In this media and news literacy toolkit, you’ll find ready-made worksheets, programming ideas, do-it-yourself escape kits, lesson plans and extension activities. Our project team has worked with public library staff from a variety of districts, as well as public school educators, middle school students and media literacy experts to create a usable, accessible and interesting toolkit on media literacy and news media literacy. The materials are aimed at middle school users, ages 11-14, but most of the online games, videos, songs and program ideas are suitable for ages 10 and older.

Many of the website elements are based on the hugely successful two-year run of the Wonder Media: Ask the Questions! interactive exhibition at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum, a free public museum in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The exhibition was a joint project of two regional institutions of higher learning, Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo Valley Community College, and the learning continues with this website.

We regularly add new content, so check back often! A new addition to the website is the first of several songs for Wonder Media: The Album, which is a compilation of original songs about key media literacy and news literacy themes that are serious jams to play at any time of day — in classrooms, library sessions, around the house, in the car! Tune in here!