• a professional development workshop
• a Workshop Guide
• a tutorial for self-directed learning
• a Resource Guide
• six lesson plans for Grades 7-12.

The package is designed so that educators can either deliver the workshop to a group, or instruct themselves through the tutorial. They can then apply what they’ve learned in the classroom, using the resources provided.

The PD workshop, Exploring Media & Race, examines how the popular media represent visible minorities, and the impact media portrayals can have on the value we place on individuals and groups in our society.

The workshop uses images from various media – TV programs, video games, movies, music videos, advertisements and news shows – to illustrate how visible minorities can be misrepresented, as well as under-represented. It also shows that visible minorities are less likely to be portrayed in positive and/or dominant ways.

As well, the workshop examines: the notion of stereotyping, and the reason why stereotypes are so common in the media; the power the media wield to grant or deny perceptions of legitimacy to groups of people; and the economic reasons underpinning a film and television industry primarily dominated by white males.

More optimistically, the workshop also shows how the media industry in North America (and especially in Canada) is changing to better reflect the diversity of our society. It spotlights Canadian anti-racism organizations; advancements in Aboriginal, multicultural and ethnic media; government and industry regulatory policies; and the complaints process that allows consumers of media to voice their opinions – and make a difference.

The Exploring Media & Race workshop incorporates English Language Arts outcomes. It is built on, and explains, four key concepts of media education:

1. Audiences negotiate meaning
2. Media images are constructed to "re-present" reality
3. The media are commercial operations
4. Media content conveys ideological and value messages

These lessons are also available free in MNet’s Lesson Library.

Perceptions of Race and Crime (Grades 7-12)
This lesson challenges students’ awareness of how media portrayals of race and crime may affect their attitudes towards minority groups.

Diversity Audit (Grades 9-12)
Students are shown how to gauge the extent and nature of the ways newspapers represent First Nations and visible minorities. Students conduct a "diversity audit" of a local paper, to determine the various ways racial/ethnic groups are portrayed.

Bias in the News (Grades 9-12)
Students focus on the power of language to impart value judgments, as they examine how bias can creep into even “accurate” newspaper stories. They gain insight into how various aspects – such as headlines, word use, photo cropping, and where a story is placed in the paper – affect the reader’s perceptions.

The White Screen: Absent Voices in the Media (Grades 9-12)
Monitoring TV news broadcasts, ads, sitcoms and dramas, students look out for the presence of the voices and faces of visible minorities and Aboriginals – and consider the consequences of their absence.

Too White: Minority Representation in the Media (Grades 9-12)
Why does it matter who makes the news? This lesson gives statistics on how many non-white people work in daily newspapers, in print and behind the scenes; and examines the impact of this imbalance on the news.

Ethnic and Visible Minorities in Entertainment Media (Grades 10-12)
Based on the theory that “the media construct reality,” a key concept in media education, this lesson encourages students to explore and discuss stereotyping. This includes both the general concept, and the specific representation of ethnic and visible minorities in Canadian entertainment, including their under-representation.