Resource+4

Resource 4

Maree Elias
= =  Morris, P. (2005) Image can be viewed at : []

Description of Resource
Immediately when an audience sights this resource, they are drawn to the center figure of the image, through which a hidden meaning is captured. This image ‘How Green is Your Bag’ by Peter Morris has been digitally enhanced with the purpose of directing the viewers attention to the vibrant coloured ‘Green Bag’. Whilst this image was found accompanying an article in the Sydney Morning Herald, extracted on its own, the image delivers a powerful message, conjugating up the response from the reader that there is a need to adopt the ‘Green’ recyclable bags in our everyday living, for the purpose of looking after the surrounding environment. The image has specifically been selected as part of a resource pack accessible to teachers, for it is designed to assist the teaching of Waste Management in primary schools. As all literacy does, visual literacy pertains to the transmission of ideas, exchange of meaning and communication (Winch et al., 2006, p.535). Through the analysis of this particular image (Lesson 6), students have the opportunity to explore how elements of visual grammar can contribute to their understanding of how meaning can be created through visual texts. Digitally enhanced, this image utilises some essential elements of visual grammar such as the black and white colour scheme, juxtaposed with the bright green bag, offered as the salient object, positioned in the center of the image. Ultimatley, these work towards the translation of meaning within the image. This resource serves as a direct example of which students will be working towards designing and emulating in their ‘sustainability groups’ to be included as an aspect of their final rich multimodal task.

Relevance to the unit outcome
Much relevance can be seen through the incorporation of resource 4 into this integrated unit of work, for the image posses a large significance to the Stage 2 HSIE unit outcome ENS2.6 (Board of Studies, 2007, p. 33). Upon analysis of the elements of visual grammar found within this image, students adhere to the requirements of the outcome, such that they are called to describe the interactions of the people in the image, stating their interactions with the environment. Students will be engaging in conversations and predominantly exercising skills of questioning through which is used to interrogate the image (Reynolds, 2009, p.118) thus forming a greater understanding of responsible ways of interacting with the environment. The digitally enhanced image serves a powerful role in persuading the viewer to switch from using plastic bags to using the ‘Green Recycle bags’, suggesting they are more suitable for the future of our environment.

Aspect of Literacy explored in the unit
As Winch states, pictures are two-dimensional, but they represent a three-dimensional world (2006, p.505). This is particularly important to understand as teachers, for it has been said that a ‘visual culture’ is becoming more apparent (Mirzoeff, 1999, p.4), which is why there has been a greater widespread of visual literacy included within the school curriculum- because essential, analysis of images allows for insight into this three–dimensional world. The image by Peter Morris calls students to question and interrogate meaning behind the image, focusing on the elements of visual grammar, which capture this intention. Ultimately, the purpose of the inclusion of resource 4 is to ensure the visual aspect of literacy is to be explored.

Images were originally designed for very young children who could not operate as young independent readers, thus needed assistance of images to help understand clues and cues (Winch, 2006, p.500). Nowadays it has been critically accepted that through appropriate guided lessons analysing visual grammar, students are able to identify that visual literacy is not restricted to decoding the image, however ‘it is the ability to analyse the power of its meaning and the how of its meaning in a particular context’ (Winch, 2006, p.506). Thus for the purpose of this unit, students will be exploring the metafunctional aspects of visual grammar which work together to promote and adhere to the true meaning of visual literacy. Whilst not explicitly stated in the lessons, students will be analysing the three metafunctional aspects of visual grammar- representational, interactive and compositional (Unsworth, 2001, p.73) and applying these analysis skills to this image and several other images in order to understand the concept that images can act as meaningful forms of literacy.

Students will be required to analyse this image, along with several other similar images (refer to appendix 6.3) through which they will build on their exisiting knowledge of visual literacy, so as to form a competent understanding of the signicifcance of visual grammar. To exercise this, students will have the opportunity to design and create their own image whereby they will be encourage to include several elements of visual grammar such that their final product will promote and persuade a particular message about the damage of plastic bags to our environment.

The incorporation of this resource into this unit allows for engaging educational experiences through which students learning is enhanced, allowing them to further understand the relevance of visuals. Essentially this will resource will assist students in the creation their own images which are to be included in their final multimodal text.