Teach middle school students to become savvy consumers of the TV, print, and online media bombarding them every day. In this practical book copublished by Routledge and MiddleWeb, media literacy expert Frank Baker offers thematic, timely lessons for every month of the school year, so you can engage students in learning by having them analyse the real world around them. Topics covered include critiquing the messages behind Superbowl ads, Christmas toy commercials, fall political campaigns, and more. Through these lessons, students will learn to read the medipa more closely and will improve their critical thinking skills. The book also offers classroom-ready handouts you can use immediately.

Contents -- Meet the Authors -- Introduction -- 1. August: Lesson 1: Exploring Media Literacy with Students -- Lesson 2: Close Reading and What it Means for Media Literacy -- Lesson 3: What’s Missing from that Media Message? -- 2. September: Lesson 4: Unraveling the Messages in TV Advertising -- Lesson 5: Examining the Political Announcement -- Lesson 6: Truth vs Propaganda in Political Ads -- 3. October: Lesson 7: Media Literacy Week: A Time to Remember Why Media Literacy Is So Important -- Lesson 8: Teach Students to Analyze Political Debates -- Lesson 9: Students Need Help Detecting Fake News -- 4. November: Lesson 10: Examining Holiday Toy Ads -- Lesson 11: Looking Beyond the Toy Ads to a World Saturated with Marketing Messages -- 5. December: Lesson 12: Engaging Students in the Study of Parody -- Lesson 13: How Big Media Influences the News We Read -- 6. January: Lesson 14: Looking Deeper into Super Bowl Ads -- Lesson 15: Being Savvy About Diet Ad Season -- Lesson 16: Studying Black History Through the Vision of Gordon Parks --Lesson 17: Civil Rights: How Pictures Changed America -- 7. February: Lesson 18: Learning from the Academy Awards -- Lesson 19: Exploring the Language of Film -- Lesson 20: Reading the Symbols of Costume Design -- 8. March: Lesson 21: Comparing Hollywood vs. History: Who Gets the Story Right? -- Lesson 22: Analyzing the Media Through Docudramas -- Lesson 23: How Media Appeals to Our Emotions -- 9. April: Lesson 24: Examining Product Placement -- Lesson 25: Noticing the Power of Branding -- 10. May: Lesson 26: Understanding Media Messages in Popular Magazines --Lesson 27: Reading and Interpreting Iconic News Images -- Lesson 28: The Role of Celebrity in Raising Our Awareness -- Conclusion -- Glossary.