Earth Day: Maps as media - Lesson

In this lesson, students are introduced to Earth Day and the theme of “Green Cities”. After listening to a short presentation on the concept of a “green city” and elements that constitute a green city (e.g. renewable energy sources such as solar panels, more energy-efficient buildings, recycling programs, cleaner air and water) students participate in an activity where they count the number of parks on a map of their city or neighbourhood. Maps are then analyzed as a medium as students discuss how they are created, things they can and can’t show, and their effectiveness at communicating environmental information.

Internet & Mobile, Media Literacy 101, Media Production

Youth and Digital Skills Symposium: Preparing young Canadians to make social, economic and cultural contributions

To explore the critical issue of promoting the importance of essential digital literacy and skills for Canadian youth, a one-day invitation-only Symposium was organized by the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) and MediaSmarts in Ottawa on February 10, 2014. This summary report -- Youth and Digital Skills Symposium: Preparing young Canadians to make social, economic and cultural contributions -- encapsulates “what we heard”. It frames the challenges and opportunities and suggests ways forward as captured by the organizers.

Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Sexuality and Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age

This report is drawn from a national survey of Canadian youth conducted by MediaSmarts in 2013. The classroom-based survey of 5,436 students in grades 4 through 11, in every province and territory, examined the role of networked technologies in young people’s lives. Sexuality and Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age (the fifth in a series of reports from the survey) examines issues such as sexting, romantic interactions online, and accessing pornography and information about sexuality.

Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Encountering Racist and Sexist Content Online

This report is drawn from a national survey of Canadian youth conducted by MediaSmarts in 2013. The classroom-based survey of 5,436 students in grades 4 through 11, in every province and territory, examined the role of networked technologies in young people’s lives. Encountering Racist and Sexist Content Online (the sixth in a series of reports from the survey) looks at how often Canadian youth are exposed to prejudice online, how it makes them feel and how they respond to it.

Don’t Drink and Drive: Assessing the Effectiveness of Anti-Drinking Campaigns - Lesson

In this lesson, students explore a variety of anti-drinking and alcohol awareness campaigns in order to determine their effectiveness. Students will deconstruct the different approaches that have been used by various organizations to reach teens and young adults and will debate those techniques that are most likely to resonate with youth. In a summative activity, groups of students create and implement an alcohol awareness campaign for students.

Alcohol Marketing, Marketing & Consumerism, Television

Media literacy key concepts Introduction: What is media anyway?

This opening video to the Key Concepts of Media Literacy video series introduces students to the idea that the word media – which they may already know in the sense of the media industry (“the media”) – means channels of communication between a person or persons and their intended audience.

Media Literacy 101

Media literacy key concepts Lesson 2: Media are constructions

In this lesson, students watch a video introducing the media literacy key concept that media are constructions. They then explore this concept by considering a pair of cereal boxes and identifying the different elements of the box and the purposes they serve. In an optional final task, students pick a target audience and create their own cereal box to appeal to that audience.

Media Literacy 101

Media literacy key concepts Lesson 4: Media have commercial implications

In this lesson, students watch a video introducing the media literacy key concept that media have commercial implications.

Media Literacy 101

Media literacy key concepts Lesson 3: Audiences negotiate meaning

In this lesson, students watch a video introducing the media literacy key concept that audiences negotiate meaning.

Media Literacy 101

Media literacy key concepts Lesson 6: Each medium has a unique aesthetic form

In this lesson, students compare print and TV ads for the same product and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each medium to communicate a particular message. The class then brainstorms a public service message and discusses which medium would be a better way to communicate it and why.

Media Literacy 101