Thanks to Larry Firlazzo for pointing out this great video...
It ties in nicely with the theme I use all year - "How Can a Voice Be Heard" - and gives a good discussion opener for setting the tone:
I don't know how many times I tell students that word choice is vital but - no matter how many times I do - this short video makes the point much better than I could. I envision showing it without any introduction, and then opening a discussion about why I showed it, what message it gives, and how it connects with my class theme.
Generally, I open my units with some sort of media piece - a song accompanied by a video, or a short clip to get students thinking about the major themes. For example, when I teach Under the Persimmon Tree (which focuses on two lives affected by the war in Afghanistan), I open with the song "This is Me" by Eddie from Ohio, set to a montage of images from Afghanistan:
Students watch the video with no prior knowledge, and are given a copy of the lyrics. We then return to the song several times through the unit, and students focus on connections between the lyrics and the characters in the book during a series of Socratic Circle discussions. I find that I can really see how their perceptions are changing, based on how their interpretation of the same lyrics changes as the story develops.
So, it seems logical for me to open the year with a short media piece - and I would love to hear from people who have found other such connections, that really hammer home the power of words.
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