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Media Literacy Modules

These modules support faculty who wish to integrate media literacy into their courses, regardless of discipline.

Module Outcomes

After completing this module, students will be able to:

  • evaluate news stories about science for credibility
  • identify why science is politicized, misunderstood, and misrepresented in news coverage

Readings

Why We Should Trust Scientists

by Naomi Oreskes, from TED Talks

Example Assignments

  1. Research moon-landing deniers and the reasons they claim Neil Armstrong didn’t land on the moon. What is their evidence? Can it be verified? Evaluate their arguments.
  2. Read these articles. Vox, “The 7 Biggest Problems Facing Science, According to 270 Scientists” and Berkeley News, “Ph.D Student Pioneers Storytelling Strategies for Science Communication” and consider ways in which scientists can do a better job communicating their research to the general public.