Student Worksheet

Thought-starter - How do sharks breed?

Sharks in the news - List some of the stories you have heard or read about in the news that relate to sharks. What is the general tone of these stories?

Article analysis - Pick 3 sites or articles to read and analyse. Use these questions to help with the analysis of each site or article on Great White Sharks.

Article 1.

Name of article

Author

Source
1. What is the main message of the site or article?

2. Does the site or article use any particular language to get its message across (i.e. does it use emotive language)? Include examples.

3. How are the sharks portrayed in the site or article?

4. How are people portrayed in the site or article?

5. Do you think this site or article presents a balanced view of all its subjects? Why or why not?

6. How are images used to support the message of the article?

Article 2.

Name of article

Author

Source
1. What is the main message of the site or article?

2. Does the site or article use any particular language to get its message across (i.e. does it use emotive language)? Include examples.

3. How are the sharks portrayed in the site or article?

4. How are people portrayed in the site or article?

5. Do you think this site or article presents a balanced view of all its subjects? Why or why not?

6. How are images used to support the message of the article?

Article 3.

Name of article

Author

Source
1. What is the main message of the site or article?

2. Does the site or article use any particular language to get its message across (i.e. does it use emotive language)? Include examples.

3. How are the sharks portrayed in the site or article?

4. How are people portrayed in the site or article?

5. Do you think this site or article presents a balanced view of all its subjects? Why or why not?

6. How are images used to support the message of the article?

Presentation

You will be presenting the results of your analysis to the class. In addition to summarising the points you have answered above, you should also create a Wordle image using words from the leading paragraphs of the articles you analysed.

Create a Prezi presentation to share with the class.

Reflection

Write your own own news story that tells what you believe is the real story of the Great White Shark in Australia. You will need to consider:

Who the article being written for;
What sort of language you will use;
How you will persuade your audience that your story is the truth;
What you will talk about in the story;
What information will be included and what will be left out, and how this will affect the tone and message of your story; and
What images will be used to support your position.

Resources

Media sources - Look at any of the main daily newspapers online, locally and globally.

Scientific sources - There is a lot of scientific information on sharks on the Internet. When looking for articles, make sure they come from a reputable scientific organisation or agency. The following sites are examples of organisations and agencies that focus on presenting scientific research and understanding of sharks:

CSIRO - Sharks

Australian Marine Conservation Society

Australian Government - Sharks in Australian Waters

Interpreting media - Sharks in the news

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