Page 118 - THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 9 to 12 | First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Studies

THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 9–12 | First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Studies
and messages assumes a special significance. Understanding how media texts are con- structed and why they are produced enables students to respond to them intelligently and responsibly. Students must be able to differentiate between fact and opinion; evalu- ate the credibility of sources; recognize bias; be attuned to discriminatory portrayals of individuals and groups, such as Indigenous peoples, religious or sexual minorities, people with disabilities, or seniors; and question depictions of violence and crime.
Students’ repertoire of communication skills should include the ability to critically interpret the messages they receive through the various media and to use these media to communicate their own ideas effectively as well. Skills related to media such as the Internet, film, and television are particularly important because of the power and perva- sive influence these media wield in our lives and in society. Becoming conversant with these and other media can greatly expand the range of information sources available to students, and enhance potential career opportunities in the communication and enter- tainment industries.
To develop their media literacy skills, students should have opportunities to view, ana- lyse, and discuss a wide variety of media texts from First Nations, Métis, and Inuit sources, and, as appropriate, relevant media texts from non-Indigenous sources and relate them to their own experience and/or understanding. They should also have opportunities to use available technologies to create media texts of different types (e.g., computer graphics, cartoons, graphic designs and layouts, podcasts, short videos, blogs, web pages).
This strand focuses on helping students develop the skills required to understand, create, and critically interpret media texts. It examines how images (both moving and still), sound, and words are used, independently and in combination, to create meaning. It explores the use and significance of particular conventions and techniques in the media and con- siders the roles of the viewer and the producer in constructing meaning in media texts. Students apply the knowledge and skills gained through analysis of media texts as they create their own texts on subject matter related to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit cultures.
In the specific expectations in this strand, the examples and sample questions refer to media forms and conventions that are appropriate for instruction in the given course. These are not, however, the only forms and conventions that students may explore in the course. Teachers will continue to use their professional judgement to decide on the forms and conventions students will study, based on the identified learning needs of the stu- dents in their classrooms.
THE RESEARCH AND INQUIRY PROCESS
Educators are encouraged to refer to the general discussion of the research and inquiry process that appears in the introduction to this document (see page 24) for necessary information relating to all First Nations, Métis, and Inuit studies courses. Inquiry and research are at the heart of learning in “English: Understanding Contemporary First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Voices”. They are incorporated into all the strands as students locate, question, and validate information through a rigorous process of interpretation and reflection in oral communication, reading, writing, and media studies. Students develop their ability to ask questions more deeply or thoughtfully and to explore a variety of possible answers to those questions.
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