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CYBER CIVICS: LEVEL 3
MEDIA LITERACY FOR POSITIVE PARTICIPATION

There has never been a more important time to teach youth how to critically evaluate and creatively produce media—not just the printed word, but visual and audio media too! This program provides a turnkey curriculum plus support for a full year of "Media Literacy For Positive Participation" in-classroom or at-home lessons. Covers misinformation,media stereotypes and representation, sexting, visual literacy, and more!

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About Level 3

 

This, the final level of Cyber Civics, focuses on media literacy which is "the ability to access, analyze, evaluate and create media in a variety of forms." Within this turnkey program you will find lesson plans (downloadable and easy-to-teach), slides, videos, parent engagement letters, background materials, fillable PDF forms for students, and access to one-to-one support—so that you can easily teach these important skills.

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Watch "What IS Media Literacy?"

For a Free Online Demo, Contact Us

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Media Literacy is ESSENTIAL

 

 

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There has never been a more important time to teach students how to critically evaluate and creatively produce media messages. With misinformation so easily made and shared online, knowing how to recognize it, and understanding what to do about it, is so important that many states across the U.S. mandate that "media literacy" be taught in school.

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This level of Cyber Civics builds upon the strong foundation of the first two levels of this program. Like Levels 1 and 2, these lessons emphasize ethical and critical thinking, discussion and decision-making through hands-on projects, problem-solving activities, and role-play. It is delivered in the classroom and can also be used for Distance Learning.

 

Read About Media Literacy Legislation

Download NAMLE's Core Principles of Media Literacy

                   

Frequently Asked Questions

 

  • Low subscription cost is determined by size of school.

  • Subscribing schools/organizations receive a school-wide license with full support.

  • Any teacher at subscribing school or organization can open a private account and get access to lesson plans (downloadable PDF's), slides, videos, teacher guides, fillable PDF student packets, and family activities.

  • Includes parent licenses and guide in the event of Distance Learning.

  • Always current resources and constantly updated.

  • Teachers receive a monthly newsletter announcing new lessons and resources.

  • Multiple school/district discounts available.

  • Low home school cost.

  • For online demonstrations or onsite presentations, contact us.

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Plus!

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Testimonials

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“Media Literacy education – which teaches students to apply critical thinking to media messages and to use media to create their own messages – is a key 21st century skill. Media Literacy is critical to the health and well-being of America’s children, as well as to their future participation in the civic and economic life of our democracy.”  -Media Literacy Now

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Subscriber-Only Curriculum

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UNIT 1: LIVING IN A PARTICIPATORY CULTURE

Students learn the difference between “consuming” and “producing” media as they discover what it means to live in a “participatory culture” (a term coined by scholar Henry Jenkins), and consider whether they may use media too much (or if it is using them).

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  • Teacher Guide

  • Parent Letter w/Activities

  • Are You a Consumer or a Producer?

  • Are You a Multitasker?

  • Your Brain on Tech

 

UNIT 2: CALLING ON CRITICAL THINKING

The ability to use critical thinking to assess online information is perhaps one of the most important skills for a young digital citizens to master. This unit, updated based on new research from the Stanford History Education Group (SHEG), teaches students this skill.

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  • Teacher Guide

  • Parent Letter w/Activities

  • Analyzing Online Information (Part 1)

  • Analyzing Online Information (Part 2)

 

UNIT 3: MISINFORMATION

One of the wonderful things about living in a participatory culture is that anyone and everyone can be a purveyor of information and news. This is one of the great downsides too. This unit teaches students how to be critical consumers of news media, and helps them understand how misinformation can spread via the Internet and social media, and even find its way into mainstream “news.”

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  • Teacher Guide

  • Parent Letter w/Activities

  • What's News?

  • Understanding "Fake" News

  • Clickbait and Deepfakes

  • Simon Says It's Fake

  • Units 2 & 3 Quiz

 

UNIT 4: STEREOTYPES & MEDIA REPRESENTATION

Television, social media, videos, movies, video games, and more often depict people in overly simplified ways and digital technologies make it easier than ever to share and perpetuate these notions. Through this unit, students learn to recognize and understand stereotypes and representations in all the media they use.

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  • Teacher Guide
    Parent Letter w/Activities

  • Seeing Stereotypes

  • Don't Label Me!

  • The Ad Who Knows You

 

UNIT 5: VISUAL LITERACY

Much of media is visual, especially the media that young people use. From Instagram to YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat and more, young people consume and create all sorts of visual imagery, including photos, images, video, memes, and more. This unit helps students learn how to read and create visual media, and also helps them become less susceptible to visual manipulations.

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  • Teacher Guide

  • Parent Letter w/Activities

  • Before There Was Photoshop

  • Every Picture Tells a Story

  • Don't Let That Photo Fool You

  • When Facetune Goes Too Far

  • Food Takes Center Stage

  • Unit 4 & 5 Quiz

 

UNIT 6: SEXTING

Sexting, “the sending OR receiving of sexually suggestive, nude, or seminude images,” is a serious digital age issue and in many states individuals who distribute, possess, or produce a sexually explicit image of a minor could be charged under the state’s child pornography statutes. Many young people are unaware of the potentially serious consequences of sexting, which is addressed in this unit. Incluse optional extension covering sextortion and revenge porn.

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  • Teacher Guide

  • Parent Letter w/Activities

  • Let's Talk About Sexting

  • Sexting: Just Say No

 

UNIT 7: DIGITAL LEADERSHIP

The lessons in this final unit encourage students to flex their digital leadership muscles with several hands-on, collaborative activities in which they consider their

place in the digital world, now and in the future.

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  • Teacher Guide

  • Parent Letter w/Activities

  • The Power of Social Media

  • Trolls, Lurkers, and Upstanders

  • Emerging Technologies and Ethical Thinking

  • Making Technology Accessible to All

  • Final Activity: Are You a Consumer or a Producer Now?

 

EXTRA UNIT: FINAL PROJECT RESEARCH 

We recommend using this extra unit in conjunction with an “8th grade project” or a “passion project” of a student’s choice. These lessons teach students advanced search skills, how to use resources ethically, and the way to properly cite online sources. These are all important research skills students will use in high school and beyond.

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  • Teacher Guide

  • Parent Letter w/Activities

  • Filters and Operators

  • Search Like a Pro

  • How To Cite Right

  • Let's Review! Copyright, Fair Use, Public Domain

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