Critical Media Literacy Rooted in Ethnic Studies Curriculum Toolkit

Prepared by the Coalition for Liberated Ethnic Studies (CLES) &

The Liberated Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Consortium (LESMCC)

As teachers, parents, community members, and leaders, we know we need to create spaces where students, and all of us, have the freedom to engage in genuine dialogue to make sense of what is happening. As we watch and listen in horror as an unimaginable catastrophe catapults forward in Gaza, we are grieving. This is both difficult and critical because the mainstream media, as well as our local, state, and national governments, are almost completely dominated by the Israeli narrative, and any mention of Palestine, liberation, anti-zionism, occupation, or stopping the genocide is immediately marked as anti-semitic. The prohibition to speak and accusations of hatred have fed the fear to speak. And the dialogue is silenced.

More than ever, Paulo Freire’s pedagogical teachings must be remembered and embodied: “Dialogue cannot exist, however, in the absence of a profound love for the world and its people.” We have to hold fast to this value of loving the world and its people. Ethnic Studies teachers/educators must embody this spirit and practice.

This tool kit is rooted in the love for the world and its people. Created by educators, we present a critical media literacy curriculum with links to additional resources that can be used by teachers, families, and community organizations to foster critical, humanizing, and liberatory conversations about what is happening in our world today.

Critical Media Literacy (CML) provides a space for genuine dialogue about what we see in the media.  

CML begins with the following beliefs:

  • All media is political.
  • All media is subjective. No media is neutral.
  • All media has a purpose and serves who owns and creates the media.

CML rooted in Ethnic Studies (CMLES) centers:

  • Voices of indigenous peoples.
  • Voices of racially marginalized people along with those experiencing intersectional oppression.
  • Voices rooted in solidarity and collective liberation movements.

Critical Media Literacy rooted in Ethnic Studies (CMLES)/TEXT DIALOGUE

The following sets of questions provide teachers a process to explore media in a critical way.  This can be done over the course of a week or however long it takes. When viewing media/text--news, articles, posts, podcasts, videos, webinars, documentaries, books, music, creative writing-- through a CMLES lens, we urge both teachers and students to interrogate the elements of the media--text, point of view, and, power & purpose, impact & influence-- with the following questions to engage in genuine, deep, and informed dialogue:

CMLES CRITICAL QUESTIONS

CONTENT/LANGUAGE

  • What is the media/text that you are viewing? What do you see/hear?
  • What words are emphasized? Are there words that are used to amplify meaning or incite?

POINT OF VIEW

  • Who created and/or presented the media/text and what are their credentials or expertise?
  • What do they want us to know, think, and/or feel?
  • Who is the text written for? What outside knowledge does the reader/viewer need to understand the text?
  • Where and when was the media/text published or posted?
  • Who owns the platform that the media/text is being published on?

Focus: What is the media/text’s point of view about Palestinians?

FACTS

  • What is the main argument of the media/text?
  • What in the media/text are facts?  
  • What data and evidence is used to back up the facts?
  • What are the sources?
  • Is it a primary or secondary source?
  • Are they credible source(s) and how do you know?  

OPINIONS

  • What in the media/text are opinions?
  • What data and evidence is used to back up their opinion?
  • What are the sources?
  • Is it a primary or secondary source?
  • Are they credible source(s) and how do you know?  
  • Why is it important to distinguish facts from opinions?

Focus: Is what is being presented a fact or opinion about Palestinians?

POWER & PURPOSE:

  • How are Black, indigenous, and communities of color portrayed in the media/text?
  • How are their movements and actions portrayed in the media/text?
  • Are they portrayed as having deficits, or is their cultural wealth lifted up?
  • Whose voices are highlighted?
  • Whose voices are hidden?
  • Is the text humanizing or dehumanizing?

Focus: How are Palestinians portrayed in this media/text?

IMPACT & INFLUENCE

  • What worldview does the text reveal?
  • What is the impact and influence of the media/text?
  • Who benefits from this media/text and how?
  • Who is harmed by this media/text and how?

Focus: What is the potential impact that the media/text has on Palestinians?

ACTION

  • Based on what you viewed, analyzed, and learned, what do you want to do to respond?

RESOURCES

In the following links, we present some background information about Palestine and resources for use with students at different grade levels, educators, and the larger community. Please discern which you believe would be appropriate for students and which are more appropriate for educators and adults.

Solidarity & Ways to Support Now

History & Context

  • Visualizing Palestine has created a series of resources that help to put the current events in Gaza in context as the product of a system of violence:

Curriculum

Additional Resources

As these are general resources, please discern which you believe would be appropriate for students and which are more appropriate for educators and adults.