ReadWriteThink
Critical Media Literacy: Commercial Advertising
Commercial advertising—we can't get away from it, but do we realize just how often we are being advertised to? With this lesson, scholars analyze mass media to identify how its techniques influence our daily lives. Learners browse...
University of the Desert
Fact and Opinion within the Media
How can the media foster cultural misunderstandings? These activities encourage learners to distinguish between fact and opinion in the media
Curated OER
Understanding the Influence of the Media
Critically analyze advertising techniques, such as circular reasoning, bandwagon, testimonial, and repetition, with worksheets that effectively discuss and illustrate how the media aims to influence.
Media Smarts
Kids, Alcohol and Advertising - Interpreting Media Messages
Young scholars investigate the importance of branding and messaging, especially as they relate to party products like alcohol.
Media Smarts
Bias
See how bias operates firsthand. Half of the class reads one article while the other half reads another article on the same event. The obvious differences emerge when the two sides talk about their observations though. Several handouts...
Learning for Justice
Beauty is Skin Deep
If you are in need of a lesson on tolerance or the impact of media, this plan could be useful. The class begins with a brainstorming session in which they reflect on their own experiences with bias based on appearance. Next, they...
Curated OER
Fact and Opinion Lesson Plan
How are fact and opinion different? Middle schoolers explore fact and opinion and write articles pertaining to a football match, eliminating all opinion statements in order to focus on the facts. Then they discuss bias in the media....
Curated OER
American Media: Addicted to Scandal?
Students examine media coverage of George W. Bush's refusal to answer questions regarding past illegal drug usage in the 1999 campaign. They consider the role of rumor, scandal, audience and relevance in political media coverage.
Curated OER
Media Bias
Students analyze mass media to analyze media bias. In this media bias instructional activity, students read example situations and definitions about media bias. Students read and discuss how to be aware of media bias.
University of Michigan
News Bias Explored: The Art of Reading the News
Real-life examples, interactive headline and image games and brief explanations make this an attractive site for learning to recognize media bias.
American Institute of Biological Sciences
Action Bioscience: Beach Closings: Science Versus Public Perception
The media is relaying inaccurate information as to why an increasing number of beaches are being closed. Understand the scientific reasoning for the closures versus the political and economic motivated reasons.
Ohio State University
Ohio State University: Think Political News Is Biased? Depends Who You Ask
Article about Ohio State University study that explores whether Republicans or Democrats think political news is biased. (Published April 7, 2003)
Sophia Learning
Sophia: Politics and Media 3: Selling the Prez
Using electronic and print resources, this tutorial explores media bias and how political candidates are portrayed in the news. [2:42]
University of Washington
Bias in the News
This handy page clearly explains various ways in which bias can creep into news reports. Examples of each method are given.
Other
How to Detect Media Bias & Propaganda [Pdf]
A portion of a larger book, this site is critical of journalism as it is presently practiced. This portion offers characteristics of critical news consumers.