Reinforcing the ideas of representation through the historical portrayal of New Zealanders as shown in newsreels. Recapping generalizations from Lesson One
Learning intentions Students are learning to…
- To identify what characteristics have made us uniquely New Zealanders and to begin to identify what it is to be a New Zealand woman.
Success criteria (How do students know they have achieved success?)
I can…
- I can identify aspects of New Zealand female representation through watching old newsreels and can provide examples these representations.
Relevant Film Archive Footage:
Holiday Haunts
The Enduring Land
Activities
In this lesson students consider where generalisations come from and begin to build up an understanding of this through the introductory texts: Holiday Haunts and The Enduring Land. These two texts are intended to provoke students thinking about the constructed identity of New Zealand women.
Give students back generalisation sheets from yesterday. Mix them up and return to different groups. Ask students to pick the one generalisation about women they find the most interesting / provocative / funny, give them five minutes. Go around the room and write the one generalisation from each group on the board. Students copy into books and draw a symbol for each generalisation.
Heading: Origins of generalisations
Watch Holiday Haunts
Put these questions on the board and watch the extract again.
If you had never been to New Zealand and watched this newsreel what might you say was important to New Zealanders?
What examples give you this impression?
Watch the Holiday Haunts extract again so students can take notes.
If you had never been to New Zealand and watched this newsreel what might you say was important to New Zealanders?
Students to write this up as a mind map with Holiday Haunts in the middle with the impressions surrounding it and then the examples added to the impressions.
The outdoors, culture, being easy going, tourism, being healthy, washing, etc
What examples give you this impression?
Being easy going (swimming in the rivers)
Healthy (Voice over narration), ‘New Zealand girls do not believe in lunching on a lettuce leaf.’
Discuss findings with class and write up responses on the board. Students to add to their writing if a new idea is written up.
Watch The Enduring Land
Once done put these questions on the board:
What is your impression of what it was to be a New Zealand woman at this time?
What examples give you this impression?
Follow the process for Holiday Haunts so at the end you have two mind maps.
Discuss and write up responses on the board. Students to add to their writing if a new idea is written up.
What is your impression of what it was to be a New Zealand woman at this time?
Tough, liberating, hard working, proud, patriotic, stereotyped
What examples give you this impression?
Tough: (voice over narration)‘No longer dainty hands and pretty dress, steal now for the guns… women in uniforms working, marching …’
Stereotyped: (voice over narration) ‘Mothering young animals comes more naturally to girls than to boys…’
Homework: Students to draw a symbol or picture of the key word they thought most described New Zealand woman at this time. Write the key word underneath.
