English 11 - Comprehend and Respond (Critical Analysis)

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 draw reasoned conclusions from information found in various written, spoken, or visual communications and defend their conclusions rationally.

It is expected that students will:

analyse the merits of print and electronic communications in relation to given criteria
analyse communications to identify weak argumentation
describe ethical issues associated with mass media and electronic communications, including privacy and freedom of information
analyse the relationship between the medium and the message
demonstrate an appreciation of how their experiences and their membership in communities influence their interpretations of what they read, view, and hear
compare and analyse different presentations of the same ideas and issues

To view the prescribed learning outcomes for Comprehend and Respond (Critical Analysis) in other grades click on an icon below.

SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

Students link past and present reading and viewing experiences when they search for universal themes. They need opportunities to compare interpretations and evaluations as well as guidance in composing oral and written explanations of their analyses and interpretations.

Teach logical fallacies such as overgeneralization, red herrings, false dichotomy, ad hominem, and syllogisms. Lead students in a discussion about how viewpoint can influence the presentation and meaning of material.
Provide students with a collection of editorials, political cartoons, print advertising, letters to the editor, opinion page commentaries, columns from newspapers, and reports from around the world (e.g., American versus Canadian news, the South China Morning Post). Have them work in groups, identifying examples of objectivity, bias, persuasive technique, and false dichotomy. Have each student select one of the examples and rewrite or reproduce it to correct the bias or to reflect a different viewpoint.
As a class, generate a list of universal themes such as war, disease, politics, or morality. Have students work in groups to select a theme and gather representations of that theme in prose, poetry, fiction, non-fiction, video, art, and music. Have groups present their collections to the class. Ask students to write personal reflections on the style of representation that affected them most emotionally, the style that provided the most information, and the style they found most offensive.
Invite several students to present the same folk tale. After they have prepared and presented their versions of the tale, have students compare what was similar and different about each presentation. Have them discuss why some elements remained the same while others changed.

SUGGESTED ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES

Students should have opportunities to show their competence in dealing with familiar materials and formats they have studied in the classroom, as well as with those they identify and analyse independently.

To check on students' abilities to compare different presentations of the same information, have each group of three students choose a topical issue, identify five to seven key questions about the topic, and list potential sources of information. Each group member chooses a different medium (e.g., TV, newspapers, World Wide Web, magazines) and locates and summarizes two different articles or other information using the questions the group developed. The group makes a chart or other representation that compares the information gathered, listing four to five key points learned about information sources, with specific evidence to support each point. Students share their analyses with the class. Look for evidence that they:
- identified similarities and differences in the presentations
- made connections between the various media and the messages presented
- accounted for differences in the information they located
- considered how the messages were affected by the intended audience and purpose
- hypothesized or drew logical conclusions about the relative credibility and objectivity of different sources
Work with students to develop criteria to assess assignments in which students analyse media bias. For example, effective work might be characterized by:
- clear focus on the issue of bias
- specific examples of bias
- objective and detailed explanation
- logical analysis of purpose and potential impact
- explicit conclusion(s) supported by examples and explanations

RECOMMENDED LEARNING RESOURCES

Print Materials

75 Readings
Coast To Coast
Coming of Age
Designs for Reading
Discovering Literature
Essays: Patterns and Perspectives
Family Issues
Global Matters
How Porcupines Make Love III
Living Theater
Nineteenth Century Short Stories
On The Edge
Poetry Alive
Searchlights
The Stolen Party
The Storyteller
Tracing One Warm Line
Voices of the First Nations
World Literature, Signature Edition

Video

Frankenstein
The Glitter
Media Mayhem
Selling Lies
Tabloid Frenzy

Laserdisc/Videodisc

In Perspective

Previous Organizer

Next Organizer

Revised: January 25, 1999

BC Ministry of Education Home Page