OPI Media Literacy Standards

Dear Educator,

"Get Real: Ads, Images, and the Truth" is a media literacy video and resource guide developed by MSU's Pathways to Health project. The many people involved thank you for your interest in providing this valuable message of media literacy to promote a healthy body image.

“Get Real: Ads, Images and the Truth” will be an excellent resource for teaching the Montana Standards for Media Literacy covering each of the four Content Standards and Performance Standards. A student evaluation form is enclosed to assist you and MSU Pathways to Health in assessing the effectiveness of this video in covering these Standards. We would appreciate it if you would distribute the enclosed Participant Evaluation.

Specifically, each Media Literacy Content Standard is addressed in the following evaluation questions (see attached evaluation):

Content Standard 1: Students recognize that media maesages are constructed using specific techniques which manipulate sound, image, text and movement to convey meaning.

Question 1. How advertisements (ads) are constructed for specific purposes, such as to entertain, persuade, or inform.

Question 2. How ads are constructed to appeal to specific audiences, such as teens.

Content Standard 2: Students distinguish among use appropriate types of media for a variety of purposes.

Question 3. How ads influence the way teens feel about their bodies.

Question 4. How ads reflect what society views as normal and desirable regarding beauty and attractiveness.

Content Standard 3: Students apply knowledge, skills and strategies to design and create media messages.

Question 5. How to identify and examine the techniques used to construct advertising messages.

Question 6. How to develop your own “personal style” as an alternative to pursuing a “perfect look.”.

Content Standards 4: Students identify, analyze and evaluate the impacts of media on individuals and societies.

Question 7. How to analyze the messages portrayed by ads regarding body shape and body size.

Question 8. How ads may influence the “norm” regarding beauty and attractiveness.

You can either tally the evaluations yourself and send a summary to me, or send them to me and I will provide you with a summary evaluation. In appreciation for you providing evaluation data for the video, I will be glad to send you a free educational program “How to Help a Friend” with information and handouts for people who have friends or family experiencing eating behavior problems.

            Also, if you have any other comments or critiques, please contact me at:

Lynn Paul, EdD, RD

MSU Extension, Food & Nutrition Specialist

101 Romney - PO Box 173360

Bozeman, MT 59717-3360

(406) 994-5702

lpaul@montana.edu