ACME Curriculum Standards

Rationale

ACME will provide a consistent organizational endorsement – the ACME “seal of approval” — on media literacy curricula and resources (books, films, multimedia tools, web sites) that meet the standards below.

Once approved, ACME will then list these curricula and resources at our web site.

ACME’s curricula evaluation team will evaluate and either accept or reject submitted ML curricula based on the standards below.

Standards

Media literacy curricula that qualify for ACME’s endorsement must meet Standards #1-3 plus FOUR of the other NINE standards. These are curricula that:

Standard #1: ARE FUNDED through independent means with no direct financial support from transnational media conglomerates.

Standard #2: ARE FREE OF unexamined commercial product placements.

Standard #3: CONTAIN supporting curricula resources – questions and answers, pre and post-viewing activities, and/or background or supplemental materials for classroom and community educators.

Standard #4: PROMOTE critical thinking through the application of various media literacy skills (access, analysis/questioning, evaluation, discussion, reflection.)

Standard #5: FACILITATE active “hands-on” learning activities and independent media production (i.e. - writing, filmmaking, multimedia creation).

Standard #6: ESPOUSE media-related activism in one’s school and/or community, encouraging students to move from “passive consumer” to “active citizen.”

Standard #7: ADDRESS the positive/negative individual and societal effects – social, economic, cultural, political, psychological, spiritual, environmental – of media consumption

Standard #8: EXPLORE the structural and societal implications of media’s creation, financing, and distribution.

Standard #9: CHALLENGE the current corporately-owned Big Media status quo in a specific, documented, and fearless manner.

Submitted curricula that meet standards #1-3 plus FOUR of the other NINE standards, as determined by the ACME curriculum evaluation committee, are eligible for ACME’s endorsement and promotion.

Curriculum Reviews

ACME Curriculum Review is the first set of ML curricula reviews, submitted by ACME members and our ML Curriculum Committee. These materials adhere to our ACME Curriculum Standards,and will receive our 'ACME Seal of Approval.' Visit the Curriculum Reviews page to learn more.