Sunday, February 19, 2012

Chemical and Physical Changes - What are they?

Students,

Please take a look at the Chemical and Physical Change Prezi below. You will learn what a chemical change is and how you might know that a chemical change has taken place. Also, you will learn what a physical change is and be introduced to 4 different examples of physical change. Please pay particular attention to how chemical and physical changes are different.


Has your bicycle chain ever rusted? Would this be an example of a physical or chemical change? How do you know?

If your bicycle tire loses air and goes flat, would this be an example of a physical change or chemical change? How would you know?

Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Lastly, before class tomorrow, go on a 'Chemical Change or Physical Change Scavenger Hunt'. Look for other examples of chemical and physical changes in your home and bring your ideas to class!

I can't wait to hear all of your great ideas!

Monday, February 6, 2012

The Tremendous Title

Students, parents and guardians,

In a media-rich world in which we are exposed to advertisements seemingly everywhere, how do companies attempt to make themselves stand out above the rest?

We’ve already taken a look at the Contact and Illustration components of print advertisements, let’s now examine the title

Print advertisement component #3: title

The title of a print advertisement is its main headline. Sometimes the title is the most noticeable part of a print advertisement, sometimes it is not. Print advertisements may also have a subhead which is a subordinate or minor title.

In the print advertisement below, the title is: The Ultimate Quick Fix.
Consider the size of the words and the placement of the title. How effective is this title? Is bigger always better?
Retrieved from: http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/nike-fix-fails-103023

Tonight, please take the time to look through a magazine or newspaper (a print copy or an online version), and pick out a headline that caught your attention. Please share this headline in the comments section below and tell us why you found it so intriguing.  We'll discuss your findings tomorrow.

If you're not too sure where to look for online magazines or newspapers, here are a few websites to get you started:

Time for Kids: http://www.timeforkids.com/
First News: http://www.firstnews.co.uk/
Time magazine: http://www.time.com/time/
The Globe and Mail: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Students, parents and guardians,

Have you ever seen a print advertisement in a magazine, newspaper or billboard and thought, “hey, that’s a really great picture!”. Well, that picture is called an illustration. Let’s look a little closer at this element of print advertisements.

Print advertisement component #2: illustration

The illustration of a print advertisement is the photo, drawing, or other graphic element included in it. Some print advertisements have more than one illustration, others have none.

Take a look at the print advertisements below. How are their illustrations similar? How are they different? Is one advertisement more effective than the other? Why or why not?
Please share your thoughts in the comments section below!



Retrieved from http://dailydesigninspiration.com/diverse/adv/lowe/800/Rubbermaid.jpg and http://epiccheck.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/maybelline-ss-2010-emily-didonato.jpg

Congratulations!

Students, parents and guardians,

First, let me congratulate you all on a highly successful first week of school! Through the collaborative efforts of all students, we have begun to develop a wonderful classroom community! I have so enjoyed getting to know all of you, and am looking forward to all of our future learning endeavors. I hope you are too!

Continuing our Media Literacy unit, I'll be creating a series of blog posts focusing on the different components of a print advertisement. The purpose of these posts is to familiarize students about the different parts of print advertisements and to encourage reflection on their purpose and evaluation of their effectiveness.  At the end of each post I'll ask a question or two and ask for responses in the comments section of the blog post.  Parents, these questions are not just for students, I'd love to hear from you too! 

Being able to critically reflect on media messages is an important skill to have in today’s media rich world.

Print Advertisement Component #1: Contact

The contact of a print advertisement can include a logo, phone number, brand name, address, website, or other company contact information.

Take a look at the print advertisement below. How important is the contact in this advertisement? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Retrieved from: http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/2008/sorbent-rabbit-fur/