As with other kinds of news, newsworthiness is the essential element of health and science coverage. Along with the factors that generally influence newsworthiness, Boyce Rensberger, in A Field Guide for Science Writers, identifies four factors specific to science stories:
In Ontario, media components are included throughout the Healthy Living Strand of the Health and Physical Education Curriculum, Grades 1-8.
Some curricular expectations in Newfoundland and Labrador Mathematics courses relate to media and digital literacy, mostly relating to statistics and probability.
The Saskatchewan Mathematics curriculum includes several courses with curriculum expectations that relate to digital and media literacy, primarily involving media representations of statistics and probability.
In Saskatchewan Health Education, media components are included under the broader categories of Understanding, Skills, and Confidences; Decision Making; and Action Planning.
The British Columbia Mathematics curriculum has a number of expectations relating to digital and media literacy, primarily in connection with financial literacy and probability. Select a grade level under Mathematics for a list of media-related outcomes and links to supporting resources from the MediaSmarts site. (Note: as many of our lessons can be adapted to suit different grade levels, specific lessons may be listed for more than one grade.
The Ontario Canadian and World Studies curriculum includes expecations that incorporate media and digital literacy skills. The document Canadian and World Studies (2013) includes a section that demonstrates the complementary relationship between the critical thinking of media education and Canadian and World Studies:
The internet is all about sharing – sharing news, sharing videos, sharing our thoughts and opinions with our friends.
In Manitoba Physical Education/Health Education, media components are included under the broader categories Safety; Personal and Social Management; and Healthy Lifestyle Practises.
In the Nova Scotia Visual Arts curriculum, media literacy outcomes are included under the general outcomes requiring students to demonstrate an awareness and appreciation of art as a lifelong process.
Click on a grade level under Visual Arts for a list of media-related outcomes and links to supporting resources from the MediaSmarts site. (Note: as many of our lessons can be adapted to suit different grade levels, specific lessons may be listed for more than one grade. Teachers should also note that individual lessons often satisfy a number of learning outcomes.)