E - 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTORY MATERIAL

Overview 5SNAPS: Photo Cards for Media Literacy 8Key Concepts of Media Literacy 9Instructional Strategies 10Using Video Resources in the Classroom 12Involving Families 14

UNIT 1 Asking Critical Questions 17Production Assignment: Make a Poster 38

UNIT 2 Understanding Media Genres 41Production Assignment:Predict What Happens Next 55

UNIT 3 In the Real World 60Production Assignment: You Be the Joournalist! 74

UNIT 4 Heroes and Villains 77Production Assignment: You write the Voice-over 100

UNIT 5 Ratings and Reviews 106Production Assignment: Write a TV Review 128

UNIT 6 Kenan’s World 132Production Assignment:You Write Kenan’s Journal 145

ADDITIONAL RESOURCESPublishing Student Work on the Assignment: Media Literacy Website 151Glossary 152References 156List of Contributors 158Feedback and Evaluation Form 161About Discovery Communications, Inc. 162

E - 2

E - 3

E - 4

ASSIGNMENT: MEDIA LITERACYA classroom resource to build critical thinkingand communication skills for life in a mediaand information society.

AUTHORDr. Renee HobbsMedia Literacy Project, Babson College

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSCatherine GourleyLesley Johnson, Ph.D.Pam Steager

VIDEOTAPE PRODUCTIONRob Stegman, Producer, BlueStar MediaDavid WilloxMark HerdElaine TheodoreNick Savides

PRINT AND WEBSITE PRODUCTIONJasmin SungLinda BrownSharisse SteberRick HeffnerRon WaiteBen BeierwaltesMarianne Steiger

DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONSNancy Brien

http://www.AssignmentMediaLit.comCall our educator support line at 1-888-734-2328.

E - 5

OVERVIEW

It’s never been a more exciting or exhausting time to be a teacher. Our students cometo us with so much more access to information than ever before, from television,videos, newspapers, books, magazines, radio, computer software, the Internet, andmore.

But do children have the reasoning and critical thinking skills to analyze theinformation they receive? Have they the ability to sort out the quality from the junk?Do they have the competencies needed to understand, analyze and use information tosolve problems? Are they active, not passive, consumers of media? Are they effective incommunicating messages to a wide variety of audiences and for different purposes?

Assignment: Media Literacy is a set of curriculum resources designed to help K-12teachers integrate these skills into their curriculum. The program consists of threelevels: elementary, middle, and high school.

Here are the important features of the resource materials:

Aligned with MSPAP Content StandardsEach activity is designed to develop the key learning standards developed by the stateof Maryland. Many of the activities are modeled upon the structure and formats used inthe MSPAP tests for language arts and social studies. You’ll find these standardsidentified in the front of each instructional unit.

Across the CurriculumAssignment: Media Literacy is designed to connect to many subject areas, includinglanguage arts, social studies, math, health, and fine and performing arts. These lessonplans provide versatile and interdisciplinary approaches to the subject areas.

Print Literacy EmphasisEffective reading and writing skills are the single most valuable component in helpingchildren grow up to be life-long learners. The Assignment: Media Literacy activitiesprovide rich opportunities to strengthen reading and writing skills alongside thedevelopment of critical viewing and critical thinking skills.

Character EducationMany of the topics in Assignment: Media Literacy provide ideal exploration of CharacterEducation concepts, including responsibility, respect, loyalty, sharing, and fairness.Children get the opportunity to reflect on some of the important public debates aboutthe role of the media in society and connect these issues to character and values.

E - 6

High-Interest Topics and Collaborative Hands-On LearningThe themes and topics explored in Assignment: Media Literacy are high-interest issuesfor children and youth, sure to intrigue and motivate learners. The SNAPS Photo Cardsincluded in the kit provide hands-on learning experiences to build communication skillswith younger children and non-native speakers. Each of the six units includes a creativeProduction Activity that encourages “making and doing” through teamwork andcollaboration.

School-Home ConnectionAssignment: Media Literacy includes activities that promote healthy communicationbetween children and families. Children and family members watch and discuss atelevision program together and children interview adults about their attitudes aboutmedia use. These learning experiences provide opportunities for both parents andchildren to reflect on the role of technology and media in the home.

E - 7

ASSIGNMENT: MEDIA LITERACY

ELEMENTARY-SCHOOL UNITS

1. Asking Critical QuestionsLearn how to apply basic concepts, including target audience,purpose, and attention-getting techniques used to create mediamessages—in books, newspapers, TV, video games, and more.

2. Understanding Media GenresLearn the vocabulary for different media messages, and explorehow to classify media messages by type. Practice predicting whatwill happen next with different types of media messages.

3. In the Real WorldLearn about the purpose of journalism and discover howjournalists decide what gets on TV news or in a newspaper.Rewrite news for a radio or TV broadcast and perform it.

4. Heroes and VillainsLearn how the words used in a media message can suggest apoint of view. Use the Internet and the library to research thelife of Sir Francis Drake, the famous explorer, and discoverdifferent facts about him that could present him as heroic orvillainous.

5. Ratings and ReviewsLearn how different people interpret media messages differentlybecause of their age and experience. Rate different TV programsusing the TV ratings system, learn to use a TV guide grid, andwrite a review of a TV show or film.

6. Kenan’s WorldLearn about the important role of different types of media—video games, TV, music—in the lives of children and youngpeople. Use math skills to interpret charts showing children’smedia use and create a journal for a character shown in the videowho may or may not be addicted to video games.

E - 8

SNAPS is a set of 30 manipulatives that helpyoung children learn important lessons about the media.

This ASSIGNMENT: MEDIA LITERACY kit includescomplementary SNAPS Photo Cards for classroom use.Now you can teach image-analysis skills and use thesecards to explore topics including stereotyping, media

violence, and analyzing advertising.

E - 9

Key Concepts of Media LiteracyKey Concepts of Media LiteracyKey Concepts of Media LiteracyKey Concepts of Media Literacy

These ideas are the main principles of media literacy: they are

central concepts that are developed in each of the curriculum units.

1. All Messages are ConstructionsMessages are created by authors who select the ideas, images, words,sounds, and music to convey meanings. We don’t always notice the wayin which authors carefully make choices about each story element, eachword in a book, and each image in a TV commercial. Constructing amedia message takes creativity, planning, teamwork, and persistence.

2. Messages are RepresentationsMessages provide us with information about people, places, events, andideas. But because media messages are selective and incomplete, theycan’t provide an accurate picture of reality in all its complexity. Mediamessages about families, for example, leave out many importantelements of ordinary family life. Detecting stereotypes is one way toexplore how media messages may distort, mislead, and oversimplify.

3. Messages have Economic PurposesMedia messages that rely on advertising must attract large audiences—newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, and the Internet use advertising tosubsidize media products. The industry’s economic goals of reachinglarge audiences affect us as consumers. Financial goals shape thecontent, quality, and the diversity of media messages we receive forboth entertainment and information.

4. Individuals Interpret Messages DifferentlyPeople find meaning in media messages when they can connect themessage to their life experiences and their understanding of the world.It’s important to respect people’s unique interpretations and pleasures asthey read, view, and listen.

5. Media have Unique CharacteristicsIt’s not fair to say that some forms of communication are inherentlybetter than others. Each form of media has strengths and weaknesses,depending on your purpose, point of view, and goals as a communicator.People should be able to use a wide range of symbols, tools, andtechnologies for self-expression and communication.

E - 10

Instructional StrategiesInstructional StrategiesInstructional StrategiesInstructional Strategies

Teachers can incorporate media literacy concepts and activities into language arts,

social studies, health, science, and fine-arts subjects. The activities and readings

provided in the Assignment: Media Literacy curriculum work best if you keep in mind the

following ideas about effective instructional strategies in media literacy education.

Creating Media MessagesCreating Media MessagesCreating Media MessagesCreating Media Messages

Media literacy is more than just analyzing media messages—it’s learning to

create them as well. Each of the units in Assignment: Media Literacy

includes a Production Activity. These assignments are designed to involve

students in creating complex real-world media messages. Some of these activities are

best accomplished by individual work, and other activities work best as small-group

projects. You’ll see that each activity lists a checklist for students to use in completing

the activity and an Evaluation Rubric that identifies the qualities that students should

strive to include in their messages. You may want to use the evaluation rubric yourself

or ask students to complete this for peer evaluation or self-evaluation when their

projects are completed. Production activities are a valuable component of the total

learning experience.

Promoting Meaningful DiscussionPromoting Meaningful DiscussionPromoting Meaningful DiscussionPromoting Meaningful Discussion

Students are aware that adults and teachers watch different

kinds of TV shows, read different magazines, and use the

Internet. Students may have expectations about how teachers

will respond to their media use—some students fear that teachers will demean or

trivialize their interests in certain kinds of TV shows, websites, musicians, and movies.

They may be aware of some beliefs or attitudes that teachers and adults have about the

media and attempt to imitate those attitudes. To explore media issues in an authentic

way, students need to feel “safe” in sharing their genuine pleasures and dissatisfactions

with media and technology. You can support this by providing a balance of both support

for students’ ideas and observations and questions that provide insight on your

interpretation of media messages. This blend of support and challenge helps deepen the

level of discussion.

E - 11

Supporting Critical-Reading SkillsSupporting Critical-Reading SkillsSupporting Critical-Reading SkillsSupporting Critical-Reading Skills

The reproducible activity sheets help students to strengthen their

reading and problem solving skills. You can make use of a variety of

different methods of eliciting student responses to enhance reading

skill development. You may want to use “read-aloud” with whole-group

discussion. You may want to ask students to read and then invite them to

complete the activities or discuss the questions in a small group. You may want

to check on students’ reading comprehension by asking them to summarize the

arguments they encounter in the readings. You may want to have students

identify the point of view of the writers, critically analyze the arguments

presented, and provide your own interpretation and point of view about the

issues explored in this curriculum.

Encouraging Collaborative Problem SolvingEncouraging Collaborative Problem SolvingEncouraging Collaborative Problem SolvingEncouraging Collaborative Problem Solving

Many of the activities involve students in small group problem solving. You can

maximize the instructional value of these activities by ensuring that all students

are clear about the task and the deadline. Students work best in groups when

they have clearly defined roles, and you may find that it’s effective for you to

assign the roles of taskmaster, time keeper, scribe, and researcher. Some roles for

the media production activities may include director, talent, technology manager,

writer, and graphic designer.

E - 12

ELEMENTARY VIDEOTAPEELEMENTARY VIDEOTAPEELEMENTARY VIDEOTAPEELEMENTARY VIDEOTAPESynopsis of Video SegmentsSynopsis of Video SegmentsSynopsis of Video SegmentsSynopsis of Video Segments

IntroductionA video montage showing elementary teachers andstudents using the Assignment: Media Literacycurriculum.

Table of Contents1.2 Analyzing PhotosFour still photos for student observation andanalysis.

1.5 Asking Critical QuestionsInstructional segment shows students answering fivecritical questions of media literacy for an ad. Threevideo clips include an animal documentary, promofor Stuart Little, and a situation comedy.

2.1 What Type of Message is This?Short clips from TV news, ads, infomercial, talkshow, radio news, Peter Pan dramatic reading, andthe King Midas tale.

3.1 In the Real WorldLearn how news media inform us about currentevents. But the news doesn’t tell us everything.Different media tell different stories depending upontheir format.

3.5 You Be the Journalist!Watch elementary school students comparing andcontrasting newspaper and radio news. Studentsrewrite a newspaper article for radio.

V 4 . 1V 4 . 1V 4 . 1V 4 . 1

This list of videoThis list of videoThis list of videoThis list of videosegments will helpsegments will helpsegments will helpsegments will helpyou makeyou makeyou makeyou makeeffective use ofeffective use ofeffective use ofeffective use ofthe videothe videothe videothe videomaterials providedmaterials providedmaterials providedmaterials providedin thein thein thein theASSIGNMENT:ASSIGNMENT:ASSIGNMENT:ASSIGNMENT:MEDIA LITERACYMEDIA LITERACYMEDIA LITERACYMEDIA LITERACYkit.kit.kit.kit.

E - 13

4.1 Heroes and VillainsLearn how point of view, language, and wordchoice determine an author’s perspective.

4.3 Listening for LearningListening activity on the life of Sir Francis Drake.

4.5 You Write the Voice-overPirates’ images are the subject of this silent videoclip that allows students to write and performvoice-overs.

5.1 Conduct an InterviewSee how people of different ages respond to avideo message. View the documentary segmentjust reviewed by audiences and interview apartner about the clip.

5.5 Can You Read the Grid?Instructional video provides a lesson on how toread a TV guide.

6.1 Kenan’s WorldRealistic docudrama explores a young boy’sfascination with playing video games. Is headdicted? What family dynamics contribute to thesituation? Discussion catalyst for topics such asmedia use, addiction, family dynamics, and more.

Look for thefilm symbolto see whento use a videosegment.

E - 14

Dear Family:

We are beginning an exploration of the role of the mass media in our society using anew curriculum called Assignment: Media Literacy. Your child will be learning how tothink critically about the media, including print and TV journalism, advertising, filmsand entertainment programming, and even documentaries.

Some activities your child may participate in include:

• Learning to distinguish various types of TV programs and learn the names forprograms including news, advertising, infomercials, situation comedies,documentaries, and reality TV programs;

• Understanding how editors make decisions about what to broadcast on TV newsand writing a news brief by summarizing a news story read in a newspaper;

• Researching a historical character using an Internet web quest and discoveringhow language can shape our perceptions of a character from history;

• Learning about the TV and film ratings systems, how to read a TV guide, andwriting their own TV review for a new TV show;

• Discussing the role of video games in the lives of children and teens andreflecting upon the positive and negative contributions of game playing.

These classroom activities have been designed to strengthen students’ writing, reading,listening, and speaking skills, in addition to other language arts skills, includingvocabulary development and critical thinking skills. In addition, this curriculumprovides opportunities to improve knowledge of social studies, the fine arts,mathematics, and health education. These activities promote the skills needed forsuccess on the MSPAP tests.

Because most of our children’s media use occurs in the home, we hope you’ll take theopportunity to talk with your child about the media during this time. I’ve enclosed abrief list of suggestions for activities that you can do at home to strengthen yourchild’s critical viewing skills and promote communication about what your child sees ontelevision.

Thank you for your continued support of your child’s learning!

E - 15

ASSIGNMENT: MEDIA LITERACY AT HOME

More than ever before, children and young people are surrounded by acomplex and increasingly diverse collection of messages—television, radio,videotapes, the Internet, magazines, video games, and more. To be acompetent citizen in a media saturated society, it is essential for studentsto ask questions about what they watch, see, and read.

Try these activities at home to help your child build critical thinkingskills about media and technology.

Play “Spot the Target Audience”As you watch TV, see if your child can identify the target audience for a TVshow or a commercial. Help him or her to recognize that some mediamessages are for adults and others are designed for children.

Use the MuteWhile you’re watching with your child, use the mute button on the remotecontrol and ask, “What do you think is going to happen next?” Encourageyour child to make predictions. This is a good way to check on his or herunderstanding of what he or she is seeing and hearing.

Use the TV GuideUse the TV guide to read the program descriptions. Try to pick out a showthat will appeal to all family members and watch it together.

Watch Their ShowsWatch one of your child’s favorite shows. Ask him or her why he or shelikes it and have your child explain more about the characters.

Try a Media FastFor one day, use no media or technology in your home—no car radio, noInternet, no TV, no books or magazines. What do you notice about the roleof these media in your family’s life?

E - 16