Lesson Plan
Pedagogical approach: Analysing characters’ traits and motivations.

View episodes 10 and 11 of Noah & Saskia.

As Max and Indy are having their ‘virtual differences’, Noah and Saskia seem to take on the attributes of their avatars in the ‘real world’. And as the gap between their ideal selves and their real selves begins to close, the time comes for their virtual selves to get real.

Discuss with students the concept of Noah and Saskia as fictional representations, created/constructed by the filmmakers/authors. Further, discuss the concept that the avatars, Max and Indy, are constructed by these (fictional) characters and represent aspects of Noah and Saskia’s real and imagined selves.

Also, discuss the filmmakers’ use of techniques to develop the avatars into the ‘imagined’ characters, Max and Indy.

Activity: have students use the Venn diagram in Worksheet 6 Analysing Personas to analyse the similarities and differences between Noah and Max and/or Saskia and Indy. What attributes are the same/different when looking at the three personifications of these two characters? Students consider the techniques used to develop Noah and Saskia and their avatars. Possibilities include:

• their names
• physical attributes (of both sets of actors and avatars)
• clothing, accessories, hairstyling, etc
• stance/gesture/movement/attitude
• range/type of settings used
• words typed on a screen/digitised voices/vocalised language (consider the tone, speed, accent, etc of the voice)
• special effects
• camera framing

Activity: whole class debate: ‘Max and Indy are just words on a screen’ (paraphrasing Renee talking about Max in episode 3)

A line is drawn in the middle of the room. One side is labeled ‘agree’ and the other ‘disagree’. Students position themselves accordingly. Each speaker addresses the class after which students have the opportunity to re-position themselves. The debate continues until all speakers have addressed the class. The side with the largest number of students at the end of the debate wins.