El Flamo

El Flamo

Pencil and paper
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Working with Students
Further Resources
This task is about sharing ideas and meaning using images.
El Flamo image
 
Part 1
The purpose of this task is to identify and describe how visual techniques add meaning to a poem. Read the poem, look at the illustration, and read the definitions in the box below to help you answer the questions.
 
A trouper is a performer.A ventriloquist is a person who can speak without moving their lips, and entertains people by making their words seem to be spoken by a puppet that they hold.
 
 
a) Where is the poem set?
 
 
 
b) What are the two main purposes of this piece of writing?
 
 
 
 
 
c) The poem gives two facts that tell us what El Flamo does in his act. What are these two facts?
 
 
 
 
 
d) The picture suggests other clues about the performer El Flamo. An example has been given in the box below. Add three more examples.
What the picture suggests about El Flamo What gives me this clue
 He impresses ladies   The ladies are focussed on him/looking at him 
   
 
  
     
   
 
  
 
e) Look at the symbol beside El Flamo's name in the poem. Describe one way you think this symbol has something to do with El Flamo.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Part 2
The purpose of this task is to communicate ideas visually and explain how you have done this. Your task is to:
  1. Choose one of the following names for circus performers, or make up your own.
  2. Think of the colours, shapes, and objects that would go with this performer.
  3. Think of the font and layout that would best show what this performer does.
  4. Use the following table to help you plan the design of the name of your circus performer. Your presentation of their name must show what that performer is like and what they do.
Which performer have you chosen?
Write down the words or ideas that come to mind when you think about this performer. Plan which visual techniques you could use to show your ideas of this performer. When you have finished, explain how your visual techniques communicate ideas about your circus performer.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
Feedback from someone in your class
Impact: How well do the visual techniques communicate ideas about the performer?
 
 
 
 
Concept: How clear are the written explanations of the visual techniques?
 
 
 
 
What other ideas are shown in the presentation, and how you would explain them:
 
 
 
 
Signed: __________________________________
Task administration: 

This task can be completed with pencil and paper.

This resource uses The Underwater Melon Man and other unreasonable rhymes, by Flaws, F., Baysting, A., and Dasent, P., (1999). Monkey Biz Music Ltd. (Book and CD.)Flaws and Baysting wrote the poem being used in this resource. Listening to the music that goes with this poem and picture would add another dimension and further students' understandings.

  • Part 1 is the viewing part: thinking critically and exploring language.
  • Part 2 is the presenting part: exploring language and processing information.

Prior teaching needed

Students should have explored the techniques of font, colour and layout, before attempting either part of this resource. Search on those keywords to find other ARB resources that focus on these techniques.

Part 1

  • Part 1 could be done either in groups, or individually, depending on the nature of the assessment taking place.
  • If it is done in groups, to facilitate a greater exchange of ideas, one student from each group could move to another group to share their group's responses. Likewise, each group shares theirs with the "ambassador", followed by a discussion of both. The "ambassador" then returns to their home group to share the ideas from their "mission". All the ideas could be collated on a class chart.

Part 2

  • Part 2 is an independent task. It will need introducing and initial support.
  • The focus for Part 2 is not on artistic or technical expertise, but on the communication of ideas and messages.
Copyright: 

Flaws, F., Baysting, A., and Dasent, P., (1999). The Underwater Melon Man and other unreasonable rhymes. Monkey Biz Music Ltd. (Book and CD.)

Permission granted for use August, 2004.

Level:
4
Curriculum info: 
English, Making meaning, Viewing
Keywords: 
interpretation, font, colour, layout, illustration, poetry, main idea, analysis
Description of task: 
In Part 1 students identify visual techniques used within a static image and describe how they support the meaning of the poem. In Part 2, students create a text to communicate ideas visually. Annotated student work samples of Part 2 are provided.
Answers/responses: 
    Y9 (04/2005)
a) Circus easy
b)
  • To tell us (about this performer).
  • To persuade us to go and see El Flamo/the circus.
difficult
difficult
c)
  • El Flamo eats fire.
  • El Flamo is a ventriloquist/speaks without moving his lips/makes it seem like the puppet is talking.

NOTE: Facts from written text only accepted, opinions or descriptions were not accepted.
easy
easy
d) Any 3 of:

  • He likes to be in the spotlight/ the centre of attention.
  • He has a great act/is talented, skilled/the audience trust him.
  • He enjoys doing a dangerous act/taking risks/shocking people.
  • He is a perfectionist/formal/posh.

NOTE: Facts from c) were not accepted.
3 suggestions – difficult
2 suggestions – moderate
1 suggestion – easy
  3 visual clues linked to suggestions above:

  • He has been drawn really big (proportion)/he is on his own/he wears bright clothes/he has a wild hairdo.
  • The setting is grand, impressive/the audience is totally focussed on him/it's a packed audience/he's doing two things at once.
  • He looks confident with fire/he looks flamboyant.
  • His clothing/props are neat/they match/they match the fire theme.
3 clues – difficult
2 clues – moderate
1 clue – easy
e) Any 1 of:

  • It's shaped like flames, which represents his act.
  • It's like a crown, and he's like a king to the ladies or he's the best performer.
  • It's like the circus lettering/font.
 very easy
Diagnostic and formative information: 

The assessment focus for Part 2 is on the communication of ideas. The annotated student work samples that model this communication can be downloaded below. These could be useful for teachers and students to reflect on while working on this resource.Part 2 could be assessed using the student's planning and self-assessment sheet provided, and/or The Matrix for Visual Language: Presenting: Static and Moving Images (from the National Exemplars).

Sudent exemplars

El clowno student exemplar El criminal student exemplar El Houdinio student exemplar
  • School Journals with circus information: 1998 Pt 2 No. 4, 1987 Pt 3 No 1& 2, 1994 Pt 2 No. 4.
  • Ministry of Education, A Visual Language Resource, Viewing and Presenting Static Images. Posters 1, 2 and 4, (read the descriptions of the techniques in the footer of each poster).