Objectives:
Students will be able to use Instagram posts to identify key features of the genre.
Students will be able to use the information in the posts to solve language challenges and learn about key features of rhetoric.
Mode: Interpretive, Interpersonal
Materials Needed: A digital device to access an Instagram feed; Mixed-reality Complex Learning Scenario (MRCLS) sheet; puzzle answer key
Procedure:
- Present learners with the puzzle (on the MRCLS sheet) they are challenged to solve to discover the power of language. (Note: This is a three-step puzzle where learners are asked to use two posts to figure out two words related to discourse and then unscramble the letters in the highlighted boxes for a final answer.) The puzzle answer key is provided here as a separate sheet in case you want to solve it on your own first.
- After learners work with the puzzle and solve it, ask them to complete the wrap-around activities (on the MRCLS sheet) to consider the elements of language under consideration and consider ways in which the posts model and diverge from the norm typically found in Instagram posts.
- Optional: As an extension, provide learners with a list of famous people who use Instagram as their primary communication tool and ask learners to make a list of language features that follow the norm (e.g., the use of hashtags) and a list of features that make the post unique to the famous person’s persona (e.g., a catchphrase they use repeatedly).
Notes: After this activity, learners can be directed towards other Instagram feeds related to their topic of interest in the target language. The feeds can be resources provided by the instructor or a scavenger hunt activity where learners are asked to come up with a list of their own sites after exploring on their own.
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