When we watch news broadcasts on television, we receive a much more visual perspective than when we read the newspaper. How do sets, clothing, and music contribute to our understanding of the story? Compare American and Canadian news...

Different media sources portray news in a variety of ways. In groups of three, learners look at different news sources, bringing in all the findings the next day. Three handouts help scholars compare sources, define specific terms used...

This learning experience fosters awareness of representations we see, and don't see, in the media. Learners list TV programs, games, and films they enjoy, identify characters' ethnic, religious, (dis)ability, and sexual orientation...

Middle schoolers explore the difference between analog and digital televisions. They examine how the technology works and the impact of television through history. They also compare older television sets to ones found today.

Fourth graders explore and study basic weather terms, strengthen research skill on the web and create a weather newscast. They choose a weather site on the web, copy weather maps and create a videotape based on a written script to...

Learners investigate the history of Television by using the Internet.  In this timeline lesson, students discuss and take notes on the 10 main events in Television history and create a timeline through education software....

High schoolers view a film about the role of the media in the Vietnam War. They discuss the risks journalists face when covering a war and how the television changed how people at home saw the war. They answer questions to complete the...

High schoolers research the Boston Women's Memorial. Showing their fifth grade buddies around the memorial, they examine the lives of Abigail Adams, Phillis Wheatley and Lucy Stone. They create scripts for a public service announcement...

Part of a larger unit from the Media Awareness Network on media literacy, this particular lesson plan focuses on the medium of news radio. Small groups participate in discussions on their radio listening habits as well as the...

Students identify the stereotypes they are faced with on a daily basis. In groups, they use this information to identify the ways stereotypes are portrayed in movies and television. They use a video camera to record oral histories of...

Students identify the job of a meteorologist. In this meteorologist activity, students read Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and view clips of weather forecasts. Students visit the Weather Channel website and sing a weather song....

Students explore the relationship between human beings and animals. They participate in a variety of activities to examine animal behavior. Students create a class book and stage a mock news broadcast.

High schoolers view a film about civil rights and the role Malcolm X played in the civil rights movement. They create a timeling about the events that occured from segregation to integration. They discuss discrimination as well.

Students view a film about the role of the soldier during the Vietnam War. They discover what it was like to fight a war against a culture so unlike our own. They answer questions to complete the lesson.

Students explore interaction between mathematics, science, and technology as they look at process of researching, developing, testing, and evaluating airplane design. They calculate glide ratio for model paper airplane by using data...

Students view a documentary on the treatment of the buffalo. In groups, they create a website using ideas and solutions they developed. They must include graphics or animation and a multi-level webpage. They share their pages with the...

Students engage in an interactive "hot potato" demonstration to gain an appreciation for the flow of electrons through a circuit. They role play the different parts of a simple circuit and send small items representing electrons (paper...

Students examine the ways that technology effects our daily lives. Students also identify the processes involved in designing new technology.

One way to get your class to evaluate and synthesize multiple multimedia sources is through a research project. The idea here is that class members will watch videos and listen to scientific debates in order to create a casebook about...

Blow the minds of young scientists with this collection of inquiry-based investigations. Based on a series of eight videos, these "hands-on, minds-on" science lessons engage young learners in exploring a wide range of topics...

High schoolers view a film about warships during World War II. They discover the job of a seaman and what impact veterens have on the world today. They also examine the lasting effects of the war.

Students view a film about soldiers returning to Vietnam years after the war. They discover the need of closure by the soldiers because the war was not won. They examine the results of the war and answer questions to complete the lesson.

Students view a video about different types of music. They examine the history of jazz, big band and rock back to the city of Chicago. They discover Chicago's music scene today and compare it to the past.

Young scholars view a film about the genres and disciplines of performing arts. They examine the theatre community in Chicago and the origins of theatre companies. They answer questions and discuss them to end the lesson.