Resource+Description+3

__**Resource Description **__ __Soapy Saves the Day! __ []

This resource is a multimodal text called ‘Soapy Saves the Day!’ which was created by a teacher as an example of a multimodal text aimed at the education of students on environmental issues. This resource was chosen as it shows a number of similar features that the students will be creating and developing in their own multimodal texts. The resource interacts effectively with lesson five as the lesson is based on teaching students the aspects of visual grammar and how they can be instituted and related to other text types in a multimodal text. Although, this particular resource could also be used effectively in lesson six and lesson seven as an introduction to familiarising students with the purpose and process of developing educational multimodal texts. The resource uses a number of different text types and features, which students will also be doing in the creation of their own text, and combines them to create a multimodal text on environmental issues which is also addressed in the PDHPE syllabus. The resource includes written text to introduce the film, use of dioramas as set backgrounds, everyday objects to create movable characters and props, and film to develop different moods and settings. Students will be able to examine a number of features within the text which will benefit them in their understanding of how multimodal texts are developed and used. Students can discuss how the sun, clouds and characters are moved and can transfer this knowledge to the creation of their dioramas in lesson seven. The students can also expand their knowledge of film techniques such as camera angles and stop motion animation to develop the storyline and build each scene in a flowing, sequential manner that the intended audience can follow. Throughout this unit students are learning about how multimodal texts “are designed in ways that inter-relate the 'linguistic', 'visual', 'audio', 'spatial' and 'gestural'." (Healy, 2004, p. 20) This notion of interrelation and integration between different text types is addressed in the resource through the use of narrative to explain the visual elements being displayed in the film. Students will be able to see that both the narrative element and the visual grammar element complement each other as the narrative is explaining the visual settings while the visual settings are also expanding on the meanings being conveyed by the speaker to give the audience a larger perspective to draw from. The drawback of using this resource while developing the students’ multimodal texts is that while the aim of the film is similar, to make the community aware of factors that contribute to the destruction of the environment, the spoken text type is significantly different from what students are writing in their lessons. Therefore, it is important that teachers make students aware of this fact and develop students understanding of how speech patterns change for different text types, and a narrative would be spoken differently to a procedure. This resource is extremely beneficial to students creating their own multimodal texts in relation to the design of the diorama using simple, everyday objects which can be created by the students in class. It also allows students to expand their knowledge of the relationship between visual grammar and written/spoken text in developing a text that provides a clear message and outcome to intended audiences. This is important for students to acknowledge and understand as “multiliteracies negotiates myriad symbolic forms as readers and writers use the four resources to participate in and construct text, critically aware of purpose and audience." (Healy, 2004, p. 20) // By Jodie Ohlin //

__**References **__ Healy, A. (2004). The critical heart of multiliteracies: Four resources, multimodal texts and classroom practice. In A. Healy (Ed.), Text next: New resources for literacy learning (pp. 19-35). Newtown: NSW PETA. YouTube. (2010). Soapy saves the day! Retrieved September 16, 2010 from []