Villains, Heroes and Heroines Lesson Plan

Movies
Television

Level: Grades 3 to 6

Author: MediaSmarts

media representation

This lesson is part of USE, UNDERSTAND & ENGAGE: A Digital Media Literacy Framework for Canadian Schools.

Overview

This lesson introduces students to the ways that heroes and villains are portrayed in media. It begins with a discussion of real and media heroes and how they are similar or different. Students then compare a number of hero/villain pairs from Disney films and identify how specific visual cues are used to identify characters as being villains. They then consider the impact of representing features of diverse groups, such as larger bodies or disabilities, as being signs of villainy. Finally, students create a prototype for a photo or video filter that will make someone look more villainous.  

Learning Outcomes

Big ideas/key concepts: Students will understand that…

Media are constructions: 

  • Media are an imperfect reflection of reality
  • Media works are made by people who make choices that affect the final work

Each medium has a unique aesthetic form: 

  • Different media communicate in different ways, using different codes and conventions
  • Different genres have their own traditions, codes and conventions that creators use and audiences expect to see

Media have social and political implications:

  • Media representations influence how we see other people, the world and ourselves

Key questions:

  • How is heroism different in media than in real life?
  • What do villains and heroes look like in media?
  • What visual clues tell us someone is a villain in cartoons?

Essential knowledge: Students will know…

  • Reading media: Elements of character design, such as colour, shape, and facial features, are used in animation to make someone look villainous; Codes and conventions in animation are influenced by older traditions in visual art
  • Media representation: Media heroes are more likely to use violence to achieve their goals than real-life heroes; Characteristics of diverse groups such as disabilities, larger bodies, darker skin and Jewish features are associated with villainy in animation.

Performance tasks: Students will be able to understand the differences between real-life and media heroes and the visual clues used to show that characters are villains in animation, engage with the implications of those for our understanding of heroism and the experiences of diverse communities, and use and design a prototype for a simple media tool.

This lesson and all associated documents (handouts, overheads, backgrounders) is available in an easy-print, pdf kit version.

Lesson Kit