Fair use is the right to use copyrighted material without permission or payment under some circumstances—especially when the cultural or social benefits of the use are predominant

The Cost of Copyright Confusion for Media Literacy, based on scores of longform interviews with teachers, shows that the fundamental goals of media literacy education—to cultivate critical thinking and expression about media and its social role—are compromised by unnecessary copyright restrictions

The following five-step “Describe-Identify-Interpret-Evaluate-Reflect” process can help students: Understand and interpret the visual images they see in the world around them Develop critical thinking skills, particularly in regards to visual images Enhance their observation and interpretive skills Develop conceptual learning techniques

It can be used to guide students’ analysis of any visual image, including visual art, photographs, political cartoons, propaganda posters, video clips, and film

Step one: Preparatio

What we usually don’t ask of a photograph is the fifth "W" —why. This is where critical thinking and visual literacy come in. Here are some questions that ask why: Why did the photographer select these particular elements to include in the photograph? What don’t you see? Why did the photographer emphasize certain elements and not others? What’s in focus? Is only one person or element in focus, or are many elements in focus? Why did the photographer take the picture at this moment? What happened before or after this picture was taken? Why did the photographer take the picture from this angle? What might the scene have looked like from another vantage point — from left, right, behind, above, or below?