Quebec Competencies Chart - The Front Page
Author: Canadian Newspaper Association
Level: Secondary Cycle Two
Subject Area: English Language Arts
Lesson Link: The Front Page
Description: This is the second of five lessons designed to teach students to think critically about the way aboriginal peoples and visible minorities are portrayed in the press. "The Front Page" begins by helping students to identify and understand the different aspects of the newspaper. Using these skills, students will then collect and identify front-page news stories and categorize them according to subject matter. Special emphasis will be placed on their representation of visible minorities.
Cross-curricular Competencies |
Broad Areas of Learning |
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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:
- 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
- analyzes the representation of different groups, including interest groups, in the press in relation to controlling ideas, opinions, main ideas
- Makes inter-textual connections between texts read in and out of class:
- 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
- Researches aspects of the media and publishing industries to best produce, market and distribute their products:
- investigates how texts are produced and under what conditions
- examines how a text is vetted, marketed and distributed by a producer to its target audience, e.g. how a book gets published, how a trend is created
- analyzes the impact of media ownership and convergence
Characterizing an Audience
Investigates how different target audiences use and respond to particular texts:
- identifies factors that constitute a target audience and evaluates how media texts are shaped to suit them
Public and Private Space
Examines the difference between producing texts for private and public audiences:
- questions issues of ownership, intellectual property, creative freedom, boundaries of genres
- considers effect the medium has on a genre, e.g. reality TV’s pretence of intimacy, journalism as the arbiter of truth
Conducts a genre analysis:
- compares and contrasts texts within a social function, i.e. Why do people produce them? Who has access to these texts? Do they serve the same purpose? How do they communicate the values of a community?
- evaluates the structures, features, codes and conventions used
- examines how language (sound, word and image) is shaped:
- to represent and/or exclude people, events, ideas and information
Applying Codes and Conventions
- Explores the representation of gender, race, appearance, culture, social class
Media Practices
- Examines issues of media ownership and control
- Examines impact of production roles on final text, e.g. editor’s decisions
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
- Makes preparations prior to production
- Evaluates material gathered and decides on its use, e.g. reviews video footage for best shots
Going Public
- Makes final adjustments before presentation
- Presents text to intended audience