This document discusses representations of gender in video games. It provides learning objectives around developing skills in reading media texts and analyzing positive and negative gender representations in games. It prompts students to think about gender, race, and disability representations in games they play and examples of stereotypes. Students are instructed to consider character roles, narrative agency, and power dynamics to analyze how characters are represented, not just visually.

1. BIG PICTURE
A focus on representations of
gender in videogames
KEYWORDS
Abusive – Exploit – Misogyny –
Stereotype – Objectification –
Male Gaze
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Develop skills in reading media texts and taking
focused notes about specific issues
SUCCESS CRITERIA
• Powerpoint on positive and negative
gender representations in two different
games
Take your seat. Bag under your desk.
Have your equipment and planner out.
Unit 1 - Representations
• What positive representations of gender and / or race
can you think of from video games you play?
• How about disability?
• Can you think of examples of the stereotype of
disabled characters having special powers?

2. TELL ME
STUFF!
TAKE ME
THROUGH
IT…
LET ME
HAVE A
GO…
DO I GET
IT?
1 2 3 4 5 6
SETTING THE
SCENE
JOINING UP
LEARNING
LINKS TO LAST
TIME
PASSING ON
KNOWLEDGE
GUIDED PRACTICE
& MODELLING
INDEPENDENT
PRACTICE –
APPLYING THE
SKILLS TO NEW
SITUATIONS
ASSESSMENT &
FEEDBACK
PULL IT TOGETHER
JOINING UP
LEARNING
LINKS TO NEXT
TIME

3. You need to think about more than the obvious visual
representations of characters in order to think about how
they are represented
• What kind of role do characters have
within a narrative?
• How much narrative agency do they
have? (How much do their
characters have control within the
narrative? Are they actively making
things happen?)
• How do they relate to other
characters? What kind of power
dynamics are there?

4. When you are working on an exam style
question...
Pay attention to the things the question is
asking for. If you're asked about 'how
techniques (or 'technical elements') create
representations' then you can choose to
focus on what you think is relevant. If
you're asked to focus on specifics (sound,
mise en scene, editing) then you'll only get
marks for talking about those things.

5. • What different representations of gender does
this clip create?
• How does it use sound and mise en scene to do
so?
1. Pay attention to the specifics you're asked to discuss – sound and
mise en scene
2. Pay attention to Diagetic and Non-Diagetic Sound and talk about
them separately (and together where relevant)
3. Pay attention to different aspects of mise en scene – not just the
things you see but the use of light and shadow and of different
colours and colour palettes.
4. Pay attention to the power dynamics between characters in the
narrative (and between characters and the setting) and think about
how they are created, particularly by sound and mise en scene.

6. 1. Choose three female
characters from texts in three
different media
a) Posters and advertising
b) Video games
c) Film or television
d) Music video
Follow up – homework task
For each character comment on:-
i. Body image
ii. Costume
iii. Physical beauty (which is an interestingly
subjective and historically and culturally specific
idea, but I think you know what I mean here)
iv. Abilities / Powers
v. Significance within the narrative
vi. Narrative agency
vii. Narrative outcomes – what happens to them?

7. BIG
PICTURE
MY
LEARNING
How did this
lesson fit into
your other
lessons?
What is my
top take- away
from the
lesson?
Have you contributed to the lesson? Will you be able to improve
next lesson? Do you know what you need to go away and do?
o Keep up with new vocabulary
o Keep looking and watching as
students as well as fans – what
are you starting to notice when
you watch films or TV, or play
games, or watch music video...