In today’s media-saturated world, we need to teach our students the habits of critical thinking needed for their academic, career and civic lives. They need consistent practice in asking the right questions and in reflecting on their own meaning-making. Project Look Sharp’s approach integrates materials and methodologies that teach both core subject-area learning with these media literacy skills.
Our Instructional Approach
We encourage educators and students to not only analyze the media messages they encounter, but to also reflect on why they interpret media the way they do and why others may decipher or convey information differently. Through this inquiry-driven, evidence-based approach, learners develop compassion and confidence to effectively collaborate and communicate across differences.
Constructivist Media Decoding
This method of teaching is the cornerstone of our approach to media literacy pedagogy.
It enables busy educators to integrate media literacy into their curricula in any core content and grade level.
Media Decoding
is the process of analyzing and evaluating the messages conveyed by diverse forms of media—a necessary skill in today’s digitally mediated world.
A Constructivist Approach
is inquiry-based - teaching through reflective dialogue. It enables learners to “construct” new knowledge for themselves by reconciling new information with their previous experiences and ideas.
Constructivist Media Decoding
engages diverse learners, deepens their understanding of subject material, and hones higher order thinking skills in analysis and reflection. It is highly relevant for students’ mediated reality, and is highly successful with traditionally disenfranchised students.
Educator Developed, Standards-Aligned
Social Studies
The new C3 standards require a shift to inquiry-based methodologies that teach
students to ask questions, evaluate sources, provide evidence, and communicate well-reasoned
conclusions. The National Council for the Social Studies recent Position Paper on Media Literacy, co-authored by Project Look Sharp, illustrates how our materials and training address the shifts in pedagogy and instruction proposed by C3.
The new Next Generation standards emphasize the integration of critical thinking and literacy skills with core content instruction. Our approach, as outlined in the Science Scope article, Teaching Critical Thinking Through Media Literacy, requires students to apply scientific knowledge to the critical analysis of diverse and often conflicting representations of scientific information and to reflect on how their own biases impact their interpretation of information and assessment of the credibility of sources.
Reading in History & Science
These standards require the integration of literacy skills into content area
instruction. This has been our focus for over 20 years!
These standards require teaching students to analyze and evaluate ALL media messages - in print, web sites, popular culture, entertainment, music and more. Use the Key Questions to Ask When Analyzing Media messages to integrate the habits of critical thinking across the curriculum.
Explore our library of over 500 free media decoding lessons.
Media Literacy Handouts
Demonstration Videos
This 5-minute video shows Chris Sperry leading high school students through an inquiry-based decoding of Israeli and Palestinian maps to discover concepts about bias in maps and apply their knowledge of the Arab/Israel conflict. It is annotated to demonstrate the choices that a teacher makes in leading a media decoding to teach core subject area knowledge and concepts and media literacy skills.
Heighten Your Instruction through PD
Learn More
While media decoding typically happens with classes of 20+ students, for practical reasons (audio and parental permission), these demonstration videos are with smaller groups, but the CMD process is the same.
View Additional Videos Featuring Other Educators, Grade Levels and Topics:
Choosing a Just Right Book – 1st Grade
School librarian, Michele Coolbeth from East Syracuse, NY, leads her first graders through analyzing different book covers and text [and drawing their own conclusions about the appropriateness of the book as an independent reading choice] - using our lesson, How Do I Choose? Picking the Right Book for Me.(Total Time: 06:48) Published 2023
Wash Your Hands – Kindergarten
School librarian, Michele Coolbeth, has her students reflect on the qualities of different media forms (videos and a poster) while learning how to wash their hands(Total Time: 2:13) Published 2023
Who is Family? – Kindergarten
School librarian, Michele Coolbeth, leads kindergarten students through analyzing book covers for messages about the diversity of families - using the Project Look Sharp lesson, “Who is Family?”(Total Time: 5:27) Published 2023
What is Media? – Kindergarten
School librarian, Michele Coolbeth, has her students identify media, including in their clothing – and then reflects on the importance of teaching young students to recognize that media is all around them.(Total Time: 2:50) Published 2023
Elementary Level Online Media Decoding
Fourth-grade teacher, Angela Levy, leads a virtual media decoding activity with her students using both synchronous and asynchronous strategies with the lesson: "YouTube Recommendations: What Do I Do?"(Total Time: 11:54)
Gender in Children's Commercials
An example of leading a class through a constructivist media decoding using a lesson from our kit, Critical Thinking and Health. Students in this video decode the commercial Magic Kissing Dragons to analyze media messaging about gender.(Total Time: 5:26)
First Contact between Europeans and Native Americans
An example of leading a class through a constructivist media decoding using our lesson, First Contact. Students in this video decode two opposing paintings to understand how Europeans impacted Native American life.(Total Time: 7:50)
Paintings of King George and George Washington
An example of leading a class through a constructivist media decoding using a lesson from our kit, Causes of the American Revolution. Students in this video decode differences in paintings of George Washington and King George.(Total Time: 7:58)
Decoding Money
An example of leading a class through a constructivist media decoding using a lesson from our kit, Introducing Africa. Students in this video compare two African currencies to the U.S. Dollar to gain insight about cultural differnces.(Total Time: 5:25)
US Wars in Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan
An example of leading a class through a constructivist media decoding using a lesson from our kit, Media Construction of War. Students in this video are lead to decode Newsweek covers from various US Wars.(Total Time: 9:00)
The Politics of Maps Israel/Palestine
An example of leading a class through a constructivist media decoding using a lesson from our kit, Media Construction of the Middle East. Students in this video discover that maps can be biased.(Total Time: 5:01)
1800 Anti-Jefferson Political Cartoon
An example of leading a class through a constructivist media decoding using a lesson from our kit, Media Construction of Presidential Campaigns. Students in this video decode political cartoons attacking Thomas Jefferson.(Total Time: 4:34)
The Great Global Warming Swindle
An example of leading a class through a constructivist media decoding using a lesson from our kit, Media Constructions of Global Warming. Students analyze a short video clip from the film The Great Global Warming Swindle, compare the information in the clip with a chart, and reflect on issues of credibility and bias in media representations and our own biases when evaluating information.(Total Time: 11:27)
Soviet History
An example of leading a class through a constructivist media decoding using a lesson from our kit, Soviet History Through Posters. Students are led through a decoding of five Soviet government posters from 1918 to 1988, where they apply historical knowledge while practicing media literacy skills.(Total Time: 10:00)
National Geographic's Africa
An example of leading a class through a constructivist media decoding using a lesson from our kit, Seeing Africa. Students reflect on stereotyping while analyzing the representation of Africa in the lead pages from the 20 National Geographic articles on Africa in the 1990's.(Total Time: 06:50)
WWI Propaganda Posters
An example of leading a class through a constructivist media decoding using a lesson from our kit, Economics in US History. Students in the video decode propaganda posters used in WWI.(Total Time: 5:27)
Declaration of Independence: Sourcing, Credibility, & Bias
Middle School teacher, Mary Kate Lonergan, uses the Project Look Sharp lesson “The Singing of the Declaration of Independence” to lead students through decoding 7 different documents to assess historical fact, sourcing, credibility, purpose, and bias in media messages.(Total Time: 13:50) Published 2024
January 6, 2021: Newspaper Front Pages
Middle School teacher, Mary Kate Lonergan, leads her students through a decoding of domestic and international newspapers - using the Project Look Sharp lesson: “Storming the Capital” - to analyze media construction and bias in news coverage.(Total Time: 8:57) Published 2023
Gender Stereotypes and Google Algorithms
Middle School teacher, Mary Kate Lonergan, uses the Project Look Sharp lesson “Google Image Searches: Do they Promote or Counter Stereotypes?” to lead her students through an analysis of stereotypes and algorithmic bias.(Total Time: 6:10) Published 2023
Interpreting Charts of Media Use: Gen Z vs. Boomers
Middle School teacher, Mary Kate Lonergan, leads her students through a decoding of charts using the Project Look Sharp lesson “Changing Our Media Habits: The Impact of the Pandemic” – to teach students to analyze and question charts and explore differences in generational media use.(Total Time: 5:15) Published 2023
Farming, Community and Sustainability
An example of leading a class through a constructivist media decoding using a lesson from our kit, Media Construction of Sustainability. Students in this video examine clips from a film and a commercial to examine farming in the US.(Total Time: 9:00)
Hydrofracking, Media and Credibility
This 9 minute annotated video demonstrates constructivist media decoding using the lesson Exploring the Impact of Hydrofracking on Aquifers where college students analyze pro and anti-fracking diagrams.(Total Time: 9:00)
2008 Election Magazine Covers
An example of leading a class through a constructivist media decoding using a lesson from our kit, Media Construction of Presidential Campaigns. Students in this video decode various magazine covers portraying Barack Obama during the 2008 election.(Total Time: 9:10)
Decoding Last Words by Nas
An example of leading a class through a constructivist media decoding using a lesson from our kit, Media Construction of Social Justice. Students in this video decode the rap song Last Words by Nas to gain insight about prison life and the greater justice system.(Total Time: 5:37)
Elementary Level Online Media Decoding
Fourth-grade teacher, Angela Levy, leads a virtual media decoding activity with her students using both synchronous and asynchronous strategies with the lesson: "YouTube Recommendations: What Do I Do?"(Total Time: 11:54)
Synchronous Online Media Decoding
Cyndy Scheibe shares 7 tips for leading a synchronized online media decoding - with excerpts from her media literacy class where students are analyzing charts about generational changes in media consumption during the pandemic.(Total Time: 5:59)
Asynchronous Media Decoding
Cyndy Scheibe shares 8 tips for leading an asynchronous (preset, offline) media decoding with students using Padlets so students can respond to the teacher's questions and to the responses by other students, as well as posting their own media examples and questions for decoding.(Total Time: 7:36)
Choosing a Just Right Book – 1st Grade
School librarian, Michele Coolbeth from East Syracuse, NY, leads her first graders through analyzing different book covers and text [and drawing their own conclusions about the appropriateness of the book as an independent reading choice] - using our lesson, How Do I Choose? Picking the Right Book for Me.(Total Time: 06:48) Published 2023
Elementary Level Online Media Decoding
Fourth-grade teacher, Angela Levy, leads a virtual media decoding activity with her students using both synchronous and asynchronous strategies with the lesson: "YouTube Recommendations: What Do I Do?"(Total Time: 11:54)
Gender in Children's Commercials
An example of leading a class through a constructivist media decoding using a lesson from our kit, Critical Thinking and Health. Students in this video decode the commercial Magic Kissing Dragons to analyze media messaging about gender.(Total Time: 5:26)
First Contact between Europeans and Native Americans
An example of leading a class through a constructivist media decoding using our lesson, First Contact. Students in this video decode two opposing paintings to understand how Europeans impacted Native American life.(Total Time: 7:50)
Paintings of King George and George Washington
An example of leading a class through a constructivist media decoding using a lesson from our kit, Causes of the American Revolution. Students in this video decode differences in paintings of George Washington and King George.(Total Time: 7:58)
Decoding Money
An example of leading a class through a constructivist media decoding using a lesson from our kit, Introducing Africa. Students in this video compare two African currencies to the U.S. Dollar to gain insight about cultural differnces.(Total Time: 5:25)
US Wars in Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan
An example of leading a class through a constructivist media decoding using a lesson from our kit, Media Construction of War. Students in this video are lead to decode Newsweek covers from various US Wars.(Total Time: 9:00)
The Politics of Maps Israel/Palestine
An example of leading a class through a constructivist media decoding using a lesson from our kit, Media Construction of the Middle East. Students in this video discover that maps can be biased.(Total Time: 5:01)
1800 Anti-Jefferson Political Cartoon
An example of leading a class through a constructivist media decoding using a lesson from our kit, Media Construction of Presidential Campaigns. Students in this video decode political cartoons attacking Thomas Jefferson.(Total Time: 4:34)
The Great Global Warming Swindle
An example of leading a class through a constructivist media decoding using a lesson from our kit, Media Constructions of Global Warming. Students analyze a short video clip from the film The Great Global Warming Swindle, compare the information in the clip with a chart, and reflect on issues of credibility and bias in media representations and our own biases when evaluating information.(Total Time: 11:27)
Examining Credibility and Bias in Web Sites
An example of leading a class through a constructivist media decoding using a lesson from our kit, Media Constructions of Martin Luther King Jr. Students analyze the white supremacist website martinlutherking.org and reflect on critical thinking and the internet.(Total Time: 6:44)
Soviet History
An example of leading a class through a constructivist media decoding using a lesson from our kit, Soviet History Through Posters. Students are led through a decoding of five Soviet government posters from 1918 to 1988, where they apply historical knowledge while practicing media literacy skills.(Total Time: 10:00)
National Geographic's Africa
An example of leading a class through a constructivist media decoding using a lesson from our kit, Seeing Africa. Students reflect on stereotyping while analyzing the representation of Africa in the lead pages from the 20 National Geographic articles on Africa in the 1990's.(Total Time: 06:50)
WWI Propaganda Posters
An example of leading a class through a constructivist media decoding using a lesson from our kit, Economics in US History. Students in the video decode propaganda posters used in WWI.(Total Time: 5:27)
Farming, Community and Sustainability
An example of leading a class through a constructivist media decoding using a lesson from our kit, Media Construction of Sustainability. Students in this video examine clips from a film and a commercial to examine farming in the US.(Total Time: 9:00)
Hydrofracking, Media and Credibility
An example of leading a class through a constructivist media decoding using a lesson from our kit, Media Construction of Sustainability. Students in this video examine clips from a film and a commercial to decode farming in the US.(Total Time: 9:00)
2008 Election Magazine Covers
An example of leading a class through a constructivist media decoding using a lesson from our kit, Media Construction of Presidential Campaigns. Students in this video decode various magazine covers portraying Barack Obama during the 2008 election.(Total Time: 9:10)
Decoding Last Words by Nas
An example of leading a class through a constructivist media decoding using a lesson from our kit, Media Construction of Social Justice. Students in this video decode the rap song Last Words by Nas to gain insight about prison life and the greater justice system.(Total Time: 5:37)
Synchronous Online Media Decoding
Cyndy Scheibe shares 7 tips for leading a synchronized online media decoding - with excerpts from her media literacy class where students are analyzing charts about generational changes in media consumption during the pandemic.(Total Time: 5:59)
Asynchronous Media Decoding
Cyndy Scheibe shares 8 tips for leading an asynchronous (preset, offline) media decoding with students using Padlets so students can respond to the teacher's questions and to the responses by other students, as well as posting their own media examples and questions for decoding.(Total Time: 7:36)
Published Articles and Webinars
ML3: Librarians as Leaders for Media Literacy
This article gives an overview of the ML3 initiative that gives K-12 school librarians the resources, training, and support to be the leaders in integrating question-based, student-centered, curriculum-driven media analysis throughout the curriculum. The article includes links to the resources developed in New York State that enable school librarians to facilitate Constructivist Media Decoding with their students and provide professional development for their colleagues.
Media Literacy: NCSS Position Statement
The following is the National Council for the Social Studies official Position Paper on Media Literacy, approved by the NCSS Board in June of 2022. It was written by Project Look Sharp’s Director of Curriculum and Staff Development, Chris Sperry, Rashawna Sydnor, and Stephanie Flores-Koulish, in collaboration with the National Association for Media Literacy Education.
Decoding Democracy: Integrating Media Analysis into Civics
How can we give our students the habits of thinking about all mediated messages that are necessary for authentic democracy in our hypermediated age? In this 35 minute webinar, Chris Sperry presents the theory, models, and materials for integrating inquiry-based media analysis into the curriculum at all levels and for diverse subjects. Chris is followed by a call from Media Literacy Now’s Jaclyn Seigel to support legislation and advocacy for media literacy and librarians in New York State.
Constructivist Media Decoding in the Social Studies: Leveraging the New Standards for Educational Change
This article explores the role that media analysis can play on educational reform tied to the new NCSS C3 Framework for the Social Studies and the Common Core ELA standards for secondary social studies. It uses examples from media decoding activities on the Project Look Sharp website tied to specific standards. It also explores professional development tools that support methodological shifts towards inquiry and assessments of critical thinking skills.
Prescription for an Infodemic: A Pedagogical Response in an Era of “Fake News”
In this chapter from the 2021 book, Kids and Today’s Media, Chris Sperry lays out Project Look Sharp’s approach to disinformation. After a look at the historical context of our country’s “epistemological crisis” and the role of confirmation bias, Chris makes the case for media literacy and specifically Constructivist Media Decoding as the prescription for treating our Infodemic.
Explore Full Article Archive
View past webinars we’ve hosted
Civics Education in a Digital World
Chris Sperry, Project Look Sharp's Director of Curriculum and Staff Development, is interviewed in 2024 about the role of media literacy in civics education during a Youth-led webinar that includes the Commissioner of Education for New York State, Betty Rosa.
Integrated Media Literacy and Critical Thinking
How can you fit media literacy into the curriculum when it is already so packed? How can you use media analysis to teach core content and standards while also teaching critical media literacy skills?
Teaching Media Literacy & Sustainability for Younger Learners
Sox Sperry, Project Look Sharp's primary curriculum writer, leads participants in an exploration of elements from Project Look Sharp's lessons related to sustainability for teachers in the elementary grades.
Media Constructions of Martin Luther King Jr.
Sox Sperry, Project Look Sharp's curriculum writer, leads participants on a participatory exploration of lessons covering media representations of Dr. King.
Critical Thinking and Health: Media Literacy Lessons for Elementary Grades
Cyndy Scheibe, LookSharp's executive director, offered elementary school and early childhood educators pedagogical techniques and curriculum materials to help young children understand biases and misleading messages found in food advertising and toy commercials aimed at them.
Teaching about Climate Change Using the Tools of Media Literacy
Sox Sperry, Project Look Sharp’s primary curriculum writer, leads participants on a participatory exploration of lessons covering media representations of climate change. The lessons were drawn from the Media Constructions of Global Warming kit.
Media Constructions of Presidential Campaigns
Sox Sperry, LookSharp's primary curriculum writer, leads participants on a participatory exploration of high school lessons covering media representations of U.S. presidential elections from 1800-2008.
Media Constructions of Energy Choices: Empowering Students to See Through the Smoke
Sox Sperry, LookSharp's primary curriculum writer, offers educators and teachers-in-training pedagogical techniques and curriculum materials to support a deeper understanding of how to address issues of bias in media documents about energy choices.
Media Constructions of Food Justice: Shining a Light on Equity, Economy and Sustainability
Sox Sperry, LookSharp's primary curriculum writer, leads participants on a participatory exploration of lesson elements from three of our curriculum kits that are directly related to food justice topics: Media Constructions of Chemicals in the Environment; Media Constructions of Sustainability Food, Water and Agriculture; and Media Constructions of Sustainability: Finger Lakes
Media Constructions of Peace and Social Justice: Reflecting Diversity
This interactive webinar includes a brief demonstration video of Chris Sperry, Project Look Sharp's Director of Curriculum and Staff Development, as he leads a class through constructivist media decoding of a lesson on peace and conflict studies.
Teaching about the Middle East through Media Literacy
Chris Sperry, Project Look Sharp's Director of Curriculum and Staff Development, presents about the Middle East through Media Literacy. Chris Sperry has had many years of experience with teaching high school students about the Middle East. In fact, during this webinar, Chris will have just returned from presenting at the first International Conference on Media Literacy in Iran with Cyndy Scheibe, the Executive Director and Founder of Project Look Sharp.