Greenwashing is defined as "the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service" (UL Environment, 2013). As "green living" has become a marketable concept, and desirable consumers seek to enact a green identity, more companies are utilizing…

Describes an undergraduate course which focuses on the effects of the mass media on the viewing public. The course is intended to increase awareness of the media so that students may respond to it more intelligently. Course topics, source materials, and class formats are discussed. (GEA)

Discusses study to determine readability levels of materials for the social studies classroom which examine contemporary problems. The Dale-Chall and the Fry readability formulae were used. Reading levels of newspapers, government publications, magazines, and publications of special interest groups are provided in chart form. (KC)

Students need to be taught how to use the media effectively if they are to operate intelligently in a society that is highly media oriented. In order to deal with media, students must understand why media operate as they do and what the attendant consequences are. (BRR)

Reviews reading research conducted to show the benefits of closed-captioned television. Demonstrates how it presents an interesting alternative for reading and writing instruction. (MG)

Reports on how computerized broadcast stations prepare the news. Discusses implications for news and education, pointing out ways teachers can prepare students for computerized newsrooms.

Examines media portrayals of Mexican immigrants, and interplay between these images and portrayals of U.S.-born Latinos. Argues that examining media images is imperative because the influence of media saturation is almost overwhelming. Suggests a media-literacy framework for developing abilities for interpreting media and giving students control…

Describes an instructor's analysis of students' responses to an assignment to describe the events of September 11, 2001 for a visual and media literacy course. Discusses the impact of media reports on students' perceptions of those events, and the inability of most students to critically analyze the situation because of the absence of personal…

Gaming activities increase a student's motivation to learn cognitive material, develop a student's sensitivity to the way media works, and improve the student's decision making skills. The game presented is based on the television program "To Tell the Truth," and centers on questions concerning arthritis. (JN)

Illustrates how media communication techniques can be adapted for curriculum development. Popular television series suggested by the students are used to provide recommendations for lessons to develop pronunciation, oral communication, plot analysis, and writing composition, as well as analysis of cultural factors concerning ethnic diversity.…

Suggests possible uses historians can make of film materials drawing on the Cooper Library (University of South Carolina) collection. Stresses the need for using outtakes to show an accurate sense of unedited history. Illustrates the value of film in understanding European fascism, and urges coordinating textbooks and film for an effective…

This document is intended to improve the critical viewing skills and increase the understanding and appreciation of what is viewed. Included are the chapters: (1) "Critical Thinking: The Parts of an Argument," intended to develop a process to help a person judge arguments in what is read, seen, and heard; (2) "Critical Viewing:…

What passes for considered judgment in public discourse today is often little more than "unearned opinion"--the received opinion offered by others who have the power to shape the news. So students must develop consistent intellectual standards for routinely evaluating the news media which so frequently provide the empirical stuff about…

Designed for media specialists and educators, this issue includes five articles on innovative museum film programs. The first article describes a successful film program conducted at the Staten Island Children's Museum. The second article describes inventive children's programs at the Delaware Museum of Art. The programs use films and activities…

This guide provides an approach for high school educators and instructors of adult learners to teach media literacy and promote an informed public conversation about the impact of violent imagery in the culture today. Five key goals govern the program: (1) to reduce exposure to media violence; (2) to change the impact of violent images that are…