Quebec Competencies Chart - Making Media for Democratic Citizenship
Author: Maureen Baron
Level: Secondary Cycle Two
Subject Area: English Language Arts, Drama
Lesson Link: Making Media for Democratic Citizenship
Description: In this five- or six-day unit, students create a video podcast to present balanced, unbiased perspectives on global development issues. They voice their perspectives through the language, codes and conventions of a visual medium. This unit has been estimated as taking five days, but you may require more time depending on the previous background your students have in media production and global development issues.
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 1 uses language/talk to communicate and to learn
- Constructs criteria for choosing the mode of spoken language in a specific context, by considering audience needs and demands of the context
- Examines how poets and others have used the sound patterns and other auditory elements of spoken language to great effect:
- in media texts: slogans and jingles in commercials; repetition and sound patterns in music videos
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
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
- 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 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
- 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
Assuming Roles as a Writer/Producer
- Adopts a stance to a topic and audience appropriate to the genre
- Assumes a variety of roles
- Considers who s/he represents, e.g. the beliefs and values of a company and/or an organization
- Adopts different points of view, e.g. first person, third person omniscient, second person and third person observer
- Explores different dimensions of a character, issue
- Applies language conventions to establish relationships, e.g. using gestures to elicit sympathy; using statements, conditions and commands to imply control and power; tilting the camera up to show authority
- adjusts register to the formality/informality of the context, e.g. uses academic language in an essay, jargon or slang in an advertisement
- establishes the tone, e.g. uses dispassionate tone of anchor on news report, intimate tone when writing in a journal
- Exploits generic conventions
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
Analyzes characteristics of audience for own productions:
- chooses an audience depending on context for production
- draws on previous experience with audience
- generalizes factors such as age, gender, cultural background, race, location, level of education
- identifies potential barriers to communication, e.g. audiences’ level of knowledge of topic
- analyzes the expectations of audience, e.g. the uses the audience will make of the text (for entertainment, for information, for escape), generic conventions
Draws on audience reactions to shape own texts:
- explains possible reasons for the audience’s varying interpretations of a text
Public and Private Space
Examines the difference between producing texts for private and public audiences:
- 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
- to organize and develop ideas
- for special effect
Uses texts as models to guide production:
- refers to model text(s) throughout the production process
- creates criteria for guiding production
- identifies specific structures and features to reproduce own interests, purpose and audience
Applying Codes and Conventions
- Applies conventions of the genre:
- chooses textual structures and features
- chooses linguistic codes and conventions
- Combines and/or manipulates codes and conventions of specific genres for special effects (multi-genre texts)
- Combines and/or manipulates codes and conventions of different modes (multimodal texts), e.g. the PSA draws on conventions of sound, word and image. It uses music to appeal to the emotions, includes a voiceover of a well-known person to draw attention to the cause and uses images to shock or jar the audience
- Explores the representation of gender, race, appearance, culture, social class
- Adopts ethical standards in own productions
Production Process
Media Practices
- Manages resources, e.g. financial constraints, available technologies
- Manages production constraints, e.g. time line, deadline, group roles and responsibilities
- Respects genre constraints, e.g. format, layout, target audience’s expectations, industry standards such as time allotment
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
- Develops expertise in manipulating resources
- Makes preparations prior to production
- Uses different available ICT in order to draft own texts, e.g. shoots video footage, takes photographs
- Evaluates material gathered and decides on its use, e.g. reviews video footage for best shots
Going Public
- Chooses most suitable ICT to present production, e.g. PPT® presentation, CD-ROM, etc.
- Makes final adjustments before presentation
- Presents text to intended audience
For specific topics, relate broad area of Media Literacy to:
Drama
Creates a Dramatic Work
Applies ideas for the creation of a dramatic work
- Explores various ways of conveying creative ideas through dramatic action
- Chooses dramatic actions for their interest
- Plans a creative project
Uses elements of dramatic language
- Experiments with elements of dramatic language
- Makes use of his/her dramatic experiences
- Chooses the most meaningful elements in relation to his/her creative intention and perfects methods for using these elements
Organizes his/her dramatic creation
- Organizes the dramatic material based on the creative intention
- Reviews his/her dramatic choices after considering the character of the work
- Establishes conventions concerning unified performance
- Refines certain elements of his/her creation, if necessary
Presents his/her dramatic creation
- Remains attentive to classmates
- Adjusts his/her actions to those of classmates
- Takes advantage of unexpected occurrences
- Respects conventions concerning unified performance
- Validates the clarity of the creative intention
- Reconsiders and confirms artistic choices
- Plans necessary adjustments