This kit is a historical overview of American representations of chemicals from the three sisters to the Love Canal. It compares conflicting constructions about nuclear reactor safety, depleted uranium, Rachel Carson and DDT. Through analyzing diverse historic and contemporary media messages, students understand changing public knowledge, impressions and attitudes about chemicals in the environment.

This kit provides teachers and other educators with the materials to help young children begin to understand the purpose of TV commercials (and advertising in general) in terms of selling intent, and to recognize the types of tricks that advertisers may use to make products look better than they really are. Specific lessons focus on foods groups and misleading nutritional messages commonly found in children's TV commercials, especially the "complete breakfast shot" and highly sugared pseudo-fruit snacks and beverages. Lessons are designed to address developmentally appropriate health standards, and many different commercials are provided so that children can discuss and practice what they have learned.

Economics in U.S. History is comprised of seven lessons and is designed to introduce students to basic economic concepts through analyzing diverse perspectives on the subject. Students will be engaged in a dynamic, interactive, and constructivist process of exploring media representations of economic issues in U.S. history. Such issues include the free market, industrialization, and The Living Wage Campaign. The kit will teach students to identify the Ě_Ě_€ÝlanguageĚ_Ě_ĺ of construction of different media forms and to analyze and evaluate the meaning of mediated messages about economics. This kit was designed for 8th grade U.S. history, but the document-decoding approach can be adapted for and used from middle school through high school.

This kit provides the materials and background information needed to engage students in a dynamic and constructive process of learning how global media perspectives differ based on country of production, media source, target audience, and political and social context. There are five lessons representing important issues and media documents from: Africa (news and documentary film clips about the food crisis), Latin America (editorial cartoons about immigration), Europe (news and documentary film clips about Islam and cultural identity), India (magazine covers about India's rise in the global economy), and Southeast Asia (websites concerning Islamic majorities and minorities).

This kit covers a historical overview of American representations of endangered species from the slaughter of the American buffalo to Palm plantations in Sumatra. It compares conflicting constructions about human/animal relations, rainforest biodiversity, the Northern Rockies gray wolf, frogs and Atrazine. Students decode how the relationship of animals and humans has been portrayed and passed on from generation to generation.

Lessons teach core knowledge about the science of climate change, explore conflicting views, and integrate critical thinking skills. Students will apply knowledge of climate change to a rigorous analysis of media messages through asking and answering questions about accuracy, currency, credibility, sourcing, and bias. Lessons address basic climate science, the causes of climate change, scientific debate and disinformation, the consequences of global warming, the precautionary principle, carbon footprints, moral choices, and the history of global warming in media, science, and politics.

This kit explores how sustainability within the Finger Lakes region of New York has been presented in the media with a particular focus on issues related to food, water and agriculture. Each of the seven lessons integrates media literacy and critical thinking with key knowledge and concepts related to sustainability. This kit is a companion to the nineteen-lesson collection, Media Constructions of Sustainability: Food, Water and Agriculture.

This kit explores how sustainability has been presented in the media with a particular focus on issues related to food, water and agriculture. Each of the 19 lessons integrates media literacy and critical thinking into lessons about different aspect of sustainability. Constant themes throughout the kit include social justice, climate change, energy, economics and unintended consequences.

This kit covers a historical overview of American representations of natural resources from ancient Indian basketry to contemporary web sites. It compares conflicting media constructions about the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the damning of rivers, and Chukchi sea oil drilling. By showing the slow realization that natural resources are finite, students will learn valuable lessons in earth, natural and environmental sciences.