SET-UP Have students pretend to phone a friend. The friend is not home, so students leave a message in their friend’s voicemail or on the
answering machine.

TOPICS Students will select a topic for their
voicemail message. Topics should be age-appropriate. They might include party information, homework assignment questions,
or a team practice schedule.

AUDIENCE Tell students to consider their
audience before preparing their voicemail
message. While the message is ultimately
for a friend and can be in informal language,
remind students that others may also hear the voicemail message. Encourage students
to speak clearly so the message is understood
and delivered to the correct person. Suggest
that students speak loudly so the message
can be heard above any background noise.

Have students watch a segment from a
gardening television show or video. Brainstorm
a list of other media types and a list of
purposes for media. In small groups, students
can answer these questions orally or in writing, using the lists on the board.