Students identify NZ female role models to as a way of thinking about the representations they most admire. They are then given stills of powerful women and through discussion identify the characteristics of these women and some of the production techniques that are used to show power in shots. The Lynx ad is then shown to look at the emergence of woman as sexual predator in comparison with the earlier representations of women in ads.
Learning intentions Students are learning to…
- To recognize what it is in women that we admire and why.
- To introduce concept of representation of women in powerful positions through production techniques.
Success criteria (How do students know they have achieved success?)
I can…
- I can identify key elements of what I admire in a female role model.
- I can recognize the production techniques in still photos that suggest certain representations.
Relevant Film Archive footage:
Lynx Effect
Activities
This lesson gives students the chance to think about what it is that makes strong women, especially in terms of representation.
Role models are discussed and identified
In books students to list their three most admired women in New Zealand.
The chances of them not being able to think of three are high.
Select nine students and write their responses on the board. Find the common ones.
Questions for the board for discussion:
Why do we admire these women?
(And if needed), what are some of the characteristics these women share in common?
Write these up and students copy into books.
Find a selection of five stills to copy onto OHT or freeze shots from a film / television exert that shows women in a strong or weak manner.
Firstly get the students to rank them from 1 – 5. 1 being the strongest representation, 5 being the weakest. Get them to discuss this with partner.
Write some terms they might need to answer the following question: shot / angle / costume / facial expression / gesture / stance. Remind them that these are some of the ways the audience receives representations.
For each still get students to discuss with their seating partner/s and then write down what makes them seem strong, or what makes them seem weak.
Low angle combined with severe haircut.
Looking away from the camera.
At the end discuss with class what are the common traits of strong representation and the common traits of weak representation. Write up in books.
If any spare time at end of lesson play The Lynx Effect from the DVD. Ask students to write down in what way women are shown as powerful.
Hopefully pick up on the sexual predator.
