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39 Improving Media Literacy

Page
345
from
Write Ahead

Start-Up Activity

Have students close their eyes and listen. Ask them to remember what they hear. Then ask them to think about what they feel—at their fingertips, on their arms, in their posture. Next have them open their eyes and notice three things they haven't noticed before. Have students share some of the sensations—sounds, textures, temperatures, sights. . . .

Point out that they know about their world because of the five senses. They couldn't see anything when their eyes were closed. Tell them they also have extra-sensory perception. The media brings them sights, sounds, and feelings about events happening across the globe and throughout time. Students can't know what is happening in their world if they don't open their eyes to media.

Ah, but media can deceive, just as the senses can. This chapter will help students not only use media but evaluate its trustworthiness.

Think About It

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”

—George Bernard Shaw

State Standards Covered in This Chapter

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.6

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.7

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.8

LAFS Covered in This Chapter

LAFS.910.RI.2.6

LAFS.910.RI.3.7

LAFS.910.RI.3.8

TEKS Covered in This Chapter

110.36.c.8.A

110.36.c.9.A

110.37.c.8.A

110.37.c.9.A

110.36.c.7.E

110.37.c.7.E

TEKS Covered in This Chapter

Page 346 from Write Ahead

Analyzing Media Messages

The "Communication Situation" is a powerful skeleton key to unlock any message in any medium. It works from Internet articles to novels to works of architecture or dance. Anytime a person or group of people makes something that is meant to be experienced by another person or group of people, students can use the communication situation to analyze what is going on.

Lead students through the five parts, using the graphic to help them remember each. Then, at the bottom of the page, lead them through the types of questions they should ask about each aspect of the situation.

Next, give them a chance to try this sort of analysis. Name a recent short story or novel that the class has read, and ask them some of the questions for each part of the situation. Lead a discussion based on their answers.

Then show students a famous painting, such as the Mona Lisa and ask them about each part of the communication situation. They will be able to answer some of the questions themselves, but others will require some research. Encourage it by letting them look up details online, for example, what came before and after the Mona Lisa.

Encourage students to use the communication situation to analyze every message they come across, from a poster advertising a concert to a hit song on the radio.

Related Minilesson:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.RI.2.6
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.8.A, 110.36.c.9.A, 110.37.c.8.A, 110.37.c.9.A
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.1.6.b

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Research Writing
English Language Arts:
Prewriting

Page 347 from Write Ahead

Detecting Bias and Identifying Missing Perspectives

Of course, in our media-saturated world, many messages are biased. Use the top of this page to identify a number of "red flags" to help students recognize media bias.

Then present two recent Internet articles you have found about the same subject. Make sure that one is unbiased and the other has plenty of "red flags." Have students read through the two accounts and decide which is biased. Then have them find specific evidence to show the bias. Discuss why this biased source is not a good place to get information.

Afterward, lead students through the material at the bottom of the page, which focuses on the perspective of the sender. Help students see that a sender with a narrow perspective that excludes many other viewpoints is not as reliable as one with a broader perspective that takes in more ideas.

Related Minilesson:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.RI.2.6
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.8.A, 110.36.c.9.A, 110.37.c.8.A, 110.37.c.9.A
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.1.6.b

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Research Writing
English Language Arts:
Prewriting

Page 348 from Write Ahead

Recognizing Fake News

The term "fake news" has come to mean "reporting that I disagree with" rather than "false reports that include fabricated information." So students must be able to decide for themselves what reports include reliable, factual information, and what reports are truly fake.

Lead your students through the seven strategies for detecting fake news. Then have them search online for one trustworthy article about a recent event, and one fake news article about the same event. Have students provide evidence to show why one article is trustworthy and the other is fake.

Tell students that, from now on, they should not use any fake news in their classroom writing. For that matter, they should not recognize it and ignore it in their day-to-day lives.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.RI.2.6
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.8.A, 110.36.c.9.A, 110.37.c.8.A, 110.37.c.9.A
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.1.6.b

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Research Writing
English Language Arts:
Prewriting