The World of Symbols

• A place to document your notes: a piece of paper, a Word document, etc.
• If you're using paper: a pen or pencil.

By the end of this lesson, students will:

• 1.3 locate and select information to support ideas for writing, using several different strategies and print, electronic, and other resources, as appropriate
• 1.5 determine whether the ideas and information gathered are relevant to the topic, sufficient for the purpose, and meet the requirements of the writing task
• 2.4 write complete sentences that communicate their meaning clearly and accurately, varying sentence type, structure, and length for different purposes and making logical transitions between ideas

• 1.2 interpret simple and complex media texts, identifying and explaining the overt and implied messages they convey
• 1.5 identify the perspectives and/or biases evident in both simple and complex media texts and comment on any questions they may raise about beliefs, values, and identity

Time Required: 75 Minutes

Curriculum Connections:  English Grades 9 and 10 Ontario ,  English Grades 11 and 12 Ontario 

It's in the name: stop!

Traffic signs like this one give you important information about the law, warn you about dangerous conditions, and help you find your way. 

In this activity, if you see a red stop sign, it means to stop scrolling because there's an activity for you to complete. These activities may be questions you need to answer, pictures you need to look at, or other tasks that you will do in your notes.

You may not know exactly how to phrase your thoughts, and that's okay! The important thing is that you try to brainstorm some ideas. If you get stuck, think about the stop sign and what it does. How does a symbol like this protect us when we drive?

Before you move on, check that:

• Your definition is more than eight words long.
• It begins with a capital letter and ends with a period.
• You have spelled every word correctly, or to the best of your ability.

A symbol can be any object, character, colour, or even shape that represents an abstract concept. It indicates, signifies, or is understood as representing an idea, object, or relationship.

If you now have two definitions in your notes, then you've successfully completed the first task! Now that we understand what a symbol is, we can talk more about why they matter.

We live in a world full of symbols. If you've ever been stopped at an intersection or crosswalk, you've looked for the basic, featureless human figure on the pedestrian signal to tell you when it's safe to cross the road. Signals like these do not use words to give you information; rather, they use images that have a secondary meaning. If you understand what the secondary meaning is, you understand what the symbol represents.

If you visit a place that doesn't use a walking person to tell you it's safe to cross, you might not understand what you're supposed to do. You can see an example of this on the left on the map of Europe.

Some symbols are culturally specific. An example of a symbol that varies by culture is that of a marriage proposal. While many countries use engagement rings as a symbol of being betrothed, Wales often uses “lovespoons” to signify one’s partnership. In Thailand, a marriage proposal might be signified by a thong mun—gifts made out of gold.

In fictional texts, you can find symbolism by looking for objects that appear multiple times in the text or have special emphasis given to them. It might seem like the author is intentionally pointing out something that they want you to notice. For example, a character might be described as having a knife that they always carry with them. The knife may be mentioned even when it's not in use, or the character might be defined by the fact that they own it. This could be symbolic of the character's toughness. Or, it could be symbolic of their paranoia, as they feel they always need to have a knife to protect themselves. The important thing is that before you make these connections, you think about why the author is using these objects to provide characterization or commentary on the events of the plot.

Many people confuse the difference between a symbol and a metaphor. Both of these literary devices are comparative, but they cannot be used interchangeably.

Now that we know what makes a symbol different from a metaphor, let's take a look at an example of a symbol that has multiple meanings to understand how symbols are created and change over time or over the course of a narrative.

Pink is a popular colour that we see hundreds of times every day. It appears in nature, in the products we buy, and in the marketing that we see. That said, it's also rather infamous.

in·fa·mous adjective 1. well known for some bad quality or deed.

The colour pink itself is not bad, but because it is associated with certain ideas, groups, and people, it has the power to be negative in certain contexts, as well as positive in others! Part of the problem may well be that pink has become so associated with gender that many people can’t see it as a colour independent of that meaning. However, there are many associations with pink that aren't feminine.

Let's take a look at some images that associate the colour pink with a feeling or an idea. Click on the left and right arrows to scroll through the slideshow.

Do you think pink always had these associations? Are there some that have appeared in recent years because of popular trends? To answer these questions, we're going to go on a tour!

The following map tour will show you how pink has developed as a symbol over hundreds of years. There will be a short comprehension check at the end, so make sure you pay attention to the details.

You might have noticed how the colour pink is not fixed in a single meaning. Its associations are dependent on the context it is being viewed in.

con·text noun 1. the parts of a discourse that surround a word or passage and can throw light on its meaning 2. the interrelated conditions in which something exists or occurs: ENVIRONMENT, SETTING

When you call something a symbol, you always have to be wary of when, where, and why the author uses it. Just because a symbol means something in one culture does not mean that it is universally associated with it.

When you feel ready, take the following comprehension check to see if you understood the main points of the map tour.

Up until this point, you have completed some basic exercises. Now, it's time to think deeper about why symbols have such great importance. You can't claim that an object is a symbol without explaining what it means and why that is important!

Look at the differences between the quality of these answers.

Sweetgrass is a symbol. (Okay, but a symbol of what?)

Sweetgrass is a symbol of unity. (Better, but in what context?)

"To the Anishinaabe First Nation, sweetgrass is believed to be the sacred hair of O’gushnan, Mother Earth, and is often braided; the three sections representing mind, body, and soul. Some First Nations believe the three sections of the braid represent love, kindness and honesty" (ITC, 2012). (Good. This is a thorough explanation that gives the cultural context to the symbol and can be used in further analysis of a text if willed.)

I have modelled what a good answer looks like. Now, it is time for you to answer the following two questions in complete sentences.

Below, you will find three images to choose from. They are all examples of common symbols found in texts and cultural contexts. Pick the one that you want to learn more about.

Now that you've chosen your object, you will be responsible for doing some research about it as a symbol. Below, you will find a map. This map will tour you around five subcontinents, all of which have distinctive cultural practices and beliefs. We're used to only learning about the North American context, but now it's time to broaden our horizons.

Before you close this lesson, see if you can answer yes to the following questions.