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I really like your Fake News idea. I think it'd be very interesting to bring into the classroom, especially as many students now are very invested in politics. The scavenger hunt sounds like a great activity too! I remember doing something similar when I was in middle school. Thanks for sharing!

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I really like the link to Read, write, and Think. It's always great to have another lesson plan resource under my belt. I like the concept of the lesson. It seems like it was developed some years ago, and I wonder how it differs now from then. But it's so open that modern modifications would be more than reasonable.
Thanks for sharing!

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https://www.ted.com/talks/stephanie_busari_how_fake_news_does_real_harm/discussion

https://www.ted.com/talks/alisa_miller_shares_the_news_about_the_news

https://ed.ted.com/on/Mr7f4urS

https://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-to-choose-your-news-damon-brown

I really like using any and all TedEd or TedTalk resources. I find that they are often very engaging, interesting, and insightful. In those resources, are videos about media credibility, how to find media that you want in a way that addresses you, and how the media does and/or can negatively affect society. These videos can lead to very engaging class discussions and debates about news, and students can also go out of their way to curate appropriate news outlets, which can then lead to the criteria of appropriateness and

http://mediasmarts.ca/teacher-resources/find-lesson

I recently found a website called Media Smarts, which is full of lesson plans regarding a large array of media education. The website is very broad and covers topics on online bullying, safe guarding personal information, using media for positive promotion and sharing of skills, self-esteem, authenticating information, and so much more. There are sections for parents as well, and the website also divides their information further depending on what form of media is being explored. I really like this find and I feel that I will definitely use it in the future for lessons in the class.

http://thecinematheque.ca/education/media-literacy-lesson-plans/

This website focuses more on the film industry of media and the consuming of narrative based content. They cover consumerism, advertising, hidden messages in film, and the creation of film projects as well. I think it’s a really fun website to use and explore. I know more than ever, movies and tv shows are becoming very popular, especially as they are so easy to consume now. Using those shows and movies, it would be interesting to analyse and find the hidden meanings behind, while also taking note in order to determine if they are positive influences and where things are reasonable or not.

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I like your spin on discussing with students the psychology behind the media's portrayal. I also appreciate the idea of teaching students about Fake News as this is very current and relative to them.

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I just wanted to add an activity that can accompany watching Ted Talks.
Students can create their own Ted Talk. In our school board some schools have even come together to create a Ted Talk competition...It seems to replace the traditional speeches.

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Thank you for reminding me about Ted Talks. Another one that I believe would be beneficial for our students to see is Kid for President. I think that would be great for motivation, to get your students thinking and talking about various issues.

~Mindy

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Thanks for introducing me to Real or Fake news! Its so important for students to be able to distinguish between what is made up and what is real in a world where that is getting harder and harder to do. I also feel that many of the older generation struggle with this as they begin to learn how to navigate the internet and all that is out there.

~Mindy

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1. Media Smarts

Through my research of appropriate tools and websites for teaching media in the Intermediate classroom I noticed several websites referring me to the Media Smarts website. One area that I thought students may enjoy is the games section. Students are able to play games to test their knowledge about several different aspects of the online world. These games can open their minds to different topics and how to understand the online world.

http://mediasmarts.ca/teacher-resources/find-lesson?field_grade_value_i18n=All&type%5B%5D=game

2. Social Leadia by Jennifer Casa-Todd

This book is a great teacher read. It is about helping your students become digital leaders, safe online, and resources to guide you through this. Each chapter has questions to think about, examples, as well as resources. I believe that this book is a great start to teaching media literacy in the digital age.

https://www.socialleadia.org/

3. Glogster

This website allows students to create online posters where they can add digital art, videos and audio all in one space. I think this would be a great tool for students to present their ideas in a way that is accessible to them. I have not used this tool in the past but plan to use it this week with my 6/7 students to make Science safety posters.

http://edu.glogster.com/

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Marcie:
I think you did a wonderful job of finding and sharing Canadian sources! I really like the fact that they are even Ontario based and can translate to our curriculum!

Janeth:
I had no idea there was a CNN for kids! What a great resource to have as it translates current happenings in kid-friendly language. I find it difficult to talk with students about current news (especially the young ones), so hopefully this will help me with that in the future!

Nice job ladies!

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Advertisements and Colour:
I studied Psychology in university, and one of the things I remember finding so interesting was the use of colour in advertisements or logos and how they affected our brains. For example, the colour yellow makes us feel happiness, warmth and attention – all rewarding feelings.

This can be effective when teaching media literacy as it will make students aware that, in advertising, there is a reason for everything – to attract us! You can explain the significance of specific colours and then have students think of different brands/labels that utilize the colours. For example, think of brands with the colour yellow in their logos (McDonalds, Best Buy, Shell, etc.) and discuss why those brands would want you to feel those feelings towards them.

Although I couldn’t locate the actual study to link, here is a site that explains the colours and their associated feelings: http://philosophycommunication.com/marketing/advertising-color-theory/

Real News or Fake News
Surely a popular one with the current President being a reccurring topic of conversation, this activity is so relevant for our students. Recognizing and understanding that not everything on the Internet is true is vital for these students as they are still so naïve.

Here is a link with several different activities based on this topic. Although I have not used this resource yet, it seems to link you to a variety of fun and unique activities!

http://mediaspecialistsguide.blogspot.ca/2017/01/can-your-students-spot-fake-news-here.html

Media Literacy Scavenger Hunt
Came across this resource while researching for a Media Literacy scavenger hunt as I thought it would be something really neat to construct. However, I am not creative enough to make one on my own, haha!

This resource has some amazing scavenger hunts that can be done at different times.

I personally love the hunt where the students are to find the definition for persuasion using different websites (Wiki, Dictionary.com, TV (2007), etc.) because it really gives them a good idea of what is a credible source and what is not.

https://sites.google.com/site/tracielawn/lessons/persuasion-a-scavenger-hunt-through-media-literacy/appendix-a

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I love this! Reading the news can be challenging for some. I love that the words and content are age appropriate. It would keep kids informed but censor what needs to be censored.
-Laura Montgomery

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I love this and thanks for sharing. Have you looked at http://youth.anxietybc.com
It is a great resource as well
Laura Montgomery

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Thanks for this reminder. One of my favourite Ted Talks is Every kid needs a champion by Rita Pierson. I would live to play this for my students and have them agree or disagree with what Rita is suggesting.
Laura Montgomery

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I found this lesson on media smarts and really liked it. The lesson focus is on how students are portrayed in the media. There are several different parts to this lesson and the lesson says it could be for students in grade 6-8 but this activity would meet the 1.1 explain how a variety of media texts address their intended purpose and audience. 1.2 interpret increasingly complex or difficult media texts, using overt and implied messages as evidence for their interpretations. 1.3 evaluate the effectiveness of the presentation and treatment of ideas, information, themes, opinions, issues, and/or experiences in media text
-Laura Montgomery

http://mediasmarts.ca/sites/mediasmarts/files/pdfs/lesson-plan/Lesson_Adjusting_the_Focus.pdf

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This activity shows how teens are depicted in the media (in print -newspaper stories and on tv shows and movies) and asks them to think about and discuss if these are really the things that they value most. The website includes a link to a television show as well as an article for a teenager who wanted an over the top birthday party.  I liked this article because it would encourage discussions around stereotypes and if they are justified or ever accurate. There are also some guiding questions if the teacher needs something to help facilitate the discussion. This activity aligns with the specific expectation 1.3 evaluate the effectiveness of the presentation and treatment of ideas, information, themes, opinions, issues, and/or experiences in media texts and 1.4 explain why different audiences (e.g., with respect to gender, age, culture, race, income level) might have different responses to a variety of media texts.
-Laura Montgomery
https://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2006/04/27/teen-scene/

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http://frankwbaker.com/mlc/fake-news-recommendations/
I have not taught in an intermediate classroom before so I started scouring social media. I came upon this website that talks about how to distinguish between real news and “fake news”. I know the title is a play on President Trump’s “fake news” accusations, however students use the internet all the time to conduct research and should be able to dissect an article in order to determine its validity.  The specific expectation 1.3 evaluate the effectiveness of the presentation and treatment of ideas, information, themes, opinions, issues, and/or experiences in media texts would support this activity. In my classroom I would go through the material on the webpage and then have students create a fake news scavenger hunt. This activity could springboard on to a discussion about Wikipedia and how anyone can update the web page even without fact checking their sources. I might even have students find a newspaper article and use the criteria to turn it into a “fake news article” or design one of their own.
Laura Montgomery

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I think it is a great idea to have a week that focuses on Media Literacy because it gives us, as teachers, to stop and devote a focused week on a specific aspect of media literacy and the kids can expect it to happen annually. Thank you for sharing!
-Janeth

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I think that every teacher should address being a digital citizen every year in Sept. Thank you for sharing the link with us!
-Janeth

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Ted talks: https://www.ted.com/talks

“TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less). TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, and today covers almost all topics — from science to business to global issues — in more than 100 languages. Meanwhile, independently run TEDx events help share ideas in communities around the world.”

TED talks are engaging, motivating and speak to a variety of subjects. They are perfect jumping-off boards for discussion, critical thinking, and inquiry.  They demonstrate the powerful use of voice.

-Janeth

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CNN kids: https://www.cnn.com/cnn10

News explained in 10 mins in student-friendly language.

This increases global awareness and also allows for critical thinking and response to current events.  Students are learning how to condense information and effectively present to an audience.

-Janeth

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Educational online games: http://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy/educational-games

This site contains educational online computer games that introduce students to media and digital literacy. Provides opportunities for discussing key media issues. Issues, such as bias, marketing strategies, privacy policies, netiquette etc...

-Janeth

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I found a website called CML (Centre for Media Literacy) and after looking through it, I can honestly say that it is a great hub for media literacy knowledge and resources (their mission is, simply put, media literacy!) They provide the best practices, articles, how to act as an educator or student, as well as provide a helpful list of resources and tasks to include in your own classroom.

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This resource is created in partnership with MediaSmarts and the Canadian Teachers’ Federation and holds its focus for one week in November. (The theme for 2018 is Fact or Fake: Help the World Stop Misinformation in its Tracks). It provides educators, students and parents activities and lessons that focus around the importance of media literacy in the classroom and in the everyday.

I had a host teacher who participated in these activities with her students for that one week and it was very interesting seeing how students’ perspectives were altered surrounding what they read/heard in the media.

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Newsela was such a wonderful tool that I used for my literacy camps as well as school classrooms. It provides current and historical articles that students and teachers can explore. It is also wonderful because you can also change the reading level of the article in order to suit each individual students' reading needs.
As well, Newsela has recently come out with a Media Literacy toolkit for teachers and students to use in the classroom.
Alyssa

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This is an Ontario document that links reading, writing, and oral language to media literacy with some interesting activities and lesson plans for Grade 7-12 students. There is a section each for reading, writing and oral language, and each has activities related to media literacy.
Marcie

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I love this website because it has the media literacy curriculum expectations from Grade 1-8, with links on the same page to support teaching those expectations. Awesome.
Marcie

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This is a Canadian site that has a ton of lessons and links to lessons for intermediate students about media literacy. A lesson title that caught my eye was "Where are the superheroes of colour?"
Marcie

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This is a website I use ALL THE TIME for my writing program.  Their lessons plans are well designed.  They have a great media literacy activity on Commercial Advertising that I have used with my students.  I have included the link below:
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/critical-media-literacy-commercial-97.html

Virginia

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Scholastic actually has a great book of lessons on Media Literacy called Canadian Media Literacy.  It teaches students to identify the purpose of various media forms, create media text and to think critically about media messages they encounter on a daily basis.  It also includes blackline masters you can photocopy.  It is made for grade 5-6 but I think it could also be used for 7-8.

Virginia

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I teach for a Catholic school board.  Every September, in Religion, every grade teaches a unit on being a responsible digital citizen.  There are different topics covered for each grade but the overall purpose is to teach students that they are citizens of a digital world and with that brings individual responsibility.  I have included the link if anyone wants to check it out:
https://samaritans.ocsb.ca/

Virginia

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The National Film Board of Canada has a section on their website for education, and different subjects, including media education. The subscription to the website is free. In order to view and use materials specifically geared to educators, you need to subscribe to Campus. Subscription for individuals is $30, although you can get one for your school.

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I find that CBC has a lot of information, history, and relevant topics that could be discussed as part of media literacy. I have used this one for a variety of activities and videos.

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This website is from the University of Western Ontario - Centre for School Mental Health. I like this site as it teaches media literacy from the angle of mental health and relationships. There are many lesson plans in different subject areas, including media literacy, for grades 7-12. Lesson plans meet Ontario curriculum expectations.

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I found this Vancouver BC website which has links to other media literacy websites, including lesson plans. I had a peek at some of the lesson plans, and do find that they would spark interest, discussion, and controversy. I found one here about Elvis Presley, which caused me to remember the fact that my aunt is in the Guiness Book of World Records for getting kicked out of Notre Dame High School in Ottawa for going to see his concert :)