Consortium for Media Literacy | Uniting for Development | Connections

In many communities, local news from a credible source is no longer available; more than 120 communities have lost their local newspaper since 2008, according to the Media Deserts Project, which calls communities that have no local news coverage “media deserts.”

In this MediaLit Moment, students will have an opportunity to discover their local news sources, and to see whether their community is in a “media desert.” They will then have an opportunity to put their own experience into context by checking out a national map of media deserts at the Media Deserts Project website at http://www.mediadeserts.com.

Have your students examine their local media sources

AHA!: Some communities don’t have access to local news!

Grade Level: 5-8

Key Question #3: How might different people understand this message differently?

Core Concept #3: Different people experience the same media message differently.

Key Question #4: What lifestyles, values and points of view are represented in, or omitted

from, this message?

Core Concept #4: Media messages have imbedded values and points of view.

Materials: Computer with high-speed internet connection, LCD projector and screen. Various visuals and explanations are available at: http://www.mediadeserts.com

Activity: Review the map depicted and see where your local community fits. Before sharing any of these visuals with your students, begin by asking a provocative question or two, that will help students think about knowledge that they may already have about the subject, for example:

• Does your community enjoy fresh, local news and information on an ongoing basis?

• What are the local news sources that your family uses? How often are these sources available? Do you read or watch or use this media?

• Have you seen news or information about your friends or relatives in local news? Have you or your family ever been featured in local news? Like sports listings or announcements or for sad events like obituaries? How did you feel about this? Do you think this type of local news is important?

Then, show the map of the Media Deserts. Ask students to point out where their community might fall on the map, and why. What might some differences be for the communities in a Media Desert, or not? Discuss the consequences of being in a Media Desert – or not.

Ask students:

• Does your community have a community media center, or a library that encourages media production by locals? Possibly a Maker Space? Share information on these resources.

Extended Activity: If possible, visit your local community media center, library or Maker Space with students; if possible, arrange for students to do a production activity that has a media literacy focus.

The Five Core Concepts and Five Key Questions of media literacy were developed as part of the Center for Media Literacy’s MediaLit Kit™ and Questions/TIPS (Q/TIPS)™ framework. Used with permission, ©2002-2015.

In honest communications, the appearance or feel of something (a sign, words or anything designed for us to engage with or respond to) should help us understand how to respond or engage with it.  A good example of this effect is an optical illusion, where our brain “sees” something that is not there.

Show your students two slides and ask them what they see

AHA!: I often see what I WANT to see!  But this may not be what someone else WANTS me to see.

Grade Level: 3-6

Key Question #3:  How might different people understand this message differently?

Core Concept #3:  Different people experience the same media message differently.

Materials:  Two PowerPoint slides.

Activity:  These optical illusions show how our brain can easily trick us.

Show these slides:

PARIS

IN THE

THE SPRING

(Most people seeing this for the first time say, Paris in the Spring.  But the word “the” appears twice.)

Then, Ask students to read all the words in the box below and count how many times the letter f or F appears:

How many ‘f's?

FINE POINT

It is easy to miss the

Finer

Points in life. Folk are

Frequently guilty of

falling

into this trap.

(The letter f appears eight times in the box. People commonly count seven, by failing to see the last one.)

For more information on Heuristics and Nudge Theory: http://www.businessballs.com/nudge-theory.htm

The Five Core Concepts and Five Key Questions of media literacy were developed as part of the Center for Media Literacy’s MediaLit Kit™ and Questions/TIPS (Q/TIPS)™ framework.  Used with permission, ©2002-2015.

In this MediaLit Moment, students have an opportunity to work in teams to explore representations of men and women, and to construct their own depiction of their findings.

Ask students to construct a collage of images that represent men (or women) and to share their findings.

AHA!: The common images that we see of men and women are dramatically different for each sex.

Grade Level: 5-8+

Key Question #4: (Deconstruction) What values, lifestyles and points of view are represented in or omitted form this message?
Key Question #4: (Construction) Have I clearly and consistently framed values, lifestyles and points of view in my content?
Core Concept #4: Media have embedded values and points of view.

Key Question #5: (Deconstruction) Why is this message being sent?
Key Question #5: (Construction) Have I communicated my purpose effectively?
Core Concept #5: Most media messages are organized to gain profit and/or power.

Materials: Use about 5 magazines for each group of up to 5 students; color markers or pens, tape or glue; scissors, poster board OR use the GlogsterEDU program using computers with high-speed internet connection, LCD projector and screen.

Activity: Divide students into groups of up to 5 and assign each group to address “how men are depicted” or “how women are depicted”; provide materials and instruct them to construct a collage that reflects images of how men/women are depicted in media.  Students have free reign over their creations – they can show pictures, cartoons, writings, headlines – whatever they find; they will undoubtedly see that they will develop a point of view amongst the group.

After the students complete their collages, ask them to present their findings and to discuss.  Ask students if they were surprised by any of the information depicted – and if so, how?  Did they feel the images they found were “real?”  Discuss the sources of information/pictures that they identified and how the source may have influenced the type of depictions. Then, ask students to deconstruct their media products (the collages) using close analysis techniques and Questions/TIPS.

The Five Core Concepts and Five Key Questions of media literacy were developed as part of the Center for Media Literacy’s MediaLit Kit™ and Questions/TIPS (Q/TIPS)™ framework.  Used with permission, ©2002-2015.

It is one thing to read a listing of dry facts and figures, and it is another to actually see how the data looks in ways that can be illuminating and often surprising. Yet it is still imperative to be confident of the source of the data and the accuracy of the portrayal. The techniques that can be used to illustrate data visually often show a different way of thinking that clearly show how the Text + Context = Message.

In this MediaLit Moment, students have an opportunity to explore the construction of various types of charts, graphs and maps that give them a picture of techniques that can be used to attract attention and go beyond numbers on a page to give new and expanded meanings to the text at hand.

Ask students to evaluate the impact of sample visuals compared to a listing of statistics

AHA!:  A picture is worth a thousand words – or numbers.

Grade Level: 5-8

Key Question #1: Who created this message?
Core Concept #1: All media messages are constructed.

Key Question #3: How might different people understand this message differently?
Core Concept #3: Other people experience the same media message differently.

Materials: Computer with high-speed internet connection, LCD projector and screen. Various visuals and explanations are available at:
http://www.vox.com/2014/9/23/6829399/23-maps-and-charts-that-will-surprise-you

Activity: Review the charts and maps depicted and decide which you would like to critically analyze with your class.  Before sharing any of these visuals with your students, begin by asking a provocative question or two that will help students think about knowledge that they may already have about the subject, for example:

• Is Africa bigger than the United States, or about the same size?
• What drugs cause the most deaths in the United States? Are they legal drugs?
• Are there more murders in the United States today than there were ten years ago?  What makes you think this? Where do you get your information?
• What countries use the metric system? What is the advantage of using the metric system?

After exploring these questions, show the students the pertinent chart or map that you selected. Ask students if they were surprised by any of the information depicted – and if so, how?  And why?  Reference KQ #3, and CC #3 as students reveal their differing perceptions.  Then ask the students to Think-Pair-Share, focus on KQ #1, so that they identify the source of the information.  If students have access to iPads or computers, ask them to look up the source of the information and use a checklist to determine whether the organization/website is credible or not.  Discuss briefly, asking students for evidence to support their opinion on the credibility of the source and the depiction.

The Five Core Concepts and Five Key Questions of media literacy were developed as part of the Center for Media Literacy’s MediaLit Kit™ and Questions/TIPS (Q/TIPS)™ framework.  Used with permission, ©2002-2015.