Consumerism and Materialism Gateway Activity

1. Consumerism and Materialism Gateway Activity Emily Pitts

2. Consumerism and Materialism Unit • The Class • 12-14 year old students in Seventh Grade Honors • Culturally students come from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. • White • Hispanic • Pacific islander • Asian • Economically: • 60% on Free and reduced lunch • 10% very wealthy families. • Gender: • 15 girls, 9 boys • Location: South of Seattle, highly transient population.

3. Consumerism and Materialism Unit Standards NCTE Standard #3 Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics). NCTE Standard #11 Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.

4. Reading CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.8.2 Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and evaluate the motives (e.g., social, commercial, political) behind its presentation. • Writing • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1a Introduce claim(s), acknowledge alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically. • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1b Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text. • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1c Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), reasons, and evidence. • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1d Establish and maintain a formal style. • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1e Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.

5. The Unit of Study • This unit will be studying what consumerism and materialism means and how it effects us / We will be talking about what objects mean and how meaning is put into texts (tv/print/objects) and how people put meaning on objects and how those objects are used to interpret how people are perceived. • Students will be assessed throughout the unit by several projects which include: • Writing Journal • Argumentation paper • Group work and collaboration • Revised and edited paragraphs from Writing Journal • Ability to cite evidence by creating evidence note cards

6. Skills Needed for Assessments Journal writing: Ability to read and do assigned reading Ability and perseverance to write about what has been read in class and individually Argumentation paper: Understand and implement writing process Understanding of argumentation form Understand claims, evidence, warrants Understand writing conventions Understand how to cite evidence from multiple sources Ability to synthesize evidence from multiple sources

7. Skills Needed for Assessments Group and Collaborative Work: Take part in partner and group discussions about texts and ideas Take Part in whole class discussions about class material Peer edit a paper using a checklist to guide and prompt editing Revising and Editing: Participate in Grammar and convention mini lessons Practicing learned material on paragraphs from writing journal Submit revised paragraph with corrections for teacher sign off Cite evidence from source: Students can tell what is relevant/important evidence in a source Knows how to use a quote/statistic/evidence in a paper Understands the difference between paraphrasing and plagiarism

8. Things students should know after the gateway activity… • Connecting to things and knowledge you already have helps you think deeply. • There is always a message or symbolism in the use of objects, color, representations, etc. • Meaning and comprehension is not just about print material.

9. Prior Knowledge There is a considerable amount of prior knowledge of consumerism and materialism culture. Many students understand fashion and fashion trends and how certain brands are more desirable than others. Using this idea of hierarchy and desire is going to allow students to connect to why we think the way we do and how we end up judging people for what they have. Is judging people on material items a fair assessment? Are people more than what they have and display to the world? Are there messages built into everything we own and buy? As for skills, students have worked on the skills needed for this unit throughout seventh grade. Taking a difficult subject matter in depth and expanding and practicing their skills is the task at hand. None of the assessments will be brand new to them, but many of them need the added benefit of practice. Many students need to learn study skills, to be ready for class, and not wait until the last minute. The work will not be as hard as the diligence factor. What students do not accomplish in the classroom will need to be done at home.

10. Gateway Activity Learning Target: I can look at different images and texts, think about what I already know, and to come to conclusions about (comprehend) the meaning of what others (authors, writers, photographers, fashionistas) have put into their work.

11. Lets get some shoes! Converse Air Jordans Heels Reefs Timberlands

12. What message is each pair of shoes trying to send? What do you think each pair mean? Are any of those brands associated with certain people or movements?

13. Just Passing Through. OUR MISSION:TO BRING INSPIRATION AND INNOVATION TO EVERY ATHLETE* IN THE WORLD *IF YOU HAVE A BODY, YOU ARE AN ATHLETE In Their Own Words Figure out which slogan goes with which shoes? Shoes are boring. Wear sneakers. a cultural hip hop icon Just do it.