Quest Update: Grade Six
February 8
Audience is Everything!
We took a look at the front pages of newspapers from around the world. The Newseum website updates front pages daily and is a great way to see how the news is portrayed differently based on location and target audience.
Using visual, linguistic and mathematical analysis, we reviewed several newspapers to get an idea of their target audience. Then, we pushed ourselves out of our comfort zone to analyze the front pages of newspapers in languages other than English!
The Language We Choose is like the Clothes We Wear
We have had small group conversations about degrees of formality in language and clothing. In particular, we analyzed the increased use of "like" among middle school students and how it represents self-doubt or vagueness. Also, we spoke about written language and analyzed when to use slang and when to put forth your best editing.
This website allows students to answer questions posed by teachers from all over the world. They can see how other students respond, and then analyze how answers may differ based on age, gender and geography. There is an opening for students to share "Mindshifts", or moments when they have altered their point of view.
If you are interested in seeing this from a student's perspective, you can go to the website and log in as demo56 with the password zoomzoom. (If many of you are on at once, there might be a delay; I created the demo as a sample student.)
What does WorldVuze Mean to You?
This website enables students to share their ideas and creations with children from around the world in a protected environment. There are also videos and lessons about life in different countries.
Again, if you wish to view this as a student, you can use the username "demo" (no 56 this time) and the password zoomzoom. Access to the website is available here.
The Wonderment: How it Works