CUIN 4336: Popular Culture in Education
1. About CUIN 4336: Popular Culture in Education
CUIN 4336: Popular Culture in Education is a 3-credit course offered through the University of Houston’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction. It examines how popular culture and media can be used in social studies education, with an emphasis on critical media literacy, teaching strategies, and curriculum development.
The course uses a constructivist approach in which students learn through readings, discussions, research, reflection, and collaborative activities. Students explore popular culture in educational settings and consider how media influences teaching, learning, and society.
- University: University of Houston
- Course: CUIN 4336 – Popular Culture in Education
- Section: 10161
- Semester: Fall 2026
- Credits: 3
- Format: Hybrid
2. What Do Students Learn in CUIN 4336?
The course helps students understand how popular culture and media can shape classroom instruction and social studies curricula. It also explores ways to evaluate media critically and use it to create meaningful learning experiences for K–12 students.
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
- Analyze how popular culture and media influence teaching, learning, and social studies curricula.
- Evaluate films, television programs, literature, music, advertising, and other media for classroom use.
- Design curriculum units that incorporate popular culture and media literacy while aligning with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).
- Connect educational theory with classroom practice through readings, discussions, and outside research.
- Develop engaging teaching strategies using critical media literacy principles.
- Reflect on personal and professional experiences with media and connect them to educational issues.
3. Course Topics
CUIN 4336 explores popular culture as an educational resource and examines how media can be critically analyzed and incorporated into teaching.
Major topics include:
- Popular culture in education: Understanding popular culture and its role in educational settings.
- Critical media literacy: Evaluating media messages and considering their significance for social studies education.
- Popular culture and curriculum: Exploring how media and cultural issues can inform curriculum and instructional approaches.
- Media and history: Examining the relationship between popular media and historical understanding.
- Popular culture as a counternarrative: Considering how popular culture can present alternative perspectives and challenge dominant narratives.
- Contemporary cultural issues: Investigating current themes and issues that influence education and society.
- Media-based instructional strategies: Developing practical ways to integrate media into K–12 social studies lessons.
Students also explore specific themes such as music, film, television, advertising, literature, sports, news, technology, fashion, politics, globalization, and representation.
4. Course Structure
The course follows a hybrid format, combining in-person class meetings with asynchronous online learning. Students participate in discussions, complete readings, analyze media, conduct research, and develop instructional projects.
The semester begins with an introduction to popular culture and its place in education. Students then examine critical media literacy and its relevance to social studies teaching. Later weeks focus on researching popular culture themes and developing curriculum projects.
The course includes:
- In-person classes involving discussion, analysis, and collaborative activities.
- Asynchronous weeks with online discussions and independent work.
- Assigned readings and media-related learning materials.
- Individual popular culture reviews.
- Weekly reflective journaling through the Looping Sketchbook.
- A major curriculum unit project and class presentation.
- A synthesis essay connecting course concepts to educational practice.
5. Assignments and Assessments
Students complete several major assignments that assess their understanding of popular culture, media literacy, and their application to education.
Popular Culture Reviews
Students complete three reviews out of four possible options: film, television, literature, or music. Each review should be approximately 3–5 pages and include a summary, analysis or critique, and potential applications to teaching and learning.
The focus is on how a selected media example could be incorporated into a social studies lesson.
- Film review: Select a film and examine how one or more clips could support a social studies lesson.
- Television review: Analyze a television program and consider how clips could be used in instruction.
- Literature review: Examine a literary work and explore how an excerpt could support a lesson.
- Music review: Analyze a piece of music and consider its educational applications.
The selected media must be no more than seven years old, according to the syllabus.
Looping Sketchbook
The Looping Sketchbook is a weekly reflective journal connecting course readings and materials to students’ experiences in the field of education.
Entries may include questions, close readings, intellectual reflections, observations, and connections to current curriculum issues. Students are encouraged to build on earlier reflections and develop deeper analyses over time.
The sketchbook is collected twice during the semester.
Popular Culture Synthesis and Application Essay
Students write an approximately 8–10-page essay examining popular culture in education. The essay may extend the theme project or focus on a specific issue or idea related to popular culture.
Rather than simply summarizing a topic, students are expected to analyze educational issues and explore their practical applications. The essay must incorporate course readings and outside research.
Popular Culture Theme Project
The theme project is a major assignment in which students develop a curriculum unit based on a popular culture or media literacy theme.
The unit must connect directly to the TEKS and demonstrate how the selected theme can be used in social studies education.
Project components include:
- Researching a selected theme.
- Identifying relevant issues and educational applications.
- Finding appropriate readings and instructional resources.
- Developing a curriculum unit.
- Creating an annotated bibliography of resources and websites.
- Preparing and delivering a class presentation.
- Leading an online discussion during the week following the presentation.
Presentations should last approximately 45 minutes and include an interactive activity and opportunities for critical inquiry and discussion.
Possible themes include music, film, television, advertising, visual literacy, technology, books, sports, journalism, propaganda, globalization, food, fashion, commercialism, representation, and politics.
Online Discussions
Students occasionally participate in online discussions related to course themes, questions, resources, and ideas.
Students are expected to post at least three times during each discussion. The first post must be submitted no later than Thursday evening.
Participation and Attendance
Active participation is expected during in-person classes and online discussions. Class sessions involve analyzing current events, discussing readings, and working on course projects.
Missing class or leaving early results in a deduction from the participation grade. Because the course is hybrid, students should pay particular attention to attending all scheduled in-person meetings.
6. Grading Breakdown
The course uses a 1,000-point grading system.
| Assignment or Assessment | Points |
|---|---|
| Participation and Attendance | 150 |
| Popular Culture Reviews (3) | 200 |
| Looping Sketchbook (2) | 200 |
| Popular Culture Synthesis Essay | 200 |
| Popular Culture Theme Project | 250 |
| Total | 1,000 |
The theme project is the largest individual assessment, accounting for 250 points. The reviews, sketchbook, and synthesis essay each contribute 200 points, while participation and attendance account for 150 points.
Specific assignment deadlines and additional instructions are provided through Canvas.
7. Readings and Learning Materials
Required readings are posted through the course platform. The syllabus also recommends several books for students interested in exploring popular culture and media literacy further.
Recommended texts:
- Rethinking Popular Culture and Media by Elizabeth Marshall and Özlem Sensoy (2011).
- Critical Media Pedagogy by Ernest Morrell, Rudy Dueñas, Veronica Garcia, and Jorge Lopez (2013), recommended for secondary school teachers.
- The Teacher’s Guide to Critical Media Literacy: Critical Thinking in a Multimedia World by Cindy Scheibe and Faith Rogow (2012), recommended for elementary school teachers.
Students also work with films, television programs, music, literature, online resources, and other media selected for their reviews and curriculum projects.
8. Weekly Topics and Course Schedule
The Fall 2026 schedule introduces popular culture and media literacy before moving into curriculum applications, research, and student-led theme presentations.
| Week | Date | Format | Main Topic or Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 24, 2026 | In person | Introduction to Social Education and Popular Culture |
| 2 | August 31, 2026 | In person | Rethinking Popular Culture |
| 3 | September 7, 2026 | Asynchronous | Labor Day Holiday – Online Discussion Only |
| 4 | September 14, 2026 | In person | Critical Media Literacy |
| 5 | September 21, 2026 | Asynchronous | Popular Culture and Media Literacy; First Popular Culture Reflection Due |
| 6 | September 28, 2026 | In person | Popular Culture and Curriculum & Instruction |
| 7 | October 5, 2026 | Asynchronous | Introduction of Theme Projects; First Looping Sketchbook Due |
| 8 | October 12, 2026 | In person | Reel History |
| 9 | October 19, 2026 | Asynchronous | Researching Themes; Second Popular Culture Reflection Due |
| 10 | October 26, 2026 | In person | Themes 1–3 |
| 11 | November 2, 2026 | Asynchronous | Popular Culture and Today |
| 12 | November 9, 2026 | In person | Themes 4–6 |
| 13 | November 16, 2026 | Asynchronous | Popular Culture as a Counternarrative |
| 14 | November 23, 2026 | No class | Thanksgiving Week |
| 15 | November 30, 2026 | In person | Themes 7–9 |
| 16 | December 7, 2026 | If needed | Themes 10–12 |
All assignments are due during the final examination period on December 11, 2026, by 11:59 PM. Students should check Canvas for specific deadlines and any schedule updates.
9. Skills Developed in CUIN 4336
Students develop analytical, reflective, research, and instructional skills relevant to teaching social studies and working with media in educational settings.
Key skills include:
- Critical media literacy: Evaluating media messages and examining their influence on education and society.
- Curriculum development: Designing instructional units that integrate popular culture and align with TEKS.
- Research and analysis: Using course readings and outside research to investigate educational themes.
- Instructional planning: Identifying media resources and developing engaging classroom activities.
- Communication and presentation: Explaining ideas, facilitating discussions, and presenting curriculum projects.
- Reflective practice: Connecting educational theory, readings, and personal experiences to classroom issues.
- Digital learning skills: Using Canvas, Microsoft Office, Teams, online resources, and discussion tools to support course activities.
10. What Should Students Expect?
Students should expect a discussion-oriented course that combines educational theory with practical applications. The course requires consistent engagement with readings, media examples, current educational issues, and classroom-related questions.
A significant portion of the workload involves writing and project development. Students complete three media reviews, maintain a reflective journal, write a synthesis essay, and design a curriculum unit. The theme project also requires research, resource development, a presentation, and leadership of an online discussion.
Because the course is hybrid, students need to manage both in-person and asynchronous work. They should also be comfortable using Canvas and other digital tools to access materials, participate in discussions, and submit assignments.
The syllabus emphasizes planning ahead for technical difficulties. Students are responsible for submitting work through the approved method by the deadline, and technical problems are not automatically accepted as justification for late work.
