Standard 7: Multimodal Literacy

Students will acquire, refine, and share knowledge through a variety of written, oral, visual, digital, non-verbal, and interactive texts. 

Student Actions 

Teacher Actions 

• Students will interact with multimodal texts that contain a combination of words, images, sound, color, animation, video, and styles of print.
• Students will identify arguments within these multimodal texts.
• Students will determine the effectiveness of the arguments presented by analyzing the contributions of each element.
• Students will generate insightful questions about the argument/s presented in multimodal texts.
• Students will be able to answer questions about the multimodal texts.

• Teachers provide opportunities for students to interact with a variety of media.
• Teachers provide opportunities for students to access appropriate multimodal texts with easily identifiable examples of argumentation.
• Teachers model how to identify arguments within a variety of texts.
• Teachers provide opportunities for students to identify arguments within a variety of texts.
• Teachers provide opportunities for students to receive feedback on the accuracy of their identification.
• Teachers provide opportunities for students to examine elements in multimodal texts.
• Teachers model how to evaluate the elements used in multimodal texts.
• Teachers provide opportunities for students to receive feedback on their analysis.
• Teachers model types of tiered questions (literal, interpretive, and applied ) to use when creating interpretations of the multimodal texts.
• Teachers provide opportunities for students to create tiered questions over argument presented in a text.
• Teachers provide opportunities for students to receive feedback on the accuracy of their identification.
• Teachers provide opportunities for students to answer the questions for the multimodal texts
• Teachers provide opportunities to receive feedback on the accuracy of their answers.

Supporting Resources 

Teacher Insights 

Defining Multimodal Literacy by Dr. Craig Hill (video)

• A multimodal text combines two or more variations of communication through either linguistic, visual, audio, gestural, or spatial means.

• Examples of multimodal texts include picture books, web pages with audio or video, or a live performance of a play.

• Students should evaluate the effectiveness of techniques with a focus on persuasion and argument within texts.

• In this standard, students should go beyond identifying and analyzing the techniques and messages of multimodal texts and instead focus on making judgments about why the author used the specific techniques to persuade or make an argument.

• Ultimately, students are providing analysis of the multimodal texts, but first, they should summarize without judgment.

• Students should practice evaluating the use of non-verbal elements that may affect the impact of the intended message.

• Messages delivered verbally are still considered text, as well as the non-verbal elements of the media such as graphics, images, color choices, music choices, etc.

• Analysis of all elements of media (including background images and text) should be taken into account.

• A literal question is one that can be easily answered by locating information within the text.

• Example: Where did the text originate?

• Who or what is depicted in the text?

• An interpretive question involves close reading and drawing conclusions based upon the reader’s interpretation of the information in the text.

• These are not answered with opinions; rather, they require the understanding of clues within the text.

• Example: What is the author’s purpose?

• Applied questions are predominantly opinion questions usually connected to the real world. These questions can be difficult to assess since there is not a right or wrong answer, but the students need to have textual support for their opinion.

• Examples: What impact does this text have in your life? How would this text be different if an audio component were added?

Due to recursive nature of the standards, it is essential that teachers are aware of how all objectives within and between strands work together for optimal instruction.