Understanding Media Texts

By the end of Grade 7, students will:

• explain how a variety of media texts address their intended purpose and audience
  
  
• interpret increasingly complex media texts, using overt and implied messages as evidence for their interpretations
  
  
• evaluate the effectiveness of the presentation and treatment of ideas, information, themes, opinions, issues, and/or experiences in media texts
  
  
• explain why different audiences might have different responses to a variety of media texts
  
  
• demonstrate understanding that different media texts reflect different points of view
  
  
• identify who produces various media texts and determine the commercial, ideological, political, cultural, and/or artistic interests or perspectives that the texts may involve

Lessons that meet the grade seven expectations

Advertising

Selling Obesity

Scientific Detectives

Sports Personalities in Magazine Advertising

Create a Youth Consumer Magazine

Alcohol

Kids, Alcohol and Advertising: Young Drinkers

Kids, Alcohol and Advertising: Understanding Brands

Kids, Alcohol and Advertising: Interpreting Media Messages

Who's on First?  Alcohol Advertising and Sports

Alcohol Myths
Gender Messages in Alcohol Advertising

Body Image

The Way We Look

Gender Stereotypes and Body Image

Internet

ICYouSee: A Lesson in Critical Thinking

Tale of Two Cities

Research Relay

Deconstructing Web Pages

Media

Looking Through the Lenses

Whose Lenses? How Mass Media Portray Global Development

Adjusting the Focus

News Journalism Across the Media:

Introduction

Definitions and Comments about the News

The Newspaper Front Page

Radio News

Summative Activities

Newspapers

Bias in the News

Writing a Newspaper Article

Privacy

What Students Need to Know about Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy

Online Marketing to Kids: Protecting Your Privacy

Privacy and Internet Life

Sports

Violence in Sports

Stereotyping

Comic Book Characters

What's in a Word?

Female Action Heroes

Stereotyping and Bias: The Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf Pigs

Television

The Broadcast Project

Cop Shows

Cinema Cops

Video Production of a Newscast

Tobacco

Thinking Like a Tobacco Company: Grades 7–9
 
True Story

Freedom to Smoke
 
Gender and Tobacco

Tobacco Labels

Video Games

Video Games

Killer Games

Understanding Media Forms, Conventions, and Techniques

By the end of Grade 7, students will:

• describe in detail the main elements of some media forms
  
  
• identify the conventions and techniques used in some familiar media forms and explain how they help convey meaning and influence or engage the audience

Creating Media Texts 

By the end of Grade 7, students will:

• explain why they have chosen the topic for a media text they plan to create (e.g., a class newspaper or pamphlet to inform parents about the achievements and activities of students in the class), and identify challenges they may face in engaging and/or influencing their audience
  
  
• identify an appropriate form to suit the specific purpose and audience for a media text they plan to create and explain why it is an appropriate choice
  
  
• identify conventions and techniques appropriate to the form chosen for a media text they plan to create, and explain how they will use the conventions and techniques to help communicate their message
  
  
• produce a variety of media texts for specific purposes and audiences, using appropriate forms, conventions, and techniques

Reflecting on Media Literacy Skills and Strategies 

By the end of Grade 7, students will:

• identify what strategies they found most helpful in making sense of and creating media texts, and explain how these and other strategies can help them improve as media viewers/listeners/producers
  
  
• explain how their skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing help them to make sense of and produce media texts