Study Notes on Using Popular Print Media in the Classroom

Unit 2: Using Popular Print Media in the Classroom

Purpose and Overview

• Popular print media: Refers to a diverse range of media formats including newspapers, magazines, billboards, and advertising flyers.

• Focus of this unit will be primarily on magazines and newspapers, which provide a rich variety of teaching resources.

• Reference to further reading is provided on page 39.

1. Similarities Between Magazines and Newspapers

• Both are designed to tell stories using a similar format, which includes:

  • Words: To convey information and narratives.

  • Photographs: To visually engage readers and enhance storytelling.

  • Diagrams and Graphics: To simplify complex information.

  • Cartoons: To provide entertainment and commentary.

  • Statistics: To support claims and provide evidence.

  • Advertisements: To promote products and services.

  • Letters from Readers: To facilitate reader engagement and feedback.

  • Horoscopes and Puzzles: For entertainment purposes.

• Further reading on page 39 for deeper understanding.

2. Differences Between Magazines and Newspapers

Characteristics of Magazines vs. Newspapers

• Magazines:

  • Primarily focus on entertainment.

  • Contain many in-depth 'human interest' feature stories, including stories about places or personalities.

  • Make extensive use of photographs, often in color and prominently displayed, and contain more colorful advertisements.

• Newspapers:

  • Aim to inform readers.

  • Mainly carry short, 'hard news' stories, with a limited number of in-depth features primarily linked to current news and politics.

  • Utilizes photographs of recent events, diagrams, graphs, maps, tables of statistics, weather, financial and entertainment information, and includes political cartoons and editorials.

3. Varieties of Publications

• Not all newspapers and magazines are the same; they cater to different readerships:

  • General Interest Publications: Examples include Cosmopolitan, Bona, The Sowetan, and The Star.

  • Specialist Publications: Such as Business Day and Getaway, which offer more in-depth articles relevant for teaching subject content.

  • Weekly Newspapers: Examples like Mail and Guardian or Sunday Independent provide longer, more analytical articles than typical daily newspapers.

Racial and Social Class Targeting in Publications

• Publications in South Africa often target racially-defined audiences:

  • The Sowetan: Primarily aimed at an 'African' readership, featuring a lot of soccer news.

  • The Star: Predominantly appeals to a white audience with a focus on rugby news.

• Social class and income also influence the kinds of articles published:

  • Ebony: Caters to a younger, black, upper middle-class audience.

  • Bona: Targeted towards an older, less affluent black audience.

4. Teaching Resources from Print Media

• Popular print media includes a variety of formats:

  • From adverts, cartoons to statistics, photographs, and high-quality writing.

• This variety provides teachers a rich pool of resources for teaching and learning.

5. Supplementing Teaching Across the Curriculum

• Popular print media can cover a wide range of topics in an engaging manner, enhancing understanding of subjects that might otherwise seem abstract, like biology or economics.

• Reference to further reading is available on page 42.

6. Practical Uses of Popular Print Media

• Use popular print media to:

  • Activate Learner Interest: Connect topic with learners' real-life experiences to enhance engagement.

  • Contextualize Learning: Demonstrate the practical usefulness of knowledge being taught, increasing student motivation.

  • Simulate Real-Life Situations: Activities such as role-playing as shoppers provide experiential learning opportunities.

  • Make Abstract Concepts Concrete: Organize visits or use media to allow learners to experience diverse topics vicariously.

  • Utilize Good Photographs: To invoke interest and provide visual context, evoking emotions and offering various interpretations.

7. Benefits of Specialist Magazines

• Specialist magazines like National Geographic provide high-quality maps and stunning photographs.

• They often include lively diagrams and statistics that enhance article comprehension.

8. Developing Learning Environments

• Creating a 'knowledge map':

  • Involves linking topics taught across learning areas through ongoing, learner-maintained classroom exhibitions.

• Promote lifelong learning by fostering an engaging classroom culture.

9. Developing Reading Skills

• Emphasis on reading and information literacy as essential skills for success in academic and professional life.

• Reading environments:

  • Need to establish an atmosphere that encourages reading both in the classroom and at home.

  • Utilizing print media expands opportunities for cross-curricular reading activities.

10. Fostering a Reading Culture

• Integrate newspaper reading into daily classroom life:

  • Ensure newspapers are readily available.

  • Create dedicated reading corners.

  • Incorporate reading as a fundamental teaching strategy.

11. Newspaper Hunts

• Newspaper 'hunts' as educational games:

  • These are designed as activities that familiarize learners with newspaper formats while enhancing reading habits and speed.

12. Cultivating Writing Skills

• Developing a culture of writing involves:

  • Validating learner experiences by documenting them in published formats.

  • Utilizing popular media formats as a writing framework.

  • Emphasizing quality writing to engage readers more effectively.

13. Classroom Newspaper Production

• Setting up a classroom-based wall newspaper encourages:

  • Selection skills: Deciding on relevant content.

  • Interviewing skills: Gathering information for articles.

  • Writing skills: Incorporating direct and reported speech.

  • Editing skills: Recognizing and correcting language errors.

  • Understanding the practical benefits of language competence.