Themes
A. Living in Our Community
B. Working in Our Community
C. Transportation and Communication in our Community
D. Current Events
Overall Expectations:
8. the various means of communication used in the community and the needs that they serve (C)
Skills
Themes
D. Current Events
Specific Expectations:
Skills – Processing skills
7. compare sources of information for accuracy, relevancy, reliability and validity
8. draw inferences from information
9. make generalizations from broadly-based authenticated information
10. identify and evaluate alternative answers, conclusions, solutions or decisions
We are always looking for teachers to help test resources and be the first to give feedback on our new materials. We truly value the opportunity to work with educators to make our resources better and to learn more about the kinds of materials that would support digital media literacy programming in the classroom.
MediaSmarts works with Teacher Champions in the following ways:
The 2023 Science K-6 curriculum states that “the study of science allows students to nurture curiosity, ask and answer questions, explore scientific and technological concepts, and acquire knowledge and understanding of the world. Science provides a reliable basis for decision making and is essential in developing innovative ideas and solutions.
“A scientifically and technologically literate person is one who can read and understand common media reports about science and technology, critically evaluate the information presented, and confidently engage in discussions and decision-making activities that involve science and technology.” Science Co-ordinators’ and Consultants’ Association of Ontario (SCCAO) and Science Teachers’ Association of Ontario (STAO/APSO), Position Paper: The Nature of Science (2006)
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. Younger students finish the lesson by creating a group Internet time capsule, while older students finish by considering what online content they might like to remove or keep out of their "time capsules."
In this lesson, students will compare and contrast a variety of online social networking platforms and build an understanding of how they work to share messages. They will reflect on basic online rules and explore concepts of safety and privacy when accessing and sharing information online.
In this lesson, students apply the "5Ws of Cyberspace" to sources of information they find online. Assuming the role of a student researching a science project, students must authenticate the information in an online article about the artificial sweetener, aspartame.
In this lesson, students discuss “viral” photos, videos and news stories that spread via social media. They are shown how challenging it is to authenticate these using only their content and are introduced to tools and techniques for gauging their accuracy based on context, with an eye towards making wise and responsible decisions about whether or not to forward them to their friends and family.