Graphics, Images, Sounds, Words
Objectives:
To identify digital text features used to communicate information.*
To determine how these features organize, clarify, and enhance the communication of information.**
Possible media samples:
For younger students, compare these two versions of the same story:
🦒Giraffes Can't Dance 🎶(kids books read aloud) online books
For older students, compare the following:
The Wellerman for Kids - A Twinkl Sea Shanty!
The Wellermen - Wellerman (Official TikTok Version)
Or analyze how Powtown is an effective way to use digital features to communicate information:
What is Powtoon - Find out what Powtoon is and what it can be used for
Key Questions (for younger students):
What do you like or dislike about the two versions?
How are they the same/different?
What features are used to make the story more interesting? Pictures? Sounds? Other effects?
What would make it even better?
Key Questions (for older students):
What digital features were used to communicate the information in this media text?
How do these features help the author to communicate their ideas?
Do you think these features were effective? Why?
How might the author use other features to communicate the ideas more effectively?
Key Vocabulary: digital features, sounds, images, animation, graphics, text.
Discussion:
1) Using the media samples above or your own media samples, discuss the questions above.
2) Once the students have identified the features used and how/if these features were used effectively, have students suggest what additional or different features could be used to make the media text more effective.
Composition:
Older students are encouraged to create a video using Powtown. Tutorials are available. This could be a cross-curricular activity used to create a media presentation for Social Studies, ELAL, or other topics. Students are encouraged to:
1) explore the features of the platform,
2) to include the four elements in their video, and
3) to write a 2-3 paragraph reflection about how the use of graphics, sounds, images, and words enhances the presentation of their information. These will be presented after the video presentation.
Follow-up:
Students will present their videos and will share their reflection on their work and learning. Their peers will then be invited to share their impressions using the 2 stars and a suggestion method.
The outcomes for this lesson are linked to the following in the New ELAL curriculum (Grade 4) but are applicable across grade levels:
**Organizing idea: Text Forms and Structures: Identifying and applying text forms and structures improves understanding of content, literary style, and our rich language traditions.
*Knowledge: Media texts can be digital or non-digital and can combine sounds, words, images, and graphics.
Understanding: Text features can organize and enhance information in the main body of a text.
Skills and Procedures: Examine a variety of text features that provide important information in a text. Include a variety of text features to organize, clarify, or enhance information.