Politics and Society Unit 3: Media

Politics and Society Unit 3: Media

This Unit is one of four from the GCE subject Guide Lessons for a Wise World: Global Citizenship Education in Politics and Society.

Click the button below to access the PowerPoints which accompany the lessons in Unit 3 and all supporting materials.

The PDF for Unit 3, available here, contains step-by-step instructions for the following 5 lessons:

A. What is Critical Media Literacy

This lesson opens with a fun activity to understand conspiracy theories. The lesson then explores what critical media literacy is, why is it important, and how it relates to global citizenship education.

B. Trust in the Media

Based on data from the Digital News Report form the Reuters Institute and University of Oxford, this lesson examines trust in the media. The second part of the lesson looks at news media bias and explores three different positions on the human contribution to climate change using a Fishbowl strategy.

C. False Information

This lesson delves into false information. A K-W-L technique is used to guide learners through what they know, what they want to know and what they have learned. Videos, quizzes and games are used to build understanding.

D. Filter Bubbles & Echo Chambers

This lesson has two parts. Part 1 explores what online filter bubbles are, how they isolate users and what this means for global citizenship and democracy. Part 2 is about echo chambers and how to recognise, avoid and escape them. Learners are challenged to consider what their own online echo chambers might look like. Ideas are suggested for a case study on discourses in the media as well as some additional activities including discursive essay questions.

E. Citizen Journalism

In this lesson learners explore what citizen journalism is and how it relates to human rights.

1. They look specifically at Witness: The Human Rights Channel, and the Right to Record Movement.
2. There is an optional research task on the Right to Record and how it relates to human rights instruments.
3. The lesson also includes a mini video action plan where learners use a Witness template to help them plan and create a video on a social justice or human rights issue.
4. Additional activities to explore free speech and the freedom of expression are offered at the end of this lesson.