Digital Media Literacy Framework - Grades K-3

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. With this in mind, it’s a good time to introduce:

• skills for search strategies
• recognizing how branded characters, games and activities on websites build brand loyalty
• how to protect their privacy on commercial sites
• the persuasive intent of commercials
• the idea that material posted to the Internet can last forever
• the fact that the people we interact with online have feelings

FRAMEWORK ICON LEGEND

 

Adversmarts: Introduction to Food Advertising Online
Grades: K-1

In this lesson students are introduced to the idea of online advertising and look at the ways that marketers create immersive and appealing online environments that draw and hold children’s attention.

Adversmarts: Understanding Food Advertising Online
Grades: 2-3

In this lesson students are introduced to the idea of online advertising and look at the ways that marketers create immersive and appealing online environments that draw and hold children’s attention.

Break the Fake: What’s in the frame?
Grades: K-2 

In this lesson, students are introduced to the idea that what they see in media can be deceptive. They explore the idea that media are “framed” by their creators and consider what parts of the world are left out of the frame. 

Break the Fake: What’s Real Online?
Grades: 3-5 

In this lesson, students are introduced to the challenges of identifying what is real and what is fake online. After learning some simple steps to verify online information they create a poster that communicates the importance of questioning and double-checking online content. 

Can You Spot the Ad?
Grades: K-3

In this lesson students will learn about the concept of branded content and will learn to differentiate between branded images and videos and non-branded images and videos in online and offline contexts.

Co-Co's AdverSmarts: An Interactive Unit on Food Marketing on the Web
Grades: K-3

This interactive unit is designed to help kids recognize the marketing techniques used on commercial websites that target children.

Comparing Real Families to TV Families
Grades: 2-5

Students learn how the media construct reality by studying the families portrayed on television, and comparing them to the real-life families they know: their own, and those of their peers.

Eating Under the Rainbow
Grades 1-3

In order to give children a perspective on the lure of snack-food advertisements, it’s important that they understand where snacks can fit into a healthy diet. Once they have an understanding of where snack food fits into their lives, they can begin to deconstruct the ads themselves.

Facing Media Violence: Consequences and Media Violence
Grades: 1-4

Students explore the absence, or unrealistic portrayal, of consequences to violence in the media. The class begins with a “what would happen if?” discussion of consequences to violent acts that might occur in real life. Students then complete work sheets where they compare TV depictions of violent acts to what would actually happen in real life. Students also begin to question depicted consequences of media violence based on feelings, responsibilities, injuries and results of actions.

Facing Media Violence: Rewriting the Story
Grades: 1-4

In this lesson, students explore how characters in media texts resolve conflict, then brainstorm alternative non-violent solutions to conflicts represented in media.

Favourite Sports and Athletes
Grades: K-3

Students talk about the differences between watching sports on TV and in person, and explore the marketing of sports by looking at the sports-related clothing and toys they own. Students also broaden their understanding of sports by reflecting on how they feel when they get hurt in sports and by discussing issues such as the role of women and the disabled in sports.

Finding Balance in our Digital Lives
Grades: K-3

In this lesson students look at the different ways in which we spend our free time and learn to find balance between active, learning and media activities.

Girls and Boys on Television
Grades: 3 to 6

In this lesson, students discuss television programming aimed at children and how girls and boys are portrayed in it. Students illustrate what they dislike about portrayals of girls or boys and then create their own TV character who will counter the illustrated negative portrayals.

Healthy Food Web
Grades: 2-3

In this lesson students consider the role of snack foods in a healthy diet and learn about some of the techniques used by online food marketers.

Internet Time Capsule
Grades: K-3

In this lesson students learn about the concept of "time capsules" and then apply the idea by selecting time capsule contents to represent both the time they live in and their own lives and tastes. They then extend this idea to online content, making a "time capsule" of any online content connected to them.

Introducing TV Families
Grades: 2-5

This lesson encourages children to explore the differences between their real families and TV families by imagining how their own families might be portrayed on a television show. The lesson begins with a class discussion about different types of families. Students then assume the role of producers, and create a television show for their own families to star in.

Looking at Food Advertising
Grades: K-6

This lesson introduces students to the ways in which advertising can affect their food choices. Working from television and magazine ads, students discuss the techniques used by advertisers to engage kids with products. Specifically, they assess the importance of “spokescharacters” and jingles as effective ways to build relationships with kids. As a class exercise, they create jingles and spokescharacters themselves for the foods they enjoy.

Looking at Newspapers
Grades: 2-4

In this lesson, students learn basic information about newspaper journalism through guided class discussion and group and individual activities. Topics include the front page, what’s inside the paper, how to find information, and what elements make up a newspaper story.

Once Upon a Time
Grades: 3-6

In this lesson, students become aware of the idea of stereotyping and the role that stereotypes play in the stories and movies that they enjoy. They learn how media techniques can affect how we feel about a character and how that can contribute to stereotyping, and consider how stories may be different when told from different points of view.  

Packaging Tricks
Grades: K-6

This lesson introduces students to the ways in which packaging is designed to attract kids.

Prejudice and Body Image
Grades: 3-7

Through class discussion and activities, students begin to recognize how the media pressure us to achieve a certain looks and how media images may lead to prejudice against those who don’t conform to their standards of attractiveness.

Privacy Pirates: An Interactive Unit on Online Privacy (Ages 7-9)
Grades: 2-4

This tutorial introduces children to the concept of online privacy and teaches them to distinguish between information that is appropriate to give out and information better kept private – and to recognize how this may change in different contexts.

Privacy Pursuit: What is Privacy?
Grades: 2-3
 
In this lesson, students draw connections between their existing concepts of privacy and how it applies to the internet and networked devices, then learn essential vocabulary relating to privacy. They then consider some scenarios in which children encounter privacy risks and draw on those to develop a list of “dos” and “don’ts” for using networked devices.

Representing Ourselves Online
Grades: K-3

In this lesson students talk about dressing up and taking on identities that are similar to or different from them. They are then introduced to the idea of avatars as a kind of “dressing up” inside video games and consider the ways in which the technical, generic and aesthetic limitations on avatar creation and customization affect their choices and their ability to represent themselves online.

Rules of the Game
Grades: K-3

In this lesson students consider the importance of the written and unwritten rules that make it possible to learn and play together, online and offline.

So Many Choices!
Grades: K-3

In this lesson students are introduced to the first steps in finding information on the Internet.

Social Smarts: Nothing Personal!
Grades: 3-6
 
A new smartphone is a big responsibility for kids, who have a lot to learn about using them safely, especially when it comes to protecting their privacy.

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada has created a graphic novel, Social Smarts: Nothing Personal! to help young Canadians to better understand and navigate privacy issues in the online world. The 12-page graphic novel is designed to appeal to kids aged 8-10.

Teaching Media: Critically Evaluating Media
Grades: 1-6

In this lesson, students learn how media influence how we see the world and send intentional and unintentional messages.

Teaching TV: Film Production: Who Does What?
Grades: 1-6

In this lesson, students look at the equipment used to produce television and film, and learn about the members of the film production team and their duties.

Teaching Media: Learning With Media
Grades: 2-6

In this lesson, students learn about media as a source of information, and how this information is presented from a particular point of view.

Teaching TV: Television as a Story Teller
Grades: 1-6

Students explore the ways in which television tells stories.

Teaching Media: Media Techniques
Grades: 1-6

In this lesson, students learn how different media use different techniques to communicate meaning.

TV Stereotypes
Grades: 2-6

This lesson familiarises students with stereotypes and helps them understand the role that stereotypes play in television’s portrayal of life. The lesson begins with a discussion about the types of stereotypes that are common on television, why stereotypes are used on TV, and the possible negative influences of stereotyping.

Villains, Heroes and Heroines
Grades: 3-6

This lesson introduces students to some of the myth-building techniques of television by comparing super heroes and super villains from television to heroes and villains in the real world and by conveying how violence and action are used to give power to characters. Students will also explore the use of stereotypes in the world of TV heroes and villains.

Violence in Sports
Grades: 3-7

The lesson begins with a class discussion about the sports that students participate in, and the rules and consequences that relate to unsporting behaviour. Students then discuss how professional athletes conduct themselves in TV sporting events, and whether the same consequences seem to apply.

Wacky Media Songs: Consumer Awareness
Grades: K-3

This lesson series contains discussion topics and extension activities for teachers to integrate the TVOKids Original series Wacky Media Songs. This lesson focuses on recognizing and interpreting advertising, branding and consumerism.

Wacky Media Songs: Community Engagement
Grades: K-3

This lesson series contains discussion topics and extension activities for teachers to integrate the TVOKids Original series Wacky Media Songs. This lesson focuses on students’ ability to influence positive social norms in online spaces and to speak out as active, engaged citizens.

Wacky Media Songs: Ethics and Empathy
Grades: K-3

This lesson series contains discussion topics and extension activities for teachers to integrate the TVOKids Original series Wacky Media Songs. This lesson focuses on students’ social-emotional skills and empathy towards others as well as their ability to make ethical decisions in digital environments when dealing with issues such as cyberbullying.

Wacky Media Songs: Finding and Verifying
Grades: K-3

This lesson series contains discussion topics and extension activities for teachers to integrate the TVOKids Original series Wacky Media Songs. This lesson focuses on the skills to effectively search the internet for information they need for personal and school purposes, and then evaluate, authenticate and critique the sources and information they use for school or for personal reasons.

Wacky Media Songs: Making and Remixing
Grades: K-3

This lesson series contains discussion topics and extension activities for teachers to integrate the TVOKids Original series Wacky Media Songs. This lesson focuses on enabling students to make media and use existing content for their own purposes.

Wacky Media Songs: Media Health
Grades: K-3

This lesson series contains discussion topics and extension activities for teachers to integrate the TVOKids Original series Wacky Media Songs. This lesson focuses on analyzing media messages about health and diet; managing screen time and balancing students’ online and offline lives; managing online identity issues; dealing with issues relating to digital media, body image and sexuality; and understanding the differences between healthy and unhealthy online relationships.

Wacky Media Songs: Media Representation
Grades: K-3

This lesson series contains discussion topics and extension activities for teachers to integrate the TVOKids Original series Wacky Media Songs. This lesson focuses on how media represent reality and how different audiences respond to those representations, covering topics such as stereotyping, how our views of the world and ourselves are shaped by media, how advertising messages manipulate us, and how we represent ourselves on social media.

Wacky Media Songs: Privacy and Security
Grades: K-3

This lesson series contains discussion topics and extension activities for teachers to integrate the TVOKids Original series Wacky Media Songs. This lesson focuses on essential skills for managing students’ privacy, reputation and security online such as making good decisions about sharing their own content, understanding data collection techniques, protecting themselves from malware and other software threats, and being aware of their digital footprint.

Wacky Media Songs: Reading Media
Grades: K-3

This lesson series contains discussion topics and extension activities for teachers to integrate the TVOKids Original series Wacky Media Songs. This lesson focuses on how media are made, how different media and genres tell stories and communicate meaning, and the affordances and defaults of different networked media.

What Do Hallowe’en Costumes Say?
Grades: K-5

This activity is designed to help students look critically at the Halloween costumes marketed to them.