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Lesson Plan
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Smithsonian Institution

POWs

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Why did Vietnam POWs and their families receive more media attention than POWs in previous wars?  To answer this question, class members view artifacts, read articles, and engage in class discussion. Individuals then assume the voice of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mapping the Mediasphere

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars compare/contrast the media messages they see in two different communities in their city. They list the elements of art and the principles of design in the photographs they have taken in those two different communities....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Visit to the Mint

For Teachers 3rd
Emerging consumers recognize the types and denominations of U.S. currency. They listen to a guest speaker (if possible) and view a video.  They create their own money using styrofoam and a toothpick for engraving. Consider creating a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Comic Book Characters

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Explore gender stereotypes by analyzing how male and female characters are depicted in comic books. Using the provided Comic Book Analysis sheet, students record the attributes of male and female comic book characters. Then the whole...
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Unit Plan
Curated OER

Advertising and Healthy Decisions

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students analyze alcohol and tobacco ads and create parodies of them. The eight lessons in this unit include discussions about why teens smoke or drink, the psychology behind the advertising, and writing persuasive letters to agencies,...
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Lesson Plan
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Media Smarts

Bias in News Sources

For Teachers 9th - 12th
As young consumers of media, it is important for high schoolers to explore concepts of bias and prejudice, and how they may be present in media. After discussing ideological messages that media can contain, individuals complete a warm-up...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Media Babies

For Teachers 6th - 12th
What is a media baby? Discuss at what age children should be exposed to electronic media. After reading an article, they identify the types of media products for infants and toddlers. Learners will predict the effects of media on the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Diversity in Media: Looking Critically at What We See

For Teachers 8th - Higher Ed
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...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Miscast and Seldom Seen

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Consider how well high schoolers' favorite TV shows, movies and video games reflect the diversity of society. The lesson introduces your class to several media literacy concepts, such as how media conveys values and messages, as well as...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Individuality vs. Conformity

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Spark an animated debate in your class! Young adults consider some of the fads or trends that are prevalent at their school, as well as their own level of participation in them. Just how much of a role does popular culture play in their...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Anatomy of Cool

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students explore differences between superficial and real "coolness," how marketers use cool to sell products, and how their own attitudes and perceptions are affected by media messages that reinforce specific messages about what...
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Lesson Plan
Media Smarts

Truth or Money

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Two compelling texts about tobacco companies' influence over editorial content in print media introduce readers to the concept of advertising censorship. After study and discussion, class members compose a mock "final column" by a...
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Lesson Plan
Media Smarts

The Impact of Gender Role Stereotypes

For Teachers 8th - 9th
One of three lessons on gender stereotype, this resource from the Media Awareness Network discusses the violence that is inflicted on men and women as they try to live up to the stereotypes of their gender. The section on women focuses...
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Lesson Plan
Media Smarts

First Person

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers explore the relationship between video games and actual population. Example: A 2005 study showed Latino youth play at higher rates than other groups, but there are no Latino playable characters. They watch a brief video...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

When Art Conveys Political and Social Conflict

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders consider art as a medium to convey information and opinions on social conflict and issues. They analyze images from the Crocker Art Museum, discuss their effectiveness in raising awareness of an issue, and create a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Talk Shows

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders are exposed to different types of media in order to investigate the tendency of being exposed to a set of values that run contrary to conservative values. They role play a television program in order to communicate the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Nutrition and the Media: Cereal Box Consumerism

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
How many treats do you buy each week? Learners investigate diets and how the media tricks consumers into purchasing unhealthy snacks. They will investigate the designs and logos affiliated with cereal boxes and identify specific phrases...
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Lesson Plan
Media Smarts

How to Analyze the News

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Teach kids how to watch television, specifically the news, with this creative idea for learners of all ages from the Media Awareness Network. The elementary school plan focuses on presenting news as a story and uses Jon Scieszka's story...
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Lesson Plan
Media Smarts

Cyberbullying and the Law

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Dealing with the very topical subject of cyberbullying, this lesson plan will surely create some engaged discussion in your classroom. Young learners discuss the laws concerning cyberbullying in Canada, and then respond to a series of...
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Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

A Way with Words

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
How do facts and opinions impact the news? After reading "How to Cover a War" from the New York Times, middle schoolers evaluate the claims in the article. They also consider the media's responsibilities in reporting during wartime....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A News Story of Your Own: Sentence and Lexical Variety

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Given the two-sentence skeleton of a news story about a car theft/joy ride, budding writers create their own version of the story varying diction and sentence structure to heighten interest and complexity in their writing. Resource...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Twenty-Five Great Ideas for Teaching Current Events

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Teaching current events can be an amazingly-rewarding part of your teaching week. This resource presents twenty-five ways to incorporate current events into your curriculum. It offers some outstanding ideas, such as providing your...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Marketing to Teens: Parody Ads

For Teachers 8th - 11th
High schoolers deconstruct advertising messages by analyzing parody ads and exploring the purpose of satire. Then they create their own parodies based on real ads discussed in class. A creative activity to extend any study of media,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Find The Hidden Message: Media Literacy in Primary Grades

For Teachers K - 2nd
Learners practice listening to and reading various types of media and text. In groups, learners use video, newspapers, magazines, and more to compare and contrast different types of information. They identify the differences between fact...