Page 125 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: English, 2007 (Revised)

Grade 12, College Preparation
3. Creating Media Texts
2. Understanding Media Forms, Conventions, and Techniques
THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | English
Teacher prompt: “Why might people from dif- ferent demographic groups respond differently to a television show that satirizes politics?”
Critical Literacy
1.5 identify the perspectives and/or biases evident in media texts, including increasingly complex or difficult texts, and comment on any questions they may raise about beliefs, values, identity, and power (e.g., explain how the vocabulary used in a radio news report might influence audience perceptions of the event; based on the advertising accompanying a television sports event, suggest what some of the values and pri- orities of its audience might be;3 comment on the apparent cultural values reflected in a website)
Teacher prompt: “Based on the advertising for this sports event, what demographic groups do you think make up its audience? What specific examples make you think that?”
Production Perspectives
1.6 explain how production, marketing, financing, distribution, and legal/regulatory factors influence the media industry (e.g., Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission [CRTC] regulations that forbid direct marketing appeals during children’s pro- gramming; Canadian-content legislation related to radio music programming)
Teacher prompts: “How does Canadian- content legislation affect the music that can be played on the radio and on television? Why do you think this legislation was passed?” “What is the CRTC, and where do you find CRTC regulations?”
By the end of this course, students will:
Form
2.1 identify general and specific characteristics of a variety of media forms and explain how they shape content and create meaning (e.g., graph- ic novels emphasize the type of content – such as action and setting – that is appropriate to visual presentation; television broadcasts of major
sporting events focus on the progress of play, while newspaper accounts of these events focus on background, explanation, and analysis)
Teacher prompts: “In what way might a newspaper report about a natural disaster
supplement a television or radio report?” “What can a film version of the play Death of a Salesman show that the stage version cannot?”
Conventions and Techniques
2.2 identify conventions and/or techniques used in a variety of media forms and explain how they convey meaning and influence their audi- ence (e.g., the conventions/techniques of a “breaking”news story were used in the“War of the Worlds” radio broadcast to persuade listeners that an alien invasion was taking place; a horror film uses dim lighting, eerie music, and close- ups of violence to shock and frighten the audi- ence; video games use specific conventions to identify heroes and villains; sports broadcasts use well-known former athletes as commentators to enhance the credibility of their coverage)
Teacher prompt: “Why is there so much emphasis on statistics in sports coverage?” “How is photography used to enhance
the presentation of food in magazines and advertisements?”
By the end of this course, students will:
Purpose and Audience
3.1 describe the topic, purpose, and audience for media texts they plan to create (e.g., a public service announcement to warn adults about the dangers of drinking and driving; a script for a radio interview with a controversial celebrity about issues of interest to teenagers), and identi- fy significant challenges they may face in achieving their purpose
Teacher prompt: “Should a campaign to pro- mote awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving target only people of legal drink- ing age? Why or why not?”
Form
3.2 select a media form to suit the topic, purpose, and audience for a media text they plan to cre- ate, and explain why it is a highly appropriate choice (e.g., justify the choice of a poster as a means to warn young athletes about the dangers of taking performance-enhancing drugs; explain why a mask would be an effective way to convey the feelings that a student has when graduating)
Teacher prompt: “Why might a mock sitcom be a good way to address the anxieties that young people experience when dating?”
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3. TL Media 7-10 “Reading Between the Lines (Predictions)” 10