1. WHAT IS MEDIA LITERACY?
MODULE 3: Becoming Media Literate

2. Lesson Module Outcomes:
• In this lesson students will:
▫ Take a closer look at the definition of media
literacy and each aspect of it including accessing,
analyzing, evaluating, creating and participating
in different platforms of media.
▫ Learn how to use each of these skills.
▫ Gain a sense of media literacy and confidence in
looking at different media messages critically.

3. Media Literacy Defined Again
• “Media literacy is a 21st century approach to
education. It provides a framework to access,
analyze, evaluate, create and participate with
messages in a variety of forms – from print to
video to the Internet. Media literacy builds an
understanding of the role of media in society as
well as essential skills of inquiry and self-
expression necessary for citizens of democracy.”
http://www.medialit.org/

4. Breaking Down the Definition
• In order to have a better understanding of each
of the different parts of the definition of media
literacy, we will go through the definitions of
each one and then learn how to practice the skill.
• ACCESS, ANALYZE, EVALUATE, CREATE
AND PARTICIPATE.

5. ACCESS
• Dictionary.com Definition: “A way or means of
approach” or “the state or quality of being
approachable”.
• Apply this definition to media literacy; write
down what you think ACCESS means in regards
to being media literate and try to come up with
at least one example.

6. ANALYZE
• Dictionary.com Definition: “To examine
carefully and in detail so as to identify causes,
key factors, possible results, etc.”
• Apply this definition to media literacy; write
down what you think ANALYZE means in
regards to being media literate and try to come
up with at least one example.

7. EVALUATE
• Dictionary.com Definition: “To judge or
determine the significance, worth, or quality of.”
• Apply this definition to media literacy; write
down what you think EVALUATE means in
regards to being media literate and try to come
up with at least one example.

8. CREATE
• Dictionary.com Definition: “To cause to come
into being” or “to evolve from one’s own
thoughts or imagination, as a work of art or an
invention.”
• Apply this definition to media literacy; write
down what you think CREATE means in
regards to being media literate and try to come
up with at least one example.

9. PARTICIPATE
• Dictionary.com Definition: “To take or have a
part or share, as with others.”
• Apply this definition to media literacy; write
down what you think PARTICIPATE means in
regards to being media literate and try to come
up with at least one example.

10. Activity
• According to Forbes, the top news stories of 2011
are as follows:
• Casey Anthony • The job market
• Japan earthquake and • Libya uprising and the
tsunami death of Ghadafi
• The royal wedding • Death of Amy Winehouse
• Osama Bin Laden’s death • Arab spring
• Tuscon, Arizona shooting • Occupy Wall Street
• Select one of these stories to be the focus of the
following activity, which will help you put the
media literacy skills mentioned into practice.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2011/12/01/the-biggest-news-stories-of-2011/

11. ACCESS
• In terms of media literacy, access is the ability to
obtain news and information from a variety of
different media outlets.
• Using whatever story you picked, access it on at
least three different platforms; the more you are
able to find, the better.
▫ Examples: Find an article from a news site, a clip from
youtube, a tweet from a news outlet, an audio clip from
a radio station, a Facebook page, a blog post etc.

12. ANALYZE
• In terms of media literacy, analyze is the ability to
look carefully at different media messages and
figure out what exactly the message is saying and
looking at how the facts fit together. An analysis is
non-judgmental and purely objective.
• Look at the different sources you found on your
chosen news story. Write up an analysis on each
source including what the message is and how it is
given to the audience. Think about the targeted
audience and the impact of each message.

13. EVALUATE
• In terms of media literacy, evaluating a source,
unlike analyzing a source, includes your
personal judgment and giving the source value
or credibility.
• Now you are to evaluate each of your sources.
Think about who made each message and how
reliable the source is. Is it dependent off of other
information or is it a primary source? It may be
helpful to rate each source on a scale of 1-5.

14. CREATE
• In terms of media literacy, create goes beyond
your ability to access, analyze and evaluate other
sources of media, and incorporates the idea of
creating your own media messages.
• Think about the news story you selected and
what type of media message you could create
that you think would be the most successful.
▫ Examples: Write up an article, make a video, tweet
something, make a blog post, etc.

15. PARTICIPATE
• In terms of media literacy, participation is the
newest addition to the definition as mentioned in
prior modules. To participate means both sharing
your personally created media messages and
engaging in others’ content.
• You should each post your media message creations
to the class Google document under your personal
page where you have put other assignments. Take
this opportunity to look at the work of your
classmates and comment and engage in several of
their creations.

16. Why Study Media Literacy?
• Lastly, the Center of Media Literacy gives 20
reasons why it is important to study the media:
1. Like history, the media interpret the past to us and shows us what has
gone into making us the way we are.
2. Like geography, the media define for us our own place in the world.
3. Like civics, the media help us to understand the workings of our
immediate world and our individual place in it.
4. Like literature, the media require us to learn and use critical thinking
skills.
5. Like literature, the media are major sources of modern culture and
entertainment.

17. 6. Like business, the media are major industries and are inextricably involved
in commerce.
7. Like language, the media help define how we communicate with each other.
8. Like science/technology, the media help us to learn technology by adopting
the leading edge of modern technological innovation.
9. Like family studies, the media determine much of our cultural diet and
weave
part of the fabric of our lives.
10. Like environmental studies, the media are as big a part of our everyday
environment as are trees, mountains, oceans, rivers and cities.
11. Like philosophy, the media interpret our world, its values and ideas to us.
12. Like psychology, the media helps us understand ourselves and others.
13. Like science, the media explain to us how things work.

18. 14. Like industrial arts, the media are carefully planned, designed and
constructed products.
15. Like the arts, through the media we experience all the arts as no other age
has ever done before.
16. Like politics, the media bring us political and ideological messages all of the
time.
17. Like rhetoric, the media use special codes and conventions of their own
languages that we need to understand.
18. Like drama, the media help us understand life by presenting it as larger-
than-life, and compel us to think in terms of the audience.
19. Like Everest, the media is there.
20. Because the media go to great lengths to study you!
http://www.medialit.org/reading-room/20-important-reasons-study-media