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21st Century Skills – Unit Plan (Grade 12)

December 6, 2009 By Leave a Comment

This unit is designed to introduce Grade 12 students to critical analysis and media literacy. Relying heavily on material from the Centre for Media Literacy, students work with five key media literacy questions to analyze a range of texts, from advertisements through full movies. Students are expected to maintain their own reflective blogs as a component of their work.

  • Level: ENG4U
  • Timeframe: 12 periods, including a test period

Unit Outline

  • Lesson 1: Introduction to the course (1 period)
  • Lesson 2: Introduction to blogging and FCA novel selection (2 periods)
  • Lesson 3: Media Literacy (1 period)
  • Lesson 4: Stereotypes and Male Violence in Media (1 period)
  • Lesson 5: Analyzing the News (1 period)
  • Lesson 6: Online Safety and Research (1 period)
  • Lesson 7: Camera Angles and Comic Strips (1 period)
  • Lesson 8: Movie Analysis (3 periods)
  • Unit Test

The unit outline [PDF] includes a summary of curriculum expectations plus a sample calendar.

Lesson Plans

Unit lesson plans [PDF] provide detailed steps to covering each of the unit topics, relating them to the corresponding expectations and teaching strategies.

Assignments

Reflective Blogging (10 marks)

Students begin blogging, publishing at least one reflective post and two comments on classmates’ blogs. Students evaluate their learning using the blogging self-evaluation rubric.

Media Text Analysis (10 marks)

Students use the five key media literacy questions to analyze an advertisement. Learning is assessed using the media text analysis evaluation rubric.

News Analysis (10 marks)

Students use an expanded analysis framework to discuss, in writing, a 30- to 60-minute news broadcast. Learning is assessed using the news analysis evaluation rubric.

Evaluating Online Resources (10 marks)

Students must find five credible online sources for a given topic. (Global warming is the topic in the attached handout; I have also used an author as a topic option.) Students are not able to progress in course activities until they have demonstrated competence in this. An evaluation rubric is available for this assignment.

Comic Strip Analysis (10 marks)

Students select a comic strip of at least five frames and analyze it in terms of camera techniques and storytelling. Learning is assessed using the comic analysis evaluation rubric.

Movie Analysis

While watching a movie in class, students complete the movie analysis handout [PDF]. This is not marked directly; however, students may bring their completed handouts to the unit test.

The 21st Century Literacy assignment summary [PDF] includes detailed instructions for students to complete each assignment.

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Image by juanpol

Filed Under: 21st Century Skills, Featured Units Tagged With: , , ,

Tips for using Audacity in the classroom

December 7, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Spending a period in the computer lab with students attempting to create audio files can turn into an exercise in minimizing headaches. Having incorporated Audacity into several classroom experiences now, I’ve learned the hard way some lessons that I will share here:

  • Create an electronic hand-in folder for the class before starting the assignment. As with most schools, our server allows for the quick and easy creation of groups and classes with icons appearing on student computer profiles for the receiving of assignments, and a drop box for their electronic documents.
  • Once students open Audacity, have them hit “record” and then immediately hit “pause.” Let them catch their breath, review their lines, and understand that pause is now the only button they need for the duration of the recording session. They should not hit “stop” until the very end.
  • Remind students not to over-use the pause button. If they make a mistake, get flustered, or swear, they should just take a deep breath and begin reading their line again. All mistakes will be edited at the end.
  • Remind students to wear their headsets and to be mindful of their neighbours. Their microphones will pick up other voices and noises in the lab.
  • Once students have read to a natural break (the end of a scene or poem, usually), they may hit “stop” and save the file. They should also hand in this base file, along with the _Data folder, before any editing is done. That way, in the event of a catastrophe — and at least one group will have a catastrophe — all will not be lost.
  • Students should be aware that once “stop” has been selected, any future recording creates a new track. That’s okay. Tracks can be pasted together.
  • One little detail: the mouse may need to be clicked at the beginning of a track to hear it in its entirety.
  • In locating errors, students should carefully note the time and duration by watching the ruler while listening to their track.
  • Students should export their final version (in MP3 format) to the drop-in box. Exporting may take longer than five minutes and should not be left until just before the bell.

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Image by Emuishere Peliculas

Filed Under: 21st Century Skills Tagged With: , , ,