All resources in Media Literacy & Digital Citizenship

Digital Survival Skills & MisinfoNight (Updated)

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In this unit students will reflect on their own media environment, understand how cognitive bias and social media algorithms influence that environment, and learn how to investigate new sources and claims online. These activities culminate in a student-led "social science fair" MisinfoNight event where they present their new skills and knowledge to family members to help them become more savvy information consumers. 

Material Type: Lesson, Unit of Study

Authors: Liz Crouse, Shawn Lee

Deepfakes: Exploring Media Manipulation

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Students examine what deepfakes are and consider the deeper civic and ethical implications of deepfake technology. In an age of easy image manipulation, this lesson fosters critical thinking skills that empower students to question how we can mitigate the impact of doctored media content. This lesson plan includes a slide deck and brainstorm sheet for classroom use.

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Lesson, Lesson Plan

Author: Shana Ferguson

Introduction to Visual Media Literacy

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This social media literacy unit introduces students to foundational skills in analyzing images and social media posts. It also reenforces critical thinking questions that can be applied to various forms of media. This unit was taught to 9th grade students but is easily adaptible to a range of secondary classrooms. It was also taught in conjunction with another unit focused on social media platforms and content.

Material Type: Assessment, Homework/Assignment, Lesson Plan, Reading, Unit of Study

Author: Shana Ferguson

How a Medium Changes Discourse

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OverviewThe medium we choose to communicate a message can affect how that message is conveyed and how well the message will be understood by the receiver of the message.  This lesson gives the students a concrete way of seeing the effect a medium has on a message.  This lesson is part of a media unit curated at our Digital Citizenship website, "Who Am I Online?"

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Lesson

Authors: John Sadzewicz, Beth Clothier, Angela Anderson, Dana John

Don't Be Fooled By Food Messaging!

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 Description: Don’t be fooled by food messaging is a media literacy embedded health unit that takes the health goals of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and adds some critical thinking skills and communication skills. In food marketing young people are surrounded by persuasive claims meant to influence and manipulate their eating behavior. Students will explore some of the techniques and strategies food marketers use to influence their eating behavior to better understand how it impacts their own food choices. Within the PE program students will discuss how food choices, levels of consumption and physical activity levels influence health and wellness. Body image/healthy weight will be incorporated into this content. The culminating projects require students to work collaboratively to synthesize their new learning while using a variety of strategies to create their own healthy choices messaging production projects.

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Game, Lesson, Module, Unit of Study

Authors: Shawn Sheller, Barbara Soots, Kimberlee Swan, Julie Cantrell, Jill Minkiewitz, Mark Friden, Kirsten Lewandowski

The Terra Cotta Army and Qin Culture

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This inquiry asked students to answer the compelling question: What does the terra cotta army teach us about Qin culture? In order to answer the compelling questions students will analyze China's terra cotta warriors. Students will first formulate their own definitions of the terms: culture, artifact, afterlife, primary source, and secondary source. Once a working definition is found students will conduct an analysis of the terra cotta warriors. While analyzing the warriors and other sources, students will to question what was important to the Chinese during the Qin dynasty, what skills they valued, and what beliefs they had. While students work, they will also question the sources. Who wrote/made the source, why was it create, who is was/is the audience of the source, and if the source is biased. This mixture of looking over artifacts, reading texts, and questioning source material are all things good historians do.  

Material Type: Module, Unit of Study

Author: Samantha Fletcher

Native American Mascot Debate Inquiry Design Model (IDM)

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This inquiry takes students through analysis and evaluation of the Compelling Question “Should Washington State Ban the use of Native American mascots in their schools?” Students will be learning about the persuasive techniques of Political Cartoons, analyzing articles and images, reading interviews, and watching YouTube videos. The summative performance task is writing a letter to the Washington State Board of education stating their claim on whether or not they should or shouldn't allow schools to use Native American mascots.

Material Type: Unit of Study

Authors: Michele Doctor, Alicia Tonasket

Reading Media: Analyzing Logos, Ads, & Film in the ELA classroom

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This media literacy unit was designed and piloted with junior English classes at the start of the school year. Activities can easily be adapted to suit secondary students at various levels. Within the unit, students analyze corporate logos, corporate advertising, movie trailers and stereotypes found in media related to Native American culture. Within the unit, students also learn how to consider the ways in which media appeals to ethos, pathose and logos and how to identify the tone of a piece of media. 

Material Type: Homework/Assignment, Lesson, Lesson Plan, Reading, Unit of Study

Author: Shana Ferguson

Propaganda & Animal Farm

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This unit is designed to accompany the study of George Orwell's Animal Farm. Resources encourage students to recognize a variety of propaganda techniques and to connect those techniques to media that they can find in their everyday lives. Resources also help students to understand the historical uses of propaganda by governments and political parties to influence public opinion. Resources can be used independently of the novel.

Material Type: Homework/Assignment, Lecture Notes, Lesson

Author: Shana Ferguson

SW Washington Media Literacy Project

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The SW Washington Media Literacy Project is a Washington State OSPI-funded grant to prototype the use of media literacy facilitators and Communities of Practice to promote media literacy instruction in K12 schools. This site documents the work and process of the project and includes resources and guidance to allow other schools or districts to replicate this model of professional learning and support.

Material Type: Case Study, Teaching/Learning Strategy

Author: Mark Ray

Year-Long Cohort Professional Development Plan: Integrating Media Literacy Education Across a District

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This document aims to provide support and guidance in developing and implementing a district-wide year-long professional development cohort to support media literacy education integration. This plan includes advice for developing objectives and outcomes for the project, implementing appropriate professional development to support teams in their work, and providing reflection opportunities at the end of the year. The ultimate goal is to encorage and support integration of media literacy concepts in all buildings and classrooms.

Material Type: Teaching/Learning Strategy

Authors: Jamie Sproul, Sharyn Merrigan