Development of a Unit About Exclusion and Inclusion by Media in Elementary School:

The Case of Social Studies Unit “Diversity in Society and Media” for the Fifth Graders

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to develop elementary school social studies lessons on social inclusion in the media. Important points of view for developing teaching materials and lessons focusing on social inclusion in social studies education are “to take up the idea of the social model,” “to take up the fact that our society is centered on the majority,” and “to take up the process of creating an inclusive society through exchanges and dialogues between the majority and minority.” In this study, we developed a unit on the information society and media for fifth graders, aiming to develop an awareness of diversity and a perspective on inequality, injustice, and unfairness between the majority and minority that occurs in various social phenomena and social issues. By taking up exclusion and inclusion in the media, we were able to think about the problems of exclusion from communication infrastructure and exclusion from media representations, and the possibilities of inclusive media.