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Objective:
Students will be able to analyze various accounts of the lives of Malian farmers to evaluate how and why the author uses details to emphasize different points
Warm-up:
1. Imagine that you are a journalist covering the building of a new factory in your town. The factory is controversial because it is owned by a company that is not from your town. It could also potentially take resources from the people in your community.
2. Imagine now that you have the following pieces of media to share the story:
- A video interviewing a person whose house would be right next to the factory
- An article describing how the contract for the factory was put together
- A slideshow outlining the building of factory
For each of the media items, what details would you be able to emphasize? Make a note next to each piece of media and then share with a partner to discuss what kind of details you could enlighten with this piece of media.
3. On your own, or with your partner, determine who your ideal audience would be each piece of media and why. Be prepared to share with the class.
Introducing the Lesson:
This lesson will focus on how one author covered the subject of land rights in Mali in a variety of different ways. Our job will be to note how each medium emphasizes different details about the issue. Once we have determined what details are emphasized, we will evaluate what audiences would benefit from the article. We will consider the following: Why has the author chosen to emphasize these details? Who was this article meant for? What was the author’s purpose?
The author we will be working with in this lesson is international journalist Chris Arsenault. Arsenault’s project “What came of Libya’s land grab in Mali?” is funded by the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting.
In order to determine what details are being emphasized, note the main idea of the piece. Consider, what is the author writing the most about in this piece? What is the major point that the author is trying to make?
Introducing Resource 1: “Meet the Journalist: Chris Arsenault”
1. Watch the video of journalist Arsenault introducing his project.
2. As you watch, answer the questions attached and consider the following:
- What details about land rights in Mali has Arsenault chosen to emphasize in the video?
- Who could be the intended audience for this piece? Why?
Introducing Resource 2: “In Pictures: Unearthing a Libyan Land Deal in Mali”
The second resource is a short article and slide show.
Read the article first and then browse the slide show. Be sure to read the captions as you go through the slide show.
As you read and view, answer the questions attached in order to be prepared to answer the following:
- What details about land rights in Mali has Arsenault chosen to emphasize in the video?
- How are these details different from those in the first piece? What parts are similar?
- Who could be the intended audience for this piece? Why?
Introducing Resource 3: “How One Malian Town is Trying to Fight Against Hunger”
The third resource is a print article.
Read the article and answer the questions attached.
After reading, be prepared to answer the following questions:
- What details about land rights in Mali has Arsenault chosen to emphasize in the video?
- How are these details different from those in the first piece? What parts are similar?
- Who could be the intended audience for this piece? Why?
Conclusion:
On your own or with a partner, reflect on what details were emphasized in the three pieces you viewed today in order to determine what perspective on the issue of land rights in Mali you still want to learn more about. Consider, what parts of the story were missing? What questions do you still have?
Final Task: Devise a plan for an additional resource that would investigate the part Arsenault’s project that you still want to know more about. As part of your plan, include the following:
- What would be the medium of your piece? Why have you chosen that medium?
- What details would it emphasize? Who would it interview? What questions would it answer?
- How would you go about getting the information you need for your piece?
In this lesson, students focus on how journalist Chris Arsenault uses different mediums to emphasize different points while reporting on land rights in Mali.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.7
Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a person's life story in both print and multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account
Note: In addition to independent investigation of the attached resources, this lesson includes warm up and reflection exercises that are designed to be facilitated in small groups or by the instructor. However, the student instructions for this lesson can be adapted if students will be exploring these resources independently.