Media Literacy In The Social Studies Classroom: Applying 21 st Century Literacy & Inquiry

1. Media Literacy In The Social Studies Classroom:Applying 21st CenturyLiteracy & Inquiry Frank W. Baker Media educator fbaker1346@aol.com

2. Influence of images “Still photos and TV images are what sway people…..at the end of the day, people retain very simple images in their minds when they’re not really engaged or focused on an issue.”Jane Arraf, former CNN Bureau Chief

3. What’s really important Nearly 77% of those polled could name each of the Seven DwarfsOnly 24% could name 2 of the 9 US Supreme Court judges Zogby Poll Week of August 12, 2006

4. New media & politics User-driven community sites (MySpace; FaceBook; You Tube) are to this year's races what blogs were to campaigns two years ago. They are not replacements for traditional staples like TV ads and direct mailings, but they offer the latest venues for campaigns to reach younger voters and mobilize them to volunteer. Source AP News Story August 20

5. Critical thinking “Adolescents need to learn how to integrate knowledge from multiple sources, including music, video, online databases and other media. They need to think critically about information….they need to participate in the kinds of collaboration that new communication and information technologies enable, but increasingly demand.” Bertram Bruce, “Diversity and Critical Social Engagement: How Changing Technologies Enable New Modes of Literacy in Changing Circumstances”

6. Recommendation:Becoming smarter about new sources of information.“In an age of overflowing information and proliferating media, kids need to rapidly process what's coming at them and distinguish between what‘s reliable and what isn't.” December 10, 2006

7. Media literacy In The Social Studies Classroom: Applying 21st CenturyLiteracy & Inquiry What do we want students to know about the media?

8. Media literacy In The Social Studies Classroom: Applying 21st CenturyLiteracy & Inquiry • 87% of U.S. teens between 12 and 17 years of age use the Internet; • 81% of teen Internet users play games online; • 76% get news online; • 51% of teen Internet users say they go online on a daily basis; • 43% have made purchases online; and • 31% use the Internet to get health info

9. Media literacy In The Social Studies Classroom: Applying 21st CenturyLiteracy & Inquiry “Our students are growing up in a world saturated with media messages…yet, they (and their teachers) receive little or no training in the skills of analyzing or re-evaluating these messages, many of which make use of language, moving images, music, sound effects.” Source: R.Hobbs, Journal Adult & Adolescent Literacy, February 2004

10. Media Literacy “Our Founding Fathers understood that a democratic republic could not survive without an informed and participatory citizenry….It is essential in our citizenship role to view critically, analyze ask powerful questions and draw our own conclusions. Media literacy, then, is essential to the citizenship role.” Denee Mattioli, past president, NCSS

11. Media literacy Draft your own definition of what “media literacy” means..

12. Media Literacy Media literacy is concerned with helping students develop an informed and critical understanding of the nature of mass media, the techniques used by them, and the impact of these techniques. More specifically, it is education that aims to increase the students' understanding and enjoyment of how the media work, how they produce meaning, how they are organized, and how they construct reality. Media literacy also aims to provide students with the ability to create media products. Source: Ontario Ministry of Ed.VIDEO

13. References to media in SC SS Standards Economics: the influence of advertising on consumer choices

14. Ideas for Social Studies: • Analyzing editorial cartoons • Examining historical photographs • Studying past/present propaganda • Understanding bias/stereotypes • History of American broadcasting • Understanding US communications policy • Analyzing political advertising

15. Critical Inquiry • Who created/paid for the message? • Why was it produced? (purpose) • For whom? (target audience) • What techniques are used? • What lifestyles are promoted? • Who benefits? • What does it mean? • Who/what might be omitted and why? • Does it contain bias/stereotypes?

18. One of the casualties of war is truth Author unknown

19. Reuters Recalls Altered Photo& Fires the Photographer PhotoShop Original

20. Edward R. Murrowin the classroom Buchenwald

21. Political Advertising Research shows (voters) get more information on the issues from political ads on TV than they get from TV news or the debates

22. Language of TV/Film • Cameras • Lighting • Set Design • Sound & Music • Editing ( post production) • Makeup, Wardrobe, Expressions

23. Examples Cell phone adscript Visa adNotice: settting, time of day, expressions, music, subtext

24. Let’s watch some ads: Focus for viewing:Setting Target audience

25. Newspaper Activity • Each group gets a newspaper • Using TV news script format, write a 30 second news promotion using: 1 international news story 1 national news story 1 regional or local news story 1 weather or sports

26. Media literacy In The Social Studies Classroom:Applying 21st CenturyLiteracy & Inquiry Frank W. Baker Media educator fbaker1346@aol.com