D. Composition: Expressing Ideas and Creating Texts · Writing with Purpose and Voice

Creating Media Texts: Posters, Slideshows and Storyboards

D2.1 D1.1 A2.1 A2.2 A2.4 A2.5About 40 minutes

Learning goals

I can name the parts and techniques of media texts, like headlines, images, layout and sound.
I can plan a media text that fits my purpose and audience.
I can make a poster, plan a slideshow and draw a storyboard.
I can use other people's pictures and words responsibly and keep private information safe.

Words to know

media text
A text that uses pictures, words, sound or video to share a message: posters, ads, videos, slideshows, comics, websites.

digital text
A media text made or shared on a device, like a slideshow, video or web page.

headline
Big, short words at the top that grab attention.

layout
How words and pictures are arranged on a page or screen.

slideshow
A set of screens (slides) shown one after another, each with a little text and a picture.

storyboard
A row of boxes with sketches and notes that plans a video, one scene per box.

credit
Saying who made a picture, song or text that you used.

Remember from Grade 2

In Grade 2 you made a simple poster with a big title, a picture and clear information. In Grade 3 you will learn the techniques media makers use, and you will plan digital texts like slideshows and short videos.

Media texts are everywhere

Cereal boxes, bus ads, movie trailers, websites, video games and road signs are all media texts. They mix words, pictures, colour, sound and layout to send a message quickly. Every choice the creator makes is on purpose.

Technique	What it does	Example
Headline	Grabs attention with big, short words	WINTER FUN FAIR
Image	Shows the message without words	A snowflake, a photo of skaters
Colour	Sets a mood (calm, exciting, cozy)	Cool, icy colours for a winter event
Layout	Puts the most important things where eyes look first	Headline on top, details below
Font size	Shows what matters most	Big for the event name, smaller for details
Sound and music	Adds feeling in videos	Upbeat music for an exciting ad
Slogan	A short, catchy phrase people remember	Be bright at night!

Media techniques

A model poster. The headline is biggest, the date, time and place come next, and a snowflake picture shows the winter theme.

Worked example

Let's plan a poster

Ruby's school is having a Winter Fun Fair. Her audience is families in the neighbourhood.

Purpose: to inform and persuade families to come.
Must-know information: What? When? Where? Winter Fun Fair, Saturday, December 12, 1 to 4 p.m., Maple Park.
Headline: short and big: WINTER FUN FAIR.
Image: a snowflake that shows the theme at a glance.
Extra hook: Skating! Snow forts! Cocoa! The exclamation marks show excitement.
Layout check: Stand back 3 big steps. Can you still read the headline? If not, make it bigger.

A good poster can be understood in 5 seconds: big headline, a clear picture, and what, when and where.

Just for fun

Riddle: What has a headline but no head?

A poster!

A model slideshow plan

A slideshow is a digital informational text. Each slide has a few words and one picture. The speaker says the rest out loud.

Slide 1: Title: Earthworms: Underground Helpers. Picture: a worm in soil. By Sam
Slide 2: Heading: Their Bodies. Bullets: many rings, no eyes or legs, breathe through skin. Labelled diagram.
Slide 3: Heading: How They Help the Soil. Bullets: tunnels let in air and water, castings feed plants.
Slide 4: Thanks for watching! Any questions? Sources: library book, school garden visit.

A model storyboard

A storyboard plans a short video, one box per scene. Here is a plan for a 30-second safety video called Be Bright at Night:

Scene 1 (sketch: a dark street in winter). Narrator: "In winter, it gets dark early." Sound: howling wind and spooky music.
Scene 2 (sketch: a car's headlights). Narrator: "Drivers can't always see you."
Scene 3 (sketch: a kid putting on a jacket with reflective strips). Narrator: "Wear reflectors or a light!" Upbeat music starts.
Scene 4 (sketch: the kid glowing in the headlights, giving a thumbs-up). Text on screen: BE BRIGHT AT NIGHT!

The music changes from spooky to happy to show the problem and the solution.

The Be Bright at Night storyboard, one box per scene. The music changes from spooky (the problem) to upbeat (the solution).

Be a responsible media maker

Ask permission before you take or share a photo or video of someone.
Use pictures you drew or took yourself, or ones a grown-up helps you find that are allowed to be shared. Give credit: Photo by Mom or Picture from (website).
Never put your full name, address, school name or phone number on a poster or video that will be shared online.
Be kind. Don't make media that makes fun of anyone.

Hands-on activity

Make a poster or a storyboard

You need: a large sheet of paper, markers or crayons, and a ruler.

Option A: Poster. Make a poster for a real or pretend family event (a backyard games day, a family movie night, a bake sale). Include a headline, what, when and where, a picture, and one hook line. Do the 3-big-steps-back test!

Option B: Storyboard. Fold the paper into 4 or 6 boxes. Plan a 30-second video that teaches one safety rule (wear a helmet, look both ways, stay off thin ice). Sketch each scene and write what the narrator says and what sound plays.

If a grown-up says yes, film your storyboard with a phone or tablet! Get permission from anyone who appears in it, and keep it private unless your grown-up says it may be shared.

Your turn

Name three kinds of media texts.

What three things must an event poster tell?

Why should a headline be big and short?

How many words should go on a slide?

What is a storyboard for?

You want to use a photo of your friend in a slideshow. What should you do first?

How can music change the feeling of a video? Give an example.

More practice: warm-up

Is a cereal box a media text?

What does layout mean?

What is a catchy short phrase in an ad called?

What should you never put on a poster shared online?

What does it mean to give credit?

More practice: on your own

Write a headline for a poster about a used book sale at your library.

Write a slogan for a poster that reminds people to recycle.

This poster has tiny words and no date. What would you tell the maker?

Plan 3 slides for a slideshow about your favourite animal. Write the heading for each.

Why does the storyboard for Be Bright at Night change the music from spooky to happy?

Challenge

An ad for a snack shows kids laughing on a sunny beach, with exciting music, but says nothing about the food's ingredients. Why might the makers do this?

Draw (or describe) a 4-box storyboard for a video called Wash Your Hands. Include what the narrator says in each box.

Same message, two forms: a poster or a video for telling Kindergarten kids about a safe way to sled. Which would you choose, and why?

Check your understanding

Quiz

Which is a media text?

What is the job of a poster's headline?

What is a storyboard used for?

Which is the most responsible choice?

A slide should have...

Why might a toy ad use fast, exciting music?

For parents and teachers

Big idea (D2.1 with A2.4, A2.5): Grade 3 students create simple media and digital texts and learn that every element (headline, image, colour, layout, sound) is chosen to fit the purpose and audience. They also practise digital citizenship: permission, credit and privacy (A2.1, A2.2).

How to help at home:

Look at flyers, cereal boxes and commercials together. Ask: "What do they want you to do? What tricks did they use?"
If you film a storyboard, keep the video private unless you choose to share it, and get permission from everyone in it.
Talk about why we don't post personal information.

Common difficulties:

Too many words on posters and slides. Try the 5-second test.
Forgetting key details (date, place). Use a what-when-where checklist.
Using any image from the internet. Explain that images belong to their creators; drawing your own is always safe.