A Discipline Approach

Social studies is one of the most related fields of media literacy, such as health, language, information, and communication program. Contrary to popular belief, media literacy is not the use of media tools such as newspaper in the social studies courses. Students must have the ability to choose the right one among myriad of information, to understand visual images, to reach reality through eliminating stereotypes and prejudices, questioning the construction and context of a text. In this way, media literacy and social studies aim the formation of good, questioning, and active citizens. In this chapter, the relationship between media literacy education and social studies is examined based upon previous researches. The importance of media literacy for teaching social studies is discussed and concrete sample activities that can be used by teachers and students in social studies lessons are presented In this way it is aimed to make a synthesis by associating social studies with media literacy skills that is access, analyze, evaluation, create, and act.