Digital Media Literacy Framework - Grades 9-12

Contrary to popular belief, cyberbullying remains a problem in high school. Students in these grades should learn the ways that they can speak out and make a difference, both in cases of individual cyberbullying and in building more tolerant and respectful online spaces.

The Economics of Gender Stereotyping

"We are experiencing a sea change with women and movies, a shift in numbers but also in consciousness. Female-driven movies, from women filmmakers and not, open weekly and are greeted as a matter of course rather than as aberrations; some dominate the box office, and a handful are enlivening the awards season. Despite continuing biases and barriers, women are now directing movies with a variety of budgets, topics and casts."

How the Media Defines Masculinity

Families, friends, teachers and community leaders all play a role in helping boys define what it means to be a man. Mainstream media representations also play a role in reinforcing ideas about what it means to be a “real” man in our society. In most media portrayals, male characters are rewarded for self-control and the control of others, aggression and violence, financial independence and physical desirability: “for boys, violence and dominance are aligned with norms of masculinity.”

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

One of the most famous images of online life is the New Yorker cartoon captioned “On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog.” The cartoon, published in 1993, was hugely influential in fixing an image in the public imagination of the Internet as a place where anonymity reigned. It did not take long for that humorous view of anonymity to take on a darker cast, as parents began to fear that Internet predators would use this invisibility to lure their children in the guise of twelve-year-old girls. It's instructive, though, to realize just how long ago this cartoon was published, and how much the Internet has changed since then.

Outcome Chart - Nova Scotia - English Language Arts Grade 8

Listening and Speaking

GCO 1: Use oral language to learn

Screen time and well-being - Fact Sheet

“Digital technology can have both positive and negative effects on child well-being, depending on the activity and how much time is spent.”^[1]

• Very high levels of screen time are connected to poor mental well-being
• Very low levels are as well
• There’s a large middle ground with no direct connection to well-being ^[2]

“Screen time” is important…but not as important as what kids do with their screens:

Common Stereotypes of Men in Media

Various media analysts and researchers argue that media portrayals of male characters fall within a range of stereotypes.

Outcome Chart - British Columbia - English Language Arts 9

This outcome chart contains media-related learning outcomes from the British Columbia, Grade 9 English Language Arts curriculum, with links to supporting resources on the MediaSmarts site.