VELS Unit Planner Team: Year 8 Literacy Year Level: Year 8

Step 1
1. What is worthy and desiring of understanding? (Identify desired results)
2. What is evidence of understanding? (Determine acceptable evidences)
3. What learning experiences and teaching promote understanding, interest and excellence? (Plan learning experiences and instructions)
Key Concept Poetry
(Generative topic / why? /
big idea)
Focus Essential Learning Domain:
Domain English

Dimensions:
Reading, writing, speaking and listening
use of a range of strategies for interpreting texts, control of writing texts in various forms, composed imaginative and informative texts presenting
challenging ideas and issues, selection of appropriate features of spoken language to shape a text for a specific audience and purpose.

Supporting Domain Domain:

Communication

Dimensions:
Presenting
incorporation of feedback from others, revising for greater clarity in their presentation
Supporting Domain Domain:
Personal Learning

Dimensions:
Thinking
a ability to locate and critically assess information from varied sources

Understanding Goals
(Written as essential
questions or statements)
1 2 3 4
Understand the language Creation of original poetry. Analysing a range of Performance of original or
features and styles of a published poems published poems.
range of poetry.

Step 2
1. What is worthy and desiring of understanding? (Identify desired results)
 2. What is evidence of understanding? (Determine acceptable evidences)
3. What learning experiences and teaching promote understanding, interest and excellence? (Plan learning experiences and instructions)
Sequence Understandin Performances of Understanding Ongoing Assessment Reference to specific VELS
g Goals (Criteria, feedback & reflection) standards
Introductory
Performances 1 Teaching poetic forms. Class participation in discussion. Listening, viewing and responding
(Tuning in)
Similes, metaphor, personification, Express creative and analytical
alliteration assonance, rhyme, responses to language features.
onomatopoeia, shape, pattern,
string, cinquain, limericks, sense and
haiku poems.

Guided Inquiry
Performances 2,3 Reading and writing a range of the Poetry assignment presented. Listening, viewing and responding
(Finding out / above poems using techniques
sorting out / studied. Identify key ideas and take notes
going further)
Improve in accuracy and readability
of their writing

Developing confidence in the

identification and use of
grammatical conventions

Producing personal poems

Culminating
Performances 2, 3 Completion of all activities, including Speak out feedback – refer to Review of the effectiveness of
(Making speak out activity and reflective criteria sheet. management of tasks
conclusions / piece.
taking action) Reflection. Identify successes and strategies
that would improve outcomes

Step 3
1. What is worthy and desiring of understanding? (Identify desired results)
2. What is evidence of understanding? (Determine acceptable evidences)
3. What learning experiences and teaching promote understanding, interest and excellence? (Plan learning experiences and
 instructions)

Weekly Overview
(Units may vary in length. A 6 week timeframe is not prescriptive)
Week 1 Read and study poetic forms

Week 2 Produce a range of poems

Week 3 Produce a range of poems

Analyse published poetry

Prepare for oral presentation

Week 4 Present poem to class (including reflection)

Resources
Poetry books
Poetry examples on Resources
Assignment sheet in Resources
Reflection sheet in Resources