D. Composition: Expressing Ideas and Creating Texts · Writing with Purpose, Voice and Evidence

Creating Media and Digital Texts: Comics, Infographics and Announcements

D2.1 D3.1 A2.1 A2.2 A2.4 A2.5About 45 minutes

Learning goals

I can plan and create a media text, such as a comic, an infographic or an audio announcement.
I can use the conventions and techniques of a media form on purpose.
I can use images, sounds and information responsibly, with permission and credit.

Words to know

media text
A text that uses pictures, sound, video or design (not only words) to share a message.

convention
A usual feature of a form that audiences expect, like speech balloons in a comic.

technique
A choice the creator makes for an effect, like a close-up shot, bold colour or music.

infographic
A poster-style text that shows information with numbers, icons, charts and short text.

public service announcement (PSA)
A short message, often audio or video, that informs the public about safety, health or the community.

panel
One box or frame in a comic.

script
The written words and directions for an audio or video text.

Remember from Grade 3

In Grade 3 you made posters, slideshows and storyboards and learned to ask permission before using photos. In Grade 4 you will create comics, infographics and announcements, choosing conventions and techniques on purpose, and you will practise using digital content responsibly.

Media texts speak in many languages

A media text can share a message with pictures, colours, sounds, music, camera shots and layout, not just words. Every choice changes how the audience feels. A bright, bouncy song makes a message feel fun. A slow, quiet voice makes it feel serious.

Each media form has conventions (features audiences expect) and techniques (choices for an effect).

Form	Conventions	Techniques you can choose
Comic	Panels, speech balloons, thought bubbles, captions, gutters (spaces between panels)	Close-ups for feelings, sound-effect words (CRASH!), big lettering
Infographic	A title, icons, numbers, simple charts, short text	Colour to group ideas, the biggest number in the biggest font
Audio PSA	A hook, a clear message, a call to action, usually under one minute	Sound effects, music, voice tone, pauses
Video	A title, scenes, an ending message	Close-up or wide shots, music, voice-over
Slideshow	A title slide, one main idea per slide, images	Large text, few words, a photo that matches each idea

Conventions and techniques of media forms

The parts of an infographic, using the Spring Book Swap. The biggest number gets the biggest font, and the call to action stands out at the bottom.

A four-panel comic layout: setup, problem, action and ending. The first panel has a speech balloon saying Hi! above a simple character.

Worked example

Let's plan a four-panel safety comic

Purpose: to teach Grade 2 students to check with a grown-up before going on ice. Audience: Grade 2 students. Form: a 4-panel comic.

Panel 1 (setup): Two friends see a frozen pond. One says, "Let's slide!"
Panel 2 (problem): Close-up of the other friend's worried face. Thought bubble: "Is the ice thick enough?"
Panel 3 (action): They run to ask a grown-up. Caption: Always ask first.
Panel 4 (ending): The grown-up takes them to the town rink, where the ice is checked. Big words: ASK BEFORE YOU GO ON THE ICE!
Check the choices: a close-up shows feeling, short speech balloons suit young readers, and the last panel gives a clear message.

A comic with a clear message, short words, a close-up for emotion and a call to action in the last panel. Each choice fits the audience and the purpose.

Worked example

Let's write a 30-second audio announcement

Purpose: to persuade families to bring their own bags to the school's spring book swap. Medium: audio, played over the school speaker.

Hook with a sound effect: (SOUND: pages flipping)
Voice 1 (excited): "Got books you've read ten times?"
Voice 2: "Swap them for new ones at our Spring Book Swap!"
Key information: "Bring up to five books to the gym on Friday at lunch."
Call to action, slower and clear: "And please bring your own bag. Let's keep our book swap waste-free!"
Read it aloud with a timer. Cut words until it fits in 30 seconds.

A short script with a sound effect, two voices, key details (what, where, when) and a call to action. Listeners can't look back, so the details are said clearly and the message is repeated at the end.

Being a responsible digital creator

Permission: Ask before you photograph, record or post anyone, and ask a grown-up before sharing anything online.
Credit: If you use an image, music or words made by someone else, use ones you have permission to use and say who made them.
Privacy: Never put your full name, address, school, phone number or passwords in a media text that will be shared online.
Truth: Numbers in an infographic must come from real sources. Name your sources at the bottom.
Kindness: Make media that would make everyone in your class feel respected.

Fewer words, bigger message

Media audiences often look for only a few seconds. Choose one main message and make it the biggest, loudest or most repeated part. Then check: Does every picture, colour and sound help that message?

Just for fun

Sound-effect words in comics, like CRASH! and BOOM!, are called onomatopoeia. Try saying onomatopoeia five times fast. KER-SPLAT! That was the sound of your tongue tying itself in a knot.

Hands-on activity

Make a comic or record an announcement

You need: paper, a ruler, a pencil, pencil crayons; or a device that can record sound (with a grown-up's permission).

Option A: Comic

Draw 4 panels with a ruler. Leave a gutter between them.
Choose a message about safety, kindness or the environment for a younger child.
Plan each panel: setup, problem, action, ending. Use at least one close-up and one sound-effect word.
Keep speech balloons short (under 10 words).

Option B: Audio announcement

Write a 30-second script about an event at home or school (a family games night, a yard sale).
Include a hook, what, where, when, and a call to action. Mark sound effects in brackets.
Practise, then record with a grown-up's help. Listen back. Is every word clear?

Share it with someone in your family and ask: What was my message? If they can say it, you succeeded.

Your turn

What is a convention of comics?

Why might a comic creator draw a close-up of a face?

Name two things an infographic uses to share information.

What should an audio announcement end with?

Before you post a photo of your friend, what must you do?

Which personal information should never go in a text shared online?

Write a speech balloon (under 10 words) for a character reminding others to recycle.

More practice: warm-up

What is one box in a comic called?

What do we call the written words for an audio or video text?

What does PSA stand for?

Name one sound effect word.

How many main ideas should go on one slide?

More practice: on your own

Your school wants students to be quiet in the library. Would you choose an audio PSA or a poster in the library? Why?

Plan an infographic title and three facts for Our Class Reading Challenge (you can make up the class numbers).

Why does an audio PSA repeat the key information at the end?

Change this long speech balloon to under 10 words: "I think that we should probably go inside now because it's starting to rain really hard."

You found a great photo online for your slideshow. What two things should you check?

Challenge

Explain how music could change the message of a video about a stray cat finding a home.

Write a 4-panel plan for a comic that shows how to include someone who is sitting alone at recess.

A classmate's infographic says Kids sleep 20 hours a night! with no source. What should they do?

Check your understanding

Quiz

Which is a convention of a comic?

A close-up shot is a technique that often shows

Which is the best form for showing the results of a class survey quickly?

What should you do before using a song made by someone else in your video?

Which detail is safe to include in a video you post online with a grown-up?

Why do audio announcements need to be short and clear?

For parents and teachers

Big idea (D2.1, D3.1): Grade 4 students create media and digital texts, choosing forms, conventions and techniques for an intended effect. This lesson connects to Strand A: digital citizenship and online safety (A2.1, A2.2), media forms, conventions and techniques (A2.4), and how form, message and audience relate (A2.5).

How to help at home:

Read comics and graphic novels together and talk about how the artist shows feelings.
During commercials, ask: What is the message? What sounds and pictures did they choose? Why?
Supervise all recording and online sharing. Agree on family rules for photos, privacy and posting.

Common difficulties:

Too many words. Media texts work best with one clear message.
Decorating instead of communicating. Ask, How does this picture help your message?
Using images from searches without permission. Show your child free-to-use image libraries and how to credit creators.

The sleep numbers in the Challenge come from the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for children aged 5 to 13 (9 to 11 hours of sleep); if your child is curious, look them up together.