Grade 8 - 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:

identify and discuss various persuasive and advertising strategies
identify and discuss the advantages and limitations of a variety of media and explain their effects on people's behaviour
analyse stereotypes and other distortions of reality in music videos, song lyrics, prime-time TV serials, and other aspects of popular culture
identify bias and false reasoning in communications as these relate to their contexts

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

SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

As they learn to examine texts critically, students need opportunities to see how various techniques are used to influence messages and to apply their own judgment to what they see and read.

Create stations around the room that include examples of different advertising techniques. Ask students, in small groups or pairs, to examine each piece and discuss the strategy used by the author of each piece. To guide their discussion, ask questions such as:
- How is the author trying to sell this product?
- What response is the author appealing to?
- How do the text and pictures work together to create an overall effect?
- How does the author's purpose affect the choice of strategy or media?
As a follow-up activity, have each student create a jingle or a one-page advertisement using one of the advertising strategies identified.
To examine how factual information is used by different sources to support different viewpoints, have students work alone or with partners to identify viewpoints and supporting evidence from several real-world sources (e.g., newspapers, magazines, textbooks, library books).
Have each student keep an album of the stereotypical characters they see on TV (e.g., "dumb blonde," "nerdy intellectual"). The album should include the names of the characters and shows, and the dates and times of viewing. When the album is complete, have students make a chart to note the frequency of each of the stereotypes and ask them to consider what the chart reveals. For example:
- What does the chart tell you about our culture?
- Why do you suppose these stereotypes occur over and over?

SUGGESTED ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES

At this level, students should have opportunities to demonstrate their critical analysis skills in structured classroom assignments and then to apply these skills to investigate sources of their own choice outside the classroom.

When students analyse examples of different advertising techniques, have them summarize the key points they noticed using lists, charts, webs, or mind maps. Look for evidence that they are able to:
- identify specific advertising strategies
- connect examples to the techniques used
- recognize the relationships between the techniques and the intended audiences
Ask students to prepare oral or written reports, supported by other media, to present their work on how factual information is used by different sources. Work with them to develop criteria that emphasize critical analysis. For example, assessment might be based on the extent to which students are able to:
- identify the viewpoint represented by each selection and provide specific examples to support their analyses
- select and apply appropriate criteria to analyse each selection
- offer clear and logical comparisons of key features
- develop logical conclusions and generalizations based on the evidence they have presented
To assess students' abilities to identify stereotyping in popular culture, have them brainstorm a list of common stereotypes or stock characters (e.g., "nerdy scientist," "dumb jock tough guy," "faithful girlfriend"). Students work in pairs to collect examples which they then present as posters, collages, cartoons, or illustrations, accompanied by two- or three-sentence summaries of the implications of their findings. Provide opportunities for students to view and respond to each other's work. Look for evidence that they are able to identify and analyse the implications of stereotyping.