Media Smarts
Unit Two: Celebrities and World Issues
Develop media smarts by considering the power of celebrity involvement in world issues. A look at the work of such celebrities as Angelina Jolie, Oprah, and Bono prepare learners to develop their own media campaign for a global...
Institute for Humane Education
Not So Fair and Balanced: Analyzing Bias in the Media
Life is not always fair. Who's heard that before? This same concept moves to a larger scale using prejudice and bias. Pupils discuss where prejudice attitudes derive and how they develop throughout life. Reading comprehension...
Media Smarts
Cinema Cops
A study of how public perception is both reflected and influenced by film and television, this instructional activity helps students develop an awareness of audience as well as a critical view of media. Depictions of police in television...
Curated OER
Media Literacy Discussion Guide
High schoolers examine and analyze visual media and its messages critically. They determine whether specific media messages inform, entertain, or persuade and what factors influence the media. Using primary sources, they participate in...
Curated OER
Analyzing Media Unit Sequence of Five Activities
Seventh graders define terminology and explore the effects media has on our society and on individuals. In this media evaluation instructional activity students work cooperatively and solve problems.
Curated OER
Media Bias
Students analyze mass media to analyze media bias. For this media bias lesson, students read example situations and definitions about media bias. Students read and discuss how to be aware of media bias.
Curated OER
The Power of One: Convergence in Scholastic Media
Pupils explore the different forms of media utilized by journalism including writing, photography, video, sound and the Internet. In this journalism lesson, students compare and contrast the ways in which information is presented between...
Newseum
'The Press and the Civil Rights Movement' Video Lesson
Scholars watch a video featuring journalists who covered the civil rights movement, then respond to questions on a viewing guide. The video features interviews with participants and original news footage from the 1950s and 1960s. In...
Newseum
Free Press Challenges Through History: Analyzing Historical Sources
The debate over the integrity of stories in media is not new. Young journalists analyze historical sources that reveal freedom of the press controversies and draw parallels to challenges freedom of the press faces today.
Curated OER
The Media
Students identify various forms of media used in a political campaign and compare the different formats as vehicles for distributing political messages. They analyze the effectiveness of candidate's uses of different media.
Curated OER
War and the Media Press Freedom vs. Military Censorship
Students analyze the relationship between war and media. In this media awareness lesson plan, students listen to their instructor present a lecture on freedom of the press and military censorship. Students participate in an activity...
Facing History and Ourselves
The Power of Images
One picture but a thousand stories. As a part of a case study of how the death of Michael Brown was reported by professional news sources and on social media class members examine the reactions of various groups to a photograph taken by...
Curated OER
Children's Media and Censorship
High schoolers form opinions about children and television censorship after analyzing literature. They complete a journal writing activity to identify the topic and make a list of inappropriate television shows for children. Next, they...
Curated OER
Media/Book Review
Students act as media critics to analyze the portrayal of the elderly in media. In this ethics lesson plan, students use the Internet to research ageism. They decide if various media depict elderly characters positively or negatively.
Curated OER
Is the media aiding Global Peace when reporting on religion?
Students play 'telephone' to simulate communication difficulties. In this media analysis lesson, students read and analyze newspaper articles related to religious tensions between the Pope and Muslims. Students evaluate the media's...
Curated OER
Rules of Conduct: Media Violence, Dating and Teenage Behavior
Learners discuss the role of media in their lives and making decisions. In groups, they define violence and identify how it is represented in the type of entertainment they are accustomed to viewing. They compare and contrast behaviors...
Curated OER
Media Awareness: Key Concepts in Advertising
Students examine the basic concepts of advertising. In this media awareness instructional activity, students discuss target audience, art, and purpose in advertising to determine what makes an advertisement effective or ineffective. ...
Curated OER
Heroic Images: Visualization and Media Messages
Young scholars examine media messages. In this media awareness lesson, students analyze online messages about heroism as they complete a jigsaw reading activity.
Curated OER
Lesson: Looking Closer: The Artwork of Wangechi Mutu
Social issues of gender and media stereotypes, begins with a multi-sensory experience. Learners view the painting Backlash Blues and make critical comments based on what they see. They then read the Langston Hughes poem and listen to the...
Curated OER
Beyond Black and White
Students critically examine the portrayal of minorities in video games and other forms of entertainment and assess the role of racial stereotyping. They keep a log of media minority portrayals and respond to their findings.
Curated OER
Savvy Surfers: Website Evaluation and Media Literacy
Sixth graders strengthen their understanding of what a high quality website is composed of. Learners evaluate three websites for accuracy, credibility, and reliability by completing a chart.
Facebook
Online Presence
What happens when an online post gets the wrong kind of attention? Learners evaluate the good, the bad, and the occasionally ugly side of social media posting with a instructional activity from a vast digital citizenship series. After...
Curated OER
Interpreting & Verifying the News in an Era of Info Overload
Students practice their critical thinking skills. In this media awareness lesson, students read articles about media overload and interpretation of media. Students respond to discussion questions and discuss how they verify news....
Curated OER
Expressive Self Portrait - Mixed Media
Students create self-portraits using prior artistic knowledge and personal experiences. Emphasis is placed on the works of Albrecht Durer, Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo, Romare Bearden, and Chuck Close for inspiration.