1. Introduction to Media Literacy
April 19/20

2. Do Now
For what purpose do you most often use the internet(i.e. schoolwork, internet surfing, , Facebook, gaming, visiting websites etc.)? Explain your answer in One Paragraph

3. Quarter 4 Roots Prefixes: Anti-(opposite, against)
Antidote – cure for poison
Mis-(wrong(ly)
Misunderstanding – wrong understanding
Non-(not)
Non-fiction – not fiction
Pseudo-(wrong, false)
Pseudonym – false name

4. What is media literacy?
Ability to understand how the media work and how they convey meaning
Involves critical thinking about media messages
Being able to identify author, audience, content, and purpose of media messages
Being able to tell the difference between fact and opinion
“Media is not good or bad; it is our job to question it.”

5. Media Messages conveyed through visuals, language and/or sound
(Mass) produced for a (mass) audience mediated by a form of technology
The producer of the message is not in the same place as the receiver of the message

6. Answer
On average, how many days out of the week do you use a smartphone?
How many hours/minutes in a day?
Do you feel this is too much?

7. Types of media Radio Television Newspapers, Magazines Internet
Advertising in All Forms
Videos, DVDs, Films
Computer & Video Games
Recorded Music (e.g., CDs)
Books (e.g., Textbooks)
Maps, Money, Dictionaries, Standardized Tests

8. Interesting statistics
Adolescents watch an average of 28 hours of television per week.
American youth spend, on average, 900 hours a year in school and an average of 1,023 hours a year watching television.
The average American consumes 11.8 hours per day of media of all kinds.
Children view more than 20,000 commercials per year.
75% of all adolescents spend at least 6 hours a week watching music videos. (TV Turnoff Network)
The average time 8-18 year olds spend with media not school related? 6:21 hours per day (
32 million iPods were sold in 2005 (2007,
The average 8-18 year old listens to music for 1:44 hours a day (2005, ww.kff.org)

9. Answer
Based on these statistics and what we’ve seen so far: Why might it be important to understand how media works?

10. FIRST we need to deconstruct
When looking at a picture, ad, TV commercial, etc., the viewer must DECONSTRUCT what appears in front of them
What to examine:
What is the medium(print, radio, film)?
Who is the intended audience?
What is the purpose behind this message?
What is the content?
How did the author use colors, images, sounds, and word choice to help create mood or tone?

11. Portrait 1
This painting shows the European “discover” of the Mississippi River by an explore named Hernando de Soto
Questions to ask and discuss with students:
Which one is de Soto? Why? Does he look important? (one on the horse; he’s the only one on a white horse)
Why might a white horse make a difference? (white is supposed to be good and important; the good guys always wear white, and the bad guys wear black)
What in this painting makes him look like he’s by himself or bigger than everyone else? (all the white space around his head, and he’s up on the horse, which makes him taller higher than everyone else. He has no one near him- everyone else is in little groups. Also, there is a open space on the ground in front of him. Everybody seems to be looking at him.)
Where is he looking? What does his posture say? (straight forward; he is sitting up really straight, holding the reins, he seems really confident)
How do you think the Native people felt about his arrival? What makes you think that? (look afraid; women are cowering in front of him. Seem to be afraid of the cannons)
How has the artist conveyed the fear that the Native Americans feel over having their land invaded by the Europeans?

12. Questions Which one is de Soto? Why do you believe this is so?
What in this painting makes him look like he’s by himself or bigger than everyone else?
Where is he looking? What does his posture say?
How do you think the Native people felt about his arrival? What makes you think that?
How has the artist conveyed the fear that the Native Americans feel over having their land invaded by the Europeans?

13. Portrait 2
This is a painting titled “The Last Supper” by Jonathan Warm Day
Questions to ask and discuss with your students:
From whose perspective is this painting from? (The Native Americans)
Besides the fact that this is from inside the Native American’s house, what else helps to show this is from the Native Americans perspective? (style of painting, colors used, less detail)
What are the messages here about their first contact? (The white people or Europeans were scary; they are shown in black silhouettes)
What might the Native Americans be feeling? (scared, afraid- bowl is knocked over, mother is comforting the little child)
What do you think he meant by giving it the title, and what does it tell you about his purpose? (end of their peaceful existence; making a point about how hard it has been on the Native Americans since their land was destroyed and taken away)
Which is the better picture and why? (answers will vary)
Both of these pictures depict about the same thing, Native Americans being introduced to the European settlers. If these pictures depict the same event, why do they have such vastly different perspectives and meanings? (answers will vary)

14. Questions From whose perspective is this painting from?
What are the messages here about their first contact?
What might the Native Americans be feeling?
What do you think he meant by giving it the title, and what does it tell you about his purpose?

15. Exit
Both of these pictures depict about the same thing, Native Americans being introduced to the European settlers. If these pictures depict the same event, why do they have such vastly different perspectives and meanings?