Lesson Plan: Understanding the 8 News Values

Subject: Media Studies

Year Level: Year 11

Duration: 1 minute

Class Size: 30 students

Curriculum: New Zealand Curriculum, NCEA Level 1

Learning Area: English

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand and identify the eight news values that influence the media.
2. Apply these news values to analyse how news content is shaped and presented in New Zealand news outlets.

Resources Needed:

• Projector or interactive whiteboard
• Access to online New Zealand news websites (e.g., Stuff, NZ Herald)
• Worksheets with definitions of the 8 news values

Lesson Plan Details:

Introduction (1 minute)

• Teacher Activity: Greet the students and introduce the topic of the day, which is the "8 News Values."
  • Explain briefly that news values are criteria that influence how much prominence a news story is given by media outlets, and these values help determine what makes a story newsworthy.
  • Highlight that today’s session will serve as an introduction, which will be explored in detail in future lessons.

Main Activity

Please note, a more detailed investigation will take place in following sessions, as one minute only allows for an introduction.

• Teacher-led Discussion: Quick Overview
  • Timeliness: News that is happening right now.
  • Proximity: News that is geographically and culturally close to the audience.
  • Significance: Events that affect a significant number of people.
  • Prominence: Involves well-known figures or institutions.
  • Drama: Conflicts, disasters, or intense human interest.
  • Uniqueness: Events that are out of the ordinary.
  • Tension: Ongoing issues that have the potential for future developments.
  • Human Interest: Stories that appeal to emotion or the personal lives of people.

Conclusion

• Quick Recap
  • Stress that understanding and being able to identify these values is key in Media Studies. Mention that the next lesson will involve a detailed analysis and application using real-time news examples from New Zealand.

Homework

• Students are tasked to bring an example of a news story that caught their attention, and think about which of the eight news values it represents. This will prepare them for a deeper exploration in the next session.

Additional Notes:

• This session is intentionally brief for an introductory overview. Subsequent lessons will include detailed student engagement and practical analysis.
• Teacher should refer to The New Zealand Curriculum Online - Media Studies for alignment and standards.
• This lesson plan is created to be a foundation for in-depth study over several classes, given the time constraint specified.

This plan is structured to meet the requirements of the New Zealand Education System, focusing on the NCEA Level 1 competencies and aligning with the curriculum goals of developing students' understanding of media in society.