Page 156 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: English, 2007 (Revised)

Teacher prompts: “What is your impression of the attitudes that family members have towards one another in various popular tele- vision series?” “How are bullies and bullying portrayed similarly or differently in news reports, hockey broadcasts, and children’s cartoons? Why?” “Do you think the glamor- ization/derision of particular celebrities in the media is merited? Why or why not?”
By the end of this course, students will:
Canadian Identity
2.1 evaluate the impact of mass media on percep- tions of Canadian identity (e.g., evaluate the impact of American satellite radio stations on programming by Canadian radio stations and analyse the possible effect on Canadian audiences; compare the number of screens dedicated to Canadian, American, and foreign films in local cinemas and discuss the possible effects of this breakdown on local moviegoers; examine the impact on Canadian society of the availability of Canadian content in split-run American magazines)
Teacher prompts: “Do you think the coverage of Canadian junior hockey in the Canadian edition of an American sports magazine accurately reflects Canadian interests? Why or why not? How does this coverage compare to the coverage of American college football in the same magazine? What effect might these levels of coverage have on a young Canadian athlete?” “How does the national and inter- national media coverage of Canadian athletes in international competitions affect Canadians’ and non-Canadians’ understanding of Canadian values, beliefs, and attitudes?” “What role has the national and international media played in students’ perceptions of Canada’s armed forces?”
Health and Relationships
2.2 analyse the impact of the media and of com- munication technologies on health, relationships, and interpersonal communications (e.g., com- pare the uses and effects of text messaging and face-to-face dialogue; assess the effects that e- learning has had on traditional schooling; analyse the effects of using documentaries and/or websites to support the curriculum in a health or leadership class; explain how public service announcements affect the way in which society views bullying; discuss ways in which the rise of online commu- nities has changed the lives of people struggling with body image)
Teacher prompts: “What role might print or online articles about nutrition play in peo- ple’s lives?” “How could you help elementary students understand the importance of Internet safety?”
Global Awareness and Globalization
2.3 assess the impact of the media on countries, cultures, and economies around the world and/or the relationships among them, focusing on globalization (e.g., examine the interplay between North American musical trends and world music styles; examine how media coverage of major crises can influence the response of the international community; compare Canadian television commercials to those broadcast in other countries; research the impact of North American pop culture on the global marketplace; identify five globally recognized logos and report on each corporation’s global reach and impact on society; compare the ratio of box office receipts from international and domestic sources for Hollywood films and discuss some of the possible reasons for this; explore how the pro- gramming for major film festivals showcases a variety of global voices)
Teacher prompts: “To what extent does the media coverage of a major natural disaster influence the response from the Canadian government? From Canadians in general? What factors determine how long the event will be prominently featured in the main- stream news media in Canada?” “How might the importing of American sitcoms affect local television production in Canada? What impact might that have on Canadian cul- ture?” “Why might people in developing countries want to watch American block- buster films?” “How does the global distri- bution of media contribute to or detract from the creation of Canadian cultural products?”
Privacy
2.4 examine the ways in which the media and communication technologies can infringe on the privacy rights of individuals, and how consideration of those rights affects the behav- iour of the media industry (e.g., discuss whether and how school surveillance technolo- gies affect student behaviour; explain why news outlets do not immediately release the names of people who are injured or killed; discuss the conflict between the privacy rights of celebrities and the rights of journalists to meet the audience’s desire for information; identify the ways in which camera phones are changing expectations of privacy in public situations)
MEDIA AND SOCIETY
2. Understanding the Impact of Media on Society
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Media Studies
EMS3O