Junior English: Unit 13-The Road Ahead
Name____________________________________Hr.______
Reading America Introduction Activity
LEARNNG TARGETS:
RL.11-12.1
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I can choose evidence that best supports my topic.
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I can create a MLA Works Cited document.
S.L.11-12.2
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I can select credible and appropriate sources for a given topic.
DIRECTIONS: Imagine that you had to explain our nation’s values to a foreigner in the span of three minutes with only three
examples.
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Find three cultural artifacts that represent three different stereotypical American values. You could show them through
appropriate music videos, commercials, movie clips, t.v. show clips, websites, pictures of magazine ads, political campaign ads.
Youtube is a great source for most of these artifacts.
Each cultural artifact should be roughly 30 seconds long or less (you might just have a picture from an advertisement or
website).
Read the cultural artifact as a text. Many artifacts merely imply what they value, so your job is to clearly articulate the cultural
value that the artifact conveys.
It would be great if you find artifacts that represent contradictory or competing values since our nation’s values are
complicated.
When you are done, please print out a copy of your work, and submit to turnitin.com
Please include an MLA formatted works cited in your submission (use noodletools)
On the day of your presentation, please bring in one 3d object that represents your personal value system. Be prepared to
share one SPECIFIC anecdote about how this object represents your core values.
Note: This commercial should do more than merely entertain (Old Spice commercials) it should represent a deeper value of our country:
individualism, the underdog overcoming the system, money, dynamism (the ability to constantly improve), the environment
Reading America Analysis Sheet (Type this information up and attach a works cited to this document to be submitted to
turnitin.com)
Cultural Artifact #1:
URL:
Explicit message (what the artifact literally says):
Implied message (what the artifact implies without coming out and saying it):
Cultural value:
Cultural Artifact #2:
URL:
Explicit message (what the artifact literally says):
Implied message (what the artifact implies without coming out and saying it):
Cultural value:
Cultural Artifact #3:
URL:
Explicit message (what the artifact literally says):
Implied message (what the artifact implies without coming out and saying it):
Junior English: Unit 13-The Road Ahead
Name____________________________________Hr.______
Cultural value:
Reading America Follow Up Sheet
DIRECTIONS: Please take notes on your peer’s presentations. Then, answer the last
few questions to prepare for a brief class discussion on American values.
Cultural Artifact #1:
Cultural value:
Please circle how important this value is in our country:
Driving force in our culture
Sort of important
not that big of a deal
Cultural Artifact #2:
Cultural value:
Please circle how important this value is in our country
Driving force in our culture
Sort of important
not that big of a deal
Cultural Artifact #3:
Cultural value:
Please circle how important this value is in our country
Driving force in our culture
Sort of important
not that big of a deal
Cultural Artifact #4:
Cultural value:
Please circle how important this value is in our country
Driving force in our culture
Sort of important
Cultural Artifact #5:
Cultural value:
Please circle how important this value is in our country
not that big of a deal
Junior English: Unit 13-The Road Ahead
Name____________________________________Hr.______
Driving force in our culture
not that big of a deal
Sort of important
Cultural Artifact #6:
Cultural value #6:
Please circle how important this value is in our country
Driving force in our culture
Sort of important
not that big of a deal
Cultural Artifact #7:
Cultural value:
Please circle how important this value is in our country
Driving force in our culture
Sort of important
not that big of a deal
Cultural Artifact #8:
Cultural value:
Please circle how important this value is in our country
Driving force in our culture
Sort of important
not that big of a deal
Please name the top two conflicting values:
Value:
Value:
Which of these two values seems stronger within our society?
Explain why you think this
As a class, what do you see as the top three values of our culture?
1.
2.
3.