Literature, Media, Art?

Focus Questions

Page contents
  • 1 - Trade books
  • 2 - Street signs stop and bridges...
  • 3 - Large ads - make up billboard and McDonald's wall
  • 4 - Lyrics - Breakaway and Second Chance
  • 5 - Video - Breakaway and Second Chance
  • 6 - Commercial - Hyundai super bowl
  • 7 - Book with CD - Philadelphia Chickens
  • 8 - Stage dance - on YouTube - Cows
  • 9 - Journal and video - Skeleton Creek
  • 10 - Poem - Butterfly Ball
  • 11 - Audio recording - Golden Compass
  • 12 - Read alouds
  • 13 - Bayeux Tapestry
  • 14 - Painting - Country School
  • 15 - Picture book - The Arrival
  • Conclusions

Example 1 - Trade books picture and print

We Are in a Book by Mo Willems
See preview at Amazon.com click on look inside for a preview...

Little Blue Truck by Alice Shertle Ill. Jill McElmurry
See preview at Amazon.com click on look inside for a preview...

The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson, Ill. Axel Scheffler
See preview at Amazon.com click on look inside for a preview...

Example 2 - Street signs - stop and icy bridges

stop sign imageicy bridge sign image

 

 

 

 

Example 3 - Large ads - make-up bill board and Wall in McDonalds

billboard for makeupMcDonald image

Example 4 - Lyrics - Breakaway and Second Chance

Breakaway Lyrics by M. Gerrard, A. Benante, & A. Lavigne

Second Chance Lyrics by Dave Richard Bassett and Brent Smith

Example 5 - Videos - Breakaway and Second Chance

Video - music by Kelly Clarkson

Video music by Shinedown

Example 6 - Commercial - Hyundai Sante Fe Super Bowl

Ad

Example 7 - Book with CD - Philadelphia Chickens

Book - Philadelphia Chickens by Jennifer Olson

Book cover

Includes lyrics, CD with recordings, and song music - examples for Remarkable Cows

Example 8 - Stage dance to music of Cows

YouTube video with song and dance to Philadelphia Chickens Remarkable Cows

Example 9 - Book and video - Skeleton Creek

Skeleton Creek cover image

Multimedia book/ journal and video journal The Skeleton Creek: Ryan's Journal and Ghost in the Machine: Ryan's Journal

Example 10 - Poems

Poem - The Butterfly's Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast by William Roscoe (1807)

Example 11 - Audio books

Audio Book - The Golden Compass

Example 12 - Read alouds

Read alouds -

Example 13 - Tapestry

Tapestry - This page has several sites that have pictures of the Bayeux Tapestry

Example 14 - Painting

Art - Country School by Winslow Homer

Example 15 - Picture book

Book cover imagePicture book

The Arrival

see preview pages at Amazon.com

 

Conclusion

What is your definition for:

  1. Literature
  2. Media
  3. Children's literature
  4. Adolescent literature
  5. Quality literature
  6. Art

Use your definitions and describe with specific reasons how each example relates or doesn't relate to your definition.

The purpose of this activity is to explore the limits of what may or may not be considered as appropriate, necessary, or sufficient to be included in children's education so we make better decisions.

We can reason how three very different definitions of literature can make a significant difference for our children. Literature as:

  1. text that communicates.
  2. text and or images that together have a message for the reader.
  3. a piece of work created to communicate a story to a viewer or listener as a result of their transaction with the media.

How has this activity affected you and what changes do you see anticipate as a result. If you expect no changes, explain what is current and a rationale for it.

Additional references to explore can be found at teacher's tools.

Dr. Robert Sweetland's notes