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Students analyze different types of media messages (news headlines, social media posts, advertisements) and identify the sender, purpose, target audience, and potential bias. Create a digital mind map showing these connections.

Duration: 45 minutes
Materials: Computers, mind mapping software

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Students create a fictional social media profile for a book character, then analyze what that profile reveals about the character. Discuss digital footprints and online privacy. Students then review their own digital presence and create guidelines for responsible online behavior.

Duration: 50 minutes
Materials: Computers, template for profile creation

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Students examine various online advertisements targeted at their age group. They identify persuasive techniques used (bright colors, catchy slogans, celebrity endorsements) and discuss how these influence their choices. Create a digital presentation highlighting these techniques.

Duration: 40 minutes
Materials: Computer access, digital presentation tools

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Students work in small groups to create their own digital news story about a school event. They must include facts, quotes, and images while following journalistic principles. Compare their stories to professional news articles.

Duration: 60 minutes
Materials: Computers, word processing software

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Present students with various online scenarios through an interactive digital game. They must make decisions about sharing information, responding to messages, and identifying suspicious content. Discuss consequences of each choice.

Duration: 40 minutes
Materials: Computers, internet access

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Show students pairs of photos - original and edited versions. They must identify which is edited and explain how they can tell. Discuss digital manipulation in media and its impact on perception.

Duration: 30 minutes
Materials: Computers, digital image examples

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Students work in groups to create short digital Public Service Announcements about an aspect of media literacy (cyber bullying, fact-checking, digital citizenship). Share and discuss these PSAs with the class.

Duration: 60 minutes
Materials: Computers, video creation tools

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Students analyze various headlines to identify clickbait techniques. They then create their own pairs of headlines - one clickbait and one factual - for the same story. Discuss the importance of looking beyond attention-grabbing headlines.

Duration: 40 minutes
Materials: Computers, prepared examples

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Students participate in a guided online scavenger hunt to find specific information, requiring them to evaluate website credibility, cross-reference sources, and identify reliable information.

Duration: 45 minutes
Materials: Computers, prepared scavenger hunt worksheet

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Common Sense Education provides educators and students with the resources they need to harness the power of technology for learning and life. Find a free K-12 Digital Citizenship curriculum, reviews of popular EdTech apps, and resources for protecting student privacy.

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PBS LearningMedia | Teaching Resources For Students And Teachers

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Inspire your students with thousands of free teaching resources including videos, lesson plans, and games aligned to state and national standards.

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Digital Media Literacy Framework - Grades K-3

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In grades 2-3, students are still not yet able to think critically about technology, accepting online environments and activities at face value. However, their growing independence means they are looking for more information online, and they are starting to integrate computers and the Internet into their daily lives.

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Curriculum Index | Civic Online Reasoning

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Browse lessons, assessments, and collections

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Featured Lesson

Arguing For Freedom

Media literacy and critical thinking lesson using diverse media imagery to teach about the history of the movement to abolish slavery in the United States in the early and mid-19th century.

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Description for Project Look Sharp website

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The News Literacy Project offers resources and services for educators, including an e-learning platform, newsletter, PDs and more.

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Students work in pairs to analyze real and fake news articles (pre-selected, age-appropriate content). They create a checklist of criteria to determine credibility: checking sources, looking for multiple perspectives, identifying bias, etc. Students present their findings to the class and explain their reasoning.

Duration: 45 minutes
Materials: Computer access for research

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Students keep a digital diary for one week documenting their media use (types, time spent, purpose). They create graphs to visualize their media consumption and reflect on their habits and potential impacts.

Duration: Week-long project, 30-minute discussion
Materials: Computers, spreadsheet software

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Online Resource: Media Making & Media Literacy for Educators

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Online Resource: Media Making & Media Literacy for Educators

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Media Making & Media Literacy for all Educators | PBS LearningMedia

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KQED offers free online workshops and webinars to support all PreK-12 educators in developing skills to promote youth voice and civic engagement. See all upcoming webinars and events here.

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Online Resource: BBC My World Media Literacy

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Online Resource: BBC My World Media Literacy

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Learn more with these informational online privacy resources for educators and institutions.

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Copyright & Creativity - K-12 Teaching Resources on Copyright and Fair Use

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"These lessons are incredible. They help me teach the importance of copyright and fair use as my class does weekly research and inquiry."

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A collection of articles, videos, and other resources on internet safety, cyberbullying, digital responsibility, and media and digital literacy.

Digital Responsibility

The Basics of Open Technology by Ira Socol (2015): From abundant tools and smart budgeting to accessibility and trust, the Albemarle County Public Schools district maintains a tech program that leverages digital literacy for all students.

Five-Minute Film Festival: Are We Addicted to Technology? by Amy Erin Borovoy (2014): Can't put your device down? Obsessing over social media? You may want to dig in to this playlist of videos and resources to help educators, parents, and students reflect on their relationship with technology.

Common Core in Action: Teaching Online Ethics by Heather Wolpert-Gawron (2014): A look at a key element of digital citizenship-responsible use of intellectual property-and the eighth-grade Common Core standard for gathering, using, and attributing relevant information.

Five-Minute Film Festival: Copyright and Fair Use for Educators by Amy Borovoy (2013): In K-12 education, it's a challenge to navigate the copyright and fair use waters. What can educators use? How can they use it? We have some fun, engaging videos to help teachers and students understand this confusing subject.

Media and Digital Literacy

Other Resources From Edutopia

Additional Resources on the Web

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A collection of articles, videos, and other resources on internet safety, cyberbullying, digital responsibility, and media and digital literacy.

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Lessons Online: Brain Pop Media Literacy

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Lessons Online: Brain Pop Media Literacy

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Media Literacy Lesson Plan: Craft and Structure | BrainPOP Educators

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This lesson accompanies the BrainPOP topic Media Literacy, and supports the standard of evaluating how point of view and purpose shape content in different media. Students demonstrate understanding through a variety of projects.

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Online Resource: PBS Wisconsin Presentation

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Online Resource: PBS Wisconsin Presentation

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Online Resource: TedEd: How to Choose Your News

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Online Resource: TedEd: How to Choose Your News

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~Updated, Dec. 2024-What is AI? | Educator Guide