Lesson Plan

Media Literacy

: A free press is essential to the success of a democracy. The following quote from Thomas Jefferson expresses the Founders’ belief that informing the public should remain free from government scrutiny. As the media has evolved over time to include radio, television, internet and now smart phones and social media apps- the ability in “being able to read them” needs examining. This lesson guides students through analysis of social media posts, the definition of terms relevant to the media, and provides tools for identifying quality sources for examination of current political issues. This lesson accompanies the Talking Turkey: Taking the ‘Dis’ Out of Civil Discourse program as well as YLI and American Evolution’s (AE) First Freedom Wall