LESSON PLAN • INQIURY FRAMEWORK
The Discernment Protocol
In a media landscape shaped by algorithms, speed, and constant exposure, the core skill is no longer access to information. It is the ability to interpret it well. The Discernment Protocol gives learners a clear structure for turning film viewing into thoughtful analysis. It supports media literacy competencies in UNESCO’s Media and Information Literacy framework and the OECD’s Global Competence framework, and it is practical for classroom and group discussion.
Purpose
The Discernment Protocol guides learners from viewing to interpreting, from content to construction, and from immediate reaction to reasoned judgment. It does not prescribe conclusions. It builds the habits of mind needed to work through complex narratives with confidence.
The six lenses
Turn film viewing into thoughtful analysis with these six lenses.
The Discernment Protocol guides learners from viewing to interpreting, from content to construction, and from immediate reaction to reasoned judgment. It does not prescribe conclusions. It builds the habits of mind needed to work through complex narratives with confidence.
AT A GLANCE
FOR
High school, higher education, and leadership programs.
TIME
One class period for a first session. Use with any SIMA lesson after that.
FORMAT
Whole class, small groups, or individual.
FILMS
Any SIMA film. Suggested films for a first session are listed below.
YOU’LL NEED
The worksheet for your level; the filmmaker Q&A for the film you screen
1. Position
Who is telling this story?
- Who created the film?
- What experiences, roles, or perspectives shape their vantage point?
- How might that position influence what is emphasized or omitted?
Understanding authorship builds structural awareness.
2. Construction
How is the story assembled?
- How do editing, visuals, sound, and pacing shape interpretation?
- What moments are foregrounded?
- What emotional or intellectual responses are being guided?
Documentaries construct meaning through choices.
3. Evidence
What supports the film’s claims?
- What facts, data, or testimonies are presented?
- Are sources identifiable and credible?
- Where would you look to deepen or verify understanding?
Discernment requires evaluation, not reaction.
4. Perspective
Whose experience defines the narrative, and whose does not?
- Which voices are centered?
- What viewpoints are absent?
- How might the story change if told from another angle?
Perspective analysis builds intercultural literacy.
5. Interpretation
How might others understand this differently?
- Who is the intended audience?
- How could context influence interpretation?
- How do your own assumptions shape your response?
Discernment includes self-awareness.
6. Engagement
What thoughtful response does this call for?
- What questions remain?
- What further inquiry is needed?
- How can this story be discussed or shared responsibly?
Critical thinking is incomplete without reflective engagement.
How to run a session
- Before viewing. Introduce the six lenses. Assign each student or small group one lens to focus on.
- During viewing. Learners take notes on the worksheet, focusing on their assigned lens.
- After viewing. Groups report back lens by lens, in order from Position to Engagement. Ask how each lens changed the group’s reading of the film.
- Go behind the scenes. Read the filmmaker Q&A together. Compare the director’s stated intent with what learners noticed through each lens.
For higher education and leadership programs: assign each participant one lens and run the discussion as a seminar, lens by lens. The Protocol also works as a written analysis framework for papers and reflection journals.
Suggested films
For a first session, choose one film:
- Free To Care (14 min). Strong for the Perspective lens.
- Into Something Beautiful (11 min). Strong for the Position lens: who made this, and why?
- Clear As Day (5 min). Strong for the Evidence lens.
Browse all SIMA Academy films. Go behind the scenes with the filmmaker Q&A.
— CHANGEMAKER AWARD
Students, educators, and institutions who take their learning further can apply for the SIMA Changemaker Award.
Standards Alignment
Global competence: OECD PISA Global Competence; Asia Society Center for Global Education; UNESCO Media and Information Literacy.
Common Core (US):
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.1: Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.7: Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats.
- RH.9-10.9 and RH.11-12.9: Integrate information from diverse sources.
International Baccalaureate: MYP (ages 11–16): Individuals and Societies; Language and Literature; Arts. DP (ages 16–19): Theory of Knowledge; Individuals and Societies; Studies in Language and Literature; The Arts (Film).
