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media type="youtube" key="weYGChQ1g5Q?fs=1" height="385" width="480" align="center"

**//__Description of resource__ //** The Stage 2 HSIE Unit our group designed requires a number of visual and written resources to effectively cover material on the Australian States and Territories. This knowledge base is to then be used, to create a PowerPoint presentation, utilising a number of key elements such as audio, animation, video, text and image. In order to explore the HSIE and English outcomes this Unit was designed to cover, the YouTube video Sydney, New South Wales, Australian Tourism Video produced by the New South Wales Tourism industry could be used. This visual medium is a prime example of an effective resource to be used within this Australian context. Although the resource only covers one Australian State or Territory, it provides a stimulating and interesting perspective to be analysed. This limited scope, means a number of videos have to be used, to ensure all States and Territories had the same coverage. Besides the limited scope of the video, it has to be placed into context to ensure students are provided more information than just a series of images, they may have already known were in that particular State. **__//Relevance to the Unit of Work// __** This resource is relevant to this Unit of Work due to its potential to expose students to a range of skills and strategies to create their own effective multimodal text. The critique of this resource within this lesson allows students the opportunity to discuss aspects of the video, in which they think are effective in portraying the Australian State and Territory. The understanding of visual techniques such as distance shots, object placement, vectors, and ideal and real, will mean students will be trying to think about these ideas in the actual construction of their own multi-modal text (PowerPoint presentation) in later lessons. **__//The key points about visual literacy// __** There are a number of techniques and strategies which need to be addressed in this annotation. The New South Wales’ Tourism Industry advertisement has included a variety of close up, long and medium distance shots in a short period of time. The combination of these three shots has resulted in New South Wales being represented as a fast paced, diverse and sparse landscape. In particular, the close up shots of the Central Business District and Harbour foreshore indicate the high profile these famous landmarks possess. The video, follows, a quick tempo, in the attempt to highlight certain aspects of the State, but also raise curiosity and intrigue from viewers, to explore their own State, or come visit New South Wales (Unsworth, 2001, p. 339). The absence of a large volume of written text should also be considered in this analysis. The lack of text can be interpreted as a reliance on the power of visual media, and the saying, ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’. **REFERENCES ** Callow, J. (2006). Images, politics, multiliteracies: Using a visual metalanguage. //Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 29// (1), 7-23. Droga, L. & Humphrey, S. (2005). //Grammar and Meaning: An Introduction for Primary Teachers.// Target Texts: NSW. New South Wales Tourism Industry (2006). //Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.// Retrieved September 24, 2010, from [] Unsworth, L. (2001). //Teaching multiliteracies across the curriculum: changing contexts of text and image in classroom practice.// Buckingham, England. Open University. By Rachel Cobbin