ENG2D – Constructing Reality
Assignment
As a class, view the Concerned Children’s Advertisers commercial titled “House Hippos”. (This is can
be accessed at www.cca-kids.ca/tvandme/english/video/hippo.mov if you need to screen it again). In
groups of 4-5, construct an ad either in the form of a storyboarded outline or
an actual video in the style of “House Hippos”. In other words, create an
advertisement that serves to warn the public against the media by
presenting a somewhat believable and realistic construction of reality. Note:
the premise of your ad may not be the secret existence of an animal within a
household! Instead, come up with an entirely original idea that makes a
completely unreal situation look and sound real. Your ad must be narrated
(like House Hippos) and must end with the same line: “That looked really
real, but you knew it couldn’t be true, didn’t you? That’s why it’s good to think about what you’re
watching on TV and ask questions . . . kind of like you just did. A Message from Concerned Children’s
Advertisers.” When complete, you will present your ad plan or actual video ad to the class.
Although your ad itself should only last about thirty seconds to one minute, your presentation and
explanation to the class must be four minutes (roughly a minute of explanation per group member).
Your presentation should explain how you manufactured and successfully constructed a reality within
your ad. Address who might be taken in or fooled by your ad’s content and what techniques you used
to create and/or verify your ad’s reality.
ENG2D Rubric – House Hippos
Expectations
Knowledge
-Understanding
and knowledge of
content
Thinking
-Use of planning
skills and
critical/creative
thinking processes
Communication
- Expression and
organization of
ideas and
information to a
specific audience
using appropriate
conventions of
language
Application
- Making
connections within
and between
various contexts
Criteria
The student:
Demonstrates an
understanding of the
fundamentals of media
theory, focusing on the
concepts that all media works
construct reality and
audiences negotiate their
own meanings.
Below Expectations
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Demonstrates little
understanding of the
concepts of construction
of reality and audience
negotiation of meaning.
Demonstrates limited
understanding of the
concepts of construction
of reality and audience
negotiation of meaning.
Demonstrates some
understanding of the
concepts of construction
of reality and audience
negotiation of meaning.
Demonstrates a
considerable
understanding of the
concepts of construction
of reality and audience
negotiation of meaning.
Demonstrates a
thorough and insightful
understanding of the
concepts of construction
of reality and audience
negotiation of meaning.
Student uses organizational
techniques such as a
storyboard or a graphic
organizer to plan ad; uses
creative thinking to
manufacture a believable
construction for his/her House
Hippos-style ad.
Demonstrates little
ability to critically and
creatively plan an ad
that presents a
believable construction
of reality to its audience.
Demonstrates limited
ability to critically and
creatively plan an ad
that presents a
believable construction
of reality to its audience.
Demonstrates some
ability to critically and
creatively plan an ad
that presents a
believable construction
of reality to its audience.
Demonstrates
considerable ability to
critically and creatively
plan an ad that presents
a believable
construction of reality to
its audience.
Demonstrates a high
degree of ability to
critically and creatively
plan an ad that presents
a believable
construction of reality to
its audience.
Student expresses and
organizes ideas and information
with clarity and purpose, using
appropriate language
conventions of media studies.
Demonstrates little
ability to express and
organize ideas and
information. Students
Demonstrates limited
ability to express and
organize ideas and
information. Student uses
Demonstrates some
ability to express and
organize ideas and
information. Student uses
Demonstrates
considerable ability to
express and organize
ideas and information.
Demonstrates excellent
ability to express and
uses conventions,
vocabulary and
terminology of media
studies with little
effectiveness
conventions, vocabulary,
and terminology of media
studies with limited
effectiveness
conventions, vocabulary,
and terminology of media
studies with some
effectiveness
Student uses conventions,
vocabulary, and
terminology of media
studies with considerable
effectiveness
organize ideas and
information. Student
uses conventions,
vocabulary, and
terminology of media
studies with a high degree
of effectiveness.
Using effective analysis,
student makes connections
between House Hippos and
his/her own ad’s
construction of reality.
Student evaluates how these
constructions affect audience
negotiation of meaning.
Demonstrates little
ability to use effective
analysis to makes
connections between
House Hippos and
his/her own ad’s
construction of reality.
Student does not
effectively evaluate how
these constructions
affect audience
negotiation of meaning .
Demonstrates limited
ability to use effective
analysis to makes
connections between
House Hippos and
his/her own ad’s
construction of reality.
Student evaluates how
these constructions
affect audience
negotiation of meaning
with limited
effectiveness.
Demonstrates some
ability to use effective
analysis to makes
connections between
House Hippos and
his/her own ad’s
construction of reality.
Student evaluates how
these constructions
affect audience
negotiation of meaning
with some effectiveness.
Demonstrates
considerable skill in
using effective analysis
to make connections
between House Hippos
and his/her own ad’s
construction of reality.
Student evaluates how
these constructions
affect audience
negotiation of meaning
with considerable
effectiveness.
Demonstrates a high
degree of skill in using
effective analysis to
make connections
between House Hippos
and his/her own ad’s
construction of reality.
Student evaluates how
these constructions
affect audience
negotiation of meaning
with a high degree of
effectiveness.
TEACHER COMMENTS (strengths, areas for improvement, next steps