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Minds on

MINDS ON

“

Every breath you take Every move you make Every bond you break Every step you take I'll be watching you.

~ The Police 1982

This song by the Police was written in 1982 and has been covered and remixed many times. People have even played it as a romantic wedding song. When Sting, the writer of this song heard this, he was disturbed.

“

“I think the song is very, very sinister and ugly,” he said. “ And people have actually misinterpreted it as being a gentle little love song, when it's quite the opposite."

~ Sting

This is the discussion icon. Love Song?

Listen to this song and its lyrics and ask yourself, is this a love song? Or is it, as Sting insists, a disturbing and sinister song?

 

Identify at least two specific reasons from the song to support your opinion.

Join The Discussion
Action.

ACTION

Whether we’re aware of it or not, the media surrounds us with messages about what is normal, beautiful, ugly, strange, acceptable, and unacceptable. These messages come to us through social media, television, film, magazine ads, billboards, and songs. If we don’t ask questions about the media we consume, we can develop unhealthy or skewed ideas about what is “normal.”

Healthy versus Unhealthy Relationship Behaviours

In the song “Every Breath You Take” by the Police, the singer describes a relationship where he is so obsessed with a woman that he believes she “belongs” to him and that he is always “watching” her. Have a look at this infographic below that depicts healthy and unhealthy relationship behaviours. Where does the relationship in “Every Breath You Take” fit?

This is a word cloud for healthy vs unhealthy relationships.

This is the dropbox icon. Healthy or Unhealthy?

Let’s continue to practice your listening skills while thinking about the characteristics of healthy vs unhealthy relationship behaviours.

  1. Choose one of the following songs to listen to with the purpose of analysing the messages about relationships.
     
  2. Use the image above as a guide to assess whether or not the relationship depicted in the song is healthy or unhealthy. Use at least 3 specific examples from the image above to support your opinion about the relationship.
     
  3. Identify one example of figurative language that emphasizes the idea of either a healthy or unhealthy relationship behaviour.
     
  4. Identify one other way the singer communicates their feelings about the relationship (e.g. the music, the tone of the singer’s voice).
     
  5. Identify one aspect of the song that either you can connect with the message or the lyric or that you have a strong perspective about. Explain how you connect to that aspect of the song or your perspective about it.

"Jar of Hearts" by Christina Perri

"Treat You Better" by Shawn Mendes

 

"Blank Space" by Taylor Swift

"Too Good" by Drake featuring Rihanna

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How to Support a Friend or Family Member in an Unhealthy Relationship

Read this article, Help Someone in an Unhealthy Relationship: Quick Tips from HealthFinder.gov (Original article)

If you want to view any links in this pdf, right click and select "Open Link in New Tab" to avoid leaving this page. (View the original article.)

 
Consolidation

CONSOLIDATION

This is the dropbox icon. Building A Healthy Relationship: Advice to a Friend

Imagine the speaker in the song (e.g., not Taylor Swift the person, but the character she’s playing in the song) is a friend of yours.

Using the above information about how to support someone in an unhealthy relationship, and what you know about healthy relationship behaviours, record yourself giving advice to the singer of the song you analysed, as though you’re leaving him or her a voicemail message.

What are three specific pieces of advice you would give them?

You want your advice to come across as sympathetic and not judgemental. How will you modify your tone of voice to reflect that? Remember not to speak too quickly. Speak slowly and clearly so your “friend” really understands what you’re trying to say.

Use the following Building Healthy Relationships Oral Communication Self-Assessment checklist to ensure you've met the criteria for this assignment.

Building Healthy Relationships Oral Communication Self-Assessment

Success Criteria Got It! Need To Work On It!
I use a few presentation strategies to effectively inform my audience about consent.    
I use appropriate language and tone for my audience.    
I communicate ideas with clear phrases.    
I use appropriate words, phrases and terminology to communicate meaning.    
I organize ideas in a logical order.    
I use a few different vocal strategies to suit my audience needs.    

 

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This is the dropbox icon. How Do You Think You are Doing So Far?

Now that you have had a chance to practice a few listening strategies and oral communication skills, it is a good idea to take stock of how you are doing in building these skills.

Use this Learning Goals and Success Criteria Self-Assessment checklist to review the learning goals and success criteria for this activity. Identify the ones you feel confident that you can meet and the ones you know you will work on to build so you can meet them by the end of this course.

Complete the first two columns and your self-assessment.

Learning Goals and Success Criteria Self-Assessment

Learning Goal 1:

We are learning to listen so we can understand what is being said in a variety of situations and have an appropriate response.
Success Criteria Got It! Working On It!

I can identify my purpose for listening.

    

I can use a few different active listening strategies when I interact with my classmates.

    

I can develop and explain my interpretation of an oral text, using the oral and visual cues as evidence to support my interpretations.

    

I can extend my understanding of an oral text by making connections between the ideas in the text and my personal knowledge, experience, and the world around me.

    

I can analyse an oral text, paying attention to the ways in which they communicate information and ideas and influence the listener’s/ viewer’s response.

    

I can identify the perspectives and/or biases evident in a text and make a comment on any questions they may raise about beliefs, values, and identity.

    

Learning Goal 2:

We are learning to use our speaking skills so we can communicate our message with our audience. 
Success Criteria Got It! Working On It!

I can use appropriate language and tone for my audience.

    

I can organize my ideas in a logical order.

    

I can communicate my ideas with clear phrases.

    

I can use appropriate words, phrases and terminology to communicate my meaning.

    

I can identify and selectively use a few different vocal strategies to suit my audience needs.

    

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