Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

5 minutes

Part A: Character Construction

30 minutes

Part B: Deconstructing Media Footage

20 minutes

Part C: Creating A More Well-rounded View

5 minutes

Reflection

Learning intentions and success criteria

Students understand...

how language can influence perceptions of character
how the media shapes characters and how aspects of a well-rounded person are presented in simplified forms in order to present a point of view or maintain audience engagement.

Students can...

identify tools of characterisation used by the media
synthesise information to create a short summary
use visual strategies to convey information.

Part A: Character construction

Step 1

Distribute the Student Worksheet then ask students to pick a celebrity or media personality and write down three ways (maximum of three words each time) they could be described on the worksheet. Provide an example that you think would be relevant to your class’s interests or would be commonly known.

You might like to use this example:

Dwayne Johnson

Funny film star
Professional wrestler
Known as the ‘The Rock’

Note: Find more information on IMDb.

Step 2

Students share their responses on their table/with class as appropriate. Other students should try to guess who they are talking about.

Step 3

Explain to students that they will be exploring the concept of ‘simplifying’ characters/identities (the way people are seen by others) by only focusing on one part of them, or ignoring broader aspects of a person.

Ask students to select just one of the descriptors of the character that they wrote down and consider the following questions, writing their responses on the Student Worksheet:

How might this person feel about being described that way and only that way?
What about them has been ignored or excluded?
What could be some potential impacts of excluding aspects of a person’s personality or identity when describing them?
What aspects were most commonly described by the class? E.g. Were the descriptions about how they look, what they do, how they behave or what they say/value?
What do you think this tells us about how we view celebrities?

Part B: Deconstructing media footage

Step 1

Ask students how we can ‘get to know’ people via the media. What information do we get about people via the media?

For example:

Photos/videos
Hearing ‘from the character’
Other people’s opinions

Step 2

Explain to students that they will be viewing some short clips from the documentary The Final Quarter, about AFL star Adam Goodes.

Note: It is strongly recommended that students have participated in The Final Quarter - Responding to the Film - Years 7 & 8 lesson beforehand, in which case, they will already be familiar with Adam Goodes and the film.

If students don’t know anything about Adam Goodes, you could share the following:

Currently, the founder of the GO Foundation with fellow Swans player Michael O’Loughlin, Adam Goodes retired from AFL in 2015 after a stellar career as number 37 for the Sydney Swans. A proud Aboriginal player, Goodes’ final three years as a footballer were hampered by racially based treatment from spectators and the media.

Invite students to arrange themselves so that they are seated where they can see the screen and remind students that these clips are only a small piece of the Adam Goodes story.

Step 3

Show students these clips from The Final Quarter and ask them to complete the relevant tables below:

About Adam Goodes - Mike Sheahan (https://vimeo.com/348317476/e312e39f2a)

The way Adam Goodes is described/actions of Adam that are described	What is being emphasised (focused on) about him?

I Agree with Alan Jones (https://vimeo.com/369740519/773a5c959d)

The way the thirteen-year-old girl is described	What is being emphasised (focused on) about her?

Step 4

Ask students to share some of what was focused on about each character.

Step 5

Invite students to read over the data/evidence they collected to answer the following questions on the Student Worksheet:

What did the media emphasise about Adam and the girl? (what was mentioned the most)
What might have been left out/not included?
What questions do you have about Adam Goodes or the girl and why?

Part C: Creating a more well-rounded view

Step 1

Remind students that we need multiple media sources, and a thoughtful approach, to get a more holistic view of a person. If students have digital devices, they can access the following links from the Student Worksheet, otherwise, print them out and distribute:

Encyclopaedia Britannica - Adam Goodes (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Adam-Goodes)
A N Z S O G - Adam Goodes (https://www.anzsog.edu.au/about/contact-directory/adam-goodes)
Australian Football - Adam Goodes (https://australianfootball.com/players/player/Adam+Goodes/14096)
Honour Roll - 2014 Australian of the Year - Adam Goodes (https://www.australianoftheyear.org.au/honour-roll/?view=fullView&recipientID=1144)

Step 2

Divide the class into four groups and then allocate each group one of the above texts. You may wish to make smaller groups, depending on class ability or behaviour, but be sure that all four texts are covered and that each student only reads one text.

Step 3

Tell students that they need to find three facts within their text that they did not already know about Adam Goodes from watching The Final Quarter or that were not emphasised by the media.

Step 4

As each group presents, write their three facts on the board (resulting in a list of 12 new facts).

Step 5

Tell students that using only facts, not opinions, they are to create a more well-rounded, balanced description of Adam Goodes. They could choose to write a paragraph about him or to label a picture of Adam with images and text that they believe represents him in a more holistic way.

Reflection

Ask students to respond to the questions independently, on their Student Worksheets:

Why do you think the media simplifies characters?
How would you feel if you were simplified in this way?

Differentiated Learning

Extension

In Part B, students could examine the language specifically used about Adam Goodes and what connotations it has (positive, negative, neutral).
At the end of Part B, students could formulate their own questions about Adam Goodes and the thirteen-year-old girl and do some research to find answers to their questions.

Provisions for Learning Support

Students can work in pairs or with their table group on the deconstruction of media texts in Part B.
Students with low literacy can choose to complete the visual option in Part C, Step 5.

Teacher Reflection

Take this opportunity to reflect on your own teaching:

What did you learn about your teaching today?
What worked well?
What didn't work so well?
What would you share?
Where to next?
How are you going to get there?

The Final Quarter - Characters In The Media

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Learning intentions:

Students understand...

Success criteria:

Students can...

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