Media shows a selection — Media, 4–6 years
Every picture, story or recording includes some things and leaves other things outside. Media, 4–6 years.
Some things are included
A media message cannot show or tell everything at once. A photograph chooses a view, a story chooses events, and a programme chooses sounds or words. What we see is one selected part of a bigger situation, not the whole world around it.
Why selection is needed
A real day is too large to fit into one picture, page or short video. People must choose what will fit and what will help others notice the main idea. This makes media possible to share, but it also means we should wonder what was left out.
The park photograph
Sam takes a photo in the park. First, he points the camera at a red slide and two friends. The picture includes the slide, friends and blue sky. It leaves out the swings, a dog and the path behind him. The photo shows a real part of the park, but not the whole park.
What is outside the frame
We may assume that what is outside a picture is not important or does not exist. That is a reasonable guess because we cannot see it, and the picture may look complete. But the edge of the picture is just a boundary chosen by someone. Asking “What might be outside?” gives us a fuller view.
Photos, stories and news
A family photo may show one happy moment, while a story chooses a few events from a long adventure. A short report about a match may show the goal but not every minute before it. Noticing the selection helps us ask for more context when we need it.
Keep exploring
Other languages
Loading MyLeoNes™…