Quebec Competencies Chart - Privacy in the Information Age

Author: The ideas presented in this teaching unit are based on materials designed by Barry Duncan (former President of the Association for Media Literacy, Ontario), and adapted by Carolyn Levy (Lisgar Collegiate Institute, Ottawa).
Level: Secondary Cycle Two
Subject Area: English Language Arts
Lesson Link: Privacy in the Information Age

Description: This unit is designed to help students develop a critical awareness about privacy and the security of personal information. Through a series of activities and class discussions, students shall learn about the different forms of privacy protection that exist in the public and private sectors; discover how private information can be manipulated for the purpose of direct marketing; and examine the impact of new technologies on privacy research.

This lesson satisfies the following English Language Arts Competencies from the Quebec Education Program:

COMPETENCY 2 Reads and listens to written, spoken and media texts

Constructing a Reading of a Text

• Focuses on a topic and/or issue that is of interest to her/him to construct an efferent reading, (e.g. makes sense of the text by coming to terms with the ways in which a topic has been developed by a writer/producer)
• Focuses on the relationship between self as reader and the text to construct an interpretive reading
• Activates relevant prior textual knowledge before, during and after reading text(s) to monitor the meaning(s) s/he is making, (e.g. uses what is known about a writer/producer and her/his style to make predictions, draws on knowledge of structures and features of a specific genre, applies knowledge of codes and conventions particular to specific texts)
• Activates relevant prior personal knowledge and experience to make sense of a text which is frequently expressed in text-to-self connections, text-to-world connections, text-to-text connections
• Asks questions of self, writers(s) and text(s) as s/he reads to clarify and focus reading
• Determines the most important ideas/messages/themes in a text
• Draws inferences from a text
• Retells or synthesizes what s/he has read, e.g. attends to the most important information and the quality of the synthesis itself to better understand the text

Reader, Text, Context

Draws inferences about the view of the world presented in a text

• Identifies dominant elements and interprets their use, e.g. point of view, specific literary conventions, structure and sequence of argument, patterns of cause and effect
• Identifies the characteristics of the writer/producer and evaluates how these influence meaning, i.e. how stance, socio-cultural context, values and/or beliefs shape the world of the text
• Explores how power relationships are constructed in the text
• Examines how language (word, sound and image) is shaped to present ideas and information
• Makes connections between the depiction of different groups in texts and the context or setting of a text

Distinguishes between “open” and “closed” texts:

• analyzes the degree to which the text may be considered “open” to multiple perspectives/ interpretations (i.e. is complex enough to allow different perspectives to emerge) and interprets how these influence the view of the world presented.
• analyzes the degree to which the text may be considered “closed” to multiple perspectives (i.e. runs along formulaic lines that indicate its lack of complexity and make only a limited number of perspectives possible) and interprets how this influences the view of the world, e.g. in a pulp romance novel or a comic book, recognizes some elements of plot structure that are formulaic and repetitive

Justifies her/his interpretation(s) of texts on the basis of own fluency as a reader

• Evaluates the way specific codes and conventions of a spoken/written/media text are employed to have an impact upon the assumptions, actions, values and beliefs of readers:
  • codes and conventions of a specific genre that are employed to have an impact on readers in general or on a target audience in particular
  • mode(s) of representation (sound, word and image) that influence the message(s)/meaning(s) of a text and how these reveal the intention(s) of the writer/producer(s)
  • linguistic and textual features that situate or position the reader, e.g. connotations and denotations, stereotypes and bias, aspects of characterization and setting that evoke a specific emotion or response, appeals to mainstream values and beliefs
  • issues and topics that present alternative values, beliefs, lifestyles in order to evaluate meanings for self as part of a process of interpreting a text
  • features and conventions of favourite genres and how these are used to special effect, e.g. in a mystery or a romance novel, in a magazine article
• Interrelates characteristics of the writer/producer(s) of a text and self as a reader:
  • identifies characteristics of the writer/producer(s) of a text and applies this knowledge to determine how the text is designed to appeal to self as a reader, e.g. writer’s style, producer’s values or intent
  • evaluates a perspective or point of view and its impact on self as reader
  • recognizes the use of rhetorical strategies, e.g. use of first person to convey attitudes and feelings about an issue/topic, appeals to common beliefs or values in a culture, appeals designed to evoke a certain age group
  • recognizes how authors and producers of written persuasion and argument, whose views are accorded great respect in our society and culture, influence her/his interpretation(s), i.e. in particular, of what can be considered factual, objective
• Makes inter-textual connections between texts read in and out of class:
  • compares and contrasts alternative and mainstream values, mores, lifestyles within a range of literary and popular narratives
  • compares and contrasts the socio-cultural, literary or historical contexts and conventions in texts

COMPETENCY 3 Produces texts for personal and social purposes

Researching as a Writer/Producer

• Develops topics that are personally and socially relevant:
  • looks at multiple perspectives on the topic, e.g. pros and cons of an argument, how different people perceive the issue
  • considers open-ended question(s) to facilitate topic development
  • broadens and/or narrows the scope of the topic
  • makes abstractions, e.g. from a more literal interpretation to a more figurative one; or from a more egocentric view to one that can be generalized
• Respects rules related to copyright and intellectual property

Assuming Roles as a Writer/Producer

• Adopts a stance to a topic and audience appropriate to the genre
• Explores different dimensions of a character, issue

Planning and Drafting

• Brainstorms ideas, clarifies and extends thinking by talking with peers and teacher
• Uses strategies to work out ideas, plan and draft, e.g. concept map, free writing, storyboard