Resource+5+-+Images

Image 1 **


 * Image 2

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Explanation of the resource **
 * Image 3 **
 * Image 4 **

This resource consists of four images that were retrieved from the internet. This selection is made up of three movie advertisements and a factual diagram. While all the images have some association with the theme of karate, which is a form of Japanese martial arts, is it apparent that they contain distinct qualities and serve different social purposes.


 * Relevance to the outcome **

These images are considered relevant for the focus outcome of the lesson as they contain a range of visual qualities and hence allow students to engage with various aspects of visual grammar. Moreover, the images can serve to evoke students’ interest in the topic of karate and set the scene for further cultural investigation in relation to the theme of the unit (i.e. Japan).


 * Aspect of literacy suitable to be explored **

This selection of images provides students with the opportunity for exploring various aspects of visual grammar such as action and conceptual qualities as well as experiential, interactive and compositional meanings. Each of those images has its own individual features and will hence allow students to examine certain types of visual qualities and/or meanings.

The first image is suitable for exploring action qualities as it contains transactions, reactions and strong vectors created by the actors (Callow, 1999, pp. 4-5). Students can be asked to decide whether this is an action image or a conceptual image and to identify the various action qualities presented in the image.

The second image is conceptual diagram of a karate uniform and is therefore appropriate for exploring conceptual qualities. It is a good example of a structured analytical image (Kress & van Leeuwen, 1996, pp. 89-93, cited in Unsworth, 2001, p. 83) which entails no setting and a high modality. Further, it is interesting that the various parts of the uniform are labelled using both English and Japanese. This textual feature can be used to build students’ knowledge of the Japanese language system and hence contributes to the main HSIE focus of the unit. The third image contains a range of different elements that make it suitable for exploring interactive components such as shot length, offer / demand, and colour (Callow, 1999, pp. 6-9; Unsworth, 2001, pp. 94-99). Students can be encouraged to examine those interactive elements in relation to the purpose and the modality of the image.

The fourth and final image has visual elements that allow students to effectively engage with the compositional meanings of the picture. The image contains a clear horizontal margin which separates the ‘ideal’ and the ‘new’ (Unsworth, 2001, pp. 105-107). Students can also be encouraged to comment on the salience of the objects and the reading path suggested by the image (Callow, 1999, pp. 9-11) and how that relates to the intention of the image maker.


 * References **

Callow, J. (1999). Reading the Visual: An Introduction. In J. Callow (ed.). //Image Matters// (pp. 1-13). Newtown: Primary English Teaching Association.

Unsworth, L. (2001). //Teaching Multiliteracies across the Curriculum: Changing Contexts of Text and Image in Classroom Practice.// Buckingham: Open University Press.