Integrating Media Literacy in Science Instruction

How can we help students evaluate scientific information? Media literacy education! Our science-focused media literacy project aims to incorporate media literacy into K-12 classrooms.

Database of Science Instructional Materials Available

Media Literacy Now has created a searchable database of lesson plans, videos, and games for science teachers to help prepare K-12 students to find and evaluate scientific information. The new database, created by a team of science educators, includes materials from 30+ sources, including science teacher journals, universities, public television, media literacy groups, and others. 

Using the Resource Library

The URL for the Science Resource Library is medialiteracynow.org/science-resources. The database is searchable using specified categories (such as “high school”) or with keywords (like “chemistry”), or both. To make it easier, you can also access specific types of resources using the links below. Learn more about how we compiled the Science Resource Library. 

By Grades

By Subject Matter

By Format

Report: Recommendations for K-12 Science Classrooms

Like others before us, we believe that science teachers can help prepare students for a world where both accurate and inaccurate information is available at the touch of a button, and where, more than ever, people of all ages need to use science to inform decisions they make in everyday life. That’s why teaching students to find trustworthy information needs to become a priority in more science classrooms, just as it has become a greater priority in other subject areas. This report, published in September 2023, identifies our goals and recommendations to help K-12 students better evaluate scientific information.

You can’t expect to leave school with all the information you need for the rest of your life. You’re going to constantly be encountering new information and need to make decisions on that information – it’s a lifelong process.

Joceyln Miller, Ph.D. Candidate & Science Teacher

As a science journalist, I heartily support Media Literacy Now’s vital role in fostering critical literacy skills among students – crucial for discerning fact from fiction. Their advocacy ensures that media literacy education is a staple in American classrooms. This sows the seeds for a healthier democracy.

Miles O'Brien, Science correspondent, PBS NewsHour & Producer, Director for PBS NOVA

As scientific misinformation continues to spread at an alarming rate, especially with the increased use of AI using language learning models, NABT is joining a growing community of scientific and education experts calling for science media literacy to become an integral part of the science education curriculum.

National Association of Biology Teachers

There is an urgent need for instruction and resources to help young people resist the proliferation of false and manipulative science-related information on TikTok, YouTube, cable news, and other media.

Erin McNeill, CEO, Media Literacy Now

[Learning to Find Trustworthy Scientific Information]’s emphasis on identifying the trustworthiness of sources is both refreshing and actionable, and meshes well with the needs of educators attempting to help their students navigate the daily maze of modern information. 

Chad Dorsey, CEO, Concord Consortium

Being exposed to an overwhelming amount of information can be confusing and I want students to be able to understand why messages are being shared so that they can make informed decisions for both personal consumption and general community/world wellbeing.

Dr. Courtney Capozzoli, High School Science Teacher

Science education has long ago moved away from being a list of facts to memorize. Central to understanding science is understanding how it is produced, evaluated, and communicated. Being able to navigate and assess information is an essential practice for lifelong learning for all students.

Marjee Chmiel, Ph.D., Director of Evaluation for Science Education, Media, and Journalism, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Documents & Links

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