The objective of this lesson plan is to engage students in the art of storytelling and improve their public speaking skills.

The objective of this lesson plan is to engage students in the art of storytelling and improve their public speaking skills.

The objective of this lesson is for students to learn how to write a persuasive memo that addresses the role of the paparazzi in today’ society.

The role of paparazzi in pop culture has been a complicated one. The paparazzi, an Italian word for a photographer who tracks down and follows public figures, is seen by celebrities to be a nuisance. The paparazzi has been under much scrutiny during the last few decades, especially since the death of Princess Diana. More often than not, celebrities have had violent reactions toward the paparazzi. Celebrities like Justin Bieber and Ellen DeGeneres have called for stricter laws against the paparazzi to help ensure the well being of those being followed.

In this lesson, students will learn the rhetorical devices of satire, sardonicism, parody and irony, which are often used in horror films to offset the shock, terror and gore for which the genre is known. Students will then employ these devices in a creative writing assignment that will envision remaking a horror film.

The objective of this lesson is to have students create their own rap that expresses their view on the issue of Gay marriage.
Gay marriage has been a heated topic especially since California’s Proposition 8 was overturned in 2010. There have been attempts to legalize same-sex marriage, however only 6 states, including D.C., have passed laws permitting it. There have been heated debates over this issue, especially in the media and popular culture. There are countless movies, songs, documentaries, and TV shows that all address this topic. Most recently, Seattle rapper, Macklemore, has released a song supporting gay marriage. He has been praised by gay marriage activists for his powerful lyrics, and an even more powerful music video.

The objective of this lesson is for students to create their own business models and identify ways that their companies can be charitable.

Fashion companies like TOMS and Warby Parker are what some people call socially conscious companies. For every pair of TOMS shoes sold in a first world country, TOMS donates a pair of its shoes to a person in a third world country. Warby Parker does the same with prescriptive glasses. These charitable tie-ins allow consumers to feel good about their purchases knowing that a donation is being made on their behalf.

In this lesson, students research the prevalence of gun violence in films, debate the narrative and stylistic use of gun violence in films, and articulate their views by engaging in a larger public debate about gun violence and the media.

In this lesson, students will become aware of the frequency of product placement in popular culture, they will think about and critique the alignment of consumerism and popular culture, and they will research, analyze and critique their own example of the relationship between consumerism and popular culture.

In this lesson, students will learn the rhetorical devices of satire, sardonicism, parody and irony, which are often used in horror films to offset the shock, terror and gore for which the genre is known. Students will then employ these devices in a creative writing assignment that will envision remaking a horror film.

The goal of this lesson is to give students the opportunity to explore the point of view expressed by Lorde in her hit song “Royals”. By reading the lyric passages closely, combined with classroom discussion about it, students will explore the various beliefs and points of view Lorde experienced as she became increasingly aware of fame and wealth, its glamour, as well as its pitfalls.

Students will need to consider the context of words and how word choice affects the songwriter’s message. As students read the passage and write their interpretation of the song along with class discussion and teacher feedback, students will form a deeper understanding of sentence syntax, discussion, and writing techniques. Students will also develop their ability to unpack meaning from complex sentences and underlying messages.