1. Painting by: Ed Ruscha Presentation by: Megan Cornell

2.  Who was the painter?  Ed Ruscha  Where was he from?  Los Angeles, CA  He did more than painting, he drew, was a photographer, and was an author as well.  All of his work communicated the “urban experience” and confronts mass-media fed images that confronts us daily.

3.  Challenge and discuss stereotypes within society.  Understand media images and what they depict  Use background knowledge to decipher the artist’s meaning.

4.  First, students will discuss what their first impressions of the painting are. Does it scare them? Would they live there? I’m NOT going in that house, MOM!

5.  Students will then draw a picture of who they think lives in the house and then list the characteristics you picture the family to have. I bet Britney Spears lives there! Or Johnny Depp…hmm m?

6.  After drawing and writing down their idea of the family, students will get in groups and discuss what their peers thought. In an in class discussion, they will tell the class what was the same/different in each other’s drawings and explanations of the family. We should move to that house!

7.  After students discuss the family, then they will answer the following questions:  Is there a reason you thought of the family in a specific way?  How did you come up with your idea of the family?  Do you think stereotypes played a role in what you thought the family looks like?  What stereotypes do you see in the media today?

8.  Lastly, students will have to find something from the media (it can be a newspaper article, magazine article, or any form of advertisement) which you see uses stereotypes. With a copy of the media, you have to type a one page paper, double spaced, on who you feel it is stereotyping and why.  They will present their findings to the class!