Lesson Overview
Featured Article: “The Which means and Historical past of Memes” by Alexis Benveniste
Do you want memes? Have you ever ever created one? Do you could have a favourite meme you could have seen on social media? What’s the final one you acquired or shared? Do you could have a go-to meme format to specific your ideas and emotions?
Web tradition is saturated with memes, however how would you clarify memes to somebody who doesn’t know what they’re?
On this lesson, you’ll study the story of a preferred social media phenomenon. Then, you’ll create a how-to for making memes and nominate your favorites for a Meme Corridor of Fame.
Heat-Up
Earlier than studying the article, in writing, clarify what a meme is to somebody who has by no means seen one — maybe a grandparent or a youthful baby. In your description, you may wish to discuss with some particular memes and meme traits that you just like, love or hate.
Subsequent, discover a accomplice and share your explanations: What did you discover? What similarities and variations did you discover? Lastly, focus on why you suppose memes are so standard on social media.
Questions for Writing and Dialogue
Learn the articlethen reply the next questions:
1. The article shares a number of totally different definitions and explanations of the phrase “meme.” Which did you discover most helpful or illuminating? How did these explanations examine with yours from the warm-up exercise?
2. What particulars within the historical past of the meme did you discover most attention-grabbing or shocking?
3. Alexis Benveniste writes, “Noteworthy popular culture occasions are breeding grounds for meme creation.” What examples from your individual expertise help this declare?
4. How does the article clarify the prevalence and recognition of memes in our tradition? How does creating and sharing memes facilitate a way of neighborhood on-line whereas sustaining a sense of exclusivity? Does that ring true of your individual expertise with memes?
5. What is likely to be the way forward for memes, in line with the article? What do you see as their attainable evolution in 5 or 10 years?
6. The favored meme creator Saint Hoax stated that “memes are principally editorial cartoons for the web age.” Do you agree? What do you suppose memes can inform us about our tradition or the occasions we stay in? What questions do you continue to have in regards to the topic?
Going Additional
Choice 1: Create a how-to information for making memes.
Constructing in your writing within the warm-up exercise, create a information with suggestions and dos and don’ts for newbie and wannabe meme makers.
Your information ought to embody:
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A easy definition of a meme
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What makes meme — and a nasty one
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A number of examples of efficient memes
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Locations to search out the most effective memes
Choice 2: Nominate a meme for the Meme Corridor of Fame.
Think about {that a} Meme Corridor of Fame was created — within the fashion of the Rock & Roll Corridor of Fame or the Baseball Corridor of Fame.
Unhappy Ben Affleck. Crying Michael Jordan. Galaxy Mind. Pondering My Orb. Lady Yelling at Cat. Spider-Man Pointing at Spider-Man.
What three meme traits or codecs — previous or current — would you nominate for the inaugural class, and why? You should definitely describe the meme and its which means and what makes it worthy of the Corridor of Fame.
You may look by means of this compilation of memes that can assist you along with your decisions.
Share your picks along with your whole class after which maintain a vote to find out the primary 5 inductees within the Meme Corridor of Fame.
Choice 3: Create a meme.
Now, it’s your flip! Create a humorous, nonsensical, topical or instructional meme. The theme, subject and tone are as much as you. You need to use an current meme format or construct your individual. You should definitely clarify the which means of your meme and why you suppose it’s or efficient one. To assist along with your creation, you may use a free on-line meme generator by Canva or Imgur.
Afterward, share your meme in a category celebration of the rising and evolving artwork type.
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