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Media Literacy Discussion Guide
Students examine and analyze visual media and its messages critically. They determine whether specific media messages inform, entertain, or persuade and what factors influence the media. Using primary sources, they participate in peer...
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Media Awareness: Key Concepts in Advertising
Students examine the basic concepts of advertising. In this media awareness lesson, students discuss target audience, art, and purpose in advertising to determine what makes an advertisement effective or ineffective. Students evaluate...
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Heroic Images: Visualization and Media Messages
Students examine media messages. In this media awareness lesson, students analyze online messages about heroism as they complete a jigsaw reading activity.
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Papyrus to PDA
What a great project. Graphic arts students consider the social, political, and economic impact made by a chosen invention. They build an argument to substantiate their reasons for choosing said invention. They create an oral...
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Now That's Beautiful!
Your class experiences dozens of messages about beauty every day by reading magazines, watching movies, and listening to the radio. Have them analyze society's view of beauty in groups after discussing several resources, including Dove's...
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Photodocumentation: Promoting Environmental Education Through the Development of Visual Literacy Skills
Students construct a photo document on their selected topic and use at least twelve photographs in their photo document. One must be of the authors. Additionally, they must write five interactive questions which help viewers interpret...
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Expressive Self Portrait - Mixed Media
Learners create self-portraits using prior artistic knowledge and personal experiences. Emphasis is placed on the works of Albrecht Durer, Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo, Romare Bearden, and Chuck Close for inspiration.
Media Education Lab
Propaganda in Context
"Board Game Helps Fight Real World Ebola," a video produced by Voice of America, provides the text for a guided instructional activity that asks viewers to analyze the propaganda techniques used in the video. Groups then select a example...
Media Smarts
Sex in Advertising
Converse with your class about the use of sex in advertising. Analyze the biological, emotional, and spiritual connections associated with sex, and how the media uses these affiliations to sell products. Take a closer look at...
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Information Overload: Looking at News
How do events reported in mainstream newspapers, on television news, blog posts, and social network sites differ? Ask your class to investigate the way the same news item is presented in the many information sources available. Groups...
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What Shapes Can You See?
Students investigate shapes in art. In this visual arts lesson plan, students examine the ancient Panamanian "Plaque" and identify the geometric shapes in the art piece. Students combine basic shapes to make an artistic picture of their...
Teaching for Change
Selma in Pictures: Socratic Seminar
Photographs from the freedom movement in Selma, Alabama serve as the basis of two Socratic Seminars. Class members prepare for the seminars by closely observing the images, form a hypothesis, and use evidence from photo to support a...
Brooklyn Museum
Seductive Subversion: Women Pop Artists, 1958–1968
What role did women play in pop art during the 1950s and 1960s? The class researches the role of women in mid-century America and how those roles were portrayed through the pop art of the time. They use an excellent set of guiding...
Dick Blick Art Materials
Torn Metal Collage
The work of Austrian artist Gustav Klimt is used to inspire kids to create their own mixed media works. Although designed for the special education classroom, the activity is sure to inspire all kids.
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Maus I and II: Pictionary
Why is visual literacy so important in understanding Maus? Introduce your class to basic elements of graphic novels with a game of pictionary. A list of 13 words are included, but you could potentially add some World War II-related terms...
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Mixed-Media Self-Portrait with Symbols
Students watch segments of a video to explore portraits. They create a self portrait using mixed-media.
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Reaction Time 2: Zap!
Students explore critical thinking by conducting a reaction time experiment. In this human brain lesson, students utilize a timed Internet worksheet activity to research how fast their brain works when answering questions. Students share...
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Horse of a Different Color: An Introduction to Color in the Visual Arts
High schoolers examine how artists use color to create a sense of depth in a two-dimensional space. They view and analyze prints, complete worksheets, and write a paragraph on how color is used to draw the viewer's eye to a central figure.
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What Does Not Belong?
In these critical thinking worksheets, students study the 4 pictures in each set and circle or cross out the picture that does not belong. Students complete 10 activities.
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Body and Media #1
High schoolers examine how films and media affect their body image. They identify their own definition of body image and research the topic. They discover the importance of using both fact and opinion sources.
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Gender and Media #3
High schoolers identify media messages about gender and body image. They discuss how they can change these messages. They create their own media message about gender and body image.
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Body and Media #2
Young scholars discover how media influences body image. They identify how the media creates an ideal beauty. They answer questions after watching "Dying to be Thin".
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Body and Media Reconstruction
High schoolers use discussion and activities to create a message about body image. They discover their voice in the media and discover how the production process affects the final message from the media.
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Gender and Media Introduction
Students analyze media clips and discover how the media helps us form ideas about men and women and their roles in society. They discover some of their own preconceptions about these roles and answer questions.