Levels 1 and 2

Achievement Objectives

Visual language: Viewing

Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Examples

Example 1

Achievement Objectives
Viewing: exploring language, thinking critically

Teaching and Learning
Context: viewing a television advertisement

• Students view, discuss, and give their opinions on one or more television advertisements.
  
• Students discuss how the product is presented to the viewer, for example, through dialogue, words on the screen, music, and types of character.
  
• The teacher and students discuss the images and story-line, and the teacher introduces some basic techniques and terms used in film-making, such as close-up and long shot, as appropriate.
  
• In groups, students discuss how the words and images have been combined for a particular effect.
  
• The teacher builds up a basic storyboard from the group discussions, sketching the outline for the advertisement and introducing questions about the purposes of certain techniques, such as showing a face in close-up.
  
• In groups, students discuss another advertisement of their own choice, in terms of the ideas they have explored in class.

Assessment

• The teacher notes how well students show a connection between the verbal and visual features of the advertisement, and the meanings they have drawn from it.

Links With Other Strands
Speaking, Listening, Reading

Example 2

Achievement Objectives
Viewing: thinking critically; processing information

Teaching and Learning
Context: a study of road signs

• The class takes a walk in their local community, and students observe and discuss the road signs and symbols they see.
• The class makes a collection of illustrations and photographs of road signs for a wall display.
• The class discusses the ways these visual signs are presented and how they convey their meanings.
• During discussion the teacher introduces concepts and terms such as standardisation, international, sign, and symbol.
• The teacher provides large photographs of outdoor scenes; the students, working in pairs or groups, identify any signs or symbols and discuss their meanings.

Assessment

• The teacher notes the extent to which the students understand the meanings of the signs and symbols they have explored in class.

Links With Other Strands
Speaking, Listening

Example 3

Achievement Objectives
Viewing: thinking critically; processing information

Teaching and Learning
Context: understanding the meaning of signs and symbols to do with danger

• Students collect signs and symbols indicating danger, from sources such as labels on medicines or cleaning fluids, film or television censorship warnings, gas and power cable indicators, and beach warning signs.
• The class discusses how colour, shape, wording, and pictures contribute to the impact of the signs.
• Students discuss with their teacher and role-play how they act, react, and respond in given situations, where warning signs are given.
• Students use words such as warning, care, careful, danger, keep out, electrocuted, bells, keep clear, and avoid.

Assessment

• Students view a safety video and talk about whether or not the verbal and visual messages reflect their own understanding and practices.
• The teacher assesses students' ability to identify and describe visual and verbal features.

Links With Other Strands
Reading, Speaking, Listening

Example 4

Achievement Objectives
Viewing: exploring language

Teaching and Learning
Context: viewing a ceremony

• Students watch a ceremony or performance by, for instance, a cultural group, either personally or on film.
• The teacher guides the students in identifying significant verbal and visual features which helped to convey the meaning of the ceremony, such as particular movements, garments, words, and images.
• The teacher helps students to understand terms specific to that ceremony. For instance, in describing a poi performance, terms such as twirl, rhythm, traditional, modern, waiata, and melody might be appropriate.
• The teacher relates the ceremony to the students' prior knowledge of special occasions.
• Students compare the ceremony they have seen with ceremonies or celebrations within their own families.
• Students learn a movement, song, or other element used in a significant ceremony.

Assessment

• In groups, students list verbal and visual features which are often found in ceremonial performances or important ceremonies, such as wearing special clothing, having particular food, or using a particular form of words.
• The teacher assesses the students' ability to identify and describe features of visual language found in particular ceremonies.

Links With Other Strands
Speaking, Listening, Presenting