Setting the Tone…Or is it Mood?
Posted by Vincent O'HaraTone and mood – same thing, right? Not at all. While their separate meanings addle the layperson, the 7th-grade Humanities students have a clear understanding of their differences. The tone of a text is the author’s attitude toward the subject, and the mood is the overall feeling or emotions experienced by the reader or viewer. Upon learning this, the students were put to the test. Mr. Snow played movie trailers for the students to identify each film’s tone and mood. But, wait, there’s more! Then, the kids had to watch a re-mixed/edited version of the same movie trailer and determine the differences in tone and mood. For instance, they first watched the original preview for the movie Elf and identified the tone as playful and light, while the mood was silly and cheerful. However, when they saw the re-mixed version of Elf as a thriller, the students discovered the tone was more threatening or sardonic with a foreboding mood.
It is not every day that students lobby to receive the same lesson as another class, but that is what occurred following this humanities class. Passersby couldn’t help but notice the 7th-graders hooting and hollering, laughing and learning. Kids are experts on fun, and those not in the 7th-grade wanted in because the tone was studious yet lighthearted, and the mood was joyous and scholarly. It is safe to say both the students and Mr. Snow nailed this one.
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