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Break the Fake:

What's in the Frame?

Elementary

Description

In this media literacy resource, students will develop an understanding of the intentional creation of content that can mislead and may not be reliable.  The lesson begins with the students viewing the video "House Hippo 2.0" and answering discussion questions.

Through the use of a presentation and discussion questions, the students learn that media is "framed" and there is often more to see than what is shown. The students are provided with a paper frame they use to make observations around the classroom. They then create a drawing with the frame hiding important details of the picture.

Three additional extension activities are provided to help to solidify the concepts of how a story may be framed.

General Assessment

What skills does this resource explicitly teach?

This resource effectively teaches the students how to question the information presented in media content. 

Strengths

  • Engaging and novel activities for the students
  • All materials provided
  • All links are active and functioning
  • Easy to implement with important content

Weaknesses

  • Lack of assessment tools
  • No suggestions for students who may have difficulty with the material

Recommendation of how and where to use it

Break the Fake is a suitable resource for the early elementary classroom. It helps students to attain the outcomes related to digital literacy and the critical and responsible consumption of digital media.

Relevant Curriculum Units

The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.

Themes Addressed

Citizenship (1)

  • Media

Human Health & Environment (1)

  • Quality of Life

Sustainability Education Principles

Principle Rating Explanation
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives Very Good

The aim of this resource is for the students to develop an understanding of bias in media content. They explore the topic by considering a variety of points of view by being presented with alternative perspectives of images and videos. 

Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
  • Satisfactory: absence of bias towards any one point of view
  • Good: students consider different points of view regarding issues, problems discussed
  • Very good: based on the consideration of different views, students form opinions and  take an informed position
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions Satisfactory

The issue of media literacy and viewing content with a critical eye certainly allows the students to explore all dimensions of this resource as a whole. While it does not solely focus on these aspects individually, the aim is to have the students develop skills that will allow them to examine other media content in the future.

Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions:

Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.

  • Satisfactory: resource supports the examination of  these dimensions
  • Good:  resource explicitly examines the interplay of these dimensions
  • Very Good:  a systems-thinking approach is encouraged to examine these three dimensions
Respects Complexity Very Good

As the resource is tailored for early elementary students, its approach to the concepts and the activities are geared to creating a strong awareness in these young students of the layers of content in media messages.

Respects Complexity:

The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected.

Acting on Learning Poor/Not considered

The lesson has an aim of creating an awareness in students. There are no action opportunities presented.

Acting on Learning:

Learning moves from understanding  issues  to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community,  or for the planet

  • Satisfactory: action opportunities are included as extensions 
  • Good: action opportunities are core components of the resource
  • Very Good: action opportunities for students are well supported and intended to result in observable, positive change
Values Education Satisfactory

The resource allows the students to identify and work towards creating an understanding of bias in media messages. It does also allow for the students to discuss and share ideas but it does not provide for explicit expression of their values.

Values Education:

Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values.

Empathy & Respect for Humans Poor/Not considered

This is not a focus of this resource.

Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.).
Personal Affinity with Earth Poor/Not considered

The resource does not have this as a focus; instead, it strives to create an awareness of the bias in the media and online content.

Personal Affinity with Earth:

Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.  

  • Satisfactory: connection is made to the natural world
  • Good: fosters appreciation/concern for the natural world
  • Very Good: fosters stewardship though practical and respectful experiences out-of-doors 
Locally-Focused Learning Good

As media content is an inevitable part of our daily lives, this resource is very relevant to young learners in order for them to become responsible consumers of media.

Locally-Focused Learning:

Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community. 

  • Satisfactory: learning is made relevant to the lives of the learners
  • Good: learning is made relevant and has a local focus
  • Very Good: learning is made relevant, local and takes place ‘outside’ , in the community 
Past, Present & Future Poor/Not considered

This is not a focus of this resource.

Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future.

Pedagogical Approaches

Principle Rating Explanation
Open-Ended Instruction Very Good

The nature of the discussion questions and the presentation allow for the students to explore the topic and form their answers without bias.

Open-Ended Instruction :

Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer.

Integrated Learning Good
  • Digital literacy
  • Health 
  • Literacy
Integrated Learning:

Learning brings together content and skills  from more than one  subject area

  • Satisfactory: content from a number of different  subject areas is readily identifiable
  • Good:  resource is appropriate for use in more than one subject area
  • Very Good:  the lines between subjects are blurred 
Inquiry Learning Good

The students explore the topic and are allowed to discover what my often be hidden in media content through the use of images, a presentation, video and discussion questions. They have the opportunity to create their own "framed" content to solidify their understanding.

Inquiry Learning:

Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.   

  • Satisfactory: Students are provided with questions/problems to solve and some direction on how to arrive at solutions.
  • Good: students, assisted by the teacher clarify the question(s) to ask and the process to follow to arrive at solutions.  Sometimes referred to as Guided Inquiry
  • Very Good:  students generate the questions and assume much of the responsibility for how to solve them.  . Sometimes referred to as self-directed learning.

 

Differentiated Instruction Good

Although there are no strategies for learners who may experience difficulty with the content, the activities are engaging and suitable for a wide range of learning styles.

Differentiated Instruction:

Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.

  • Satisfactory:  includes a variety of instructional approaches
  • Good: addresses  the needs of visual, auditory &  kinesthetic learners
  • Very Good: also includes strategies for learners with difficulties
Experiential Learning Good

The activity in which the students create their own framed picture with important details hidden gives the students practical experience and helps them to gain a perspective of how media can try to  influence opinion.

Experiential Learning:

Authentic learning experiences are provided

  • Satisfactory: learning takes place through ‘hands-on’ experience or simulation
  • Good: learning involves direct experience in a ‘real world context’
  • Very good: learning involves ‘real world experiences’ taking place’ beyond the school walls.
Cooperative Learning Poor/Not considered

Other than discussion questions that are completed as a group, the resource activities are completed individually.  The teacher can easily adapt this to suit the needs of the classroom.

Cooperative Learning:

Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.

  • Satisfactory:  students work in groups
  • Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught and practiced
  • Very Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught, practiced and assessed
Assessment & Evaluation Good

There is an activity that is identified as an assessment activity; however, there are no rubrics or tools to assist in the evaluation of learning.

Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc.
Peer Teaching Poor/Not considered

The students do not make presentations to share their knowledge in this activity as it is short in duration; however, the teacher could include the sharing of the framed pictures with classmates as part of an assessment activity.

Peer Teaching:

Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.

  • Satisfactory: incidental teaching that arises from cooperative learning, presentations, etc.
  • Good or Very Good: an opportunity is intentionally created to empower students to teach other students/community members. The audience is somehow reliant on the students' teaching (students are not simply ‘presenting')
Case Studies Poor/Not considered

Case studies are not included in this resource.

Case Studies:

Relevant case studies are included.  Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore  concepts in an authentic context.

Locus of Control Satisfactory

The activity is brief in duration and has only a few activities; therefore, the options for choice for students are limited. This does not detract from the quality of this resource.

Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue.

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