Barbie has been an iconic figure in the lives of girls since the 1950s, but her existence has been full of controversy. A lesson plan on style, format, and genre explores that controversy by looking at three texts with different perspectives. While the pieces present interesting ideas, the instructional activity focuses less on what they say and more on how they say it, taking a close look at genre and elements of style. A culminating activity gives scholars the chance to express their opinions on another social issue through a writing assignment.

Concepts

feminism, genres, cross-genre analysis, writing styles, types of writing, writing analysis

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• Conduct a YouTube search for newer Barbie commercials and compare them to the commercial from 1959
• Challenge learners during the final activity by placing strips of paper into two hats (one for issues and one for genres); have them choose one from each hat to form their assignments

Classroom Considerations

• Links to copies of texts and graphic organizers appear under Attachments near the end of the lesson

Pros

• Uses high-interest texts to engage readers
• It brings in a variety of interactive activities, including a gallery walk

Cons

• The language used within texts may arouse controversy, particularly from conservative parents

Common Core

RI.9-10.1 RI.9-10.5 RI.9-10.7 RI.11-12.1 RI.11-12.5 RI.11-12.7 W.9-10.1.a W.11-12.1.a