Page 57 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: English, 2007 (Revised)

Grade 11, University Preparation
3. Creating Media Texts
2. Understanding Media Forms, Conventions, and Techniques
THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | English
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., assess the way a television sitcom or drama depicts characters from cultural or social groups that are under-represented in mainstream television; explain how the repre- sentation of body types in the advertising2 and editorial content of most popular sports and fashion magazines can affect audiences; explain how a film manipulates familiar archetypes and/or stereotypes to confirm or contradict the audience’s expectations about plot or character)
Teacher prompts: “Were you expecting this character to be ‘good’ or ‘bad’? Why?” “How does the representation of family structures on mainstream TV reflect and create societal expectations?” “Are the portrayals of Aboriginal people in commercials mostly realistic or stereotypical?”
Production Perspectives
1.6 explain how production, marketing, financing, distribution, and legal/regulatory factors influence the media industry (e.g., explain some effects on prime-time television program- ming of the Canadian-content regulations of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommuni- cations Commission [CRTC]; identify some effects of new media technologies on copyright protection for artists)
Teacher prompts: “What are the major media conglomerates?” “How might the concentra- tion of media ownership affect the career prospects of young and/or experimental artists? What are some of its other effects?”
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., TV news channels can use satellite transmissions to
show events as they are happening; tabloids present celebrity gossip as news in brief articles accompanied by numerous photographs; travel brochures emphasize visual rather than written information about destinations and facilities3)
Teacher prompts: “Why might a movie made for television have a different structure than a movie with a similar theme made for theatrical release?” “How has the popularity of tabloids and entertainment news programs influenced the form of television news programs?”
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 use of play-by-play commentary and slow-motion replays in television sports broadcasts to clarify the action and bridge paus- es in play; the use of maps, graphics, live cover- age, and announcers/commentators in television weather reports to add interest to numeric data)
Teacher prompt: “Why might the cover of a mass-market paperback feature the author’s name more prominently than the book’s title?”
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 docu- mentary about the fast-food industry to raise awareness about nutrition in a teen audience), and identify significant challenges they may face in achieving their purpose
Teacher prompt: “Why might it be difficult to interest your intended audience in such a serious topic? What could you do about it?”
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., explain why an online fundraiser would be an appropriate way to raise money to buy computers; explain why a mini-drama might be a good way to advertise a new product)
Teacher prompt: “Why might a cartoon be an effective way of communicating a political viewpoint?”
Conventions and Techniques
3.3 identify a variety of conventions and/or tech- niques appropriate to a media form they plan to use, and explain how these will help com- municate a specific aspect of their intended meaning effectively (e.g., conventions/tech- niques for a presentation using presentation
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2. TL Media 7-10 “Examining Multiple Perspectives of an Advertisement” 22 3. TL Media 7-10 “Reading Graphical Texts” 6