What Do We See?

Curriculum Context

Subject: Health Education
Level: NZC Level 4 – Year 7
Strand: Relationships with Other People
Achievement Objective:
Students will identify ways in which media and popular culture influence how people see themselves and others. They will consider how gender roles are portrayed in music videos and reflect critically on the messages promoted about respectful and disrespectful (objectifying) behaviour.

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Lesson Duration

Total time: 50 minutes
Class Size: 24 Year 7 students

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WALT (We Are Learning To)

• Understand how music videos can represent men and women.
• Recognise when these videos are respectful or objectifying.

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WILF (What I'm Looking For)

✅ I can explain what “objectification” means.
✅ I can identify ways that men and women are shown in music videos.
✅ I can tell the difference between respectful and objectifying portrayals.
✅ I can share my opinion with reasons, using examples from videos.

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Key Competencies

• Thinking: Critically analysing media to form opinions and make informed judgements.
• Using Language, Symbols and Texts: Understanding and interpreting visual and verbal messages.
• Relating to Others: Respecting diverse opinions and discussing sensitive topics kindly.
• Participating and Contributing: Working respectfully and collaboratively with others.

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Learning Dispositions

• Empathy
• Critical thinking
• Reflection

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Prior Learning

Students have already explored the influences of media and advertising. They understand stereotypes and can distinguish between fantasy and reality in consumer culture.

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Resources Needed

• Projector and sound system
• Pre-selected, age-appropriate clips from music videos (3 × 30-sec extracts, chosen in advance: 1 respectful, 1 questionable, 1 objectifying portrayal – no artist identification for an unbiased view)
• Printed reflection sheets
• Dyslexia-friendly font copies (OpenDyslexic)
• Emoji-sticker cards (🟢 respectful, 🔴 objectifying, 🟡 unsure)
• Paper and pens

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Lesson Outline

⏱ 0–5 min: Karakia and Settling In

Begin with a short karakia and roll. Settle students and introduce the WALT and WILF on the board.
Teacher Says:
"Today we’ll be exploring how men and women are shown in music videos, and deciding if it’s respectful or not. We'll also learn some new health vocab you can use to talk confidently about what you see.”

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⏱ 5–12 min: Introducing Key Terms – “Objectification”

Activity: Whole-class discussion

• Write the word objectification on the board. Ask students if they’ve heard it before.
• Break it down:
  • “Object” = a thing
  • “Objectifying someone” = treating a person like a thing (not as a whole person)

Example explained visually: Show cartoon images—one with a person being spoken to respectfully, another where someone is being looked at for just their body.

✅ Reinforce: Objectification means treating someone like they’re only their body, not their feelings or who they are.

Differentiation tip for neurodiverse learners: Provide this definition in a mini handout with visual symbols and simple language (e.g., pictures of eyes looking at a person with no face vs full person).

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⏱ 12–25 min: Music Video Analysis – What Do We See?

Activity: Watch 3 anonymised 30-second music video clips
Students will use their emoji-sticker cards to rate each clip immediately after watching:
🟢 Respectful
🔴 Objectifying
🟡 Not sure

After each clip:

• Ask guiding questions:
  • What are the men/women doing?
  • What are they wearing?
  • Who has the power or attention?
  • Is anyone treated like they’re important only because of their looks?

Record responses on board in a 3-column chart: ❓ What we saw | ❤️ Respectful? | 🚫 Objectifying?

Differentiation: Support ELL (English Language Learners) with visuals and simplified phrasing. Allow answers to be shared in pairs before group sharing.

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⏱ 25–35 min: Pair Share – What’s Your Opinion?

Activity: In pairs, students choose 1 video clip and write their opinion.

Prompt:
"Do you think this clip showed men and women respectfully or not? Why?"

Support for dyslexic students:

• Provide sentence starters on the board:
  • "This clip showed women as __..."
  • "I think it was respectful/objectifying because..."

Extension Options:

• Advanced learners write 3 ways they’d change the clip to make it more respectful.
• Encourage students to suggest how media could better represent everyone.

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⏱ 35–45 min: Class Gallery Walk

Activity: "Gallery of Opinions"

• Students write one opinion sentence on a post-it/sticky note (do not name the clip)
• Attach to board or wall
• Students walk around, read others’ notes silently, add ticks to opinions they agree with

Optional for shy learners: Write their post-it privately with teacher support.

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⏱ 45–50 min: Wrap-Up and Reflection

Refocus as a class. Use Think-Pair-Share.

Questions to explore:

• Why do we need to know if a clip is objectifying or respectful?
• How do music videos influence how we see men and women?
• Can we still enjoy music while being critical of the video?

Exit Slip: On a small piece of paper:

"One thing I learned today was..."
Hand as they exit.

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Success Criteria Review 💡

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
✅ Explain what objectification means
✅ Identify aspects of representation in music videos
✅ Judge portrayals as respectful or objectifying
✅ Share their opinion using reasons and examples

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Differentiation Strategies

For Diverse Learners:

• Visual symbols and emojis for understanding abstract concepts
• Pair and group work for peer-supported learning
• Sentence frames and vocabulary cards
• Allow oral rather than written expression if helpful
• Teacher or peer scribe available for written activities

For Advanced Learners:

• Analysis of lyrics alongside the visuals
• Redesign a music video in small groups
• Research task: "Choose a respectful artist and explain why"

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Te Ao Māori and Wellbeing Lens

Include reflection from a hauora perspective—the importance of taha hinengaro (emotional wellbeing) and taha whānau (social wellbeing) in how people feel when portrayed respectfully or objectified. Remind students that respecting others strengthens whanaungatanga (relationships) and mana.

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Feedback Option for Kaiako

📋 Provide students with an anonymous 2-question feedback slip:

1. Did you feel safe sharing your opinion today?
2. What helped you understand the topic best?

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Ka pai mahi e hoa mā! This lesson embeds critical health content in a current and engaging context, while honouring mātauranga Māori and embracing diversity in learners' needs.