Media Literacy
Course Description
An elective for ninth through twelfth graders, Media Literacy introduces students to the world of media, including magazines, newspapers, broadcast news, television, advertising, and the internet. Students will critically deconstruct media to recognize spin, bias, propaganda, and subtle messages. They will also construct media to experience the importance of goal setting and preplanning.
Course Big Ideas
- Media is out to make money.
- All media are constructions.
- All media use universal symbols.
- All media has intended audiences.
- All media has value.
- Media literacy is essential in a functioning democracy.
Course Essential Questions
- How does media influence the way we see ourselves and the world around us?
- Who creates media messages, and what are their purposes and motivations?
- What techniques and languages do media makers use to communicate meaning and persuade audiences?
- How do different audiences interpret the same media message in different ways?
- How can we critically evaluate media messages to identify bias, misinformation, and stereotypes?
- What role does media play in shaping culture, values, and social norms?
- How can we use media responsibly and ethically in our digital world?
Course Competencies
- Analyze media messages.
- Evaluate credibility and bias.
- Interpret media messages and symbols.
- Create media.
- Apply critical thinking skills to media consumption.
Course Assessments
- Informal assessments
- Quizzes/Tests
- Projects
Course Units
Unit 1: Media Moguls
- Standards
- Know
- Understanding/Key Learning
- Do
- Unit Essential Questions
- Lesson Essential Questions
- Materials/Resources
- Vocabulary
- Assessments
Standards
PA Core Standards- ELA
- CC.1.2.11–12.A Determine and analyze the relationship between two or more central ideas of a text, including the development and interaction of the central ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.
- CC.1.2.11–12.B Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly, as well as inferences and conclusions based on and related to an author’s implicit and explicit assumptions and beliefs.
- CC.1.2.11–12.F Evaluate how words and phrases shape meaning and tone in texts.
- CC.1.2.11–12.L Read and comprehend literary nonfiction and informational text on grade level, reading independently and proficiently.
- CC.1.4.11–12.A Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately.
- CC.1.4.11–12.C Develop and analyze the topic thoroughly by selecting the most significant and relevant facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience’s knowledge of the topic; include graphics and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
Know
- Media moguls are powerful individuals or entities that control significant portions of media industries.
- Ownership of media affects the diversity of perspectives and information available to the public.
- Media moguls often have commercial, political, and social interests that shape media content and agendas.
- The consolidation of media power raises concerns about media bias, censorship, and the potential for manipulation.
- Media moguls have played significant roles in shaping cultural trends, public opinion, and political discourse.
- Technological advances and regulations affect the power and reach of media moguls.
- The Five Truths of Media.
- Media Literacy vocabulary.
Understanding/Key Learning
- Media moguls and large media corporations hold significant influence over the content, perspectives, and information available to the public, often shaping cultural trends, public opinion, and political discourse.
- Media ownership and consolidation can limit the diversity of viewpoints in media, raising concerns about bias, censorship, and the manipulation of audiences for commercial or political gain.
- Understanding media literacy concepts — including ownership, agenda-setting, and the Five Truths of Media — empowers individuals to critically analyze media messages and recognize the interests and power structures behind them.
Do
Unit Essential Questions
Lesson Essential Questions
- How does the media affect our perception of reality?
- Who determines the media content?
- How does audience interpretation differ from medium to medium?
- Who owns the media we consume?
- What are the five truths of media?
- How do we consume media?
- What makes a good story?
- How have smartphones and social media affected individuals and society?
- How has social media changed the idea of celebrity?
Materials/Resources
Vocabulary
Assessments
Unit 2: News and Information
- Standards
- Know
- Understanding/Key Learning
- Do
- Unit Essential Questions
- Lesson Essential Questions
- Materials/Resources
- Vocabulary
- Assessments
Standards
PA Core Standards- ELA
- CC.1.2.11–12.C Analyze the interaction and development of a complex set of ideas, sequence of events, or specific individuals over the course of the text.
- CC.1.2.11–12.D Evaluate how an author’s point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.
- CC.1.2.11–12.F Evaluate how words and phrases shape meaning and tone in texts.
- CC.1.2.11–12.I Analyze foundational U.S. and world documents of historical, political, and literary significance for their themes, purposes, and rhetorical features.
- CC.1.4.11–12.C Develop and analyze the topic thoroughly by selecting the most significant and relevant facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience’s knowledge of the topic; include graphics and multimedia when useful to aid comprehension.
- CC.1.4.11–12.G Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics.
- CC.1.4.11–12.N Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation and its significance, establishing one or multiple points of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters.
- CC.1.4.11–12.S Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research, applying grade-level reading standards for literature and literary nonfiction.
Know
- Types of news stories.
- Protections under the First Amendment.
- Differences between docudramas and documentaries.
- News is constructed, not neutral.
- Credible news follows journalistic standards and ethics.
- News sources vary in credibility, accuracy, and bias.
- The digital age has transformed how news is produced and consumed.
- Headlines, images, and language can manipulate perception.
- Media literacy empowers individuals to be critical and responsible news consumers and sharers.
Understanding/Key Learning
- News is a constructed product shaped by choices in language, images, and framing, and it can carry bias despite protections of free press under the First Amendment.
- Credible journalism follows ethical standards, while news sources and story types vary in accuracy, intent, and credibility — making media literacy essential for responsible consumption and sharing.
- The digital age has transformed how news is produced, distributed, and consumed, requiring audiences to critically evaluate headlines, visuals, and sources to navigate a rapidly changing information landscape.
Do
Unit Essential Questions
Lesson Essential Questions
Materials/Resources
Vocabulary
Assessments
Unit 3: Advertising
- Standards
- Know
- Understanding/Key Learning
- Do
- Unit Essential Questions
- Lesson Essential Questions
- Materials/Resources
- Vocabulary
- Assessments
Standards
PA Core Standards- ELA
- CC.1.5.11–12E Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks.
- CC.1.5.11–12.D Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective; organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.
- CC.1.5.11–12.B Evaluate how the speaker’s perspective, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric affect the credibility of an argument through the author’s stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone.
- CC.1.4.11–12.R Demonstrate a grade-appropriate command of the conventions of standard English grammar, usage, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
- CC.1.4.11–12.N Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation and its significance, establishing one or multiple points of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters.
Know
Understanding/Key Learning
- Advertising uses persuasive strategies — including language, imagery, color, symbolism, and audience targeting — to influence consumer behavior and shape public perception.
- Media ownership, digital advertising, and data tracking impact the messages people receive and raise important ethical and social questions about privacy, bias, and manipulation.
- Becoming a critical consumer involves analyzing advertising techniques, understanding cultural messaging, and recognizing how media influences personal choices and societal values.
Do
Unit Essential Questions
Lesson Essential Questions
- What are the various methods/strategies advertisers use?
- What are the most effective strategies for various demographics?
- What are demographics?
- What is propaganda?
- How can we affect and influence others by the use of words and images?
- How has advertising affected our culture? How does it continue to do so?
Materials/Resources
- Super Bowl Advertisements
- A variety of ads from magazines, TV, the internet, social media, etc
- BBC.com
- Psychologistworld.com
- The-standard.org
- Media Literacy: Thinking Critically about Television by Peyton Paxson
- The PennStater April 2003 edition, article: The Ad Critic by Chuck Salter
- Miss Representation film and article
- Americanresearchgroup.com
- Creative Strategy in Advertising 6th edition
Vocabulary
Assessments
Unit 4: History of Television
- Standards
- Know
- Understanding/Key Learning
- Do
- Unit Essential Questions
- Lesson Essential Questions
- Materials/Resources
- Vocabulary
- Assessments
Standards
PA Core Standards- ELA:
- CC.1.2.11–12.C Analyze the interaction and development of a complex set of ideas, sequence of events, or specific individuals over the course of the text.
- CC.1.4.11–12.A Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately.
- CC.1.4.11–12.D Organize complex ideas, concepts, and information so that each new element builds on that which precedes it to create a whole; use appropriate and varied transitions and syntax to link the major sections of the text; provide a concluding statement or section that supports the information presented; include formatting when useful to aiding comprehension.
- CC.1.4.11–12.K Write with an awareness of the stylistic aspects of composition. Use precise language, domain-specific vocabulary, and techniques such as metaphor, simile, and analogy to manage the complexity of the topic. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms of the discipline in which they are writing.
- CC.1.5.11–12.D Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective; organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.
Know
- Genres of television programs.
- Impact of television consumption.
- Influential programs.
- Television as a Technological and Cultural Milestone.
- Evolution of Television Technology.
- Television and Society.
- Influence on Public Opinion and Politics.
- Programming Trends and Genres.
- Representation and Diversity.
- The Business of Television.
Understanding/Key Learning
- Television, as both a technological innovation and cultural milestone, has continuously evolved in its formats, genres, and delivery methods, shaping entertainment and public life.
- Television programming influences public opinion, reflects and challenges societal values, and plays a significant role in political, cultural, and social conversations.
- Understanding television’s business structure, representation practices, and programming trends reveals how media shapes public perceptions.
Do
- Identify characteristics when watching a piece of media of a specific genre.
- Identify trends and patterns in television programs.
- Research specific television programs and contextualize their placement in the genre.
- Research one year of television in the context of the unit.
- Create a teenage drama pitch.
Unit Essential Questions
Lesson Essential Questions
- How has TV consumption changed over the years due to the internet and streaming services?
- How does television affect society and individual lives?
- How do networks make money?
- What are the Nielsen ratings?
- What are the various types of television shows?
- How have television shows changed over time?
- How are groups and situations portrayed on television over time?