17547840 1

ENGLISH LESSON PLAN 1

Class: Stage 5 (Year 9) Time: 60 mins

Topic: Media Shaped Narratives

Outcomes
Outcome 3 EN5-3B selects and uses language forms, features and structures of texts
appropriate to a range of purposes, audiences and contexts, describing and explaining
their effects on meaning

Content Point:
Engage personally with texts:
analyse and explain how text structures, language features and visual features of texts
and the context in which texts are experienced may influence audience response
(ACELT1641)

Materials
Smartboard
Laptop
Image 1 and 2 for ‘boat people’ campaign.
Liberal Party “Issue 10 – Securing Australia’s Borders.” web page.
https://www.liberal.org.au/our-plan/border-protection
The Guardian - “Australian government targets asylum seekers with graphic
campaign.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/11/government-launches-
new-graphic-campaign-to-deter-asylum-seekers
The Conversation – “Spot the difference: Labor vs the Coalition on asylum seekers.”
https://theconversation.com/spot-the-difference-labor-vs-the-coalition-on-asylum-
seekers-45581
Australia Day Lamb Ad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBTWc4i_Fhw

Procedures
Time Organisation Teaching/ learning activities
2 mins Roll and Mark roll, set up smart board.
smart board
3 mins Inform students of the structure of the lesson;
- Learning about narrative and the way it can be
shaped by media
- Will be looking at familiar issues in Australian
media, the way it was presented, by whom and the
narrative course it was set upon and where it
extended to.
- First text/issue will be the boat people/immigration
campaign that began a few years ago.
17547840 2

10 Introduce Engage in general open discussion with class about any

mins narrative knowledge about narrative and narrative structure as a
structure as literacy concept; list all suggestions on board in mind
concept by map.
creating
mind map on Begin scaffolding understanding of narrative by adding;
white board. themes, audience/characters, plot, narrative voice or
author, morals, stereotypes or icons indicative of genre,
context and timeline of storytelling to list if not present
already. Add visual (camera angles & lighting /
symbolism etc) conventions and language conventions
(similes, metaphors, imagery etc) to map, depending on
text.

Encourage open discussion on each of the above

techniques as map is being written, annotate further
explanations underneath each technique to assure all
students understand and have information listed.

Establish that ‘narrative’ is storytelling, in conventional

and unconventional ways, and that the listed techniques
accentuate the message/s of the narrative.

10 Project Starting with Image 1, ask students to feel free to call out
mins Image 1 and what ‘messages/ideas’ they feel are being portrayed, list
Liberal Party these onto white board next to image (What’s the story
“Issue 10” here and who are the characters?).
article on Scaffold by directing attention to visual elements, why
smart board they stand out and how they make students feel not only
within the picture, but personally (cloudy weather, choppy
waves, and slogan). Annotate identified conventions and
techniques onto board.
Repeat with “Issue 10” but focus on language features.
Scaffold for students by highlighting figurative and strong
linguistic elements on smart board, encourage discussion
and direct student interpretation toward ‘final messages’
in comparison to the image, the ‘author’ behind the
narrative (scaffold by suggesting it is not individualistic,
rather, suggestive of representing Australian ‘values’) and
the audience (is it just for illegal migrants or is it for an
Australian audience too? And how so?) Clarify that they
can identify the metaphorical protagonist and antagonist,
then explain the role of ‘foil’. Connect to audience
potentially filling that role.
15mins Hand out Allocate students into groups of 4-5 and instruct them to
Narrative discuss the three texts in and complete as much of the
Analysis table on the analysis sheet as they can. Advise students to
Template, refine their analysis to 1-2 themes per text and to reflect
display on what each of the columns portrays about the ‘author’
image 2 on and the ‘audience’. Clarify that groups will be expected to
17547840 3

board and present their findings in a general class discussion to filter

hand out The through similar and contrasting ideas at the end. Teacher
Guardian to move between groups to provide support.
and The
Conversation
articles
10 Display Engage in class discussion on presenting findings per
Narrative group, as ideas are being listed across each column,
Analysis indicate that students should note down information they
Template on do not have, also pause and ask other groups if they had
Smart Board similar ideas to avoid repetition and encourage
collaborative discussion. Clarify the narrative or narratives
that have been identified and why.
10 Show Advise students that video is an indication of ‘post’ or
Australia ‘counter’ anti-immigration narrative. Use text to explain
Day lamb that this indicates the importance of chronology to show
video when and how information is presented and how it
(2 mins and ‘emerges’ and/or is ‘shaped’. End lesson by indicating
36 seconds) chronology of contextual information and its effects on
narratives will be discussed next lesson.
Homework Think about what is missing from this ‘story telling’, what
contextual details aren’t there and could have potentially
changed the message outcome in regard to the author and
intended audience?
17547840 4

Image 1

Image 2
17547840 5

NARRATIVE ANALYSIS TEMPLATE

Theme/s, messages and Visual conventions
potential morals (symbolism, use of colour,
patterns, scale and sizing,
tone, lighting, iconography
or camera angles etc)
Image 2
Linguistic features Context (social, historical, cultural
(metaphors, similes, and political assumptions or
alliteration/assonance, factors.
slogans, alignment, font

Article by The
Guardian

Article by The
Conversation
17547840 6

What do your findings about the
techniques suggest about the
author/illustrator
/narrator? (hint; is there only one
narrator or is there an attempt to
unify voices/values through the
narrator?)
Image 2
And what about the intended
audience? Who are they and what
do they say about the narrator?
(hint; consider audience as ‘foil’. Is
the image only a warning or an
expression of Australian values? If
so, what difference does this
make?)

Article by The
Guardian

Article by The
Conversation
17547840 7

Evaluation:
Lesson 1 is part of 3 lessons focusing on narratives shaped by media, this beginning lesson

focuses on establishing the unconventional forms narratives are manifested in and told through.

The Australian political campaign regarding immigrants that arrive by boat, infamously dubbed

“boat people” was an emerging narrative that portrayed them as a threat of severity, it was shaped

over time in media as national concern at the federal level, affiliating itself with political motives.

Firstly, I am choosing to teach narrative as an English concept as it is relevant in every

context and in the English context, it is most helpful in foregrounding the simplicity of

understanding interrelations between most major concepts; character, setting, tone, context etc.

Simplifying narrative as a series of unfolding events in a specified order, where “the temporal

ordering of what happens” (Bennett & Royle, 2014, p.55) should be focused on enforces students

to pay attention to detail and engage with the text at each dissected point. To further enunciate the

importance of narrative structure is to have the students realise what has been exploited, guarded

or presented in anyway, it is also key to remember that “Narrative, however is characterised by its

foregrounding of a series of events or actions which are connected in time.” (Bennett & Royle,

2014, p.55). This would mean engagement with the texts to achieve this understanding would

achieve Outcome 3 (EN5-3B) (2012) whereby student analysis of features and structures and how

they are appropriate or inappropriate for specific contexts would be clarified.

The concept is being taught using 6 texts to unfold the event as relative to understanding

narrative. Image 1, its visual and literary features and the ‘way’ it makes students feel is to ease

them into grasping the concept. Identifying the outstanding features and skimming through the

Liberal Party’s official outline to border protection to link and connect their interpretations to

contextualise the narrative acts to guide and scaffold them into defining narrative as the macro and

the features which make it, the micro elements. Through asking students about potential

‘protagonist and antagonist’ characters, even if they are just the author and subject further clarifies

the narrative concept as applicable to any format, it is then made complex by questioning the role
17547840 8

of the narrator, its audience and agenda through themes. The ‘foil’ is a third characterisation

category next to the protagonist or antagonist who’s existence in a text, foregrounds the real

morals, ethics and intentions of the protagonist (Hamilton, 2007). Whilst these texts do not follow

a typical structure of ‘story telling’, the identification of the ‘good character’ and the ‘bad’ is a

standard ability applicable to any narrative, introducing the intended demographic of the

Australian audience and its the status quo as the ‘foil’, helps students to understand the shifts in an

emerging narrative and how it is shaped.

This relates to the readings of this unit in that students acknowledge that while narrative

can be the way we organise our experiences there is a set of rules we do this in context of. The

rules are modelled on our interpretation of our experiences, our schemas and most commonly, our

perceptions. (Gold, 2009). Furthermore, the use of images and visual connections encompasses the

aspect of how “…an image’s metonymy can enable for a viewer multiple possibilities…”

Stephens, 2009, p.100) to “…narrativise the scene by inserting their own intertextual

association…” (Stephens, 2009, p.100). This layered and complex thought process can only be

taught to students if the teacher is able and aware of the multilayered contexts, and that “…she or

he needs to be aware of how images of society are represented or reflected and of how audiences

relate to and interrogate those representations.” (Stephens, 2009, 97).

17547840 9

References:

Bennett, A.& Royle, N. (2014). ‘Narrative.’ In An Introduction to Literature, Criticism and

Theory; Fourth Edition (p.54-62). New York: Routledge.

Hamilton, S. (2007). ‘Narrative; Roles in Plot; ‘Foil’’. In Essential Literary terms (p.129-132).

New York: W.W. Norton & Company.

NSW Education Standards Authority. (2012). NSW Syllabus for the Australian curriculum;

English K-10 Syllabus. Retrieved from:

http://syllabus.nesa.nsw.edu.au/assets/englishk10/downloads/englishk10_full.pdf

Stephens, J. (2009). ‘Visual Literacy: Enabling and Promoting Critical Viewing.’ In Gannon, S. ,

Howie, M. and Sawyer, W. Charged with Meaning Re-Viewing English. (pp. 97-102).

Putney: Phoenix Education Pty Ltd.

17547840 10

ENGLISH LESSON PLAN 2

Class: Stage 5 (Year 9) Time: 60 mins

Topic: Media Shaped Narratives

Outcomes
Outcome 7 EN5-7D understands and evaluates the diverse ways texts can represent personal and
public worlds

Content Points:
Develop and apply contextual knowledge:
understand that people's evaluations of texts are influenced by their value systems, the context and
the purpose and mode of communication (ACELA1565)

Respond to and compose texts:

explore and analyse ethical positions on a current issue, including the values and/or principles
involved, in digital communication forums

Materials
Slip! Slop! Slap! Ad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7nocIenCYg
Cancer Council Serious Sun Ad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIoOlHUXRe4

The Daily Telegraph “Only Adam Goodes can stop the booing.”
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/rendezview/only-adam-goodes-can-stop-the-booing/news-
story/4b06efa15ec09a636411b2e33362a958

The Guardian: “Adam Goodes should apologise, says mother of girl who called him an ape”
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/jul/30/adam-goodes-should-apologise-says-mother-of-
girl-who-called-him-an-ape

Tasmanian Times: “Racist booing of Adam Goodes: this is Abbott’s Australia”

http://www.tasmaniantimes.com.au/index.php/article/racist-booing-of-adam-goodes-this-is-
abbotts-australia

Financial Review Opinion Article: https://www.afr.com/opinion/columns/afl-fans-can-boo-

anyone-just-not-swans-star-adam-goodes-20150729-gimzoq
17547840 11

Procedures
Time Organisation Teaching/ learning activities
2 Roll and Mark attendance and set up smart board and videos
mins smart board
3 Outline lesson plan as following;
mins - Will begin by revisiting ‘chronology’ in contextual
information and presentation of details and facts.
- This will be done by viewing the way the narrative of
sun protection in Australian culture from beaches to
daily life has become ‘shaped’ in adverts/public
service announcement ads.
- Will then move onto analysing the infamous racism
issue surrounding AFL star Adam Goodes and the
young fan who called him an ape played out
throughout media.

10 Show Slip! To establish the importance of time as a factor in determining

mins Slop! Slap! narrative, show both videos. The first video began an
Video (1 ‘emerging narrative’ of sun protection, the second is what it
min and 06 has been shaped into by contemporary media for
seconds) and contemporary audiences.
Cancer
Council Engage class in an open discussion about how presentation of
video (30 information shifted over time and why. Encourage note taking
seconds). while listing student input up on board. Scaffold by clarifying
why and how the first video helped ‘emerge’ and how the
second was to ‘shape’ via listing the contexts behind each
intended audience group;
1st; relatively new to idea of sun protection, delivery would be
intended to be calm, easy going and welcoming to new idea
2nd; general status quo on sun protection is established in that
the sun is harsh and cause damage of differing severities,
audience is more educated and aware, there is a need for
action and no need for care in delivering the message.
10 Hand out Instruct individual reading time of articles. Direct attention
mins sheets of back to front to engage in open discussion about knowledge of
articles issue. Ask students to help teacher draw a linear sequence of
events regarding the situation from initial occurrence of
situation, reporting and aftermath as a chronological visual
point of reference.
5 Provide Ask students to refer to analysis templates and scaffold each
mins students column by comparing two contrasting articles (the Daily
with Telegraph article and the Tasmanian Times Article).
Narrative Identify to students that where DT Article is opinionated and
Analysis – suggests idiocy and fault on behalf of AFL regulatory body
Shaping the for assuming crowd control to be effective and suggests their
Racism failure to do was misplaced upon the young fan, the TT
Narrative Article pin points booing as having begun directly after
surrounding Goodes’ spear dance performance establishing racism as the
Adam cause. Connect this to aspect of ‘climax’ in story telling.
17547840 12

Goodes and Indicate to students these beginning stance’s help steer the
have course of the narrative and therefore simplify analysing the
template on effects and impacts of selective fact reporting, regard or
smart board. disregard of context and choice in linguistic features.

10 Allocate Allocate two articles per group evenly amongst classroom

mins students into (two groups of 4-5 per article pairing and 2 article pairings in
groups of 4- total) and instruct students to complete the rows of analytical
5 columns.
10 Have Begin class discussion on findings from groups allocated per
mins template pair of articles. Fill in answers on smart board column by
open on column by encouraging groups from paired sides to contribute
smart board. answers briefly and encourage remaining groups who
analysed second pairing to fill in their blank spaces. Repeat
with second pairing so that all students are on the same page
in terms of analysis and understanding.
10 Open links Show students the ways in which audience and social
mins to comment response occurs and either complies with the message of the
sections article, confronts or challenges it or disagrees. Discuss the
differences between extensive responses, critical responses,
poorly worded responses and to pay attention to language.

Notify students of class activity in following lesson where

they will be presented with a scenario and will be assorted
into different groups of people from society to ‘respond’ to it
in two ways; write a short article or blog post where the group
themselves double up as narrator/reporter and members of
society that are interviewed. Secondly, respond in ‘tweets’ to
other ‘articles/blog posts’ whilst remaining in character.
Homework Ask students to check their email for ‘Tweet’ template,
instruct them to insert a picture for their ‘display picture’ and
edit in a fake account name. Instruct them to print this and
bring them to following class.
17547840 13

Evaluation:
The second lesson plan focuses on the way the infamous racism issue involving AFL player Adam

Goodes and a 13-year-old Collingwood fan. The reason this issue is being focused upon is to

allow students to understand the way information is relayed, withheld and presented after a series

of events has occurred, and how it changes or is shaped over time. Therefore, the lesson is begun

with a showing of two sun protection adverts, one from 1981 at the beginning of when the

narrative of sun protection was emerging and one to show how it has been shaped for

contemporary audiences now. The differences highlighted are to show what the narrator thinks of

its audience and therefore how they have chosen to present the information.

I am teaching this issue as it is a sensitive topic that is multi-layered in contextual

narratives, most importantly its themes. Understanding the complexity of thematic context and

composition strengthens student ability to understand the dynamics of narrative as a concept. It

also guides students to achieving Outcome 7 (EN5-7D) (2012) in learning to evaluate the

complexity and diversity of representation in public and personal contexts. Layers begin with the

topical theme, the noun or verb of a part of the story follow with interpersonal themes presenting

feeling behind the expression of the narrator and finally, textual theme links and connects

circumstances (Rossbridge & Rushton, 2010). Students abilities to identify the initial topic and

where in the unfolding of the sequence of events being presented the narrator focuses on and in

which tone, enables them to separate and reconnect the layers, clarifying the dynamic of not only

the article or texts, but the way it shifts the overall narrative and discourse within media.

I am choosing to teach this by presenting four different articles, two are against the

blaming of Adam Goodes and the other two are for, all four articles respond to the main narrative,

its intertwined contextual themes differently and shape four versions of narrative. Identifying the

similarities and differences between these taps into understanding the sociological bearings of

each narrator, their usual audience and agenda.

17547840 14

It relates to the readings in this unit as the need to acknowledge the range or spectrum of

perspectives and perceptions of any event or series of events, especially in a multimedia context is

acknowledged in ‘Charged with Meaning; Reviewing English: Third Edition’ (Gannon, Howie &

Sawyer, 2009). Specifically, it is clarified that in English when critiquing screen texts “…we rely

on multiplicity of viewer context rather than a unified audience response…” (Mooney, 2009,

p.269) and that “It is often argued, particularly in relation to television audiences, that viewers are

not positioned by a single dominant ideology, but interact with a multiplicity of possible

discourses, activated by a viewer’s other social, cultural and institutional experiences.” (Stephens,

2009, p.98). Lesson 2 scaffolds this idea of multiple viewpoints by tasking students with critically

analysing the four texts as groups, enriching their collaborative skills as well as furthering the

extent of multiple perspectives via analysis.

17547840 15

References:

Mooney, M. (2009). ‘Composing Screen Drama Narratives.’ In Gannon, S. , Howie, M.

and Sawyer, W. Charged with Meaning Re-Viewing English. (pp. 265-276).

Putney: Phoenix Education Pty Ltd.

Stephens, J. (2009). ‘Visual Literacy: Enabling and Promoting Critical Viewing.’ In Gannon, S. ,

Howie, M. and Sawyer, W. Charged with Meaning Re-Viewing English. (pp. 97-102).

Putney: Phoenix Education Pty Ltd.

NSW Education Standards Authority. (2012). NSW Syllabus for the Australian curriculum;

English K-10 Syllabus. Retrieved from:

http://syllabus.nesa.nsw.edu.au/assets/englishk10/downloads/englishk10_full.pdf

Rossbridge, J. & Rushton, K. (2010). ‘Theme and Narrative Structure’. In Conversations about

text; Teaching grammar using literary terms, (p.57-69). New South Wales: Primary

English Teaching Association (e:lit).

17547840 16
Narrative Analysis – Shaping the Racism Narrative surrounding Adam Goodes
Chronology of narrative Context: Narrator (who is Themes or focal Linguistic features (metaphors,
plot/events as structured behind the piece, are they points, message and similes and other figurative
in article (at which point credible? Are they morale outcome. Also language techniques, tone,
of the incident as drawn sensationalist, opinionated or consider; contextual slogans and any included
on the whiteboard, does critical?) and intended themes (historical, pictures/comics?)
the article begin?) audience type. social, political etc)
The Daily Telegraph
Article

The Guardian Article

17547840 17

Narrative Analysis – Shaping the Racism Narrative surrounding Adam Goodes

Chronology of narrative Context: Narrator (who is Themes and message Linguistic features (metaphors,
plot/events as structured behind the piece, are they (focal points) Also similes and other figurative
in article (at which point credible? Are they consider; contextual language techniques, tone,
of the incident as drawn sensationalist, opinionated or themes (historical, slogans and any included
on the whiteboard, does critical?) and intended social, political etc) pictures/comics?)
the article begin?) audience type.
The Tasmanian Times

The Financial Review

17547840 18

ENGLISH LESSON PLAN 3

Class: Stage 5 (Year 9) Time: 60 mins

Topic: Media Shaped Narratives

Outcomes
Outcome 5 EN5-5C thinks imaginatively, creatively, interpretively and critically about
information and increasingly complex ideas and arguments to respond to and compose texts in a
range of contexts

Content Point:
Understand and apply knowledge of language forms and features;
understand and use the language of argument, eg the use of logic, evidence, refutation, ellipsis,
irrelevance and circumlocution, and analyse how it affects responses

Respond to and compose texts:

understand and analyse differences between opinions and reasoned arguments, differences in
shades of opinion and inconsistencies

Outcome 9 EN5-9E purposefully reflects on, assesses and adapts their individual and collaborative
skills with increasing independence and effectiveness

Content Point:
Respond to and compose texts.
collaboratively construct texts for a variety of purposes and audiences

Materials
Glue,
A3 Papers,
Blue tack
Scissors
Scenario and social groups
Planning guidelines
‘Tweet’ templates
17547840 19

Procedures
Time Organisation Teaching/ learning activities
2 mins Roll and Mark attendance and set up smart board and creative materials
smart board to be distributed.
5 mins Display Outline lesson plan as following;
instruction - students will be assorted into 4 different groups of
sequence people from society; to ‘respond’ to it in two ways;
and scenario write a short article or blog post reporting on the issue
on smart where the groups double up as narrator/reporter and
board. Show the members of society that are interviewed for their
and explain piece.
scenario and - Articles will be constructed in context of
allocate social/political/cultural stance of groups, their
groups. perspective and agenda, the narrative can be
‘emerging’ or be ‘shaped’.
- Note that second instruction asks students to remain in
character and respond via tweets in a ‘Twitter thread’
under each final published article (on A3 paper).
- Allocate group members by numbering students 1-4 to
form 4 groups. (See Scenario sheet for details on
group characters)
5 List of Advise students that they may follow this list of indicators for
minutes indicators their planning process/draft.
for planning Allow all groups to ask questions about activity to clarify
on smart instructions.
board.
7 mins Move group Instruct groups to begin completing planning sheet, remind
to group to them they do not need to answer everything as it is only a
provide scaffolding strategy to assist them with their article content.
support Ensure all members of groups can provide input to planning
during process.
planning.
3 mins Monitor Stop class to instruct and encourage students to speak to other
class control groups about their approach, advise groups that this is to help
them get a better understand of the contextual social setting of
their situation.
12 mins Monitor and Instruct groups to begin writing their drafts, move around the
assist group class to offer support and ensure each member of the group is
draft writing participating.
10 mins Assure Instruct students they may begin writing out their main article
materials for on the A3 sheet, advise that they can decorate it with colour
published and drawings/comics. Move around class to assist students
version are and monitor class in general.
given to
each group .
Monitor and
assist
students
with
17547840 20

published
version
8 mins Provide blue Allocate one member of each group to stick their piece on
tack for back wall/white board (whichever is available) with enough
groups to space for a ‘thread of tweets’ to fit below each article. Instruct
stick up students to be seated and ask each group to explain their
final pieces article briefly.
on back
wall/ across
white board.
8 mins Have Allocate students to cut out their templates and begin their
students cut ‘responses online as active social members’ for each article.
out their Remind students to keep to their narratives from their pieces.
tweet Advise they are free to get up to view the articles and others
templates comments and place their ‘tweets’ with blue tack under the
and provide articles.
blue tack to
all students.
Homework How many narratives ‘emerged’ from this task? And which
details stood out to you that you think helped ‘shape’ a
narrative in this activity?
17547840 21

Evaluation:

In the final lesson plan, students are instructed to respond to a scenario creatively, where their

principal is a vampire than stays back after hours and watches over the school grounds

protectively from atop the buildings. The activity involves being assigned to a social category and

composing a piece, an article, a blog post or a public notice in a way that individuals from that

social context would do so for audiences of their demographics. The students are also expected to

‘respond’ to all 4 final articles as if they were uploaded on twitter, enabling a thread of tweets to

follow.

I chose this activity as a way for students to apply what they learnt in the first two lessons.

This activity would allow them to achieve Outcome 5 (EN5-5C) in that they would have to

evaluate their approach through planning by considering their arguments, their demographics

interpretation and response to the scenario and compose a piece with suitable rhetorical devices

and language. Additionally, according to Gannon, Howie & Sawyer (2009) social networking,

despite its negative connotations can be an opportunity for students to respond and create

pedagogically (Jetnikoff, 2009). Furthermore, it is important to understand differentiation as an

addressing of “…student differences in readiness, interest and learning profiles with the goal of

maximising the capacity of each learner (Stafford, 2016), this activity allows each student to

adjust their application of themselves as they have room for compromise and creativity.

I am teaching it via the activity mentioned above, to achieve Outcome 9 (EN5-9E). The

scenario itself allocates students to reflect on and refer to their analysis’ of conventions and

underlying contexts, how they are portrayed and manipulated. For example, students need to set a

social agenda responding to their social group which in turn would clarify the structure of their

form and style. According to Mooney (2009) genre aesthetics from style to form can be a system

of interpretation for viewers who can recognise iconic codes and conventions to identify narratives

(Mooney, 2009). Students now know the importance of recognisable patterns in visuals especially
17547840 22

film genres, they can apply this in the activity. Figures and tropes are another set of rhetorical

devices that are intertwined into the concept of narrative. Allocating students to dissect the

techniques in each texts; from theme, character, context to link them back to one or many

identified narratives, enunciates the importance of rhetorical figures in narration as not only

decorative additions, but in rhythm of expressing the shape of the narrative (Bennett & Royle,

2014).

This relates to my readings in this unit as this is a collaborative project and a rich

“culminating project will offer differentiation for individuals, are usually enquiry based and allow

student to showcase the depth of their understanding with opportunity to add their own personal

touches creatively.” (Daly, 2016, p.151) According to Boas & Gazis (2016) their collaborative

learning is enhanced when the following four conditions are ensured; an effective teaching

learning framework where instructions and goals are clear and support is provided, positive

classroom environment where student personal and social capabilities are developed through a

culture of respect and connection. Furthermore; teaching of the language of collaboration where

students are equipped with tools like exploratory talk where they can challenge and consider

proposals, consensus and dissensus; in which they can understand underlying narratives and

assumptions in disagreements critically and to seek help. Lastly, groups should be intermixed

ability to encourage collaboration. (Williams, 2016). All of these steps are assured in this lesson

plan to provide an effective collaborative learning experience.

17547840 23

References:

Bennett, A.& Royle, N. (2014). ‘Figures and tropes.’ In An Introduction to Literature, Criticism

and Theory; Fourth Edition (p.80-87). New York: Routledge.

Daly, K. (2016). ‘Culminating projects in English’’. In Boas, E. and Gazis, S. (eds) The Artful

English Teacher: Over 100 Practical Strategies for the English Classroom, (p.151-175)

Adelaide: Australian Association for the Teaching of English.

Jetnikoff, A. (2009). ‘Using Media Technologies in English.’ In Gannon, S. , Howie, M.

and Sawyer, W. Charged with Meaning Re-Viewing English. (pp.307-314).

Putney: Phoenix Education Pty Ltd.

Mooney, M. (2009). ‘Composing Screen Drama Narratives.’ In Gannon, S. , Howie, M.

and Sawyer, W. Charged with Meaning Re-Viewing English. (pp. 265-276).

Putney: Phoenix Education Pty Ltd.

NSW Education Standards Authority. (2012). NSW Syllabus for the Australian curriculum;

English K-10 Syllabus. Retrieved from:

http://syllabus.nesa.nsw.edu.au/assets/englishk10/downloads/englishk10_full.pdf

Stafford, S. (2016). ‘Differentiation’. In Boas, E. and Gazis, S. (eds) The Artful English Teacher:

Over 100 Practical Strategies for the English Classroom, (p.61-82) Adelaide: Australian

Association for the Teaching of English.

Williams, L. (2016). ‘Fostering Collaboration’. In Boas, E. and Gazis, S. (eds) The Artful English

Teacher: Over 100 Practical Strategies for the English Classroom, (p.21-39) Adelaide:

Australian Association for the Teaching of English.

17547840 24

Scenario: In the last week or so, there have been sightings on and around the front of your school
Western High School of a mysteriously ‘fast’ and slightly ‘frightening’ figure. Sightings include
glowing eyes, the figure being perched at random times on top of some of front buildings,
seemingly ‘peering’ down onto the activities on the main road and connected small streets facing
the entrance of the school. It looks like an adult male and only seems to come out when the sun
sets, but it has been spotted sitting on the back buildings near the oval. A student walking home
late at around 7.30 pm from the back gate felt she was being ‘watched and turned to see glowing
eyes peering at her, it didn’t move and only shifted when cars passed her.

The general public of the local area including students, parents and guardians and now, even the
local paper have become aware of the mystery figure, there have been no attacks, only an incident
where a group of young men parked outside the front bus bay had items such as cups and pencils
hurled at them at “shocking and violent speeds” which they say “honestly really hurt and freaked
us out! But it didn’t move any further? I think it even hissed at one point?!”. The incident occurred
at 8.00 pm on Thursday night, at exactly the same time the Year 11 dance team finished their
after-hours practice and were leaving the grounds to head home.

There are rumours he is a guardian angel and others say he is a bad omen.

NOTE: The supernatural man is your school principle, Mr Thompson he stays back late to
‘protectively’ assure staff and students leave school grounds safely, daily. He is also a vampire.

Instruction: write a creative piece on the scenario as someone from your social group below,
these are to provide four perspectives on the issue. Note that all four pieces will have been
uploaded onto Twitter with the hashtag #Western, as members of this alternate universe from your
social groups, you will be expected to ‘comment’ on each piece, as members of the public do with
any issue that unfolds.
17547840 25

Social Groups:

1: Year 9 students who run the school newsletter. A lot of them are avid readers and active fans of
supernatural texts. Someone even suggested a fandom in the name of Mr Thompson.

2: The Parent/Guardian Committee, they meet every fortnight on a Wednesday and are active
participants in fund raisers, school sports and extracurricular activities, they are mostly middle
aged women and a few males. The most vocal member is Janice Shepherd, conservative and a
cupcake master, the group see her as their leader.

3: The local paper, the main team from their staff that seems to have been following the events
are young ambitious investigative journalists. They are active, quick, neutral and seek to reveal the
truth. They have recently been camping outside of the school to catch a glimpse of the mystery
man, their manager usually dismisses their findings.

4: The local council who has been made aware of the abnormal issue, they have issued a notice
about it in the local paper and online. The local council has been trying to assure that the Western
suburb is portrayed an in a positive, comfortable and ‘liveable’ light. The head of the council,
Tony Payne, saw the mystery figure hurling items at the group of young men parked in the bus
bay when he went to pick his daughter up from dance practise.
17547840 26

Begin your Planning; Written Piece

1. Figure out the chronology of your story, how would you social group react and to which
part do you think they would be impacted by the most? Which section in the chronology of
events unfolding do you want to focus the beginning of your reporting on (think about
circumstances, how much do you want to show that you know/or don’t know?)

2. Who is your audience? Think about age, professional and educational background of your
demographic, status in society or any associated stereotypes?

3. And what kind of reporting is suitable for your social context? Is it opinionated, critical,
logical reporting, blog style reporting, personal blog post, a public service announcement
or a refute, etc? Think about tone and style here.

4. Do you have an agenda? If so, are you responding to something to ‘shape’ an already
existing narrative set my social standards or are you trying to manipulate an ‘emerging’
narrative? (are you going to be suggestive or get straight to the point?)

5. Consider the literary composition of your piece is your piece full of figurative language?
Sarcastic tones or inquisitive and full of facts?

6. Visual elements for consideration; title, slogans, captions under pictures or comics if you
include any, bolded, italicised or underlined text. Structure of paragraphs, font and font
size.

Planning: Tweet

1. Write your tweets as members from the demographic of or group of people your social
group are from, would.

2. One comment per article.

3. Feel free to create your own hashtags! Hint; #WesternFangs, #WesternGrimReaper etc.
17547840 27