Newseum
Covering a Catastrophe: Evaluating Disaster News
Young journalists investigate the various ways to share news about a disaster and evaluate the pros and cons of each of these types of news. Individuals then select two different forms of media reports of a recent disaster. Using the...
Media Smarts
Media Awareness Network: Hate or Debate?
Discuss the difference between legitimate debate on a political issue and arguments that are based on hate through a science-fiction scenario that shows how a controversial issue can be discussed in both ways. Then learn how purveyors of...
Curated OER
Student News And Weather Channel
Fabulous! Your 5th graders should love this project. As an ongoing lesson throughout the year students use temperature probes to record outside temperature and then document their data using spreadsheets. They use their weather data and...
English Enhanced Scope and Sequence
Media Literacy Applied
After investigating various forms of print, oral, and electronic media as sources of information, class members research a historical figure and produce a résumé for this person. While templates are provided for an initial sorting...
Curated OER
The Price of Happiness: On Advertising, Image, and Self Esteem
Are your students aware of the effect advertising can have on their self-image, self-esteem, and happiness? This lesson from the Media Awareness Network is aimed at increasing that awareness and mitigating any negative effects it might...
Curated OER
Creating and Using a Checklist of Performance Techniques to Critique and Find the "Message" in Mass Media Performances
Learners analyze and critique theater events by evaluating and constructing meanings from improvised and scripted scenes and from theater, film, television, and electronic media productions.
Curated OER
I Heard It 'Round the Internet: Sexual Health Education and Authenticating Online Information
Students evaluate websites regarding sexual health information. In this media awareness instructional activity, students discuss facts and myths regarding sex as they determine how to find reputable online and print resources.
Curated OER
Mixed Media Ocean Art
Students design pictures of ocean environments. In this art lesson, students use mixed media art materials to develop a picture that depicts the ocean environment. They use paint, sand paper and various basic art materials.
Curated OER
Vanishing Verbs
Students analyze recent media trends, and develop critical thinking skills by summarizing main ideas, extracting details, formulating opinions, drawing inferences, and comparing and contrasting attitudes. They also practice paraphrasing...
Curated OER
Covering the News
Learners compare the coverage of two crime stories Using local or national newspapers, news magazines and other reference materials, each group trace the "unfolding" of two crime stories: The Laci Peterson investigation plus one students
Curated OER
A Way with Words
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....
Media Smarts
Kids, Alcohol and Advertising - Interpreting Media Messages
Young scholars investigate the importance of branding and messaging, especially as they relate to party products like alcohol.
Nemours KidsHealth
Media Literacy and Health: Grades 6-8
Internet suffers could drown in the volume of information available on line. Here's an activity that can be a lifeline and buoy confidence in middle schoolers' ability to find reliable information and credible sources. After reading...
Facebook
Raising Awareness Through Media
Spread the word! Passionate pupils engage in creating multimedia awareness messages during a digital citizenship lesson plan. Using an example of a community social issue message for ideas, individuals then take the reins and begin to...
EngageNY
Determining Central Ideas: Media Literacy
Can I persuade you? Learners discuss the things they might say when trying to persuade someone under various circumstances. Groups of pupils first receive Basic Persuasion Techniques cards to sort into categories. They end the...
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...
Media Education Lab
Understanding Viral Messages
Imagine advertising for a product but not being paid to do so. Welcome to the world of Viral Messaging. Class members first view a T-Mobile flash mob video that went viral and has been seen by over 14 million viewers. After analyzing the...
Curated OER
Press Review
How can word choice affect a political speech? Middle and high schoolers examine the text of the 1999 State of the Union Address, and then determine how newspaper articles and television reports describe and analyze the event. Use this...
Curated OER
Introduction to Canada
Ninth graders investigate the country of Canada by examining their media in this geography lesson. They use the Internet to research Canadian newspapers and analyze a topic covered by both US and Canadian media sources. After comparing...
Media Smarts
Sex in Advertising
Converse with your class about the use of sex in advertising. Analyze the biological, emotional, and spiritual connections associated with sex, and how the media uses these affiliations to sell products. Take a closer look at...
Curated OER
War and the Media Fact Finders: The Media in Times of Crisis
High schoolers explore the role of the media in war reporting. In this information age lesson, students discuss how to find and disseminate factual information. High schoolers consider the source, motive, authority of information.
Curated OER
Minding the Media
Students reflect on the fairness of rating movies, television, radio, books, magazines, Web sites and other media. They submit their own entries for a media rating guide.
Curated OER
Class in the Media: Writing a Television Show
Students look at popular media presentations to determine what type of messages they convey about class and class-linked behavior. They listen to contemporary music to explore how the songs touch upon social class issues. They read...
Curated OER
Media Literacy: TV - What You Don't See!
Students examine how to evaluate what they are watching on television. They discuss hip hop music videos, compare/contrast them to other types of music videos, write a letter or press release about promoting positive teen stories, and...