MEDIA LITERACY PATHFINDER

An Overview for High School Freshmen

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Introduction


According to the Media Awareness Network, "Media literacy is the ability to sift through and analyze the messages that inform, entertain and sell to us every day. It's the ability to bring critical thinking skills to bear on all media- from music videos and Web environments to product placement in films and virtual displays on NHL hockey boards. It's about asking pertinent questions about what's there, and noticing what's not there. And it's the instinct to question what lies behind media productions- the motives, the money, the values and the ownership- and to be aware of how these factors influence content."

This pathfinder will assist teachers and media specialists in identifying useful resources for a broad introduction to media and information literacy.  Resources included will offer students the means to investigate a variety of media, and reveal their vast influence on our lives.  The insidious nature of advertising, and the obvious and subtle methods employed to manipulate the public can be scrutinized through the use of these sources.  Additionally, students can be guided through these resources to begin to question the relative worth of various information sources, particularly those found on the Internet.

Helpful Search Terms

  The following key words or subject headings can help facilitate your search:

•·   Media literacy

•·   Information literacy

•·   Mass media

•·   Mass media and youth

•·   Mass media in education

•·   Internet in education

•·   Advertising-Study and teaching

•·   Critical thinking-Study and teaching


Helpful Dewey Designations

•·   025- 028-Library operations, Reading and use of other information media

•·   302-Social interaction

•·   370-Education

•·   373-Secondary education

•·   375-Curriculums

•·   607-Education, research, related topics

•·   659-Advertising & public relations


Print Resources

*Reference Works

  • Frechette, Julie D.  Developing media literacy in cyberspace : pedagogy and critical learning for the twenty-first-century classroom.  New York: Preager, 2002.

In this book , t he author strives to help educators develop concrete learning strategies to enable students to judge the validity and worth of what they see on the Internet.   Basing her theories on a vision of learning that emphasizes social empowerment over technical skills, she delves into various models that cultivate critical teaching and learning in the classroom.


  • Ercegovac, Zorana.  Information literacy; search strategies, tools & resources for high school students.   Worthington, OH: Linworth Publishers, 2001.

Drawing on learning theories, research, and AASL's position on information literacy, the author explores five types of learning with information literacy at the core.  Lesson plans are included, as well as a checklist for evaluating online resources.


  • Thomas, Nancy Pickering. Information literacy and information skills instruction: applying research to practice in the school library media center . New York: Libraries Unlimited, 2004.

The author provides a comprehensive resource for integrating media literacy skills into the curriculum, using the Center for Media Literacy's "Five Core Concepts" as a basis for investigation.


  • Buckingham, David. Media education;  literacy, learning and contemporary culture. Malden, MA: Polity Press. 2003.
          This reference provides a good overview of media education that addresses the importance of teaching media literacy, as well as concrete methods and classroom strategies for doing so effectively.

  *Monographs


  • Hobbs, Renee.  Reading the media; media literacy in high school English. New York: Teacher's College Press, 2006.

Renee Hobbs, a pioneer in the field of media literacy, provides evidence of the link between media literacy and academic achievement in teenagers. This book examines how guided analysis of popular media as part of the high school English curriculum can have a measurable impact on students.


  • Summers, Sue Lockworth.  Get them thinking! : use media literacy to prepare students for state assessments.  Worthington, OH: Linworth Publishers, 2005.

The author provides creative ways for improving standardized test scores by connecting media literacy skills and critical thinking.


  • Endich, Roberta. Media literacy; activities for understanding the scripted world. Worthington, OH: Linworth Publishers, 2003.

Higher order thinking skills are examined here, through analysis, application, and synthesis of a variety of media.


  • Paxon, Peyton  Media literacy; thinking critically about television.  Portland, ME.  J. Weston Walch, 2002.  81p.

This series provides in-depth information on each topic, complete with a wealth of activities to reinforce and deepen students' understanding of a wide variety of media literacy concepts.  The author has developed a veritable curriculum on these hot topics.


Series also includes these titles by the same author:

Media literacy; thinking critically about movies,  

Media literacy; thinking critically about advertising,

Media literacy; thinking critically about music & media

Media literacy; thinking critically about visual culture

Media literacy; thinking critically about the Internet

Media literacy; thinking critically about sex in the media.

Media literacy; thinking critically about newspapers and magazines.


*Journals

•·   Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy.  

  • School Library Journal.  
  • Library Media Connection.

*Organizations and Experts

•·   Frank W. Baker, Media Literacy Consultant, fbaker1346@AOL.COM, Phone (803) 254-8987 Fax (803) 254-0508.

Mr. Baker is a frequent presenter at state library conferences, a frequent contributor to the SCASL listserv, and the developer of the all-inclusive Media Literacy Clearinghouse.

•·   Elizabeth Thoman, CHM, Founder and Chair, Chief Programs Officer for the Center for Media Literacy , a non-profit organization which promotes and supports media literacy education.

Electronic Resources

*DISCUS


  Use the Gale InfoTrac Powersearch for simultaneous search capability for all DISCUS databases. Included are the Expanded Academic ASAP and SIRS Knowledge Source, both of which contain a wealth of full-text newspaper and magazine articles pertinent to the topic of "Media Literacy."  Using the Powersearch also includes all additional newspaper databases, as well, which also contain relevant articles concerning this topic.


•·   Sperry, Chris. "Seeking truth in the social studies classroom: media literacy, critical thinking and teaching about the Middle East." Social Education 70.1 (Jan-Feb 2006): 37(7). Expanded Academic ASAP. Thomson Gale. DISCUS. 30 Oct. 2006 

The author, a social studies teacher himself, finds that by teaching social studies subjects from a media literacy perspective produces learning that translates to test-taking achievement.  Step-by-step procedures used by the author will help duplicate a similar project.


•·   Lacina, Jan. "Media literacy and learning. (benefits of media literacy)." Childhood Education 82.2 (Winter 2005): 118(3). Expanded Academic ASAP. Thomson Gale. DISCUS. 30 Oct. 2006. 


Lacina addresses the various issues involved in media literacy, and gives specific strategies that can be used by teachers to connect "students' background knowledge to school literacy instruction."


•·   Baker, Frank. "'To Kill a Mockingbird': seeing the film through the lens of film language and media literacy.(FILM AS TEXT)." Australian Screen Education 39 (Summer 2005): 135(4). Expanded Academic ASAP. Thomson Gale. DISCUS. 30 Oct. 2006. 


Frank Baker does a tremendous job of deconstructing the movie To Kill a Mockingbird to help students analyze the elements that make it such an effective piece of film.


•·   Rouner, Donna, Michael D. Slater and Melanie Domenach-Rodriguez.  "Adolescent Evaluation of Gender Role and Sexual Imagery in Television Advertisements." Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media (Sept. 2003): 435+.  SIRS Knowledge Source. DISCUS 30 Oct. 2006.


Television ads provide a wealth of examples for this investigation into gender bias.  This article details the research basis for this kind of comparison.



•·   Smith, Lynn.  "When the Plot Pushes the Product."  Los Angeles Times (Feb 12, 2006): E5+.  SIRS Knowledge Source. DISCUS. 30 Oct. 2006.


This article delves into the influences advertising has on actual television show content, and the economics that "drive the train."


* Internet Resources


Portal

  • Media Literacy Clearinghouse-Begin any investigation on media literacy here.  Frank Baker has complied an all-inclusive, exhaustive online resource on this topic from advertising and body image to propaganda and state standards.  Find the very latest on media literacy in "Today's Media News."


  Search Engine


  • Google offers a myriad of valuable sites available by using the search term "media literacy." 

  Library Catalog


•·   Internet Public Library Catalog.  Search this vast collection for resources dealing with media literacy and information literacy.  The "Grok" search followed by selection of the "map view" allows the user to see the search in a unique and graphic way.

  WebSites

  The following listing is just a small portion of the very helpful sites that can be used in conjunction with any study of media literacy.

  • Center for Media Literacy-The Media LitKit alone is worth a visit to this site.  These free materials could easily provide the basis for any investigation of the topic.  The "Best Practices" link offers a wealth of tried and true ideas for incorporating media literacy into the curriculum.

  • Media Awareness Network- A comprehensive Canadian site complete with resources for teachers and parents.  An extensive lesson library is available for all grade levels.

  • StayFree! High School Media Literacy Curriculum- Terrific resources tailor made for high school students.  A simple PowerPoint presentation brings home the idea that while teens may not know the names of trees they see every day, they certainly recognize logos for products hawked in the media.  Carrie McLaren, the originator of this site, has included all the basic resources, notes, lesson guides, discussion questions, everything, to duplicate her awesome media literacy course.

  • Ad Dissection 101- A webquest for use with students particularly with a study of advertising literacy.  Various elements could be pulled out for other uses and examples.

  • Joyce Valenza's  A Webquest for Evaluating Websites is an excellent tool to use with students to help them analyze what they encounter on the Internet in an entertaining webquest format. 


  Primary Source

•·   Living Room Candidate contains original television presidential campaign commercials from 1952 through 2004.  This tremendous online collection allows students not only the ability to see how the tenor of these commercials has changed over the years, but also provides the opportunity to analyze the original video sources in depth.



* Video Resources


  • View Smart to Vote Smart - A video and resource guide available from the Family and Community Critical Viewing Project (contact :project@ncta.com).  This excellent video resource presents information about how political campaigns use television to their advantage, and the methods that viewers (including teens) can bring to bear to deconstruct these media messages. 

  • Merchants of Cool - A 60 minute DVD from PBS which investigates the phenomenon of "cool hunting," discovering the next "big thing" with teenagers, and exploiting that to economic advantage.  The accompanying teacher's guide gives valuable additional activities for deeper study into this topic.

  • The Persuaders - Another excellent in-depth look at the influence of media and marketing on consumers from PBS.  The printable teacher's guide for the 90 minute DVD features discussion questions, a lesson plan, and additional lesson ideas to deepen understanding of this issue.

  • PBS In The Mix Series contains some outstanding resources for use with teens on the topic of media literacy. Teen interviewers narrate the programs, and the fact that these shows are "by teens, for teens," make them very powerful in reaching this audience.  In the Mix: Exploring Media Messages, In the Mix: TV, What You Don't See! and In the Mix; Hearing Between the Lines are three that are especially pertinent.  In the Mix lesson plans for these programs are available under the subheadings "Media Literacy" and "Self Image."  Purchase information is available here.

  • A Media Literacy Quiz is provided by PBS as part of its outstanding resources on this topic.  The quiz highlights the vast influences media has on the lives of American children, and supplies surprising answers (and the sources from which the data is drawn) that can easily be used for in-depth discussion.

  • United Streaming includes several excellent video clips for grades 9-12 related to media literacy.  Three offerings in the series Body Image are especially appropriate: Prescribing Beauty, All Star Fitness , and Skills for Healthy Living: Analyzing Media Influences .  A series on Politics/Media is also very useful for analyzing media messages related to political campaigns.  Take a look at the Campaign Essentials series as well as Techniques of Persuasion  about presidential debates for further insight about the use of media manipulation on a national scale. One of the beauties of these resources is their complete in-depth lesson plans that accompany the videos.  Additionally, videos are segmented, allowing teachers to watch relevant parts and analyze each before moving on to the next.    

  • Cable in the Classroom offers a schedule of many of the above PBS shows (and others) that can often be taped and used for direct instruction in the classroom for 10 days after airing.  Check off-air taping rights in a print copy of Cable in the Classroom or at the website.

  • How Come, How Long is a music video from the DVD Babyface; A Collection of Hit Videos.  This selection has proved to be a valuable tool for discussing not only domestic abuse, which it its subject, but also the special effects employed to make this video pack a punch with teens. Unique film techniques like dramatic lighting, use of special sound effects, and repetition of images make this video and the subject it tackles come to life.