Year 11 Film, Television and New Media

Unit 2: Australian Media – Representations of youth

Key concepts: representations, audiences, institutions

Jarryd Flanagan
Unit Focus

This unit introduces students to representations of young people in a variety of Australian films, television programs and advertisements.

Students will undertake an in-depth study of youth in Australian media and what these representations reflect about the audience of Australia and

the institutions that produced them.

Specific Objectives

Throughout this course of study students will engage with a variety of Australian media products in order to create a substantiated and engaging

multimodal critique. Students will participate in a range of learning activities including: class discussion, debate, researching, close media study

of a product, evaluation and analysis which will enable them to critically reflect on the media they consume and create in this subject. In

creating their assignment tasks students will select two Australian products (choosing at least one that was screened in class) and evaluate them

and the context of production and context of their use.

Resources required

• Ready for This episode 1 • Laptop/tablets connected to Stile-app

• Looking for Alibrandi • Viewing considerations sheet
• SLiDE episode 4 • Assignment exemplar and writing scaffold
• Today Tonight – Youth Gone Wild Report • Looking for Alibrandi viewing sheet
• The Chasers War on Everything – Youth Gone Wild Segment • Character outline sheet
• Paul Hogan and Where the Bloody Hell Are You tourism
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 Lesson descriptions
1 • This lesson will focus on introducing students to the focus of the unit; representations of youth in Australian media.
• Introduce students to the topic of representations and assess any prior knowledge through having students
brainstorming what they know and Australian film and television.
2 • Screening of Australian tourism materials
• Discussion of if commercials such as Paul Hogan’s tourism campaign or ‘Where the Bloody Hell Are You?’ are
authentic representations of Australia.
• Students discuss stereotypes and representations of Australians in both foreign and domestic media.
• Students individually design and list traits of a stereotypical Australian character.
3 • This lesson will focus on introducing students to different institutions in Australia and how they relate to
representations of youth.
• Explicit instruction about various institutions in Australia their role in creating, marketing and regulating media
products.
• Group exercise where students consider the various institutions in the Australian media landscape. In groups are
assigned a recognisable media institution (Fox News, Buzzfeed for example) and write what they consider the
institutional views and audiences of these organisations to be on an A3 sheet of paper. At certain intervals, have
groups sway institutions to allow for a variety of views to be expressed.
• Class discussion about the previous exercise where students offer their thoughts on various instructions and reflect on
their learning.
4 • Carrying on from the previous exercise on media institutions, students are to select an institution responsible for
creating media products. In class time they are to research the principles, guidelines and examples of media produced
by this institution.
• After researching they are to create a short, written piece in the style of a product that their chosen institution is
known for creating that relates to young people. For example, if they chose Fox News the student will find examples
of Fox’s reporting and incorporate the style and perceived values to create a short news article about youth and crime.
5 • The focus of this lesson will be on representations with a focus on how young Australians are represented in the news
media.
• Begin lesson by asking students what, if any, news programmes they watch and how they think young people are
represented in those programmes.
 • Screen Today Tonight’s report on youth gone wild.
• After screening the episode, divide the class into 2 groups for a class debate on the authenticity of the report. Within
those two groups assign each student one of three roles: speakers, researchers and presentation organiser to present a
multimodal argument. Researchers find evidence in the form of news reports or statistics, presentation organisers put
the findings of the researchers into a PowerPoint presentation and speakers present their assigned argument to the
class.
• After the class debate, screen the segment of The Chaser’s War on Everything about how current affairs programmes
often represent young people.
6 • This lesson will focus on expanding the students’ knowledge of character archetypes and how this relates to the
key concept of representations.
• Using a PowerPoint presentation, outline the characteristics and signifiers of archetypical characters who often
appear in youth-orientated media.
• Divide students into five groups and hand out a character outline sheet to the students. Assign each group with a
character from the Australian television series SLiDE and, while viewing the program, have students determine
which archetype their assigned character corresponds to and why.

7 • During this lesson students will examine another youth-drama on Australian television, Ready for This, in order to
consider different representations of youth. Students are to pay particular attention to the role of differing
institutions and representations of Indigenous youth on Australian television.
• Provide context of representations of Indigenous people in the media before screening.
• Screen first episode of the ABC youth-drama Ready for This
• Discussion about how the representation of youth differs between SLiDE and Ready for This

8 • Following on from the previous lesson on Ready for This students are to compare representations of youth, institutions
and promotional materials from Ready for This and SLiDE.
• Teacher plays promotional materials created by Foxtel and ABC to market their respective youth dramas to their
audiences.
• Students compare the role and responsibilities of institutions in creating authentic representations of young people.
• Students are to apply knowledge of the promotional material used to market Ready for This and SLiDE to design a
proposal for a programme of their choosing in order to attract a young audience.
9 • Follow-up on previous lesson by discussing their proposal for marketing a programme of their choice. Provide
 feedback and discuss which elements they chose to highlight in order to promote a programme to young audiences.
• During the next part of the lesson provide context about the Australian film industry before screening of Looking for
Alibrandi and introduce some of the issues raised in the film.
10 • Close study of Australian film
• Handout the Looking for Alibrandi screening sheet. This worksheet asks questions about representation and
characterisation which will guide students in their viewing of the film.
• Screen Looking for Alibrandi for the remainder of class time.
11 • Finish viewing Looking for Alibrandi in class
• Have students volunteers answers to the questions on the Looking for Alibrandi screening sheet.
• Review student responses to the representations of young people in Looking for Alibrandi through a class discussion.
• Instruct students to inform the teacher of which media product they will be using if they choose to use one not
screened in class.
12 • Review the representations of young people from each of the programme screened in the unit so far.
• Have students complete a three column analysis of SLiDE, Ready for This and Looking for Alibrandi. In this exercise
the students will compare elements such as the issues addressed, how the audience is positioned to feel about young
characters and the differing institutions that created in each product.
• Brief discussion with class about appropriate materials for a related product they can use in their presentation.
13 • Guide students through an exemplar of the spoken section of the assignment task.
• Hand-out a writing scaffold to guide students in creating their draft.
• Explain the aspects of the communication section of the assignment.
• Allow students to use time in class to work on writing their speeches while circulating to provide students with
assistance.
14 • Return student drafts with teacher comments and provide general feedback.
• In this lesson, allow students time to work on their presentation in order to complete their drafts for submission by the
end of the lesson.
• Circulate and provide any assistance students may require in completing their speech or presentation.
15 • Outline the presentation aspect of the assignment in order to assist students in designing an engaging slideshow.
• Instruct students on use of software to isolate clips to use as visual evidence to enhance their presentation.
• Use of software to download from YouTube or rip DVDs and incorporate short clips into their presentation.
16 • Separate students into pairs and have students peer review one another’s presentations.
 • Discuss peer review exercise with the class.
• Organise a running order for presentations.
17 • Students are presenting their completed assignments during this lesson.
18 • Students are presenting their completed assignments during this lesson.
• Screen an episode of Ready for This at the end of class if time permits after all students have presented.
Assignment Cover Sheet

Student Name:

Subject Details:
Subject: 11 Film & TV Assessment: Multimodal presentation

Semester: 1 Teacher:

Context:

During this unit, we have been examining the representation of youth in a variety of Australian films, television and news media. These media
products are designed by producers to appeal to or communicate messages about young people in Australia to their respective audiences. Your
task will be to examine how institutions and audience expectations shape representations of youth in Australian film and television.

Key concepts:

Representations, audiences, institutions

Task:

Using two of the products viewed in class and or one of your choosing (provided you are given permission by the teacher) you are to create a
multimodal presentation which compares and contrasts two representations of young people in Australian film and television. Your presentation
needs to discuss:
• Character type and representations of youth.
• Evaluation and critique of the authenticity and quality of the representations.
• Ideology about youth evident in your chosen media products.
• Considerations on how representations are shaped by differing institutions.
• How your chosen representations reflect or appeal to their audiences.
This task contains three components:

1) A speech.
2) Use of evidence to support speech using a presentation tool (Microsoft PowerPoint or Prezi for example).
3) Live presentation of speech, chosen clips and slideshow in class.

Conditions:
• Draft due date Wednesday the 7th of June.
• Final presentations begin on the 13th of June
• 4-6 minutes in length
• One draft for teacher comment allowed.
• You must use at least one of the media products viewed in class
• If you are going to choose a product that was not screened in class then it must be Australian and approved by the teacher.
• In your presentation you must incorporate a video clip from at least one (with a maximum of two) of your chosen media products to
support your argument.

Key concepts to be addressed.

Representations:
• make judgments on how well portrayals of ideas, concepts, individuals, groups and places relate to social and cultural discourses
• determine the role conventional types and stereotypes play in the formation of narrative
• analyse and evaluate how moving-image media representations play a role in forming, reforming and confirming identity.

Audiences:
• determine the roles played by audiences in the process of production and use as consumers, citizens or imaginative beings
• debate the relationship between moving-image media and audiences.

Institutions:
• compare the roles that social, political and economic institutions play in the process of moving-image media production and use
 Critique
A B C D E
Student work has the following characteristics:
effectively applies the key concepts applies the key concepts of applies aspects of the key roughly applies the key states opinions about two
of representations, institutions and representations, institutions concepts of concepts of representations, Australian media products
audiences to make substantiated and audiences to make representations, institutions and audiences to and their context of
and discerning conclusions about effective and supported institutions and audiences draw conclusions about how production and use.
how two Australian media products conclusions about how two to make some supported two Australian media
represent youth by thoroughly Australian media products conclusions about how products represent youth and
analysing and evaluating these represent youth by two Australian media their context of production
products and the context of their analysing and evaluating products represent youth and use.
production and use. these products and the by evaluating aspects of
context of their construction these products and the
and use. context their production
and use.

Presentation
A B C D E
Student work has the following characteristics
Discerning selection, organisation Effective selection, Selection, organisation and Selection of visual evidence Selection of visual
and synthesis of visual evidence organisation and synthesis synthesis of visual which somewhat relate to the evidence with no clear
which effectively supports of visual evidence to evidence which relates to topic of the presentation. connection to the topic of
conclusions reached in the support conclusions reached conclusions reached in the the presentation.
presentation. in the presentation. presentation.
 Communication
A B C D E
Student work has the following characteristics
Oral reading of presentation Oral reading of Oral reading of Oral reading of Oral reading of presentation
demonstrates very effective use presentation demonstrates presentation demonstrates presentation demonstrates demonstrates limited use of
1
of spoken features . effective use of spoken appropriate use of spoken does not make effective spoken features.
features. features. use of spoken features.
1) Pronunciation, pace,
phrasing, audibility and
clarity.
Teacher: Jarryd Flanagan
School: The ___ State High Class/Year Level: 11D
Date: 7/7/2017 Start Time: 8:45 End Time: 11:05 Lesson Length: 70mins Room: C12
FTVNM: Representations of Australian youth in the media

Aims: students are contemplating contemporary representations of youth in Australian film and television and how these representations are
shaped by the audiences and institutions in society. For this task students will select one media product viewed in class and, with the teacher’s
approval, one of their own choosing and evaluate how Australian youth is represented in these respective products through a multi-modal
presentation.

WALT: Critique and analysis of news media product, structured debate, researching, incorporating evidence to enhance arguments.
WILF: informed critique of media representations, research, constructive collaboration with peers, use of presentation software

Objectives: By the end of the lesson students should be able to:

• Participate in a guided debate with fellow students
• Evaluate the quality and authenticity of representations of Australian youth in contemporary news media and reflect on how these
representations are affected by the institutions that create them.
• Apply knowledge of contemporary representations of Australian youth in creating a well-argued presentation which incorporates
evidence
• Contribute to the class debate by undertaking the duties of their assigned role: speaker, researcher or presentation organiser.

Phase/Time Teacher Activity, Script & Key Questions Student Activity Resources
Introduction • Introduce students to the focus of the • Listen to teacher’s instructions and • Stationery and
lesson and inform students of the sit in their assigned seat. blank paper for
10 mins materials they will need for today’s tasks. • Take out relevant materials for notes
• Recap previous lesson today’s lesson. • News Media in
• Brief class discussion on news media; do • Contribute answers to teacher’s Australia PPT
any of the students consume news media questions about their consumption • Today Tonight –
 and how do they belief young people are of news media. Youth Gone Wild
represented? Report
• Feedback PPT
• Laptops/tablets
with PPT and a
connection to the
internet.

Screening of • Screen a report on Australian youth • Watch the news report on • Today Tonight –
Today Tonight (particularly teenagers) which will be the Australian youth. Youth Gone Wild
report on basis of the debate later in the lesson. Report
Australian youth

5 mins
Class discussion + • After screening the report, discuss the
brief modelling of authenticity (or lack thereof) in the report
analysing with regards to youth.
representation • Within this discussion guide students to
consider issues such as the techniques
10-15 mins used in reflecting Today Tonight’s
conclusions and how their conclusion is
shaped by the institution (Channel 7)
• Offer examples, or take suggestions from
students, about evidence that students can
use to reflect or counter the claims made
in the news report.
• Participate in class discussion • Stationery and
about the new report they have just blank paper for
watched note writing.
• Offer suggestions (or make note of
suggestions made by the teacher
and peers) about evidence that can
be used to counter or reinforce the
arguments made in the report.
Class debate • Introduction to the next step of the
lesson; explaining that students are going
30 mins to be participating in a debate about the
authenticity of the representation of
youth in the Today Tonight report.
• Divide the class into two groups; one
arguing that the report is an authentic
representation of youth and the other
against.
• Within these groups, assign each student
with a role to fulfil (speaker, researcher
or presentation organiser).
• Set expectations for class debate; issues
such as time limits, not interrupting peers
and respectfully listening to the
arguments presented.
• Circulate to monitor student progress,
answer students’ questions and manage
class behaviour.
• Allocate separate activities for students
who arrive late or are not able to
participate in the debate (such as time
keeping or decide on the winners of the
debate).
In groups, students: • Laptops/tablets
• Discuss topic of debate with fellow with connection to
students the internet and
• Collaborate in presenting PPT
arguments that will help them • Paper for notes
address the topic of debate
• Adhere to time constraints and
remain respectful of fellow
students’ arguments.
• Create a short (1-1 and ½ minute)
argument to be read by the
speakers which makes use of
PowerPoint and adheres to the
structure of an exposition.
Speakers are responsible for:
• Reading the argument in front of
class, as written by the group
Researchers are responsible for
• Finding appropriate evidence (such
as other examples of youth in the
media or news reports) for the
argument being presented by the
group
Presentation organisers are responsible for:
• Organising the evidence gathered
by researchers, using PowerPoint,
to enhance the argument presented
by the speaker.
Operating the PowerPoint as the
speaker presents their argument to
class
Conclusion • Draw attention to the front of the room. . • Students discuss their views on the • Chaser’s War on
10 mins • Ask students for their views on the subject of the previous activity Everything
debate regardless of their assigned group. • Students watch Chaser’s War on segment
• Play Chaser’s War on Everything Everything segment and consider
segment which satirises current affairs the role of institutions.
style reporting of youth.
• Ask students to consider how the
representation changes depending on the
institution (ABC vs. Channel 7)
School: The ___ State High Class/Year Level: 11D
Date: 12/7/2017 Start Time: 8:45 End Time: 11:05 Lesson Length: 70mins Room: C12
FTVNM: Representations of Australian youth in the media

Aims: students are contemplating contemporary representations of youth in Australian film and television and how these representations are
shaped by the audiences and institutions in society. For this task students will select one media product viewed in class and, with the teacher’s
approval, one of their own choosing and evaluate how Australian youth is represented in these respective products through a multi-modal
presentation.

WALT: Building understanding of media archetypes, close study of Australian media product
WILF: Applying understanding of archetypes to a media product, collaboration with peers, reflecting on how character archetypes are related to
representations

Objectives: By the end of the lesson students should be able to:

• Explain the signifiers of youth television archetypes
• Apply knowledge to archetypes to a media study of an Australian television programme.
• Evaluate which elements of a character correspond to various archetypes.

Phase/Time Teacher Activity, Script & Key Questions Student Activity Resources
Introduction • Introduce students to the focus of the • Listen to teacher’s instructions and • Stationery and
lesson and inform students of the sit in their assigned seat. blank paper for
10 mins materials they will need for today’s tasks. • Take out relevant materials for notes
• Using a PPT presentation, explain what is today’s lesson. • Character
meant by the term “archetypes” and how • Take notes on the subject of archetypes PPT
to apply this term to characters in various archetypes. • The Breakfast
media products. Club clip
• Character outline
sheets
 • SLiDE episode

Teaching • Screen a report a brief clip of The • Watch the clip from The Breakfast • Character
modelling of Breakfast Club (5 mins) and highlight the Club archetypes PPT
identifying signifiers that differentiate various • Watch teacher model an outline of • The Breakfast
signifiers of archetypical characters (costume, the various signifiers which identity Club clip
archetypes. dialogue, demeanour) various archetypical characters.

10 mins
Collaborative • After modelling some of the traits of an • Participate in class discussion about • Stationery and
modelling of archetypical character from The Breakfast archetypes they recognise from the blank paper for
creating an Club take student suggestions in clip or in other media products they note writing.
archetypical identifying some traits of an archetypical consume. • Character
character. character (a nerd for example) • Offer suggestions about the various archetypes PPT
• Ask students to consider examples of this signifiers that contribute to the
10-15 mins kind of character that they have seen creation of archetypes.
other media they consume.
• Write suggestions from the students on
the whiteboard.

Close media study, • Introduction to the next step of the lesson;
SLiDE. students will be viewing an episode of the
Australian teen-drama SLiDE and
30 mins identifying which archetype each of the
main characters correspond to and why.
• Assign each student with a character to
focus on during the screening.
• Handout a character outline sheet so
• While viewing the episode of • SLiDE episode
SLiDE students make notes one the • Character outline
character outline sheet about the sheet.
elements of their assigned character
that correspond to the archetypes of
young people in the media.
 students can make notes on the signifiers
of their assigned character.
Conclusion • Draw attention to the front of the room.
10 mins • Ask for students to volunteer answers for
various elements of characters that they
noticed during the screening.
• Conclude the lesson by asking students to
consider character archetypes when
consuming media in the future.
• Provide teacher with signifiers of • Completed
character they noticed during the character outline
screening. sheet.
• Students watch Chaser’s War on
Everything segment and consider
the role of institutions.