Grade 10 · Public Texts and Argument · Landmark Arguments
Reading Across Media and Formats
Compare how the same argument is presented in an article, a video and a data visualisation.
Learning objectives
- Compare the affordances of three media
- Identify what each format emphasises and hides
- Choose the best format for a given purpose
Common Core ELA alignment
RI.9-10.7
Integrate information presented in different media, formats and words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue. Grades 9–10 emphasis: sustain a line of analysis across complex texts, using precise evidence and a formal academic register.
SL.9-10.2
Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats and explain how it contributes to a topic, text or issue under study. Grades 9–10 emphasis: sustain a line of analysis across complex texts, using precise evidence and a formal academic register.
RI.9-10.6
Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed and how it distinguishes their position from others. Grades 9–10 emphasis: sustain a line of analysis across complex texts, using precise evidence and a formal academic register.
MYP criteria
- Criterion A — Analysing
- Criterion D — Using language
ENGAGE
Same argument, three shapes
An article can qualify a claim in a subordinate clause. A short video cannot; it must cut. A chart cannot qualify at all, only choose an axis. Format is never neutral.
Think about it
- Which format do you trust most, and why?
- Which format is easiest to mislead with?
EXPLAIN
Affordances
| Format | Does well | Loses |
|---|---|---|
| Long-form article | Nuance, qualification, citation | Reach and immediacy |
| Short video | Emotional impact, demonstration | Caveats, sourcing |
| Data visualisation | Scale, trend, comparison | Causes, individual cases |
| Interview or podcast | Voice, credibility, follow-up questions | Verification in real time |
Questions for each format
- Article: what does the writer concede, and where?
- Video: what is shown versus stated, and what is cut?
- Chart: what are the axes, the sample, and the period?
- Audio: which claims went unchallenged?
Purpose first
Choose format from purpose: convince a committee with a report, mobilise a crowd with a video, orient a reader with a chart.
EXPLORE
One claim, three treatments
Claim: school breakfast clubs improve attendance. The article cites two studies and concedes that effects are smaller in schools with existing high attendance. The video shows one family morning routine and ends with a child smiling in class. The chart shows attendance rising from 91 to 94 per cent, with the y-axis starting at 90.
Think about it
- What does each treatment emphasise, and what does each omit?
- Which treatment is most misleading as presented, and how would you fix it?
MYP_PRACTICE
Criterion A and D task
Choose one claim and find it presented in two different media. Write 250 words comparing what each format emphasises and hides, then state which you would cite in an academic essay and why.
EXIT_TICKET
Check yourself
Think about it
- Which format hides caveats most easily?
- Which format would you choose to persuade your head teacher?
Interactive practice · compare
Compare formats
For one claim, record emphasis, omission and citability for each format.
Columns
Your answer
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Key vocabulary
- Affordance
- What a medium makes easy or hard to communicate.
- Data visualisation
- A graphical presentation of quantitative information.
- Emphasis
- What a treatment foregrounds.
- Caveat
- A stated limitation on a claim.
Practice questions
0/2 correct
Level 1 · Criterion A
Which treatment includes the strongest caveat?
Level 2 · Criterion D
What is the main problem with the chart as presented?
MYP criterion tasks
Level 3 · Criterion D
Compare the three treatments and choose one for an academic essay.
Reflect & track
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