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Media Literacy Teachers Guide on Hurricane Katrina Coverage

This past week, instead of tuning in to typical back-to-school stories, we witnessed the devastation created by Hurricane Katrina. Across the country and around the world, we learned about the disaster, its causes, and its effects almost exclusively
through media. But how did these media depictions affect our understanding of the events leading up to and after the hurricane? Whose stories were not told, and whose biases were represented?

The Alliance for a Media Literate America (AMLA) has created a media literacy lesson and activity guide that offers a starting place for educators who want to help students analyze, understand, and cope with Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath.

“Bringing Hurricane Katrina Into the Classroom: Media Literacy Lessons and Activities” includes lessons such as Editorial Decision-Making, Looking at Language, and Taking Action, plus dozens of links to alternative news sources, commentary, and media comparisons.

This free, downloadable guide is available on the AMLA website at:

http://www.amlainfo.org/hurricane. An expanded and interactive version, including a bulletin board for sharing thoughts and reactions, will be posted on September 15th, when the new AMLA website launches.

In just a few days, the response to these AMLA materials has been overwhelmingly positive. Take a look and forward this email to friends, colleagues, and listservs.

Revisit the website after September 15th when a revised version will be available—we invite you to post your comments.

“Bringing Hurricane Katrina into the Classroom: Media Literacy Lessons and Activities”

http://www.amlainfo.org/hurricane