SCREENS EVERYWHERE page 66 STARTING BLOCKS
Illustrations: 1) People and Computers around the world, by Mike Dammer.
2) Texting and driving, by Joe Heller, in the Green Bay Press Gazette, on Sept. 1st 2009.
3) Rake the leaves, son, by Randy Bish, in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, on Oct. 13 2008.
CULTURE KEY page 148: infos supplémentaires
Utiliser méthodologie pages 163-164: Expression orale en continu
1)Describe the three cartoons briefly
Cartoon 1: The cartoon shows several men and women sitting at their desks, using their computers. These people are sitting all around the globe, which creates a symbolic link between them. They seem to be connected to one another via the World Wide Web or the Internet. They must be in a chatroom. All of them are smiling or laughing.
Cartoon 2: Two people (a man and a woman) are in a car. The woman, who is the passenger, is watching a video showing three teenage girls who had a driving accident while texting someone. The driver is watching the same video on his mobile phone. He is distracted and is not paying attention to his driving. He is not focused on the road. In fact, both the passenger and the driver seem more interestedin the video on their mobile phones than in what is happening outside.
Cartoon 3: A teenage boy is sitting at his desk in front of a computer. He must have been glued to his computer for quite a long time because he looks hyptonized. His father, who is holding a rake, must have asked him to do some gardening.
2)What is the cartoonist’s message in cartoon 1?
Cartoon 1 represents today’s modern communication/ information technology. Indeed, at the start of the 21st century, people can write to each other, have access to information from others, send each other emails or communicate via a webcam whatever the distance. This cartoon symbolizes the virtual link between the different peoples on earth via the internet. The cartoonist’s message is clear. In this day and age, there are no frontiers because everybody can communicate very easily with everyone else by means of the Internet.
3)What do the cartoonists make fun of or criticize? Do you agree with them?
Cartoon 1: The cartoonist doesn’t criticize the Internet. He doesn’t make fun of the Internet users either. He simply insists on the fact that The Internet is a tool that enables people tocommunicate even if they are miles away. However, the cartoonist may draw attention o the fact that 21st century communication is more and more virtual so people communicate more and more via their screens. There is less face-to-face contact nowadays.
PTO
Cartoon 2: The cartoonist clearly criticizes using mobile phones while driving. Even though it is strictly forbidden, people still use their mobile phones while driving. Indeed, the cartoonist insists on the fact that if you text or use your mobile phone while driving, you may have an accident and get hurt or kill someone. You can’t use your mobile phone without being distracted. According to him, texting while driving is too risky as you don’t pay attention to anyone or anything when you are focused on your mobile phone. He also criticizes the fact that anyone can have access to videos online anywhere and at any time.
Cartoon 3: The cartoonist makes fun of teenagers who spend their time glued to their computer screens, living in a world of their own. He also makes fun of the generation gap that exists between father and son. Indeed, they seem to have a communication problem. The former would like his son to do some gardening and the latter wonders if it can be done online. The cartoonist makes fun of the teenage boy, who clearly lives in an imaginary or fantasy world of his own and is totally dependent on his computer.
POUR LA DEUXIEME PARTIE, revoir les expressions de l’opinion, la cause, l’accord et désaccord page 169
On peut demander en Interaction Orale:
-Imagine the conversation between two or more people in the first cartoon.
-The young couple in the second cartoon is arrested by the police. Imagine the conversation.
-Imagine the conversation between the boy and his father in the third cartoon.