Media Messages

Overview

Students are introduced to media arts by exploring a range of short media artworks. They identify how different media communicate messages to audiences and discuss simple persuasive purposes.

Learning intentions

• Students will recognise that media artworks communicate messages to audiences.
• Students will describe characteristics of media types (for example, image, audio, video, and interactive elements).
• Students will share ideas about how creators persuade or influence viewers.

Success criteria

• I can name at least two media types and what they communicate.
• I can point to a simple feature that helps a message stand out (colour, words, music/sound, characters, movement).
• I can explain who the audience is and what the message might be.
• I can use respectful talk to respond to and build on classmates’ ideas.

Curriculum links

• Media Arts: exploring and describing media artworks, including how artworks use elements to communicate.
• Media Arts: planning and presenting ideas about media, using simple descriptive language.
• Australian Curriculum general capability: communicating with others to share ideas and listen to viewpoints.
• Literacy: using topic vocabulary to describe visual and audio features.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 5 min – Welcome + lesson hook Teacher shows 2–3 very short child-appropriate clips (1 minute each) from kid-friendly advertisements or promotional videos. Students quickly share “What is trying to get my attention?” and “Who is it for?”

2. 10 min – What is media arts? (I do) Teacher demonstrates using one clip and labels the main features on a class chart: images/characters, written text, sound/music, and actions/movement. Teacher models sentence starters: “The message is…”, “The audience is…”, “It stands out because…”

3. 10 min – Media types sorting (We do) In groups, students sort picture cards into categories: image-based, audio-based, video-based, and interactive-style (simple examples). Students then discuss what each type can help communicate (for example, feelings, information, or a persuasive message).

4. 15 min – Feature hunting in a second clip (You do) Students view a second short clip and complete a simple “Message Snapshot” worksheet:

• Message (one sentence)
• Audience (one phrase)
• Feature that stands out (tick one: words, colours/images, sound/music, movement) Teacher circulates to support students to name specific features, not just “it’s good.”

5. 10 min – Share, compare, and connect (whole class) Groups share their snapshots. Teacher leads comparison: “How is this media type different from the first one?” and “How did the soundtrack or sound help the message?” Students practise listening and building responses using “I agree because…” or “I noticed…”

6. 7 min – Quick reflection + unit preview Students answer two prompts in their books or on an exit card:

• “Today I learned media artworks communicate messages using…”
• “Next lessons we will make a simple persuasive media artwork by…” Teacher previews that across the unit students will plan, create, and present persuasive media with attention to message and audience.

Resources

• Teacher-selected child-appropriate advertising/promo video clips (1–2 minutes each), preloaded for offline access if possible
• Projector/speakers and a laptop/device for playback
• Media feature word bank cards (message, audience, words/text, colour, image/character, sound/music, movement/action)
• Printed “Message Snapshot” worksheet (one per student)
• Picture card set for media types (image, audio, video, simple interactive)
• Class chart paper/whiteboard markers
• Student notebooks or art journals
• Optional: printed clip stills (screenshots) for students who need a visual option
• Timer and a simple classroom discussion routine prompt card

Assessment

• Collect “Message Snapshot” worksheets to gauge students’ ability to identify message, audience, and a feature that communicates meaning.
• Use observation during group sorting and share time to note students’ use of descriptive vocabulary (words, colour/image, sound/music, movement).
• Check understanding through the reflection prompt at lesson end (short written or verbal responses).

Differentiation

• Support: sentence starters and word banks on tables; allow drawing (e.g., underline the “feature that stands out” on clip stills) alongside writing.
• Support: teacher provides an example “Message Snapshot” completed together for the first clip.
• Extension: students identify two features (for example, both sound and colour) and explain how each supports the persuasive message.
• EAL/SEN: use visuals, reduce writing load (one-word or one-phrase responses), and offer oral response options recorded by teacher or via paired talk.

Key vocabulary

• media artwork
• message
• audience
• persuade
• advertisement
• audio
• soundtrack
• sound effects
• words / text
• colour
• image
• character
• movement / action
• feature