Resource+5

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 * Resource 5 **

__**Explanation of resource:**__ This resource is a multi modal text. It is a video published by ABC as a part of their Behind the News section which makes relevant news video’s aimed at primary aged children. This particular news story is to do with the oil spill that occurred at the Great Barrier Reef damaging a significant amount of coral and sea life. The news story discusses the cause of the oil spill and how it occured and how it should have been preventable because of The Great Barrier Reef having specific lanes for boats to use that exisist to protect the reef from such disasters. It continues to discuss the effects of the human interaction on the natural environment.

__**Rationale and Relevance to unit outcome:**__ The unit outcome (ENS2.6 – Describes people’s interactions with environments and identifies responsible ways of interacting with the environments.) has an emphasis on the effects of people on the environment. This multi modal text is an example of how human interactions in and around the Great Barrier Reef effect the environment in which it is located in a negative way. Students will therefore see that the way that humans interact with the natural environment can be harmful and they will begin to see the importance of identifying appropriate ways for humans to be interacting with the Great Barrier Reef.

__**Aspect of Literacy to be explored:**__ By using this text students will be exploring the ways in which a variety of modes are combined in order to create meaning in one multimodal text (Kress, 2003, p.35). Students will view this text and use it as a springboard into identifying what features are used to create a multimodal text. Healy (2004, p.20) identify that a multimodal text combines all or some of these five design elements; linguistic design, audio design, spatial design, visual design and gestural design.

In the lesson on multimodality students will, after identifying the features used, discuss the ways in which the modes combined create meaning, and how meaning could be changed if one of the modes was missing or used in a different way. Students will explore the purpose of multimodal texts and the way in which they are designed (which will be helpful for the task they are working towards) by considering that multimodal texts are designed for a particular situation with an intended purpose, aim and audience (Kress, 2003, p.49). Exploring how multimodal texts are designed students are working towards the English outcome WS2.13 that says in stage 2 students understand the purpose of a wider range of text types and how texts are designed for an audience (NSW Board of Studies, 2007). Students will explore how multimodal texts show their design intention by considering language used, music, images and graphics and how the creation of multimodal texts rely on these different modes being used congruently and appropriately. As well as exploring the features of a multimodal text students are engaging in class discussion, interacting with their peers, using their talking and listening skills to meet the stage 2 english outcomes (2007, p.60 - 66).

References:

Healy, A. (2004). The critical heart of multliteracies: four resources, multimodal texts and classroom practice. Text next: new resources for literacy learning (pp. 19 - 35). Newtown, N.S.W.: PETA.

Kress, G. (2003). Literacy in the New Media Age. Routledge: London. (Chapter 4: Literacy and Multimodality. pp. 35 - 83)

NSW Board of Studies. (2007). K - 6 English Syllabus