Write the term “World Youth Day” on the board. Ask students to identify facts that they know about this event. If any students in the class attended World Youth Day, ask them to talk about their experiences.
Ask students if they know when the Pope last visited Canada. If none of them do, tell them briefly about the Papal visit in 1984 and explain to them that they will be investigating the media coverage of this visit.
Divide the students into 10 small groups of two or three. Assign each group one of the media clips to view and ask them to make notes on the important facts and points in the clip. Using their findings, each group will prepare a short presentation for the rest of the class in which they outline the highlights of the segment they viewed. Students may wish to use chart paper or the chalk board to aid in their presentations.
When all of the students have presented their findings on the Papal visit, explain to them that they will now be investigating the media’s coverage of the Queen’s visits to Canada in the 1950s and 1960s. Again assign each of the ten groups one clip and have them record important facts and points in the clip. Groups should again present these findings to the class.
After presentations on the both the Papal and Royal visits are completed, students will be given the opportunity to compare and contrast the media coverage or the two. Divide the students into groups and assign each group one of the following topics:
- Radio versus Television Coverage (1950s vs. 1980s)
- Types of Events Covered
- Messages – The Queen and the Pope
- The Reactions of Canadians
Each group will prepare a presentation comparing and constrasting the media coverage of the Royal and Papal visits. Groups will then present their findings to the class. Together, the class should analyze each group's findings.
Have students compare and contrast the print or online coverage by three different major newspapers on a given day (or several days) during World Youth Day in Toronto (July 18 to 25, 2002). Students should look for editorial differences in the coverage and prepare a report to share their findings.
