WHAT IS MEDIA LITERACY?MODULE 3: Becoming Media Literate

Lesson Module Outcomes:

•In this lesson students will:▫Take a closer look at the definition of media

literacy and each aspect of it including accessing, analyzing, evaluating, creating and participating in different platforms of media.

▫Learn how to use each of these skills.▫Gain a sense of media literacy and

confidence in looking at different media messages critically.

Media Literacy Defined Again•“Media literacy is a 21st century approach to

education. It provides a framework to access, analyze, evaluate, create and participate with messages in a variety of forms – from print to video to the Internet. Media literacy builds an understanding of the role of media in society as well as essential skills of inquiry and self-expression necessary for citizens of democracy.”

http://www.medialit.org/

Breaking Down the Definition

•In order to have a better understanding of each of the different parts of the definition of media literacy, we will go through the definitions of each one and then learn how to practice the skill.

•ACCESS, ANALYZE, EVALUATE, CREATE AND PARTICIPATE.

ACCESS

•Dictionary.com Definition: “A way or means of approach” or “the state or quality of being approachable”.

•Apply this definition to media literacy; write down what you think ACCESS means in regards to being media literate and try to come up with at least one example.

ANALYZE

•Dictionary.com Definition: “To examine carefully and in detail so as to identify causes, key factors, possible results, etc.”

•Apply this definition to media literacy; write down what you think ANALYZE means in regards to being media literate and try to come up with at least one example.

EVALUATE

•Dictionary.com Definition: “To judge or determine the significance, worth, or quality of.”

•Apply this definition to media literacy; write down what you think EVALUATE means in regards to being media literate and try to come up with at least one example.

CREATE

•Dictionary.com Definition: “To cause to come into being” or “to evolve from one’s own thoughts or imagination, as a work of art or an invention.”

•Apply this definition to media literacy; write down what you think CREATE means in regards to being media literate and try to come up with at least one example.

PARTICIPATE

•Dictionary.com Definition: “To take or have a part or share, as with others.”

•Apply this definition to media literacy; write down what you think PARTICIPATE means in regards to being media literate and try to come up with at least one example.

Activity

•According to Forbes, the top news stories of 2011 are as follows:

• Casey Anthony• Japan earthquake and

tsunami• The royal wedding• Osama Bin Laden’s

death• Tuscon, Arizona

shooting

• The job market• Libya uprising and

the death of Ghadafi• Death of Amy

Winehouse• Arab spring• Occupy Wall Street•Select one of these stories to be the focus of the

following activity, which will help you put the media literacy skills mentioned into practice.http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2011/12/01/the-biggest-news-stories-of-2011/

ACCESS• In terms of media literacy, access is the

ability to obtain news and information from a variety of different media outlets.

•Using whatever story you picked, access it on at least three different platforms; the more you are able to find, the better.▫Examples: Find an article from a news site, a clip

from youtube, a tweet from a news outlet, an audio clip from a radio station, a Facebook page, a blog post etc.

ANALYZE• In terms of media literacy, analyze is the ability to

look carefully at different media messages and figure out what exactly the message is saying and looking at how the facts fit together. An analysis is non-judgmental and purely objective.

• Look at the different sources you found on your chosen news story. Write up an analysis on each source including what the message is and how it is given to the audience. Think about the targeted audience and the impact of each message.

EVALUATE• In terms of media literacy, evaluating a

source, unlike analyzing a source, includes your personal judgment and giving the source value or credibility.

•Now you are to evaluate each of your sources. Think about who made each message and how reliable the source is. Is it dependent off of other information or is it a primary source? It may be helpful to rate each source on a scale of 1-5.

CREATE• In terms of media literacy, create goes

beyond your ability to access, analyze and evaluate other sources of media, and incorporates the idea of creating your own media messages.

•Think about the news story you selected and what type of media message you could create that you think would be the most successful.▫Examples: Write up an article, make a video,

tweet something, make a blog post, etc.

PARTICIPATE• In terms of media literacy, participation is the

newest addition to the definition as mentioned in prior modules. To participate means both sharing your personally created media messages and engaging in others’ content.

• You should each post your media message creations to the class Google document under your personal page where you have put other assignments. Take this opportunity to look at the work of your classmates and comment and engage in several of their creations.

Why Study Media Literacy?•Lastly, the Center of Media Literacy gives

20 reasons why it is important to study the media:1. Like history, the media interpret the past to us and shows us

what has gone into making us the way we are.

2. Like geography, the media define for us our own place in the world.

3. Like civics, the media help us to understand the workings of our immediate world and our individual place in it.

4. Like literature, the media require us to learn and use critical thinking skills.

5. Like literature, the media are major sources of modern culture and entertainment.

6. Like business, the media are major industries and are inextricably involved in commerce.

7. Like language, the media help define how we communicate with each other.

8. Like science/technology, the media help us to learn technology by adopting the leading edge of modern technological innovation.

9. Like family studies, the media determine much of our cultural diet and weave part of the fabric of our lives.

10. Like environmental studies, the media are as big a part of our everyday environment as are trees, mountains, oceans, rivers and cities.

11. Like philosophy, the media interpret our world, its values and ideas to us.

12. Like psychology, the media helps us understand ourselves and others.

13. Like science, the media explain to us how things work.

14. Like industrial arts, the media are carefully planned, designed and constructed products.

15. Like the arts, through the media we experience all the arts as no other age has ever done before.

16. Like politics, the media bring us political and ideological messages all of the time.

17. Like rhetoric, the media use special codes and conventions of their own languages that we need to understand.

18. Like drama, the media help us understand life by presenting it as larger- than-life, and compel us to think in terms of the audience.

19. Like Everest, the media is there.

20. Because the media go to great lengths to study you!http://www.medialit.org/reading-room/20-important-reasons-study-media