Media Literacy is one of four strands of the Language Arts Curriculum that some educators are required to teach. This strand emphasizes the need to have students identify the different types of media and what messages are being sent. Students are exposed to different types of information from a variety of sources. Instead of teaching Media Literacy in isolation, Here are some ways to access, analyze, evaluate & create Media Literacy in different areas of the curriculum:
Language Arts: Have students document and store memories using pictures, photos, letters, journals or videos.
Visual Arts: Create a logo for a school department, a t-shirt or even a school fundraising project.
Social Studies: Focus on one current event. Look at how the issue is broadcast in various ways. This is a great way to introduce comparing and contrasting as well.
Math: Explore ratio, fractions, decimals and percentages of commercials to television shows; look at ratio of ads to newspapers or magazines.
Science & Technology: Show how media assists in scientific discoveries or inventions. Explore news broadcasts, magazines or websites associated with science.
Healthy Living & Social Responsibility: Is there gender bias in toys? Look at how advertisements (both commercial and non-commercial) portray toys.
If you're teaching media literacy for the first time, have students begin with these advertisement posters. You'll find fifteen persuasive techniques included on a one page printable as well as display posters.
