Media Literacy Course - Lesson Plan for the 5th grade

Lesson 1: Introduction to Media Literacy

Objective: Understand what media literacy is and why it is essential.

Materials: Presentation slides, short video clips.

• Activities:
  • Discuss what media literacy means (accessing, analyzing, and evaluating information).
  • Watch a video about media’s role in society.
  • Group discussion: How do we interact with media daily?

Lesson 2: Types of Media and Their Influence

Objective: Identify different types of media (print, digital, social).

Materials: Samples of news articles, social media posts, ads.

• Activities:
  • Analyze a news article and compare it to a social media post covering the same event.
  • Discuss how media can influence public opinion.

Lesson 3: Identifying Bias and Misinformation

Objective: Recognize bias and learn techniques to spot misinformation.

Materials: Fact-checking websites, example articles.

• Activities:
  • Teach students how to fact-check using tools like Snopes or FactCheck.org.
  • Analyze headlines and identify potential biases in tone, wording, or source.

Lesson 4: Evaluating Sources

Objective: Learn to distinguish credible sources from unreliable ones.

Materials: News articles from reputable vs. dubious sources.

• Activities:
  • Practice evaluating the credibility of various sources.
  • Group work: Compare two articles on the same topic and determine which is more reliable.

Lesson 5: Digital Footprint and Media Ethics

Objective: Understand personal responsibility in sharing information and protecting one’s digital footprint.

Materials: Social media examples, case studies.

• Activities:
  • Discuss responsible online behavior.
  • Create a guide for ethical media consumption and sharing.

Assessment:

• Create a project analyzing a media source’s bias, credibility, and influence, incorporating fact-checking skills.