Media+Analysis

When analyzing a media text, students should be prompted to consider the following:
8. What conventions or techniques are used in this form of media? Are they used effectively in this media text? (2.2)
 * 1) What is the purpose and who is the intended audience for this media text? (1.1)
 * 2) What are the overt (clear) and implied (hidden) messages in this text? Which messages are most important? (1.2)
 * 3) How effective is this media text? Is the purpose clear? Will it capture the audience's attention? What appeals to you about this text? What does not appeal to you? (1.3)
 * 4) How might different audiences respond to this media text? Consider gender, age, nationality, etc... (1.4)
 * 5) What point of view is represented by this media text? What point of view is missing? (1.5)
 * 6) Who produced this media text? Why? What perspective are the producers trying to share? (1.6)
 * 7) What are the elements of this form of media? (2.1)
 * newspapers- print, black-and-white photographs, sections (business, entertainment, etc...), editorials
 * television news- news anchor,"live action" reporters, video clips, commercial breaks
 * sitcom- set, cast, laugh track, plot problem and complications, happy ending
 * game show- host, contestants, prizes
 * talk show- host, studio audience, guests, commercial breaks
 * nature documentary- outdoor setting, voice over narration, wildlife "actors", background music
 * billboard- frame, large surface area, colour, images, graphics, words, font, punctuation
 * magazine- cover images and text, table of contents, columns, feature articles, ads
 * geographic map- colour, legend, scale, compass
 * song- instrumentals, lyrics, vocals
 * website- home page, side bars with audio/visual elements, ads
 * fashion magazine- photo spreads, dramatic modeling poses, cosmetic ads
 * television drama- camera angles and distances create different effects (close up to focus on one character), background music
 * restaurant menu- sections for each course (appetizers, entrees, desserts), descriptions of ingredients, catchy titles, prices
 * board game- list of rules, board shows game name, movement path, obstacles, finish line, visual details to appeal to players

Example media texts to analyze include:
sports team uniform logo t-shirt or other branded clothing television news coverage of a local, national or international event or natural disaster newspaper (articles, ads, editorials) teen magazine (cover, articles, ads) music video website for a music group cereal box geographic map movie trailer tobacco ad beer commercial Dove or Axe ad or commercial video game (box art, ad, or product placement in game) <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">comic book <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">article in Wikipedia <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">stage production <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">artwork or sculpture

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">When creating a media text (3.4), students should be prompted to consider the following:
Why have you chosen this topic? (3.1) Who is the intended audience? (3.1) How will you capture their attention? (3.1) What form of media text will you choose to present your message? (3.2) What conventions or techniques of this form will you use to make an impact? (3.2)

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Students should be asked to create media texts that showcase their understanding of the form they have been studying:

 * design a t-shirt logo or school uniform
 * write a newspaper article or letter to the editor
 * use digital cameras and Windows Movie Maker to produce a school news broadcast, PSA, music video or book trailer
 * design box art for a video game or cereal or other packaging
 * create two different media texts on the same subject (print ad and commercial)

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Students should also create media texts that share their understanding of other areas of study:

 * create a multimedia slide-show about an area of study
 * contribute to a class wiki about a unit of study
 * write a review of a stage presentation (think River Run!)
 * collect images (downloaded, clipped, scanned) to illustrate a topic from a unit of study
 * design a board game (use Smart Notebook software) related to a unit of study

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">When reflecting on media literacy, students should be prompted to consider the following:

 * 1) What strategies did you find helpful in making sense of this media text?How can these strategies help you become more media savvy? (4.1)
 * 2) Why was it helpful to consider your purpose and audience first when creating a media text? (4.1)
 * 3) How can analyzing the form of media text help you to create your own? (4.1)
 * 4) What aspects of planning process were most helpful in creating a successful media text? (4.1)
 * 5) How did your language skills )(reading, writing, listening, speaking) help you to create an effective media text? (4.2)