Page 73 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: English, 2007 (Revised)

Grade 11, College 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 texts, and comment on any questions they may raise about beliefs, values, identity, and power (e.g., describe messages inherent
in depictions of women on the covers of mass- market romance novels; explain what is implied by the presence or absence and/or the portrayal of particular professions or socio-economic and ethnocultural groups in a popular television show)
Teacher prompts: “Is the depiction of the female ‘boss’ in this mass-market movie real- istic? In what ways is it realistic or unrealis- tic?” “What topics in Aboriginal news pro- grams are under-reported in mainstream news media?” “What sort of power does the female protagonist have in this soap opera?”
Production Perspectives
1.6 explain how a variety of production, market- ing, and distribution factors influence the media industry (e.g., explain how“product placement”works and how it benefits both the product manufacturer and the media producer; suggest reasons why colleges supplement course information with promotional materials about the college“culture”and extra-curricular pro- grams; suggest reasons why manufacturers wrap CDs and some books and magazines in plastic and how this packaging affects the consumer 3)
Teacher prompt: “Why do private companies use public websites to promote their products – for example, by posting ads to a public video-sharing site?”
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., car- toons on television use animation and sound to convey detailed stories and characters, whereas cartoon strips or editorial cartoons in newspapers and magazines are restricted to brief messages
conveyed using text and visual representations; dolls/action figures are more interactive than their animated cartoon versions)
Teacher prompt: “What elements tell you that you are watching a sitcom about a fictional family and not a documentary about a real family?”
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., TV sitcoms use the simulated audience response of a laugh-track to influence viewers to share the“audience’s”amusement)
Teacher prompt: “What elements in the open- ing of a TV sitcom are designed to ‘hook’ viewers and encourage them to stay tuned?”
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 television news story to raise community awareness about a local health or safety issue; a logo and/or slogan for a line of T-shirts to support and raise funds for a joint school-community project), and identify significant challenges they may face in achieving their purpose
Teacher prompt: “Who would be interested in a documentary series about body piercing, tattooing, and muscle building? Is there one point of view about the topic you wish to promote, or should you present a variety of perspectives on it?”
Form
3.2 select a media form to suit the topic, purpose, and audience for a media text they plan to create, and explain why it is an appropriate choice (e.g., explain why a calendar highlighting recycling information and collection dates is
an appropriate way to promote recycling in the community4)
Teacher prompt: “Why might a ‘point-of- purchase’ display be an appropriate way to market a new product?”
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 them communicate specific aspects of their intended meaning (e.g., conventions/techniques for a sto- ryboard for a video game commercial: descriptions of the camera angles, types of shots, music, and special effects to be used, and their purpose; conventions/techniques for a televised interview: positioning of the interviewer’s and subject’s chairs, flattering lighting, shots of the interviewer nodding or smiling in response to the subject’s comments5)
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3. TL Media 7-10 “Exploring the Key Concepts in Media Literacy” 2
4. TL Media 7-10 “Reading Graphical Texts” 6 5. TL Media 7-10
“Producing a Public Service Announcement” 20