Quebec Competencies Chart – The Invisible Machine: Big Data and You

Author: Matthew Johnson, Director of Education, MediaSmarts. Sada’s Profile was developed by Grace Foran, Robert Porter, Valerie Steeves and Andrea Villanueva as part of The eQuality Project .
Level: Secondary Cycle One and Two
Duration: 1 to 1 ½ hours, plus time for the evaluation activity
Subject Area: English Language Arts, Ethics and Religious Culture, Physical Education and Health
Lesson Link: https://mediasmarts.ca/teacher-resources/invisible-machine-big-data-you

Description: In this lesson, students examine a fictional social network profile to learn how online platforms collect data about their users. They then read an article that explains how platforms use this data and explores some of the issues this raises. Finally, they create a mind map of their own online data profile and reflect on how the data they post may be collected and used by others.

Cross-curricular Competencies

  • To use information
  • To solve problems
  • To exercise critical judgement
  • To use creativity
  • To use information and communication technologies (ICT)
  • To construct his/her identity
  • To communicate appropriately

Broad Areas of Learning

  • Media Literacy
  • Health and Well-Being
  • Environmental Awareness and Consumer Rights and Responsibilities
  • Citizenship and Community Life

This lesson satisfies the following Competencies from the Quebec Education Program:

English Language Arts

Reads and listens to written, spoken and media texts

Integrates reading profile, stance and strategies to make sense of a text in a specific context

  • Draws on prior experience and the features of a genre to make sense of a text
  • Adjusts reading strategies and stance to the context

Talks about own response to a text within a classroom community

  • Deepens own meaning(s) of a text in discussions with other readers
  • Situates meanings within own experiences and the world of the text, in order to transform initial readings into more conscious interpretations

Produces texts for personal and social purposes

Extends repertoire of resources for producing texts

  • Compares own style in relation to other writers/producers
  • Develops standards for using language responsibly to represent people, events and ideas

Constructs a relationship between writer/producer, text and context

  • Understands that all texts are constructed in specific contexts for specific audiences and purposes
  • Analyzes the elements of the context and shapes the text accordingly
  • Examines the differences between producing texts for public and private spaces.

Ethics and Religious Culture

Reflects on ethical questions

Analyzes a situation from an ethical point of view

  • Describes a situation and puts it into context
  • Formulates a related ethical question
  • Compares points of view
  • Explains tensions or conflicting values
  • Compares the situation with similar situations
  • Compares his/her analysis of the situation with that of his/her classmates

Examines a variety of cultural, moral, religious, scientific or social references

  • Finds the main references present in different points of view
  • Looks for the role and the meaning of these references
  • Considers other references
  • Compares the meaning of the main references in different contexts

Evaluates options or possible actions

  • Suggests options or possible actions
  • Studies the effects of these options or actions on oneself, others or the situation
  • Chooses options or actions that foster community life
  • Reflects on the factors that influenced these choices

Engages in dialogue

Organizes his/her thinking

  • Identifies the subject of dialogue
  • Makes connections between prior knowledge and new knowledge
  • Distinguishes between what is essential and what is secondary in the different points of view expressed
  • Takes stock of his/her reflections

Develops a substantiated point of view

  • Uses his/her resources and looks for information about the subject of dialogue
  • Develops further his/her understanding of different points of view
  • Imagines various hypotheses
  • Fleshes out a point of view
  • Anticipates objections and necessary clarifications
  • Validates his/her point of view
  • Reflects on his/her process

Interacts with others

  • Develops an awareness of his/her reaction to the subject of dialogue
  • Looks for conditions that foster dialogue
  • Expresses his/her point of view and pays attention to others' views
  • Explains different points of view, using relevant and coherent arguments
  • Asks for clarification
  • Implements means to overcome obstacles to dialogue

Physical Education and Health

Adopts a healthy, active lifestyle

Develops a plan designed to maintain or change some personal lifestyle habits

  • Using appropriate tools, prepares a summary of observable facts about own lifestyle habits

Evaluates own process and lifestyle habits

  • Using appropriate tools, measures whether own fitness level has been maintained or improved
  • Judges whether the objective was met, in light of data collected