| Grade 8: Oral and Visual Communication |
|
Overall Expectations |
| •provide clear answers to questions
and well-constructed explanations or instructions in classroom work; |
| •listen attentively to organize and
classify information and to clarify thinking; |
| •listen to and communicate connected
ideas and relate carefully-constructed narratives about real and fictional
events; |
| •express and respond to a range of ideas
and opinions concisely, clearly, and appropriately; |
| •contribute and work constructively
in groups; |
| •demonstrate the ability to concentrate
by identifying main points and staying on topic; |
| •identify a wide range of media works and describe the
techniques used in them; |
| •analyse and interpret media works; |
| •create media works of some technical complexity; |
| •use the conventions (e.g., sentence
structure) of oral language, and of the various media, that are appropriate
to the grade (see below). |
|
Specific Expectations |
| Use of Words and Oral Language Structures |
| •use the specialized vocabulary appropriate
to the topic in oral presentations (e.g., investigations in mathematics,
demonstrations in science); |
| •identify subtle effects in the dialogue in films or dramas; |
| •identify the characteristics of different
types of speech (e.g., colloquial, formal) and use them appropriately; |
| Non-verbal Communication Skills |
| •use tone of voice and body language
to clarify meaning during conversations and presentations; |
| •adjust their delivery (e.g., pitch
of voice, pace) to suit the size of different groups; |
| •use resource materials (e.g., visual
aids) to illustrate ideas in presentations; |
| Group Skills |
| •contribute collaboratively in group
situations by asking questions and building on the ideas of others; |
| •work with members of their group
to establish clear purposes and procedures for solving problems and completing
projects; |
| Media Communication Skills |
| •identify and analyse the formulas used in different categories
of media works (e.g., a talk show – opening monologue, humorous discussion
between host and "sidekick", guest interview, interaction with the audience,
special performances); |
| •describe a media work, outlining its different parts
and the steps and choices involved in planning and producing it; |
| •evaluate the effectiveness of various informational media
works (e.g., a website on the Internet, a documentary film, television
or radio news programs, news magazines); |
| •create media works of some technical complexity (e.g.,
a two-minute mystery on videotape or audiotape). |