Language Arts

Grade 1: Media Literacy	Planning: Term # Tracking: Ach. Level
Overall Expectations	1	2	3	4
1. demonstrate an understanding of a variety of media texts;
2. identify some media forms and explain how the conventions and techniques associated with them are used to create meaning;
3. create a variety of media texts for different purposes and audiences, using appropriate forms, conventions, and techniques;
4. reflect on and identify their strengths as media interpreters and creators, areas for improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful in understanding and creating media texts.
Specific Expectations
1. Understanding Media Texts
Purpose and Audience: 1.1 identify the purpose and intended audience of some simple media texts (e.g., this movie tells a story to entertain children; this sign gives information to travellers). Teacher prompt: "Who would watch/listen to this? Why?"
Making Inferences/Interpreting Messages: 1.2 identify overt and implied messages, initially with support and direction, in simple media texts (e.g., • overt message of a toy advertisement showing two boys playing with a car: This toy is fun; implied message: This toy is for boys;) • overt message of a cartoon: the violence here is funny and doesn't hurt anyone; implied message: violence is acceptable) Teacher prompt: "Let's try to think of an advertisement made for a specific audience - for example, for girls or boys, for mothers, or for teenagers. How do we know that the advertisement is for that audience?"
Responding to and Evaluating Texts: 1.3 express personal thoughts and feelings about some simple media works (e.g., state whether they like or dislike a character in a cartoon, song, or movie; draw a picture of the character in a song). Teacher prompt: "What do you like/not like about the story told in this movie? What was your favourite part? How did it make you feel?" "Did the characters in this cartoon use violence to solve problems? Was the violence funny? Is this a good way to solve problems?"
Audience Responses: 1.4 describe how different audiences might respond to specific media texts. Teacher prompt: "Would your friends or parents like the same songs, movies, stories, games that you like? Why? Why not?"
Point of View: 1.5 begin to identify, with support and direction, whose point of view is presented in a simple media text and suggest a possible alternative perspective (e.g., a cartoon told from the point of view of a mouse might be told from a cat's viewpoint)
Production Perspectives: 1.6 identify, with support and direction, who makes some of the simple media texts with which they are familiar, and why those texts are produced (e.g., the government has traffic signs made to protect the safety of travellers and pedestrians; film companies hire manufacturers to produce toys and other products based on popular children's movies and television programs to sell to children). Teacher prompt: "Your doll is the main character from your favourite TV show. Do you think the same people who make the TV show made the doll, too? Are there any marks on your doll that tell us who made it?"
2. Understanding Media Forms, Conventions, and Techniques
Form: 2.1 identify some of the elements and characteristics of a few simple media forms (e.g., cartoon: colour, music, animation; picture book: cover, printed words, pictures). Teacher prompt: "How are books different from cartoons? How are they the same?"
Conventions and Techniques: 2.2 identify, initially with support and direction, the conventions and techniques used in some familiar media forms (e.g., specific pictures and colours are used in traffic signs to make messages immediately recognizable to drivers and pedestrians; icons are used on computer screens instead of words to help users locate computer functions; jingles and slogans are used in television advertisements to make the messages memorable; background music may be used in a movie to communicate a mood such as suspense or happiness). Teacher prompts: "How do colour and size help you notice a sign?" "What happens to the music when the villain appears? What does that tell you? How does it affect you?"
3. Creating Media Texts
Purpose and Audience: 3.1 identify the topic, purpose, and audience for media texts they plan to create (e.g., a media text to explain the importance of hand-washing to a Kindergarten class, or to tell the story of a class trip to parents or visitors). Teacher prompt: "How can we use photographs to tell the story of our trip? What could we use in addition to the photographs to help visitors understand what we did on our trip?"
Form: 3.2 identify an appropriate form to suit the purpose and audience for a media text they plan to create. Teacher prompt: "Which would be a better way to tell the school about an upcoming book sale - a poster or a P.A. announcement by a student? Why?"
Conventions and Techniques: 3.3 identify conventions and techniques appropriate to the form chosen for a media text they plan to create (e.g., tape-recorded music to reflect the changing scenes or moods in a picture book). Teacher prompt: "How will the music help people understand the book?"
Producing Media Texts: 3.4 produce some short media texts for specific purposes and audiences, using a few simple media forms and appropriate conventions and techniques (e.g., • a tape-recorded soundtrack for a story • a sequence of pictures and/or photographs that tells a story • a sign or poster for their classroom or the school • a selection of images downloaded from the Internet to accompany a science project • a collage of items a story character might enjoy or own • an enactment of a scene about a character from a favourite movie)
4. Reflecting on Media Literacy Skills and Strategies
Metacognition: 4.1 identify, initially with support and direction, what strategies they found most helpful in making sense of and creating media texts. Teacher prompts: "How did thinking about your audience help you create your poster?" "How did looking at other posters help you come up with ideas for this poster?"
Interconnected Skills: 4.2 begin to explain, initially with support and direction, how their skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing help them to make sense of and produce media texts. Teacher prompts: "How did talking about the project with other students help you create a better poster?" "What language skills did you use in creating this media text?"
Student Name:

Expectations: Copyright The Queen's Printer for Ontario, 2006.  Format: Copyright B.Phillips, 1998.