Media literacy key concepts Lesson 5: Media have social and political implications Lesson Plan

Media Literacy 101

Level: Grade 6-8

Author: MediaSmarts has partnered with Concerned Children’s Advertisers to develop a suite of videos on each of the media literacy key concepts.

Duration: 45-90 minutes

Overview

In this lesson, students watch a video introducing the media literacy key concept that media have social and political implications. They discuss the idea of explicit messages in media products and then, after watching the video “It’s Not Easy Being Green,” discuss the idea that media products may have less obvious implicit messages. Students apply this analysis to another media product familiar to the class and then, in an optional final task, identify how a favourite media product has influenced them.

Learning Outcomes

Students will:

  • understand the key concept that media have social and political implications
  • understand the idea that media products may have both explicit and implicit messages
  • identify implicit messages in a media text

This lesson and all associated documents (handouts, overheads, backgrounders) are available in an easy-print, pdf kit version.

Lesson Kit