Image Is Not Everything!!
By: Anna Page & Anne Younce

Introduction:
This lesson was designed to increase awareness of body images in the media.  It focuses on how society emphasizes the importance of appearing perfect.  Students need to understand that images can be altered before they see them in the media.  What appears to be the perfect image can merely be an image that never exists.

Audience:
This activity is generated towards fifth graders.  It is essential to make students aware that even though many things may seem picture perfect, image is not everything. Through the power of technology the media can create an image that "looks" real but with a little investigation it can be proven that the media creates an ideal that makes the consumer think a certain way.
Learner Characteristics:

onset of puberty
opposite gender recognition
students are able to analyze images and form an opinion
can express their opinion through poetry

Statement of Objectives:  (From the North Carolina Standard Course of Study,
5th Grade

Objective 1.3—The learner will apply RESPONSE strategies to comprehend or convey experiences and information.
Objective 2.2—The learner will analyze, synthesize, and organize information and discover related ideas, concepts, or generalizations.
Objective 3.1—The learner will assess the validity and accuracy of information and ideas.
Objective 3.2—The learner will determine the value of information and ideas.
Objective 3.3—The learner will develop criteria and evaluate the quality, relevance, and importance of the information and ideas.
Objective 4.2—The learner will respond to the personal, social, cultural, and historical significance of selections or personal experiences.
Objective 4.3—The learner will respond critically and creatively to selections or personal experiences.
Language Art Competencies:

demonstrate skills in composing poetry
reading and analyzing poetry
connects information to their own personal experiences and opinion

Examples of Photographs Used
 
 

Description of Activity:

1. The students will begin by analyzing different photos of some very famous people in a small group situation. Some of the photos wil be very flattering while some of the photos of the same person will be quite unattractive.
 

    Ask:  Make a list of descriptions about the image you and your partner have. How are these two images similiar / different?  This list will come in handy for the next activity.
2. Partners in groups will write a descriptive poem on the image that they see, especially focusing on the usage of adjectives (make sure that both good and bad images are represented by a pair of students per group).  STRESS:  DO NOT USE THE PERSON'S NAME IN YOUR POEM!!

Example of Poem: (using Monica Lewinsky)
She's big, she's small, she's sad, and she's happy,
She's strong, she's weak, she's slow, and she's snappy.
She's puffy haired, she's flat-haired, she's short, and she's tall,
She's no one, she's someone, she's one and she's all.
Why can't they just let her be the woman she is deep down,
not the woman that they portray always with a frown.

3. After writing the poem the groups will exchange their poems only, and attempt to match the poem to the corresponding image (you will need to display all the pictures somewhere in the front of the room).
4. Allow each pair, one at a time, to come up and try to decided which image matches the poem they have.  Then, allow them to read the poem and explain why they chose the image they did to match it.
    Ask:  Why did you choose this one? How does the poem relate to the image?
5.  Finally, summarize the session with discussing how images are altered, and why?  Allow the students to express their feelings about society's portrayal, and the stresses they put on young people to have 'perfect bodies'.  Also, discuss the negative effects this leads to like eating disorders, low self-esteem, and even suicide.  Brainstorm ways that they can change this for the next generation, and themselves (like having more realistic models, and knowing the limitations of dieting).

Examples of Questions to Ask Class:
1) Why do you think "models" look the way they do?
2) How do these appearances negatively affect society?
3) Why does the media portray "famous people" the way they do, even though these negative effects occur?
4)  If you could change the way "models" or "famous people"  are portrayed, how would you change it? (Brainstorm a list on the board)
 

Links:
Kids' Corner
The Center for Media Literacy
Federico Santi's Images
Body Image Opinions
About Face

REFLECTION:

We taught our lesson on Friday April 21, 2000, to a fifth grade class. We feel that the lesson went really well, and the children learned a lot from it. The lesson sparked massive debates and discussions along the way, especially at the end of the lesson. The students really wanted to share what was wrong with how the media portrays the human body. They were fascinated with the fact that images are altered, and the public never really sees the "true" image. This lesson was fun and the students enjoyed doing it.