Outcome Chart - Manitoba - English Language Arts 9
This outcome chart contains media-related learning outcomes from the Manitoba, Senior 1 (Grade 9) English Language Arts curriculum, with links to supporting resources on the MediaSmarts site.
Outcome Chart - Manitoba - English Language Arts 10
This outcome chart contains media-related learning outcomes from the Manitoba, Senior 2 (Grade 10) English Language Arts curriculum, with links to supporting resources on the MediaSmarts site.
The Form And Experience Of Podcasting
A podcast is essentially a readily accessible digital file that contains audio and/or video content. Unlike traditional broadcast media, podcasts are often structured to fit their content, offering flexibility in storytelling. They can feature narration from a host or reporter, a conversation among a group or a one-on-one interview.
New Series on Emerging Technologies
Keeping up to date with all of the latest technologies and trends in the media is exhausting, and it’s easy to fall behind. Our team at MediaSmarts conducts regular research, works with media networks, and follows current events to stay relevant. Both parents and teachers look to us for information and education materials.
Information Sorting
This is the second lesson in the Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum series, though it can also be delivered independently. In it, students are introduced to the idea of using information sorting to determine whether sources are worth their attention and then to do critical close readings of those that are. After learning and identifying the differences and similarities between the two steps, they learn the characteristics of a reliable source and make a list of companion texts that can be used to determine if a source has those characteristics. After practicing that process, they learn some examples of critical close reading skills and use a possibility grid to do a close reading of a news article. Finally they plan, carry out, and reflect on an information sorting process to make sure they are getting a full and accurate picture of the news story’s topic.
New research on youth and cyberbullying released for Pink Shirt Day
Ottawa, ON (Feb. 21, 2023) - New research conducted during the pandemic by MediaSmarts found 32% of young Canadians ages nine to 17 have experienced online meanness and cruelty, 49% have witnessed it, and 17% have engaged in this behaviour.
It’s me, hi, I’m the problem
I have been blogging for over 14 years, freelance writing for almost as long, and on social media for the same amount of time. It’s become my normal to take photos for sharing later (I rarely share ‘in the moment’) or check the news on a social media website before traditional news outlets online. I actively use my phone to stay connected with family and friends, for my job, and as a camera.
Ads That Don’t Look Like Ads
In this lesson, students learn what makes something an ad and how to distinguish advertisements from reviews, focusing on the key concepts of genre, tropes, bias, disclosure, and framing. Students begin by viewing and analyzing a video to prompt critical questions about the creator’s intent and visual style, then delve into the advertising genre by learning about its essential elements, like the presence of a product and brand. Students examine the differences between the “ad” and “review” genre and also use companion reading skills to evaluate the reliability and potential bias of a source by searching for undisclosed "brand deal" or "sponsored" content. Finally, students create two media pieces about the same product—one crafted as a persuasive ad and the other as an honest review—to demonstrate their ability to apply the genre elements and tropes learned throughout the lesson.
Outcome Chart - British Columbia - Digital Literacy 10-12
Outcome Chart - British Columbia - Digital Literacy 10-12
Arts Education
The British Columbia Arts Education curriculum promotes the development of artistic habits of mind, categorized as exploring and creating, reasoning and reflecting, and communicating and documenting. Digital media literacy is present throughout these curricular competencies, which include a focus on relationships between the arts and various cultures and societies, reflecting on and making connections between creative processes, and considering how audience negotiate meaning.