Lesson Plan One: An Introduction to Media Literacy - Students are introduced to the concept of media, and what it means to be media literate. Basic facts and figures about media practices (corporations, profit motives, etc.) are explained. Students end with a series of clips in which they practice media literacy by looking for the messages in commercials.
Lesson Plan Two: Advertising - Students dive into the world of advertising and analyze a print ad through its product, target audience, message, and means of conveying this message. A history of advertising is presented through a look at different brand mascots over time, showing the move of advertisers away from heavy print and toward vivid imagery. Media ads are examined as a reflection of and reinforcer for cultural shifts. Dove's (Campaign for Real Beauty) "Evolution" is shown to expose advertising's influence on perceptions of beauty. Students complete the lesson by creating their own product advertisement, stepping into the shoes of the advertiser and getting hands-on experience through a fun activity!
Lesson Plan Three: TV and the News - Students reflect on their own favorite shows and explore the concept and implications of media consolidation. Students watch a clip (from Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe on BBC) which shows, through a fake "reality" TV program, how unreal reality TV really is at the hands of editing software. Actual vs. "television programming" statistics are displayed to expose the gap in issues such as race and gender portrayals. Students learn about long-term media effects, such as Mean World Syndrome, and media tools, such as Framing, in order to understand why media literacy is important.
Lesson Plan Four: The Internet - Students begin by reflecting on their personal use of the internet, as well as why the internet is a valuable tool in our daily lives. Special attention is paid to social networking, and its positive and negative effects. Students explore the concept of a virtual personality, and are given safety tips to use when on social networking sites.
