Lesson video

Hello, my name's Mrs. Jones, and I'm really pleased you decided to join this lesson today.

In this lesson, we will look at how people use symbols and pictures instead of words.

You might have seen lots of pictures around you to tell you something.

Maybe a sign to tell you to stop or to listen, you might have sent pictures to someone else that tells them a message instead of using words.

Using pictures and symbols can be a good way to share a message as everyone can see and understand it.

So, let's get started and think about ways people use pictures as messages.

Welcome to today's lesson.

Today's lesson is called Pictures as Messages from the unit, Message Makers.

And by the end of this lesson, you'll be able to use a picture or symbol to send a message.

There are three key words to today's lesson.

Picture.

Picture is a drawing or photo.

Symbol.

Symbol is a picture that stands for something.

Message.

Message is what someone wants to tell or show others.

There are two sections to today's lesson.

The first is recognize pictures or symbols as messages, and the second is use pictures or symbols to communicate meaning.

So, let's start with recognize pictures or symbols as messages.

Pictures can be used to share messages, they can show ideas, actions, or information.

Aisha says, "I draw pictures to show what I mean.

" And you might be able to think of lots of ways you've drawn pictures to show what you did at the weekend, or what you did last night, or on a holiday.

We use pictures to show when we don't know what the words are sometimes.

Symbols are pictures that stand for something, they're often used instead of words.

These, on the slides, you can see are different signs that you might have seen when you are out and about.

The first one usually used to tell you not to do something, the one in the middle tells you which way to go, and the one on the end tells you to stop.

People use pictures and symbols when they want a message to be understood without reading, this helps more people understand the message.

Can you think what that symbol there is saying?

If you saw that, what do you think meant?

It's used to tell you that there might be hedgehogs crossing and the use of a triangle is a warning.

Pictures and symbols can help people who cannot read words yet.

Laura says, "I can see what the sign means even if there are no words.

" And you might have seen that one there that shows children, and it's a warning, usually used for when it's crossing a road.

Pictures and symbols are often used in busy places.

They are quick to see and easy to understand, especially on roads.

If you're in the car, you can see a sign really quickly, and see the symbols when you don't have enough time to read something, let's have a quick check.

Why might a picture be used instead of words?

A, pictures are always nicer, B, pictures can be quicker to understand, C, words cannot be used, or D pictures are only for art.

Pause the video, and think which one of those answers is right.

Is it A, B, C, or D for that question.

Why might a picture be used instead of words?

Then we'll go through the answer.

Let's check your answer.

The answer was B, pictures can be quicker to understand.

Well done if you got that correct.

Pictures and symbols are often used so everyone sees the same message.

This helps people understand the message in the same way.

This also means that if someone doesn't speak the same language, they can still understand the sign.

Let's have a quick check, true or false.

Pictures can be messages even if no words are used.

Pause the video and think, is that true or false?

Can pictures be messages even if no words are used?

Then we'll go through the answer.

Let's check your answer.

The answer is true, well done if you've got that correct.

Pictures and symbols help people understand messages quickly without needing words.

Remember that sign there that's got the symbols there, we have a triangle and we've got children in the middle.

Let's do an activity.

Look at the pictures or symbols shown and explain what message each one shows.

So, you've got three there to have a look at.

What does each message show?

Pause the video, and then we'll go through the answers.

Let's check your answers.

So, the first one is used, and it says no entry sign, the second was wash your hands, and the third was hedgehog crossing.

Well done if you got those correct.

Let's move on to the second part of today's lesson, use pictures or symbols to communicate meaning.

People choose pictures or symbols on purpose.

They think about what message they want to send.

Aisha said, "I chose a picture that helps people understand.

" Some messages need to be understood quickly, pictures and symbols help with this.

And this example was the wash-your-hands one.

Very quick, we can understand that that is water over hands and know that we need to wash our hands.

Pictures and symbols can be understood by people from different places.

They can be used internationally, which means in lots of different countries.

Laura says, "I see the same pictures in different places.

" Those pictures there showing a male and a female shows which toilets to go to.

We know those symbols, we know what they mean, and we know that in all the countries that we go to.

So, we know which one to go into even if we can't understand the words.

Digital tools can be used to send pictures.

Pictures can be shared using devices.

Remember, devices can be a phone, a computer, or a tablet.

Let's have a quick check.

Which picture would best show the message, warning?

Is it A the cat, B, the exclamation mark in the triangle, or C, the circle?

Pause the video to consider your answer, and then we'll check it.

Let's check your answer.

The answer was B, well done if you got that correct.

The use of a triangle always tells us it is a warning.

Anything inside there is warning us about it.

Well then if you got that.

When people use pictures or symbols, they check that the message is clear.

If others understand it, the picture works.

Which is why it's always good to check if people can see what it means.

And you can see here an example, the one at the top has got a circle with a cross through saying no entry.

And the one underneath has got a tick, and it's somebody leaning over.

And what is it they're doing, is it clear?

Let's have a quick check, true or false?

Messages always need words to be understood.

Is that true or false?

Do messages always need words to be understood?

Pause the video to consider your answer, and then we'll check it.

Let's check your answer, the answer was false.

Why is that false?

Have a think, can you explain why that statement there, why messages always need words to be understood is false?

and then we'll go through an answer.

Let's check your answer.

Pictures and symbols can show meaning without using words.

Well done if you've got that correct.

Let's do the activity.

Create or choose a picture or symbol to send a message.

Your message could be stop, warning, happy, no entry.

Be ready to explain what your picture means.

Pause the video and have a go at that activity.

Can you create, or go and find, choose a picture or symbol to send that message.

So, think about that message.

Do you want to say stop, go you want it to say warning, do you want it to say happy, do you want it to say no Entry?

What symbol or picture will you use in your message?

But remember that you need to explain why you chose that picture, what does that picture mean?

Pause the video and have a go, and then we'll go through some answers.

Let's have a look at some answers.

So, this one, so remember, we share your pictures and symbols with the class.

This is a creative task, so all signs might be slightly different.

So, Laura has put, "I created a no entry symbol.

It has a big red cross in a circle.

I think it's very clear not to enter.

" Is that clear to you?

Would you know that when you looked at that?

It's very clear, the use of red helps us to know that it is something we shouldn't do, 'cause we usually think about red to stop us doing something.

So, it's stopping us, it's got a big cross through it.

So, that's a good example, well done, Laura.

And I'm sure you came up with some really creative ideas here.

And make sure you share those with your class so that you can all see the different symbols that you would use, and why you chose to use those in your message.

Well done for completing that activity.

In summary, pictures and symbols can be used to communicate messages.

Messages do not always need words because pictures and symbols can show meaning on their own.

Pictures and symbols help people understand messages quickly and easily.

And digital tools can be used to send pictures to share messages with others.

Well done for completing this lesson, Pictures as Messages.