Post on 03-Apr-2018
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Visual and Multimodal Literacy
May 2013
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Definition of Literacy: Australian
Curriculum
Literacy involves students in listening to,
reading, viewing, speaking, writing and creating
oral, print, visual and digital texts, and using
and modifying language for different purposes
in a range of contexts.
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Definition of Literacy: NSW English K-
10 English Syllabus
A synthesis of language, thinking and contextual
practices through which meaning is shaped.
Effective literacy is intrinsically purposeful,
flexible and dynamic and involves interactions
in a range of modes and through a variety of
media.
J. Dawkins 1991, Australias Language: The Australian Literacy and Language Policy, AGPS, Canberra.
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Definition: Visual Literacy
The ability to decode, interpret, create, question,challenge and evaluate texts that communicatewith visual images as well as, or rather than,words.
Visually literate people can read the intendedmeaning in a visual text, such as an advertisementor a film shot, interpret the purpose and intendedmeaning, and evaluate the form, structure and
features of the text.They can also use images in a creative andappropriate way to express meaning.
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Definition: Visual Features
Visual components of a textsuch as:
Placement
Salience
Framing
Representation of actionor reaction
Shot size Social distance
Camera AngleNSW English K-10 Syllabus: Glossary
Handas Surprise
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Definition: Visual LanguageLanguage that contributes to the meaning of
an image or the visual components of amultimodal texts and are selected from arange or visual features like:
placement
salience
framing
representation of action or reaction
shot size social distance
camera angle
Visual language can also includeelements such as: symbol
colour
scene and frame composition
setting and landscape
lighting
use of editing
Georgia OKeeffe Hawaii 1939
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Definition: Multimodal
Comprising more than
one mode.
A multimodal text uses a
combination of two ormore communication
modes, for example, print,
image and spoken text as
in film or computerpresentations.English K-10 Syllabus: Glossary Both words and picture are required to
make meaning here in Theres a Sea in
My Bedroom.
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Definition: MultimodalAustralian Curriculum
Multimodal textscombine language withother means ofcommunication such asvisual images, sound
track or spoken word, asin film or computerpresentation media.Texts provideopportunities forlearning about aspects
of human experienceand about aestheticvalue.Content Structure, Texts,
Australian Curriculum: English New and digital literacies
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Multimodality: A Literature
CompanionWhat is multimodality?
Multimodality incorporatesdifferent semiotic or meaning-making systems.
A picture book, informationbook or movie can bedescribed as a multimodaltext because each combineboth print and still or movingimages.
Even more so, a screen baseddigital text is multimodal if it
combines moving images,graphics, sound and hypertextlinks.( p.181 A Literature Companion)
Random House Website Moving images,videos, hypertext links, blog, quiz, apps,podcasts
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Can picture books and other paper
texts be multimodal?Recent discussion about the texts delivered via newtechnologies has focused on the fact that they comprisemore than one semiotic system. Texts may utilise visualimages as well as linguistic text. Texts delivered via traditionalcommunications technologies (such as paper technologies)
have long employed more than one semiotic system but wehave conveniently overlooked this and focused mainly onthe linguistic semiotic system. Texts delivered via papertechnology are often multimodal (they may compriselinguistic and visual semiotic systems) while texts delivered
live are more often multimodal (comprising gesture, audioand linguistic semiotic systems). Thus all these texts can beviewed as multimodal rather than mono-modal.(Kress, 2000:184) in Evolving Pedagogies by Bull and Anstey
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Four Resources Model: Luke & Freebody
Code Breaker Practices
How do I crack this text? How does this text work?
Is there more than one semiotic system or
mode operating here? How do they
relate?
How do the parts of the text relate to one
another? (layout and organisation?Limit the responder to what is contained
in the text and their own experiences
Meaning Maker Practices
What does this text mean to me? How will the purpose and context for my
reading influence my meaning making?
What social, cultural, literacy and
technology knowledge do I have that might
help me make meaning of this text?
Limit the responder to what is containedin the text and their own experiences
Text User Practices
What do I do to use this text
purposefully? What is the purpose of this text and what is
my purpose in using it?
What should I do with this text in this
context?
Transformative as they go beyond the
text.
Text Analyst Practices
How might I be shaped through
engagement with this text? What are its origins?
What is the producer of this text trying to
make me believe or do?
What beliefs and positions are dominant or
silenced in the text?
Transformative as they go beyond thetext.
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Applying the Four Resources Model to these two
texts. Plus the glossarys definition of Visual Features **
Olive CottonOnly to taste thewarmth, the light, the wind - 1939
Georgia OKeeffe 1939(anonymous)
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Quality picture books are literary texts
Finding congruence (thequality of agreeing) betweenliterary elements andverbal/visual details:
Is there congruence betweenthe literary elements and theverbal and visual details onan illustrated page?
Readers/viewers can notice
where the verbal and visualcorrespond.
Extra information can beprovided in the visual or
written text.
Ziba Came on a Boatimportance ofcohesion/congruence between the two modes
Azadi, her mother whispered. Freedom.
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Literary Elements Visual and Verbal Choices
Setting
Visual
Verbal/written
Characters/characterisation
Visual
Verbal/written
Plot
Visual
Verbal
Mood/
Atmosphere
Visual
Verbal
Theme
Visual
Verbal
Symbol
Visual
Verbal
Style
Visual
Verbal
Vocabulary
Visual
Verbal
Using a chart like this can help
locate congruence between written
and visual
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Finding congruence
Literary Elements Visual and Verbal Choices in Collecting
Colour
SettingVisual On a swing
Verbal
Characters/characterisation
Visual Images of a girl
Verbal This is Rose
PlotVisual
Verbal
Mood/
Atmosphere
VisualRelaxed playful smile on
her face: eyes closedVerbal
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Finding congruence between written and
visual text
Literary Elements Visual and Verbal Choices inAlexanders Outing
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Setting
Visual Sydney Harbour Bridge, Opera House, tall buildings at North Sydney, all viewed from Farm
Cove and park (using my personal repertoire knowledge).
Verbal in the most beautiful place in the whole of Sydney
one warm sunny morning
Characters/
characterisation
Visual duck family, mother duck, mother is turning around maybe to look at or call to Alexander
assume the last duckling is Alexander (literary repertoire); he straggles behind and is
looking backwards
Verbal Alexander lived with his mother and his four brothers and sisters: Alexanders mother
was bored
Plot
Visual the straggling Alexander infers that he will cause some complication; the books title also
implies this (literary repertoire)
Verbal they all set of in search of adventure
Mood/
Atmosphere
Visual relaxed and enjoyable beautiful and famous view of Sydney, people walking, ducks
swimming, an ibis by the pond, a sunny day; ready for an adventure
Verbal most beautiful place, bored, warm sunny morning, adventure
Symbol
Visual the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House are symbols of Sydney, Australia;
green and gold colours are symbols of Australian identity;
no other suggestion of a symbol for the storyline evident in the visual text
Verbal no suggestion of a symbol evident in the verbal text
StyleVisual watercolour media, green and gold colours, detailed drawings
Verbal typical narrative orientation; everyday language
Vocabulary
Visual naming the iconic buildings and maybe the types of birds in the image would build
emergent readers vocabulary
Verbal beautiful, bored, adventure could be difficult words for emergent readers; Sydney could
be a special word for the setting and for readers from other places
Theme Visual Alexander is straggling behind and not looking where he is going, so maybe the significant
message to young readers will be pay attention and be obedient
Verbal no evidence of a suggested theme/significant message; this is unlikely as it is theorientation of the narrative on the first page
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The Grammar of Visual Design
Kress & van Leeuwen
argue for the use of the
term grammar re visual
design.Visual grammar to
describe how the
elements of the picture
combine in differentdesign ways to construct
visual meaning.
Kress & van Leeuwen
make the point that
theirs is not a universal
grammar, but one thatis culturally based in
Western Societys
mores.
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Model of Visual DesignAustralian Curriculum: English
Representational Meanings The visual grammarcomponents that represent the topic: they constructwho or what participates in the image, in what kind ofactivity or process they are engaged and in which set ofcircumstances.
Interactive Meanings The visual grammar componentsthat create the interaction: they construct therelationship between the participants in the image.
Compositional Meanings They structure how the entire
image (constructed through the representational andinteractive meanings) is composed as a coherent andcohesive meaningful whole.
(This is the same for written grammar see A New Grammar Companion)
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5 main components in
Representational MeaningsParticipants Any objects, human or animal characters, or any parts of
the natural world that are presented in the image
Vectors Sight line or reading pathway that the reader follows
around the image. They may be curved, vertical, horizontal etc.
These often follow where the character is looking.
Shapes Circular and curved seen as natural organic and part of the
female world.
Squares, rectangles, straight-edged shapes are seen as
mechanical or made by humankind.
Symbols Objects, actions or ideas that represent something elsenormally an abstract concept.
Colour Highly significant in visual design.
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The Arrivalby Shaun Tan
Symbols and their importance Symbolism ***
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The Arrival by Shaun Tan
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Colour Western Other countries
Red passion /emotion(love/hate)
danger (stop lights, signs, warnings)
masculine
China red signifies prosperity, happiness and luck
South Africa red is the colour of mourning
India: purity, fertility, love, used in weddings
Australian Aboriginals: represents land and earth
Orange excitement, desire, energy, vitality
affordable or inexpensive items, Halloween (with
black)
Ireland: colour for Protestants
Eastern: happiness, spirituality
Hinduism: Saffron is considered a sacred colour
Yellow warm colours, cheerful, joy, enlightenment, light-
hearted
Chinese culture: sacred, imperial, honour, masculine
Thailand: represents Buddhism Egypt: Colour of mourning
Africa: Usually reserved for those of high rank
Blue cool, calm, wisdom, sadness, trust, conservative Chinese culture: immortality, feminine
Korea: mourning
Pink sensuous, emotion, feminine, romantic Korea: trust
Green knowledge, hope, promise, nature, abundance
jealousy, greed
Chinese culture: associated with health, prosperity, harmony, fertility
Colour ofIslam
Ireland: colour for Catholics
South America: death USA: money
Black evil, mysterious, powerful, fear, elegance Chinese culture: neutral, Heavens colour, times of unknown/winter
months; colour for young boys
India: evil, negativity, anger Africa: Age and wisdom
White purity, innocence, timeless, mystical, cleanliness,
virtue
Chinese culture: white is associated with death and mourning, the
unknown and purity.
Purple passionate, smouldering, caring, creativity, royalty,
wealth
Eastern: wealth
India: sorrow, comforting Brazil: death and mourning
Grey neutral, uncommitted, non-involvement,
conservative, moody
Associated with Christianity, prayers and lent.
Eastern cultures: associated with helping attitude and travel
Sepia the past or age
Brown nature, wholesomeness, dependability, blending in Japan: no specific name for brown, refer like fox or tea colour.
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Colour- Warm Blue and Cool Blue
Sea Shepherdwebsite
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Using the 5 components to analyse an
imageParticipants
The girl and the swing
Vectors:
The visible swing vector is the strongest, highlighting thelight-hearted mood of the scene. The Rose vectors arethe lines of her body and recreate the back-forthmovement she is enjoying.
Shapes
The curvedshapes in the image, indicated by yellowlines, denote a female world (which is continued as thestory progresses) and infer the naturalness of
a child playing.
Colour
The intense red-brown colourof the background couldsymbolise the red-brown earth of the Northern Territory.
Symbol
The swing could be represented as a symbolof carefreeplay or relaxation.
Collecting Colour
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Representational and interactive
meanings to analyse an imageParticipantsThe large range of participants in the foregroundand background ofAlexanders outing indicate thesetting clearly.
InteractiveThe interaction is a reaction as it is one-waymother duck reacts to Alexanders inattention.
Vectors three sets of vectorsA long horizontal line marks a strong visible vector ofmovementthe importance of the ducks walking insearch of adventure is evident and reinforced in theforward motion of the ducklings.
A second, invisible vector can be seen in motherducks backward gaze at Alexander, who continuesthe vector with his own turning backward. These
opposing vectors presuppose the trouble that is tocome.
A third set of vectors follow the palm trees to leadthe eye to the background of the image, with moredetails of the setting.
Icon Sydney Harbour Bridge iconic status
Alexanders Outing
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Representational and interactive
meanings to analyse an imageShapes
The accumulation of the curved shapes indicated byred lines, create a dominant natural world of ducks,palm trees, the pond, the sand, the ibis and the whitecockatoo, despite the fact that it is near the centre ofthe biggest Australian city, Sydney. The rectangularbuildings and pylons in the background denote their
human construction, as befits a city, but thecombination of organic curves and robust rectanglesremind us why our Harbour Bridge and Opera Houseare National Heritage listed and known internationallyfor their beauty of form.
Symbols
Symbols of Sydney are represented in the image tolocate the setting visually, as noted above. The greenand gold colours are clearly symbolic: they areAustralias national colours, and variations of the greenand gold are worn as the traditional team colours ofour national sporting teams.
Alexanders Outing
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Components that realise interactive
meanings
Demand and Offer
Social Distance
Angle/Point of View
Modality
Colour
The Arrival
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NSW English K-10 Syllabus
Glossary
Gaze: the directed look of
either a viewer or figure in
an image, includingdemand and offer.
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Interactive: Social distance
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Interactive: Social distanceHow close or distant the participants are from
the viewer. Visual Grammar: the type of shot A long shot denotes an impersonal
public relationship as though theparticipant and the viewer arestrangers.
A medium shot denotes a social
relationship the participant and theviewer can have a conversation, theyare acquainted and friendly.
A close-up shot denotes a personalrelationship with frequent contactwe are family, or best friends.
Extreme close-up denotes a highlyintimate relationship viewers areclosely involved with the participant.
Analyse:
participants/colours/shapes/dem
and and offer/social distance
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Interactive: Angle or point of view
Angle/point of view names the degree ofinvolvement and degree of power the view hasin relation to the participants, which depends onthe angle of the viewer.
Participants are basically placed at differentangles:
At alow viewing angle, with viewers lookingdown on them, participants are perceived ashaving low status/power
At a high angle, with viewers looking up atthem, the participants superiority inknowledge or power/status is signified
At eye level, an equal point of view ismaintained.
What social distance?
What type of shot?
Why?
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What is the effect of the type of
shot?
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Demand and offer? ***
Social distance?
Type of shot?
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Interactive: Modality
Modality names the degree of naturalistic realism in theillustration
High modalityindicates a more natural image,which the viewer is more likely to regard as real.Naturalness is indicated by the degree of coloursaturation and the use of heavy or faint lines,shapes and shading.
Modality works on a continuum from high to lowtypically, strong colour and clear lines construct ahigh level of realism/modality.
Low modality is indicated by pastels and faint lines,which are not perceived as natural or as real. Atthe other end of the continuum, very heavilysaturated colour or extremely thick lines willappear exaggerated and unreal.
AnalyseAlexanders Outing in
terms ofmodality, social
distance and angle.
What are the effects of each?
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Modality What level of modality?
What is the effect?
An ordinary day
*** A l h i i i f d d d
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*** Analyse the interactive in terms of: demand and
offer, modality and colour, angle, social distance.
Representational meanings?
Interactive: demand and offer social distance
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Interactive: demand and offer, social distance,
angle, modality, colour
***Do they all apply? Representational
meanings?
Rose BlancheTheres a sea in my bedroom
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The Arrivalby Shaun Tan
Shaun Tan said:In The Arrival, the absence of anywritten description plants the readermore firmly in the shoes of animmigrant character.
There is no guidance as to how theimages might be interpreted, and wemust ourselves search for meaning andseek familiarity in world where suchthings are scarce or concealed. Wordshave a remarkable pull on our attention,
and how we interpret attendant images.In their absence, an image can invitemore lingering attention from a reader.
** Use the five main components
of representational meaning to
analyse this image. Also interactive
meanings demand and offer etc.
Stage 3: Interpret picture books which do
not contain written text
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The Arrival ***
The reason for migratingAnother migrants reason forleaving his homeland
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Components that realise
compositional meanings
Visual compositionfocuses on theconfiguration of theimage, that is, how the
people, places and things,and relationships theyconvey are placed withinthe image and the
meanings attached tothese positions.(Kress & van Leeuwen, 2006)
Components
1. Information Value
2. Salience
3. Framing
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What does the Syllabus say about
composition?
Stage 2
Identify organisational
patterns and language
features of print andvisual text
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Composition: Information ValueInformation value names the values attributed to the arrangement of the
participants (people, places and things) in the image.
Each set of spaces contains a certain distinct value in the information it represents.
This information value can be applied to all kinds of images factual images, diagrams,
advertisements, television news and digital texts etc.
Set 1
Given is the information placed on the left of a page; it is known, or familiar , or
previously introduced information; the viewer already knows, or is assumed to
know.
New is the information placed on the right of a page; it is unknown previously,
newly introduced, or innovative information; it is the new message to be
attended to.
Set 2
Ideal is the information placed towards the top of a page; this space represents
the ideal or optimum position
Real is the information placed at the bottom of a page; this space represents
reality, the practicalities of the real world, what is.
Set 3
Centre is the information placed in the middle of a page; it is the focus of
attention and the nucleus of the information; it is the strongest, most dominant
position, even if it is an empty space, and its value overrides other components.
Margins is the information placed towards (or on) the edges of a page; it
indicates that the participant is dependent on the Centre focus, or peripheral, or
subservient to what is in the Centre.
Given New
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Information Value: Which sets in
these images? Any other visual
features you can recognise? ***
Shaun Tan: The Arrivaland The Red Tree
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Salience the most attention-grabbing
part of the image
Salience (SyllabusGlossary)
A strategy of emphasis,highlighting what is
important in a text. In images, salience is
created throughstrategies like placement
of an item in theforeground, size andcontrast in tone or colour.
Salience: NSW English K-10Syllabus
Stage 2
Explore the effect ofchoices when framing animage, and salience oncomposition of still and
moving images
l h
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Salience is the most attention-
grabbing part of the image.
Salience is constructed through a number of elements Relative size
Sharpness of focus
High contrast (eg. black/white borders)
Human figures Animated participants
Being in the foreground not the background
Colour the application of saturated colours (next to softercolours) and use of red and/or yellow add Salience.
Information value components (Given/New/Real etc) canbe Salient.
All of these can draw the viewers eye and create Salience.
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Composition: Salience
Composition in CollectingColour(page 1)
The salientcomponent isRose: she grabs attention
in a number of ways. Thecolours are saturated andcontrast to thebackground. The
illustrator has used mostof the elements ofsalience to draw ourattention to her.
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Salience use the elements on the earlier slide
to determine the salience in these images
Wh i h i bbi
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What is the most attention-grabbing
part of the image?
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Composition: Framing
English K-10 Syllabus
Stage 2
Explore the effect of
choices when framing animage, and salienceon
composition of still and
moving images
Syllabus Glossary:
The way in which elements
in a still or moving image are
arranged to create a specific
interpretation of the whole.
Strong framing creates a
sense of enclosure around
elements while a weakframing creates a sense of
openness.
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Composition: Framing
A frame creates boundaries: theseconnect or separate participants in theillustration, implying they belong, or donot belong together.
Framing can occur within an imageas well as around an image; it canbe heavy or light, or absent
altogether.
Framing does not have to be anactual frame parts in an imagemay form a Frame.
Heavy framing can imply oppression,
containment, individuality and/ordifference.
Light or no framing can implyfreedom, lack of confinement and/orgroup identity.
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Composition: Framing
The Margins the repeated palm treesform a frame for the participants in theCentrereinforce the participantsimportance to the story.
The lack of framing implies freedom and as she swings unhindered, shecertainly seems so.
C iti F i ***
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Composition: Framing ***
What type of framing? To what effect?
Stage 3: Recognise how the use of
language and visual features can depict
cultural assumptions in texts
F i ***
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Framing***
What type of framing? To what effect?
Framing
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Framing
What type of framing? To what effect?
Other visual features?
Stage 3 recognise
how the use of visual
features can depict
cultural assumptions
in texts
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The three types of Meanings:
representational, interactive and
composition ****
Previous page: In her mind, she sat with her father, playing with the doll he had given her.
This page: He told her stories and poems of long ago. She felt the strength of his arms and
she gazed into his peaceful face.
Stage 3 recognise
how the use of visual
features can depict
cultural assumptions
in texts
C i t t f diff t ti
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Comparing texts- from different timesStage 2: identify and explain language features of texts from earlier times and
compare vocabulary, images, layout and content of contemporary texts.
Suggested Text Stage 2 & 3The Sneetches
Suggested Text Stage 2 & 3The Island
Comparing texts by same illustrator
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Comparing texts by same illustratorStage 3: identify, describe and discuss similarities and differences between texts by
the same illustrator and evaluate characteristics that define an authors individual
style
Anthony BrowneInto the Forest Stage 3 The Tunnel Stage 4
Comparing texts by the same
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Comparing texts by the same
illustrator/authorPiggybook:Suggested Text Stage 3 Gorilla - ??