Resources for teaching
Social Justice Issues through Media Literacy
(Prepared by Dan Blake for the BCTF Social
Justice Newsletter, Volume 1, No. 2, Spring 2005)
Textbooks
Mass Media and Popular Culture by Barry Duncan, Janine D’ Ippolito, Cam
Macpherson, and Carolyn Wilson, published by Harcourt Brace, $38.95 +tax.
There is also a
Resource Binder that has an excellent collection of blackline masters to
supplement individual lessons.
This
text as been recommended for use in schools by the BC Ministry of Education. It appears in the recommended list for
Communications 11/12, but it is really more suited to regular secondary English
classes. It was published too late to appear in the English Language Arts IRP.
While the focus of the
text is a critical examination of the role that the media play in constructing
our world, there are excellent lesson materials that specifically address
issues of sexism, racism, and homophobia.
At key points in the
text there are references to support/extension materials in the Resource Guide
(sold separately) and Scanning Television 1 (see below)
In Your Face: The Culture of Beauty and You by Shari Graydon, published by Annick Press. This
is not strictly a textbook, but is intended to be read as a general interest
book. However, it is readily adaptable as a text by most teachers. As its title
suggests the book examines the way our culture has shaped our understanding of
what it means to be beautiful. It includes an overview and analysis both male
and female notions of beauty. Author, Shari Graydon, is a past president of
MediaWatch, a feminist organization that monitors the portrayal of women in the
media.
Made You Look: How Advertising Works and Why
You Should Know by
Many of the new
Language Arts series that the major publishers brought out to coincide with the
new IRPs in 1996 have useful lesson material on media literacy related topics. Nelson
Language Arts for grades 4, 5 and 6 divided their readers into Personal
Literacy, Informational Literacy, and Media Literacy. Harcourt Brace published
a dedicated text at the grade 4, 5 and 6 levels called Media Sense. They are
listed as components of the Meadowbooks series.
Scanning
Television Editions 1 and 2.
Each edition contains
four videotapes containing a selection of short video clips. Each edition also
contains four copies of a Teachers’ Guide. Edition #2 is also available in DVD
format. As mentioned above Edition 1 is cross-referenced with the lesson
material in “Mass Media and Popular Culture”. Like “ Mass
Media and Popular Culture” this resource has excellent video clips useful for
generating discussion on sexism, racism and homophobia.
Scanning
Television 1 &2 are available from the BCTF Resource Centre. The cost of
shipping the video(s) is borne by the BCTF and the teacher pays the cost of
shipping them back. There are many other excellent videos dealing with media literacy/social
justice issues available through the BCTF Resource Centre. There is an online
catalogue of videos available on the BCTF website.
Inside The Box. 6 videos on
Documentary, News, Children's TV, Drama, The Consumer, TV as Art. CBC
Enterprises,
What's
Wrong With This Picture?
MediaWatch,
1991, 30 min. (closed captioned)
Designed for
teachers, yet informative for parents, students and others interested in media
literacy, this video is divided into three parts: deconstructing media images,
analyzing gender stereotyping, and teaching media literacy in the classroom.
Broadcaster Fanny Keefer is the video's host. The video comes with a helpful
ready-to-use educational strategies kit with purchase only. Buy $25/ Rent $15
TV Planet (grades 4-6)
About what
happens when aliens have simulated a society based on information from watching
television programs from Earth. In order to escape,
children learn to “deconstruct’ the TV shows they see. Includes
an excellent guide.
By exposing
the dangers of media models that "glamorize violence, fear and hatred
between the sexes," this powerful video "combats the problems of
sexism and racism, while helping individuals become
more critical viewers of mass media." Topics that are explored include:
advertising, media & violence, racism and sexism.
Strangers In The House (National Film Board)
Featuring
interviews with prominent educators and media critics, this
documentary
presents disturbing facts and analysis about the power
television
has over children. While avoiding simplistic solutions, it makes a
strong
argument for media literacy education so children learn to be informed
consumers of
this medium.
The National
Film Board (NFB) has many more videos on media literacy and related topics.
Visit their website (www.nfb.ca)
for more details.
Internet Sites
This site is an
absolute must for the busy teacher. It has ready to download lessons for
different grade levels on a range of social justice issues.
www.AMLAinfo.org
http://interact.uoregon.edu/MediaLit/JCP/Index.html
www.nationaltelemediacouncil.org
www.medlialit.org