Curated OER
Bias vs. Perspective: An Inevitable Aspect of Journalism?
Students explore the types of media that U.S. teens prefer the ways in which viewers identify and account for journalistic bias. They explore the ways in which media shapes one's opinion or affects their judgment.
Facing History and Ourselves
Hands Up, Don't Shoot!
Why is it so difficult to develop a clear understanding of the events surrounding the shooting of Michael Brown by a Ferguson, Missouri, police officer? To answer this question class members listen to a NPR discussion of the findings of...
Curated OER
Understanding Propaganda
Students define propaganda and give examples from the mass media. In this propaganda lesson, students review examples of propaganda and then research versions of it in the mass media.
Curated OER
Dissecting the Media
Students examine an editorial point of view in journalism and explore how this contributes to the West's understanding of events in the Middle East. They discuss the concepts of objectivity and subjectivity, and how tone and vocabulary,...
Curated OER
On the Air
Young scholars explore the issue of race in television since the 1950's, focusing specifically on African-American entertainers. After researching important issues, events, and television personalities of specific decades, students...
Curated OER
Looking for Trouble - Using the Internet to Research Structured Controversy
Discuss controversial issues with your charges. More importantly, discuss how you have to research both sides of a controversy before taking a stance. In groups, middle schoolers research the controversial issue of dog sled racing. They...
Media Smarts
TV Dads: Immature and Irresponsible?
Examine gender stereotypes on television, focusing on fathers portrayed in sitcoms and advertising. Questions on a handout direct learners to consider the types of fathers they see on television and one advertisement is highlighted as...
Facing History and Ourselves
The Audacity of a Vote: Susan B. Anthony’s Arrest
Susan B. Anthony's speech "Is It a Crime for Women to Vote?" takes center stage in a lesson that asks class members to consider how they might respond to what they consider an unjust law. Groups work through the speech paragraph by...
Curated OER
Television Newscasts
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...
Media Education Lab
Propaganda Techniques
In an age of fake news, alternative facts, and biased reporting, it is more important than ever that 21st century learners develop the critical-thinking skills necessary to recognize, analyze and resist the propaganda techniques used in...
Curated OER
Exploring US Foreign Policy after WWII--The Cold War
Scholars explore U.S. Foreign Policy and Cold War ideologies adopted after WWII. They conduct Internet research on a topic or issue related to the Cold War Era, watch two films, and compose a time line and a multimedia presentation to...
Carolina K-12
Propaganda, Spin and Soundbite Politics
It's all about the spin! In an introduction to propaganda techniques and soundbite politics, scholars first learn about common propaganda techniques before seeing them in action in the context of the 2016 election cycle. Activities...
iCivics
Mini-Lesson: Filibusters
How long can you speak without stopping? Scholars analyze the concept of a filibuster in the United States Senate using an installment of the Legislative Branch series of mini-lessons. They research recent filibuster attempts in the...
Curated OER
Test Yourself for Hidden Bias
Students examine their own hidden bias. In this diversity lesson, students link to an Internet website to test their own stereotypes and prejudices. Students discuss how bias is perpetuated in society and determine what they can to about...
iCivics
Mini-Lesson: Executive Orders
Can the President of the United States pass a law all by himself? Scholars investigate the concept of the executive order in regards to the powers of the presidency. They use current issues and events to monitor media bias while also...
Curated OER
Censorship in the Classroom: Understanding Controversial Issues
Students examine propaganda and media bias and explore a variety of banned and challenged books. Following this, students choose a side of the censorship issue and support their position by developing an ad campaign about the banned book...
Curated OER
That Is Not My Opinion!
Being an informed citizen requires distinguishing fact from opinion and understanding persuasion methods. Secondary learners evaluate newspaper editorials. They read opinion pieces, identify the writer's purpose and position on an issue,...
Described and Captioned Media Program
Malcolm X: Make It Plain, Part II
Track the transformation of Malcolm Little into Malcolm X and then into El Jajj Malik El-Shabazz with the second part of Make it Plain, a documentary on the famous civil rights activist. Viewers consider not only how events shaped and...
Curated OER
A Media Literacy Unit on "Turn Beauty Inside Out"
Students become aware of the importance of distinguishing between inner and outer beauty. They explore how the media's opinion of beauty is biased and should be evaluated rather than just accepted. Each student also assesses how the...
iCivics
Lesson 2: Misinformation
Fake news is a hot topic right now ... but what is it? Intrepid young investigators track down the facts that separate journalistic mistakes and misinformation through reading, research, and discussion. Part three in a five-lesson series...
Encyclopedia Britannica
Candidate Flip-Flop or Evolution?
Beware political rhetoric! Connotation is everything! Groups select a presidential candidate and investigate how the candidate's position has changed on a specific issue. After analyzing the situation, the group determines whether they...
PBS
Keep Your Head Up | Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise
Change may be slow in coming, but things do change. Oprah Winfrey and Black Entertainment Television CEO, Robert L. Johnson, discuss the opportunities available to them due to the efforts of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil...
Teaching Tolerance
Using Photographs to Teach Social Justice | Exposing Racism
Photographs capture a moment in time. And some of the best pictures demand that viewers not only ask questions about why the photo packs such an emotional wallop, but also about what happened before and after it was taken. A photograph...
Encyclopedia Britannica
Campaign Photo Analysis
It's the art of the image! As part of a study of the 2020 Presidential race, groups analyze an image of a candidate, first from an objective point of view and then subjectively. They then prepare a presentation detailing what they...