Key Stage 4Persuasion and Influence

Where can we be influenced?

Where can we be influenced?

NewspapersTelevision

Social Networking

MusicCulture

FamilyTeachers

Friends

World Events

Literature

BlogsThe InternetFamily

Radio Advertising

YouTube

Film

News

Fact and OpinionWhat are facts … ?

What are opinions…?

1. From my bedroom window I can see a lamppost.2. There are too many people on the planet.3. If you have a tattoo you are from the working class.4. Earth is the third planet from the sun.5. A gay couple should not be allowed to have kids.6. The richer you are, the happier you are.7. Islam is not compatible with the West. 8. There are twelve eggs in a dozen.9. The Bible suggests you should not have tattoos and body piercings.10.The European Union Headquarters are located in Brussels.11.The legal age of drinking should be lowered to 16.12.A third of Britain is owned by 0.6% of the population? 13.The red squirrel is endangered because of the introduction of the American

grey squirrel.14.The names of all the continents end with the same letter that they start with.15.Alternative energy exploration is an important endeavour.

Fact and Opinion Exercise

Fact and OpinionWhat are facts … ?

What are opinions…?

Fact and OpinionFacts are statements that are either backed up directly by evidence or where evidence can easily be retrieved to prove it.

Opinions are statements that are based on feelings, past experiences, or emotions. It is similar to the fiction versus nonfiction argument.

What happens when fact and opinion are mixed?

The Truth Tower….Exploring who you trust…

Rank the below sources 1-10 in order of trust and distrust.

1. Al Jazeera2. Google Search3. The Metro4. The Daily Mail5. BBC6. YouTube7. Twitter8. Government9. Family10. Teachers

Blog: The Curious Case of BhutanGay Girl in Damascus

19 February 2011"Almost every time I speak or write to other LGBT people outside the Middle East, they always seem to wonder what it's like to be a lesbian here in Damascus. Well, I always find myself answering, it's not as easy as I'd like it to be but it's probably easier than you might think.“

10 April My hijab, my choiceI consciously considered myself as a feminist and as someone who believes in human rights and the equality of all. But I'm also an Arab and a Muslim. And I covered. And no one made me do it; I chose it.

21 February Why I am doing this. I live in Damascus, Syria. It's a repressive police state. Most LGBT people are still deep in the closet or staying as invisible as possible. But I have set up a blog announcing my sexuality, with my name and my photo. Am I crazy? Maybe.

8 MayWhat do I want?I want to travel and be with the one I love … I want to grow old together …I want to be happy. I want to live in a free country and I don't want to have to move.

A Gay Girl in Damascus

6 JuneUpdate on Amina:I have been on the telephone with both her parents and all that we can say right now is that she is missing. Her father is desperately trying to find out where she is and who has taken her.

6 June Dear friends of Amina,I am Amina Abdallah Araf al Omari's cousin and have the following information to share. [While with a friend in a Damascus street] Amina was seized by three men in their early 20's. According to the witness (who does not want her identity known),the men were armed. Amina hit one of them and told the friend to go find her father.

6th June 2011

Gay Girl in Damascus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cofa4eEGC3w

Meet the ‘real’ Gay Girl in Damascus

"The events [in the Middle East] are being shaped by the people living them on a daily basis. I have only tried to illuminate them for a western audience.“Tom MacMaster

Split into pairs and consider;

• What lessons can we learn from this story?

• What tips can help us to check a source?

A. Is this fact, opinion or a mix of both?

B. Who produced this information, an individual or organisation?

C. Do they hold a position of authority?

D. Do they have something to gain by influencing the reader? (e.g. promoting something?)

E. How is this information/ source funded?

F. Can I find evidence from another source (preferably at least TWO) which corroborates or confirms what this source says? (This is sometimes called ‘triangulation’ and is an industry-standard’ method of achieving quality assurance.)

G. How long has the information been around? (Eg. websites are set up and often never re-freshed)

Tips for vetting a source

The Truth Tower….

TO PRINTOUT

TRUST

DISTRUST

 

Al Jazeera 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Google Search

The Metro

The Daily Mail

BBC

YouTube

Twitter

Government

Family

Teachers

Influence of Television: Has TV changed Bhutan?

Has TV changed Bhutan?"Dear Editor, TV is very bad for our country... it controls our minds... and makes [us] crazy. The enemy is right here with us in our own living room. People behave like the actors, and are now anxious, greedy and discontent."

Families spending less time together: More than 35% of parents prefer to watch TV than talk to their children.

Rise in mental health issues: Children are confiding in their teachers of feeling manic, envious and stressed.

Rise in violent behaviour: "The students are becoming more and more violent when they are at school," he explained.

Television replaces leisure activities: Almost 50% of the children watch for up to 12 hours a day.

Desire for Western Culture: "[Young people] want and need what they see on television - the fashion, the clothes, the whole changing lifestyle, going to bars, drinking,“

Increase in theft: "If you look at the items being stolen, it's directly related to what they're seeing," he added.