Embedding media literacy across the secondary curriculum

This Minibook is the outcome of a co-creation project with teachers and students to develop media literacy resources for ICT, History, English and Geography in secondary schools. The book is accompanied by a digital resource, available online, where teaching and study materials and further reading are available. UKLA state: ‘Now that digital technologies permeate all aspects of life, to be literate means to be familiar with a range of texts communicated through diverse media and to be able to communicate through a variety of media.’ (UKLA Agenda for Action, 2015). Arguably in the era of ‘post-truth’ and ‘fake news’ students need, more than ever, to learn to be critical readers of media and to take an informed perspective on the mediation of information and knowledge in everyday life. To this end, this Minibook integrates media literacy activities into a range of GCSE subjects, designed to complement and deepen subject learning, without distracting from the subjects. Case studies and pedagogic guidance are here combined with three core media literacy learning objectives:• Awareness – of representations, values and ideologies at work in media;• Assessment – of audiences, sources, accuracy and purpose;• Action – media agency, engagement and voice