ideas with me first. You may do the same type of project more than once (for example: you may find 3 newspaper articles to use for IP points). This assignment is a supplemental tool in order to help your understanding of the Holocaust and other crimes against humanity. Have fun and be creative!!!

ü Cut out a newspaper article that discusses discrimination and write a 1 page summary of how this applies to our unit (15 points).

ü Watch a movie that has to do with the Holocaust or other types of discrimination and write a 1 page analysis on the movie (30 points).

Movie Ideas: Bloody Sunday

Schindler’s List

Anne Frank

The Devil’s Arithmetic

We Shall Overcome

Hotel Rwanda

ü Conduct an interview with someone who has lived through a specific act of discrimination. This does not need to be limited to the issues we have addressed. Write a two page summary of the interview including your reflections (35 points).

ü Write a poem or song incorporating your reflections of what you’ve learned. Read or perform this song for class (20 points).

ü Draw a picture of your reflections on this unit (15 points)

ü Create a collage of images that display acts of discrimination (15 points).

ü Choose to take on a “handicapped” for the day (ex: go around blindfolded, use a wheelchair, don’t speak at all, etc), and write a 1 page reflection on the way you were treated and others’ reactions toward your “handicapped” (30 points).

*These are just a few examples to get you started. Remember, feel free to create your own IP points, just make sure to speak with me first so we can discuss point value.

Rubric for propaganda assignment

Students have creatively designed a project that portrays the effects of propaganda among our society.	1 2 3 4 5
Projects are complete with factual information.	1 2 3 4 5
Student’s assignments were neat and turned in on time completed.	1 2 3 4 5
Student’s used their knowledge about the Holocaust when completing their assignment.	1 2 3 4 5

Grade and comments:

Rubric for Book Club Presentations

The presentation is given on time and evidence of planning is clear.	1 2 3 4 5
Each member of the group participates during the presentation, and offers insights into the learning of the group.	1 2 3 4 5
The summary given is clear and thorough and others are able to understand the main concepts about the book.	1 2 3 4 5
The presentation offers thoughtful analysis and reflection of the book that has been read, and the students are able to make connections between the book and the unit plan.	1 2 3 4 5

Grade and comments:

Week 11: Uses of New Media in Media Education

Check out the webquest I created about the life of Shakespeare. Pretty cool!

http://www.kn.att.com/wired/fil/pages/webshakespewh.html

Week 7: Genre Analysis

One of my favorite television genres would have to be the more recently founded Reality T.V. Sometimes I cannot even describe what it is about this genre that I find appealing, while other times I know that it is the idea of catching a glimpse inside a stranger’s life that makes me curious. However, I am picky about which reality T.V. shows I will watch. I do not like shows that involved a lot of drama such as, The Real World, because I am not a very dramatic person, not to mention I want to remain a moral person:) On the other hand, I loved the reality T.V. show, The Newlyweds, featuring Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey because obviously watching a celebrity’s daily life has its appeal.

I’ve always found great interest in people’s stories, things that make them who they are. This could be a close friend or a complete stranger, but for some reason, I truly enjoying knowing what make people tick and what can set them off. I also believe that there is something about watching other’s lives and drama while being able to remain disconnected that is appealing.

I think that reality T.V. breaks many of the typical genre characteristics. While there are characteristics such as setting, characters, iconography, and mood, each of these characteristics is different according to which reality T.V. show one is viewing. I will use the show Newlyweds to outline reality T.V.’s characteristics.

Setting: The setting in this show could take place anywhere that Jessica or Nick go. Much of the show takes place in their own home, but viewers also follow Jessica as she goes shopping or to the dentist office. We watch as Nick does chores around the house or sings in a Thanksgiving Day parade.

Characters: Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey are the main characters in this show. However, “supporting characters” include family members from both Jessica and Nick’s immediate family. We also get to know a few of the couple’s close friends such as Jessica’s personal assistant, Cacee. Throughout this show, men are seen as “guys guys” just hanging out and having a good time, or trying to fix something. The women are caught doing very typical “women” things such as shopping or cooking.

Plot: One thing I like about reality T.V. is that there is not a written plot. The viewers don’t know what to expect to see or what will take place from week to week. However, we do know that most weeks will either include a specific event, something funny, or a conflict between the couple.

Iconography: In the show Newlyweds, we do expect to see objects and images that show the couple’s status and wealth. If this were a show about a typical newlywed couple, the show would probably not have been a success. Part of the reason people loved this show was for the fact that Nick and Jessica were able to take great vacations, buy whatever they wanted, and live in a gorgeous mansion at such a young age. This appeals to an audience.

Mood: Throughout this show, viewers expect the mood to be light and carefree. I think that’s another reason why I prefer this type of reality show to some others. I can walk away from the T.V. feeling positive and happy as opposed to depressed. Even if the couple in this show argues, the viewers know that it will not last long and we will soon witness the make-up. Also, viewers enjoy watching and Nick and Jessica do sweet things for one another and spend time together.

Cinematic Style: I’m not sure what cinematic style is in this type of genre, but many typical shots are following the couple around or funny expressions that Nick and Jessica make toward one another. Also, the cameras capture many of the funny or silly quirks that the newlyweds have. This makes reality T.V. seem believable to the audience. It makes the characters seem real and personable.

video

Rhetorical/Audience Analysis

When using this analysis the focus is on language, signs and images that are manipulated in a certain way by the media text to gain certain responses from the viewer. Students who use this analysis are able to more closely see whether they have simply been influenced by the media, or whether some belief they held has actually been altered. This gives them insight into not only the power of the media text to change their mind, but the degree of impressionability that they have as well.

The first important aspect in this analysis is to understand the target of the media text. Age, gender and interests are just a few that would be utilized by the media text in order to gain a favorable response. To help the students reveal this target it is helpful to have them ask “Who is this text being written for?” An interesting and revealing example, was this year’s sexy Superbowl commercial for GoDaddy.com, a seller of domain names. While traditionally, the purchase of .coms was made mainly by the technologically informed, this commercial reveals a trend away from the “techie” to the common man. These commercials connected buying domain names with sexy, scantily clad women, directing us to believe that the focus was on males dabbling in the internet world. Another question necessary to ask when using rhetorical analysis is being used is “What beliefs is the media text attempting to get me to accept?” A slightly less obvious example for this question would be the most recent coverage of the death of Anna Nicole Smith. The inherent belief that the media text on almost every news channel is asking the viewer to accept, is that Smith’s death is somehow important. Coverage is being channeled away from soldiers dying in Iraq, a newly emerging battle for the Democratic and Republican candidates for president, and any number of more “important” issues. And yet, the coverage on some channels of Smith’s death was five times that of the war in Iraq. Other media texts are far more obvious; they have a clear belief which they want the viewer to accept, yet they can be just as subtle in their methods. Nike shoes have forever been synonymous with athletics occurring at a high ability. The media text asks you to believe that if you use their products, you will be as skilled as Michael Jordan, and will also have his persona and attitude.

It is important for the students to realize that they, and other audience members of a certain media text, are not just passively engaging in the media. Active participation occurs through discussion and debate over characters, themes or general opinions. Engagement in these activities can definitely influence the viewer, as their personal opinion may be respected or not based on the group’s consensus. Another point that students can learn much about the influence of the media text is realizing the amount and degree of socialization of consumers happening in our culture. Stigmas are associated with different products and getting students to understand and analyze these stigmas will help them dissect the media text even more effectively.

Analysis of RIZE

Audience:

The two key points in this analysis are asking the two questions: “Who is this text being written for?” and “What beliefs or attitudes is this text asking me to accept?”

In this film the text seems to be written equally for two groups. The first group being those familiar with “crumping” (the style of dance in the film) and desiring to feel a commraderie or gain a deeper understanding of the methods and the second group being those completely unfamiliar with the dance, culture or people involved in this lifestyle. It is presented in a very educational format. The music, speech and film could very easily have contained sexual undertones and completely ignored the spiritual/emotional side of this movement. The beliefs that the text was asking the viewer to accept were more subtle. It seemed that they wanted the viewer to accept that this was a legitimate form of art as well as a spiritual and emotional outlet for people. They did this mainly through the content expressed in each interview with the “crumpers,” but also in they way the integrated and edited clips from African tribal rituals, asking the viewer to draw direct similarities between the two settings.

Semiotic:

Analyzing the signs, images, words and objects in a media text is the main focus of the semiotic analysis. Searching for cultural codes in the film RIZE is incredibly easy. The cultural meaning of gang clothing and colors is referenced many times as being the cause for so much death in the Watts neighborhoods. The “crumpers” have taken these images and associations and altered them to mean very different things in their crumping community. They paint their faces with clown paint, the color of their clothing is vibrant and holds no association with violence, but rather a hope for happiness amidst the violence.

Poststructuralist:

In poststructuralism, the analysis revolves around truly seeing the language categories that are occurring in the media text. In RIZE, the “binary oppositions” are fairly obvious in two specific arenas. The battle between life and death is consistent throughout the film. Crumping has allowed these former gang bangers and trouble makers a way out of that former life. However, in using the poststructuralist analysis, the viewer is more able to see the limitations on this single opposing pair. There are surely other options “out” of the trouble of Watts, rather than just engagement in crumping, however the film wants the viewer to feel the weight of this dance community as a solution and therefore focuses solely on that as an alternative to death.

Critical Discourse:

This analysis focuses on “larger ideological perspectives” that influence the way people see the world and act in it. There are as many discourses as there are people, ranging from law to race to economic status. At first, one may see the discourse of race playing out in the inner-city setting of RIZE, however it is actually a pretty homogeneous culture, being made up primarily of African Americans. The discourse that is seemingly more prevalent is a much more personal, perhaps even religious, nature. So few options are presented to the individuals in this culture; death, jail, or some form of gang seem to be the only avenues. With crumping, the person’s soul is affected, leaving those without this experience in a completely different group, untouched by the spirituality and self efficacy acquired through dance.

Feminist:

This analysis focuses on taking a look at the gender roles of the people in a specific media text. It helps reveal stereotypes that occur, however subtle, and label men or women as generally a specific way. While watching RIZE it occurred to me that this film had a very healthy appreciation for men and women. It saw both roles as important to the crumping community and gave strong weight to the words, attitudes and behaviors of both groups. If anything, it de-sexualized women, painting the picture of crumping as an art form and not at all a sexual act.

Postmodern:

This analysis seeks to challenge modern theories, saying that truth, reality, beauty etc. are less determined by the cultural norms, than the individuals. RIZE seeks to communicate that the ‘truth’ in crumping is something as individual as the dancer. The narratives and interviews describe that each individual has “something to say” while crumping and that each dance is some truth that the individual is letting out. The same moves can mean very different things because the dancer, or author, possesses emotions and thoughts quite different from another.

Postcolonial:

Postcolonial analysis is based on the assumption that many media texts see the undeveloped areas of the world as “backward,” or even “dangerous.” RIZE has a very interesting view. The entire story revolves around the culture of crumping, one that has evolved only recently and in only a few areas of the nation. However, with no narration involved and no conclusions being drawn, the editor masterfully brings the viewer into an interesting discussion. Between clips of modern-day crumpers flash photos and video of African tribal rituals being performed. The similarities in these two incredibly different places are amazing. The media text makes no conclusions, but simply and artfully asks the question, “Just how different are we?”