Celebrities and World Issues Lesson Plan

Global Development Portrayal
Media Production

Level: Grades 7 to 12 

Author: This unit was created for MediaSmarts by Media Educator, Maureen Baron.

media representationcommunity engagement

This lesson is part of USE, UNDERSTAND & ENGAGE: A Digital Media Literacy Framework for Canadian Schools.

Overview

In this unit, students will examine the role of popular culture celebrities in creating awareness of world issues. Students will debate whether celebrity involvement is important and positive, or whether such involvement brings too much attention to the celebrities themselves, overshadowing the central messages of a campaign, organization, program or issue. 

Learning Outcomes

Big Ideas

Students will understand:

  • That media are constructions
    • How our views of media figures, such as celebrities and influencers, are shaped by conscious choices
  • That media have social and political implications
    • How our perceptions of global issues, including their relative importance, are shaped by media, including celebrity culture

Learning Goals

Students will:

  • Express and support their opinion on whether celebrity involvement in global development issues is positive
  • Demonstrate a broadened understanding of global development issues
  • Express their learning through creation of a media product 
  • Examine issues such as: 
    • Who sets the agenda for the public awareness and perception of the issues?
    • How do the media, sponsoring organization and celebrities frame the issues in developing nations?

This lesson and all associated documents (handouts, overheads, backgrounders) are available in an easy-print, pdf kit version.

Lesson Kit