Communications 11

Comprehend and Respond
(Comprehension)

This sub-organizer contains the following sections:
Prescribed Learning Outcomes
Suggested Instructional Strategies
Suggested Assessment Strategies
Recommended Learning Resources

Prescribed Learning Outcomes

It is expected that students will:

demonstrate the ability to read for a variety of purposes
demonstrate familiarity with literary works from a variety of genres and cultures
identify the topics, main ideas, events or themes, supporting ideas, and sequence of a variety of works from different genres, including workplace communications
organize oral, written, or visual information into a variety of written and graphic forms
demonstrate the ability to interpret details in and draw conclusions from a variety of print and graphic formats

To view the prescribed learning outcomes for Comprehend and Respond (Comprehension) in grade 12 click below.

Suggested Instructional Strategies

Before students read a novel, provide them with definitions and examples of the following literary elements: plot, theme, character, setting, and conflict. Divide the novel into sections and have students keep logs in which they record their observations about each of these elements in each section. At the end of each section, ask students, individually or in groups, to report their observations to the class. At the end of the novel, have students make individual oral or written presentations about the importance of each element to the novel.
Provide the class with samples of movie, television, or video reviews. In groups, have students create lists of features commonly found in reviews. Compile a master list of the most common features and then assign pairs of students different movies or television programs to review using the list. After viewing, have each pair complete a written, oral, or videotaped review detailing the strengths and weaknesses of the movie or program.
Hold a class discussion on the topic of violence in mass media. Make a list of the causes and consequences, and reach a consensus on what constitutes excessive violence. As a class, choose a selection of popular television programs and assign one or more to small groups of students. Have each group create a viewing log in which they record the number of acts of violence depicted per hour in their assigned programs, averaged over a period of a few weeks. Ask students to create graphs or charts of their findings. Then ask students to prepare oral or written reports answering the question: Do your findings support the contention that there is excessive violence in television programs?

Suggested Assessment Strategies

When students present their analyses of novels or other materials they have studied, look for evidence that they are able to:

focus their work around key elements
make clear and logical connections among elements
offer some insight into or interpretation of subtleties or implicit features

To check on students' comprehension of works studied in class, form small groups and ask each group to prepare three to five questions about a particular selection. Have groups exchange questions and then discuss and present their answers. Groups may refer back to the selections during their discussions. Ask students to present one or more of their questions to the entire class and ask for the classÕs answers. For each presentation, ask the group that designed the questions to assess and comment on the extent to which answers are thorough, logical, relevant, and supported by evidence.
When students present their movie, television, or video reviews, check for the attributes listed below.

Written Review