DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND CHILDREN’S SERVICES

Unit plan

C2CName Unit 1: Analysing characters in stories Learning area English

Year Level Year 5 – Year 7 Duration 5 weeks

Class Teacher

Unit Outline

In this unit, students read and view stories, including traditional stories that feature stereotypical and non-stereotypical characters. They will show understanding of character development in relation to plot and setting through written responses.

Curriculum intent: Content descriptions Language/Cultural Considerations Teaching Strategies

Language Literature Literacy

YEAR 5Text structure and organisationUnderstand how texts vary in purpose, structure and topic as well as the degree of formalityEAL/D students may not have had cumulative exposure to the Australian Curriculum and may not be familiar with the range of types of texts experienced by other students in the classroom.Provide models of all types of texts at all times. EAL/D students in the Beginning phase will require extra scaffolds such as sentence stems and vocabulary lists.Understand that the starting point of a sentence gives prominence to the message in the text and allows for prediction of how the text will unfold

Expressing and developing ideas

YEAR 5Literature and contextIdentify aspects of literary texts that convey details or information about particular social, cultural and historical contextsEAL/D students have cultural resources that give them experiences and knowledge as well as alternative perspectives on issues and phenomena. These are resources to be drawn upon to add to the learning experiences of all students.Ask EAL/D students to share texts from their own lives. These can be shared with the class and used as points of comparison and discussion.

Responding to literaturePresent a point of view about particular literary texts

YEAR 5Texts in contextsShow how ideas and points of view in texts are conveyed through the use of vocabulary, including idiomatic expressions, objective and subjective language, and that these can change according to contextObjective and subjective language is an abstract concept. How it is achieved in English needs to be modelled and explained.Provide vocabulary lists and teach idiomatic expressions.

Interpreting, analysing, evaluatingIdentify and explain characteristic text structures and language features used in imaginative, informative and

Curriculum into the Classroom (C2C), Unit plan, Education Queensland Page 1 of 24

Understand the difference between main and subordinate clauses and that a complex sentence involves at least one subordinate clauseSimple and compound sentence structures are the first ones mastered by EAL/D students. Complex sentences using main and subordinate clauses are learned further along the EAL/D learning progression.Beginning and Emerging phase students will require support with simple sentences and their structure before they can work with complex sentence structures. Developing and Consolidating phase students can be supported with complex sentences by working with the structure of the sentences. Write sentences on cardboard or on the interactive whiteboard and cut these into their clause components.Provide sentence models for students to modify by inserting their own content but retaining the structure.Understand how noun and adjective groups can be expanded in a variety of ways to provide a fuller description of the person, thing, place or ideaNoun groups/phrases can be made by adding adjectives. In English, we prefer an order for adjectives in noun groups/phrases (for example a beautiful red balloon rather than a red beautiful balloon).This preference for opinion adjectives before factual ones is innate for native English speakers because of their sense of the language, but should be taught to EAL/D students. Understand the use of vocabulary to express greater precision of meaning, and know that words can have different meanings in different contextsUse interactive and oral activities to build students’ use of noun and adjective groups.Understand how to use banks of known words as well as word origins, prefixes and suffixes to learn and spell new wordsMorphemes are the smallest meaningful parts of words, and play an important role in helping us to comprehend words and spell them. This knowledge is crucial for EAL/D students as it allows them to efficiently expand their vocabulary through building word families and to increase their comprehension.Build families of words according to their morphology (for example through semantic webs where the core word is added to – ‘’fire, bushfire, fireman, fire– fighter’).

using appropriate metalanguage, and reflecting on the viewpoints of othersEAL/D students will have opinions, but those in the Beginning and Emerging phases will not yet be able to use language to demonstrate their comprehension or their ideas. Since students can understand more than they can produce, even Developing and Consolidating phase students will find it challenging to use response’ language.Provide a range of options for responding to texts, including the use of visuals, the provision of a range of possible responses, and sentence prompts.Use metalanguage to describe the effects of ideas, text structures and language features on particular audiences

Examining literatureRecognise that ideas in literary texts can be conveyed from different viewpoints, which can lead to different kinds of interpretations and responsesDifferent cultures (languages) interpret/analyse texts differently. Be aware that EAL/D students may have interpretations that may differ from taken– for– granted interpretations in the classroom.Model interpretation of text and choose texts that carry ideas with which the students are familiar.Introduce the idea that readers can have different viewpoints.Understand, interpret and experiment with sound devices and imagery, including simile, metaphor and personification, in narratives, shape poetry, songs, anthems and odesMetaphor, simile and personification are all elements of language that are used once a firm grounding of language, its nuances and its manipulation can be understood. EAL/D students in all phases of English language learning may not have had sufficient time in English culture to understand the interpretations of theseUnpack the ways in which similes and metaphors work and build vocabulary banks that EAL/D students can use to come up with plausible similes and metaphors.Note everyday use of metaphor and simile (for example let’s be quiet as little mice) and explain their meaning.

persuasive texts to meet the purpose of the textIdentifying persuasive devices in texts requires the student to be able to decode the text, then analyse the word choice and how this affects the reader/viewer/listener. EAL/D students in all phases of their English language learning will find this variously challenging.Allow EAL/D students to engage with this task in ways commensurate with their EAL/D learning progression. Some will be able to decode, others to analyse and the more able students will identify the positioning of the audience, although this will be a difficult task for most.Build EAL/D students’ vocabulary relevant to persuasive, informative and imaginative texts.Navigate and read texts for specific purposes applying appropriate text processing strategies, for example predicting and confirming, monitoring meaning, skimming and scanningSelf– correction requires an innate sense of what sounds right in English and what makes sense. EAL/D students in the Beginning and Emerging phases of learning do not have this sense of the language and cannot easily self– correct.EAL/D students in these early phases of learning usually do not have enough language knowledge to predict upcoming wordsExplicitly teach what is possible in English grammar and vocabulary, and do not rely on questions such as ‘Does this sound right?’ or ‘Does that make sense?’.Reading assessment methods such as Running Records, Retells (oral, written or drawn) and comprehension questions (oral, written or drawn answers) are a crucial component of assessing reading competency in EAL/D students.Use comprehension strategies to interpret and analyse information, integrating and linking ideas from a variety of print and digital sources

Creating textsPlan, draft and publish imaginative, imaginative and persuasive print and multimodal texts, choosing text structures, language features, images and sound appropriate to purpose and audienceEAL/D students may not have had cumulative exposure

Curriculum into the Classroom (C2C), Unit plan, Education Queensland Page 2 of 24

Recognise uncommon plurals, for example ‘foci’EAL/D students come into the school and the curriculum at all ages and may be at any phase in their English language learning journey. Therefore, even more common, but irregular, plurals (for example children) need to be explained.Build lists of irregular plurals in personal word books for EAL/D students.

to the Australian Curriculum and may not be familiar with the types of texts that other students have learnt in previous years.Provide text structure frameworks within which to write specific types of texts. Use model texts to demonstrate and explain the steps in a type of text. Engage students in teacher– led joint construction of new types of texts, focusing on the language features of the specific type of text. Provide models of all types of texts at all times. EAL/D students in the Beginning phase will require extra scaffolds such as sentence stems and vocabulary lists. Investigate with students the features of multimodal texts that contribute to making meaning.Reread and edit students’ own and others’ work using agreed criteria for text structures and language featuresIn order to edit, students need to have the linguistic resources to identify mistakes. An error is usually indicative of the student’s position on the EAL/D learning progression and is reflective of what they have yet to learn.Successful editing requires both breadth and depth of English language knowledge, which comes later in the language learning journey where students develop a sense of ‘what makes sense’ and ‘what sounds right’ in English.Provide detailed proofreading checklists that will be helpful to EAL/D students.Identify one or two key items to look for in each editing task.Develop a handwriting style that is becoming legible, fluent and automaticUse a range of software including word processing programs with fluency to construct, edit and publish written text, and select, edit and place visual, print and audio elementsEAL/D students’ knowledge of ICT may be much less or much better developed than their peers. Different languages have different placement of keys on the keyboard, and so EAL/D students’ ability to word process may be compromised.Explicitly teach keyboard skills, including charts that show upper-case and lower-case matches (as keyboards are in the upper case).

Curriculum into the Classroom (C2C), Unit plan, Education Queensland Page 3 of 24

YEAR 6Text structure and organisationUnderstand how authors often innovate on text structures and play with language features to achieve particular aesthetic, humorous and persuasive purposes and effects.Beginning and Emerging phase students will find it difficult to see when an author has deliberately deviated from standard language features. Humour is culturally specific, and usually dependent upon a good understanding of cultural references and a broad vocabularyGive explicit examples of when and how authors innovate and the intended effect of this innovation. Use texts as models, and unpack cultural references to explain why humour is created in examples.Understand that cohesive links can be made in texts by omitting or replacing wordsUnderstand the use of commas to separate clausesPunctuation differs from language to language. Complex sentences will be difficult for Beginning and Emerging phase students who are still mastering simple sentences.Explicitly explain and model punctuation, and encourage students to make comparisons with their home language. Provide intensive support for those students still requiring assistance with simple sentence structure before requiring them to learn and attempt more complex sentences.

Expressing and developing ideasInvestigate how complex sentences can be used in a variety of ways to elaborate, extend and explain ideas. Understand how ideas can be expanded and sharpened through careful choices of verbs, elaborated tenses and a range of adverb groups/phrases.Investigate how vocabulary choices, including evaluative language can express shades of meaning, feeling and opinionEAL/D students may still need time to understand the

YEAR 6Literature and contextMake connections between students’ own experiences and those of characters and events represented in texts drawn from different historical, social and cultural contexts Different cultures (languages) interpret/analyse texts differently. Be aware that EAL/D students may have interpretations that may differ from taken– for– granted interpretations in the classroom.These are areas where EAL/D students can be actively drawn into conversations, demonstrating varying values and viewpoints, and discussing social identity and cultural contexts.Model interpretation of text and choose texts that carry ideas with which the students are familiar.Introduce the idea that readers can have different viewpoints.If they are happy to participate, use students as a resource to deepen this discussion. Ensure that respect for difference is maintained in the classroom at all times.

Responding to literatureAnalyse and evaluate similarities and differences in texts on similar topics, themes or plotsAn exploration of similarities and differences will require the use of comparative language.Provide a bank of expressions that can be used to describe similarities and differences (for example ‘similar to’, ‘the same as’, ‘like text A, text B’ ...) so that EAL/D students can focus on giving the information, rather than the language required to explain their ideas. Rehearse in oral situations prior to writing.Identify and explain how choices in language, for example modality, emphasis, repetition and metaphor, influence personal response to different textsModality does not exist in all languages and is used differently in some others.Metaphor is cultural, and some languages do not use metaphor at all.

YEAR 6Texts in contextsCompare texts including media texts that represent ideas and events in different ways, explaining the effects of the different approachesInterpreting, analysing, evaluatingAnalyse how text structures and language features work together to meet the purpose of a textSelect, navigate and read texts for a range of purposes applying appropriate text processing strategies and interpreting structural features, for example table of contents, glossary chapters, headings and subheadingsEAL/D students in the Beginning and Emerging phases will have difficulty with the vocabulary and grammar of age– appropriate texts.EAL/D students at the Developing and Consolidating phases may still be unaware of the syntactic cues (the language patterns, word order and text structure) or semantic cues (for example cultural and world knowledge, topic knowledge) needed to make sense of these texts.Assist in choosing texts appropriate for students’ abilities and scaffold them in interpreting age– appropriate texts.Present new vocabulary and introduce new grammatical features to be encountered in a new text.Model text processing strategies such as how to use a table of contents. This skill may be particularly unfamiliar to EAL/D students who are not literate in their first language.Use comprehension strategies to interpret and analyse information and ideas, comparing content from a variety of textual sources including media and digital textsNot all EAL/D students will have been able to develop a range of reading comprehension strategies in their past schooling.Explicitly model comprehension strategies (one at a time), using texts that the student can decode independently, and show how these strategies can then be used in conjunction with one another to make better sense of text.

Curriculum into the Classroom (C2C), Unit plan, Education Queensland Page 4 of 24

effect of word choice.Use word clines and other vocabulary activities to support students in understanding the range of vocabulary available and the effect of these words. Encourage students to use bilingual dictionaries and to note the approximation for each word in their home language if one exists.Give EAL/D students multiple opportunities to use new vocabulary in interactive oral situations.Understand how to use banks of known words, word origins, base words, suffixes and prefixes, morphemes, spelling patterns and generalisations to learn and spell new words, for example technical words and words adopted from other languagesSpelling is developmental, and English spelling will cause problems for students from oral cultures and those from languages that are phonetically represented (such as Spanish and Indonesian) because many words in English do not follow a phonetic pattern.Ensure that students have a sound grasp of letter/name and within– word pattern spelling knowledge before introducing them to affixes and derivational relations spelling patterns.Assist students to use visual knowledge to learn irregular words such as watch, women.

Give explicit instruction on modality and its effects. Explore with students if this exists in their home language and try to find how they achieve the same effect, so that students can better understand the concept behind it.Give targeted support in identifying and understanding metaphor as it is presented in the text.

Examining literatureIdentify, describe, and discuss similarities and differences between texts, including those by the same author or illustrator, and evaluate characteristics that define an author’s individual styleAn exploration of similarities and differences will require the use of comparative language.Provide a bank of expressions that can be used to describe similarities and differences (for example ‘similar to’, ‘the same as’, ‘like text A, text B’ ...) so that EAL/D students can focus on giving the information, rather than the language required to explain their ideas.Identify the relationship between words, sounds, imagery and language patterns in narratives and poetry such as ballads, limericks and free verse

Identify syntactic cues (for example that ‘tear’ can be a verb and a noun) and explicitly explain these to students. Identify where semantic cues are used (for example the use of ‘white’ to symbolise purity, the word ‘lamb’ means both a baby animal and a joint of meat) and explicitly point these out for students.Analyse strategies authors use to influence readers

Creating textsPlan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts choosing and experimenting with text structures, language features, images and digital resources appropriate to purpose and audienceMany EAL/D students, particularly those at the Beginning and Emerging phases of language learning, will not have the written language proficiency required to achieve in this task.As students move into the Developing and Consolidating phases, they will be able to attempt these skills with support, but their writing will still exhibit first language influence in both linguistic and stylistic features.Provide text structure frameworks within which to write specific types of texts.Use model texts to demonstrate and explain the steps in a type of text.Engage students in teacher– led joint construction of new types of texts.Provide vocabulary lists of common and necessary information (which students have time to study and research prior to the task).Reread and edit students’ own and others’ work using agreed criteria and explaining editing choicesIn order to edit, students need to have the linguistic resources to identify mistakes. An error is usually indicative of the student’s position on the EAL/D learning progression and is reflective of what they have yet to learn.Provide opportunities for peer editing or editing with the teacher. Photocopy or print out students’ work, cut up the sentences and investigate together what effects can be created by manipulating the sentence or word order.Develop a handwriting style that is legible, fluent and automatic and varies according to audience and

Curriculum into the Classroom (C2C), Unit plan, Education Queensland Page 5 of 24

purposeStudents who are familiar with a different script may not yet have learned to write fluently in English and will need extra time to develop their handwriting.If cursive writing is required, enable students to practice this at home in private. Set homework to develop this on an individual basis.Use a range of software, including word processing programs, learning new functions as required to create texts

YEAR 7Text structure and organisationUnderstand that the coherence of more complex texts relies on devices that signal text structure and guide readers, for example overviews, initial and concluding paragraphs and topic sentences, indexes or site maps or breadcrumb trails for online textsEAL/D students may not have the prior knowledge to appreciate this without explicit teaching. Texts are socially constructed and so are organised differently in different languages. Some EAL/D students may bring different expectations of text structure and purpose.Explicitly teach the cohesive devices mentioned through examples and teacher modelling, and identify how these devices are used in texts being read.Understand the use of punctuation to support meaning in complex sentences with prepositional phrases and embedded clausesPunctuation is different in different languages. In some languages (such as Arabic) it does not exist, and in other languages the symbols used are different. For example, in German all nouns are capitalised, while some languages have no capitals; in Spanish, an inverted question mark is used at the beginning of the question and a standard question mark at the end.Explicitly teach punctuation, ensuring that EAL/D students understand both the symbol and the function of punctuation.

Expressing and developing ideas

YEAR 7Literature and contextIdentify and explore ideas and viewpoints about events, issues and characters represented in texts drawn from different historical, social and cultural contextsEAL/D students may not have the prior knowledge of historical, social and cultural contexts that could be assumed of students who have been educated in an Australian context up to Year 7.Explain the contexts surrounding the texts explicitly. Use visuals and film to give historical context, and draw comparisons with a student’s home culture to exemplify the social and cultural contexts and how they differ in English texts.

Responding to literatureReflect on ideas and opinions about characters, settings and events in literary texts, identifying areas of agreement and difference with others and justifying a point of viewMany cultures do not expect students to develop their own opinion on texts. The ‘expert’ opinion is seen as correct, and students are required to learn and reproduce these opinions. This means that some students may experience difficulty in providing an independent opinion and in understanding how to justify this opinion.As students move to the Developing and Consolidating phases of language learning, they should become more proficient in this area.

YEAR 7Interpreting, analysing, evaluatingAnalyse and explain the ways text structures and language features shape meaning and vary according to audience and purposeExplanation of the effects will require specific language (media terms) and a specific text structure for the explanation.Students in the Consolidating phase may be able to demonstrate an in– depth knowledge of these features from student’s first language learning. Students in the Beginning, Emerging and Developing phases will need intensive support to develop the vocabulary required.Use prior knowledge and text processing strategies to interpret a range of types of textsThe prior knowledge that EAL/D students possess will vary.Ascertain what prior knowledge EAL/D students have. Model text processing strategies prior to the task.Use comprehension strategies to interpret, analyse and synthesise ideas and information, critiquing ideas and issues from a variety of textual sourcesEAL/D students will be at varying places along the continuum of comprehension in the new language/dialect.Different cultures (languages) interpret/analyse texts differently. EAL/D students may have other interpretations of texts that run counter to the expected classroom interpretation.Synthesis is an advanced task that will require support.Greater support and scaffolding will be required for

Curriculum into the Classroom (C2C), Unit plan, Education Queensland Page 6 of 24

Recognise and understand that subordinate clauses embedded within noun groups/phrases are a common feature of written sentence structures and increase density of information.In the Beginning and Emerging phases of language learning, EAL/D students may still be trying to master the accurate reproduction of a simple sentence. Discussing embedded clauses if the simple or compound sentence structure is not well developed will cause confusion.Consider each student’s ‘position’ along the language learning continuum before embarking upon this learning.Understand how modality is achieved through discriminating choices in modal verbs, adverbs, adjectives and nounsMany languages have no modality. Students from these backgrounds will need support in understanding how a degree of certainty can create nuance or indicate deference.Consider the language background of EAL/D students and explain the concept of modality if needed. If available, ask a bilingual teaching assistant or a person who shares the same language to assist with understanding.Investigate vocabulary typical of extended and more academic texts and the role of abstract nouns, classification, description and generalisation in building specialised knowledge through languageAcademic texts often use nominalisation. This is difficult for EAL/D students to unpack as the noun responsible for the action is removed (for example ‘People settled’ becomes ‘settlement’).Abstract nouns may cause confusion for newer language students.Often, language is learned through visual reinforcement, and this is not always possible for abstract nouns.Explicitly teach nominalisation and provide charts that show the verb and noun side by side so that students may refer to this.Use bilingual dictionaries, bilingual teaching assistants or same– language speakers where possible to clarify the concept.

Explicitly model the language required to both state an opinion and to respectfully agree with others. Encourage EAL/D students to voice their opinions.Compare the ways that language and images are used to create character, and to influence emotions and opinions in different types of textsLanguage and images may generate varying interpretations and implications depending on the background of the student (different cultural conceptualisation). These may differ from the intended interpretation in the original text. For example, a ‘full moon’ can signal a mystical element in some cultures, or symbolise beauty in others, or create a sense of foreboding in thrillers.Be explicit about implicit details in the narrative.Create opportunities for students to show their own conceptualisation, through language or images.Discuss aspects of texts, for example their aesthetic and social value, using relevant and appropriate metalanguageCultures value different things, and so this will vary across cultures.An EAL/D student can contribute to the discussion, showing another way of interpreting and/or appreciating texts. For example, the rights of a convicted criminal in a novel, or the role of the Anzacs in a text – invaders or heroes? Note that these alternative interpretations may be counter to school cultural interpretations.

Examining literatureRecognise and analyse the ways that characterisation, events and settings are combined in narratives, and discuss the purposes and appeal of different approachesThe aesthetic value of texts is culturally constructed.EAL/D students in the Developing and Consolidating phases of language learning can contribute alternative interpretations to texts within a class situation based on their own experiences (for example they may have alternative views of the characterisation of the army if they have had negative first– hand experiences of war). In the Beginning and Emerging phases, students will still be focusing on decoding the words within the narrative, and so it is useful if they can also experience

students who have a lower level of comprehension than others. Graphic organisers may be useful.Model interpretation of text and choose texts that carry ideas with which the students are familiar.A retrieval chart (or other graphic organiser) will help students to organise their ideas. Provide synonyms for commonly used words (for example witch, crone, hag), as well as explicit modelling of the form required for the response.

Creating textsPlan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts selecting aspects of subject matter and particular language, visual and audio features to convey information and ideasUse model texts to demonstrate and explain the steps in a type of text.Engage students in teacher– led joint construction of new types of texts.Provide guided writing outlines to support with text structure, vocabulary lists of common and necessary information (which students have time to study and research prior to the task), and support in using the technology needed to produce these texts.Edit for meaning by removing repetition, refining ideas, reordering sentences and adding or substituting words for impactIn order to edit, students need to have the linguistic resources to identify mistakes. An error is usually indicative of the student’s position on the EAL/D learning progression and is reflective of what they have yet to learn.Peer editing or editing with the teacher can be an informative activity for EAL/D students. Photocopy or print out their work, cut up the sentences and investigate together what effects can be created by manipulating the sentence or word order.Consolidate a personal handwriting style that is legible, fluent and automatic and supports writing for extended periodsStudents who come from a different script background may not yet have learned to write fluently in English and will need extra time to develop their handwriting in English.

Curriculum into the Classroom (C2C), Unit plan, Education Queensland Page 7 of 24

Use strategies such as cloze to focus on the use of nominalisations.Unpack nominalisations to show both the verbs and nouns from which they originated.Understand how to use spelling rules and word origins, for example Greek and Latin roots, base words, suffixes, prefixes, spelling patterns and generalisations to learn new words and how to spell themSpelling is developmental, and Standard Australian English spelling will cause problems for students from oral cultures and those from language backgrounds that are phonetically represented (such as Spanish and Indonesian).Ensure that students have a sound grasp of letter/name and within– word pattern spelling knowledge before introducing them to affixes and derivational relations spelling patterns.

literary texts as film or graphic novels.Think, pair, share enables EAL/D students to voice their interpretations and evaluations of texts in a non– threatening way. For students at the Beginning and Emerging phases, provide graphic organisers (such as character maps) to record the information.Ensure that texts selected are at an appropriate language and age level for the EAL/D learner. This may require differentiation of texts within the classroom.

If cursive writing is required, enable students to practice this at home in private. Set homework to develop this on an individual basis.Use a range of software, including word processing programs, to confidently create, edit and publish written and multimodal texts

General Capabilities and Cross-curriculum priorities

General capabilities

Literacy

Students will: comprehend texts through listening, viewing and reading compose texts through speaking, writing and creating understand and create texts using text features and grammar.ICT capabilityIn this unit students will have the opportunity to demonstrateCreating with ICT: Select appropriate devices and software to plan, create and refine digital products for specific purposes in a range of KLA related contexts.Communicating with ICT: Select and use a variety of digital media to improve communication by matching tools to purpose, social context and audience.Applying social and ethical protocols and practises when using ICT: Comply with school expectations and protocols when using ICT.Managing and Operating with ICT: Use formatting, editing and layout options in word processing software to manipulate content appropriate to text type.Critical and creative thinking

Curriculum into the Classroom (C2C), Unit plan, Education Queensland Page 8 of 24

Students will: analyse, evaluate and synthesise information reflect on thinking, actions and processes.Personal and social capabilityStudents will develop

Self-Management: be cooperative and communicate effectively with others Social Awareness: understand and empathise with others’ emotions and viewpoints.

Relevant prior curriculum

Students require prior experience with: understanding how texts are made cohesive through the use of linking devices including pronoun reference and text connectives understanding that the meaning of sentences can be enriched through the use of expanded noun and verb groups and phrases understanding how adverbials (adverbs and prepositional phrases) work in different ways to provide circumstantial details about an activity making connections between the ways different authors may represent similar storylines, ideas and relationships using metalanguage to describe the effects of ideas, text structures and language features of literary texts understanding and interpreting a range of devices and deliberate word play in literary texts identifying characteristic features used in imaginative texts to meet the purpose of the texts reading different types of texts by combining contextual, semantic, grammatical and phonic knowledge using text processing strategies, for example monitoring meaning,

cross checking and reviewing using comprehension strategies to build literal and inferred meaning to expand content knowledge, integrating and linking ideas and analysing and evaluating texts.The Australian Curriculum: English scope and sequences for Language, Literature and Literacy: Prep (F)–10 provide an overview of the Sub-strands for each year level.

Curriculum working towards

The teaching and learning in this unit works towards the following: understand how cohesion in texts is improved by strengthening the internal structure of paragraphs through the use of examples, quotations and substantiation of claims recognise that vocabulary choices contribute to the specificity, abstraction and style of texts recognise, explain and analyse the ways literary texts draw on readers’ knowledge of other texts and enable new understanding and appreciation of aesthetic qualities analyse and evaluate the ways that text structures and language features vary according to the purpose of the text and the ways that referenced sources add authority to

a text create imaginative, informative and persuasive texts that raise issues, report events and advance opinions, using deliberate language and textual choices, and including

digital elements as appropriate.

Curriculum into the Classroom (C2C), Unit plan, Education Queensland Page 9 of 24

Eight Learning Management Questions (LMQs)When planning teachers make critical decisions around the Eight Learning Management Questions.

Curriculum into the Classroom (C2C), Unit plan, Education Queensland Page 10 of 24

Supportive learning environmentDifferentiationWhat do your students already know and what do your students need to learn? Consider the individual needs of your students — including ESL, gifted and talented and special needs.Start from where your students are at and differentiate teaching and learning to support the learning needs of all students. Plan and document how you will cater for individual learning needs.The learning experiences within this unit can be differentiated by increasing:

the frequency of exposure for some students the intensity of teaching by adjusting the group size the duration needed to complete tasks and assessment.

For guided and/or independent practice tasks: student groupings will offer tasks with a range of complexities to cater for individual learning needs rotational groupings allow for more or less scaffolding of student learning use of audio recordings of written texts can be used to support student reading.

Feedback

Feedback is information and advice provided by a teacher, peer, parent or self about aspects of someone’s performance. The aim of feedback is to improve learning and is used to plan what to do next and how to teach it.Teachers and students use feedback to close the gap between where students are and where they aim to be. Teachers use self-feedback to guide and improve their teaching practice.

Feedback to students

Establish active feedback partnerships between students, teachers and parents/carers to find out: what each student already knows and can do how each student is progressing what each student needs to learn next.Ensure feedback is timely, ongoing, instructive and purposeful.

Feedback may relate to reading, writing and speaking throughout the unit. In this unit this may include students’: interacting through discussion responding to questions exploring and communicating ideas

Curriculum into the Classroom (C2C), Unit plan, Education Queensland Page 11 of 24

applying strategies to analyse and interpret text planning written text using language and structural features of comparison.Use feedback to inform future teaching and learning.

Reflection on the unit planIdentify what worked well during and at the end of the unit for future planning.Reflection may include: activities that worked well and why activities that could be improved and how monitoring and assessment that worked well and why monitoring and assessment that could be improved and how common errors that need, or needed, to be addressed (e.g. grammar, spelling, punctuation) differentiation and future student learning needs.

AssessmentLMQsWhat do my students understand and can do? How well do they know and do it?

Assessment is the purposeful, systematic and ongoing collection of information as evidence for use in making judgments about student learning.

Principals, teachers and students use assessment information to support improving student learning. Feedback from evaluation of assessment data helps to determine strengths and weaknesses in students’ understanding.

Students should contribute to an individual assessment folio that provides evidence of their learning and represents their achievements over the year. The folio should include a range and balance of assessments for teachers to make valid judgments about whether the student has met the achievement standard. Refer to Year level plan for more assessment information.

Monitoring student learning

Student learning should be monitored throughout the teaching and learning process to determine student progress and learning needs.Each lesson provides opportunities to provide feedback about how students are progressing and what they need to learn next. Specific monitoring opportunities in this unit include:Years 5–7Self- and peer assessment Use a peer edit checklist to monitor students’ ability to reread and edit their own and others’ work using agreed criteria and explaining editing choices.Responses to literary texts Use students’ responses to questions about the stories to:

Curriculum into the Classroom (C2C), Unit plan, Education Queensland Page 12 of 24

o check literal and inferential understandingo analyse and evaluate similarities and differences in texts.

Creating texts Use students’ drafts to monitor text construction and analysis.

Assessing student learningYear 5Written assessment task — Analysing a main character from Red DogStudents write a short text to explain how Red Dog develops throughout the novel.This assessment provides opportunities to gather evidence of student learning in:LanguageExpressing and developing ideas Understand the difference between main and subordinate clauses and that a complex sentence involves at least one subordinate clause. Understand how noun and

adjective groups can be expanded in a variety of ways to provide a fuller description of the person, thing, place or idea Understand the use of vocabulary to express greater precision of meaning, and know that words can have different meanings in different contextsLiteratureExamining literature Recognise that ideas in literary texts can be conveyed from different viewpoints, which can lead to different kinds of interpretations and responsesLiteracyTexts in contexts Show how ideas and points of view in texts are conveyed through the use of vocabulary, including idiomatic expressions, objective and subjective language, and that

these can change according to context

Year 6Written assessment task — Comparing stories about charactersStudents create an extended response that analyses and compares two stories.This assessment provides opportunities to gather evidence of student learning in:LanguageText structure and organisation Understand that cohesive links can be made in texts by omitting or replacing wordsExpressing and developing ideas Investigate how clauses can be combined in a variety of ways to elaborate, extend or explain ideas Understand how ideas can be expanded and sharpened through careful choices of verbs, elaborated tenses and a range of adverbials Investigate how vocabulary choices, including evaluative language can express shades of meaning, feeling and opinion

Curriculum into the Classroom (C2C), Unit plan, Education Queensland Page 13 of 24

LiteratureResponding to literature Analyse and evaluate similarities and differences in texts on similar topics, themes or plots Identify and explain how choices in language, for example modality, emphasis, repetition and metaphor, influence personal response to different textsExamining literature Identify, describe, and discuss similarities and differences between texts, including those by the same author or illustrator, and evaluate characteristics that define an

author’s individual styleLiteracyTexts in contextsCompare texts including media texts that represent ideas and events in different ways, explaining the effects of the different approachesInterpreting, analysing, evaluating Analyse how text structures and language features work together to meet the purpose of a text

Year 7Written assessment task — Comparing characters in storiesStudents create an extended written response that analyses and compares the characterisation of the dog in the short story The Loaded Dog with the dog in the novel Red Dog.This assessment provides opportunities to gather evidence of student learning in:LanguageText structure and organisation Understand that the coherence of more complex texts relies on devices that signal text structure and guide readers, for example overviews, initial and concluding

paragraphs and topic sentences, indexes or site maps or breadcrumb trails for online texts Understand the use of punctuation to support meaning in complex sentences with prepositional phrases and embedded clausesExpressing and developing ideas Recognise and understand that subordinate clauses embedded within noun groups/phrases are a common feature of written sentence structures and increase density of

information.LiteratureLiterature and context Identify and explore ideas and viewpoints about events, issues and characters represented in texts drawn from different historical, social and cultural contextsResponding to literature Reflect on ideas and opinions about characters, settings and events in literary texts, identifying areas of agreement and difference with others and justifying a point of

view. Compare the ways that language and images are used to create character, and to influence emotions and opinions in different types of texts Discuss aspects of texts, for example their aesthetic and social value, using relevant and appropriate metalanguageExamining literatureCurriculum into the Classroom (C2C), Unit plan, Education Queensland Page 14 of 24

Recognise and analyse the ways that characterisation, events and settings are combined in narratives, and discuss the purposes and appeal of different approachesLiteracyInterpreting, analysing, evaluating Analyse and explain the ways text structures and language features shape meaning and vary according to audience and purpose

Sequencing teaching and learningLMQs

What do my students already know and can do? What do my students need to learn? How do I teach it?The relationship between what is taught and how it is taught is critical in maximising student learning.Start with what your students already know and set goals for the next steps for learning.

Decide how to provide multiple opportunities for all students to explore and consolidate ideas, skills and concepts by considering how students learn best and by using a variety of teaching strategies.

Teaching strategies and learning experiences

A suggested teaching and learning sequence is outlined below. For further information about learning focus and teaching strategies, refer to the lesson overview.Introducing a main character Exploring language used to describe setting Exploring language used to construct character Examining narrative viewpoint Examining a character’s actions and behaviours Examining a character’s reactionsDeveloping a character Exploring plot structure Exploring conflict Exploring author’s style Exploring language to judge Exploring themeUsing language to compare Reading a short story Identify story elements Compare story elements Compare characters

Curriculum into the Classroom (C2C), Unit plan, Education Queensland Page 15 of 24

Consolidation and reviewModelling writing of character analysis Analyse character description Joint construction of a description Joint construction of a comparison Plan draft of description or comparison Consolidation and reviewWriting response to characterisation Writing draft Editing draft Publishing final draft Compare novel and movie of Red Dog

Making judgementsHow do I know how well my students have learned?Teachers and students use standards to judge the quality of learning based on the available evidence. The process of judging and evaluating the quality of performance and depth of learning is important to promoting learning.Teachers identify the task-specific assessable elements to make judgements against specified standards on evidence.

Achievement standardYear 5

Receptive modes (listening, reading and viewing)By the end of Year 5, students explain how text structures assist in understanding the text. They understand how language features, images and vocabulary influence interpretations of characters, settings and events.They analyse and explain literal and implied information from a variety of texts. They describe how events, characters and settings in texts are depicted and explain their own responses to them. They listen and ask questions to clarify content.

Productive modes (speaking, writing and creating)Students use language features to show how ideas can be extended. They develop and explain a point of view about a text, selecting information, ideas and images from a range of resources.Students create a variety of sequenced texts for different purposes and audiences. They make presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, taking into account other perspectives. When writing, they demonstrate understanding of grammar, select specific vocabulary and use accurate spelling and punctuation, editing their work to provide structure and meaning.

Curriculum into the Classroom (C2C), Unit plan, Education Queensland Page 16 of 24

Year 6Receptive modes (listening, reading and viewing)By the end of Year 6, students understand how the use of text structures can achieve particular effects. They analyse and explain how language features, images and vocabulary are used by different authors to represent ideas, characters and events.Students compare and analyse information in different texts, explaining literal and implied meaning. They select and use evidence from a text to explain their response to it. They listen to discussions, clarifying content and challenging others’ ideas.

Productive modes (speaking, writing and creating)Students understand how language features and language patterns can be used for emphasis. They show how specific details can be used to support a point of view. They explain how their choices of language features and images are used.Students create detailed texts elaborating on key ideas for a range of purposes and audiences. They make presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, using a variety of strategies for effect. They demonstrate understanding of grammar, make considered choices from an expanding vocabulary, use accurate spelling and punctuation for clarity and make and explain editorial choices.

Year 7Receptive modes (listening, reading and viewing)By the end of Year 7, students understand how text structures can influence the complexity of a text and are dependent on audience, purpose and context. They demonstrate understanding of how the choice of language features, images and vocabulary affects meaning.Students explain issues and ideas from a variety of sources, analysing supporting evidence and implied meaning. They select specific details from texts to develop their own response, recognising that texts reflect different viewpoints. They listen for and explain different perspectives in texts.

Productive modes (speaking, writing and creating)Students understand how the selection of a variety of language features can influence an audience. They understand how to draw on personal knowledge, textual analysis and other sources to express or challenge a point of view. They create texts showing how language features and images from other texts can be combined for effect.Students create structured and coherent texts for a range of purposes and audiences. They make presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, using language features to engage the audience. When creating and editing texts they demonstrate understanding of grammar, use a variety of more specialised vocabulary, accurate spelling and punctuation.

Curriculum into the Classroom (C2C), Unit plan, Education Queensland Page 17 of 24

Lesson overview

Introducing a main character

Exploring language used to describe setting (1 of 5)

Share prior knowledge of animal characters in stories

Introduce novel — read blurb and identify setting Discuss Author’s note and Glossary of

Australianisms in novel Before reading: predict the story Read chapters 1 and 2 of Red Dog List noun groups and imagery authors uses to

construct setting (page 7) Introduce the use of a blog to write reflections Compare own place with the setting of the story

Exploring language used to construct character (2 of 5)

Before reading: predict the story from the chapter titles

Read chapters 3 and 4 of Red Dog Explore choices in language (e.g. noun groups and

verbs/verb groups that engage and entertain the reader)

Examine main character’s traits and behaviour Write a paragraph in blog in response to question

about language used to construct character Create main character profile on concept map Share character profiles

Examining narrative viewpoint (3 of 5)

Before reading: predict the story from the chapter titles

Read chapters 5 and 6 of Red Dog Examine dialogue used to develop the human

characters Examine narrative viewpoint (Who is telling the

story? With whom does the reader empathise?) Examine the dog’s relationship with people (What

kinds of things does the dog do to get what he wants? What makes the reader like the dog? How does the author engage the reader to empathise with the dog?)

Write a paragraph in blog in response to a question about narrative viewpoint

Continue character profile for main character Compare own experiences with dogs

Curriculum into the Classroom (C2C), Unit plan, Education Queensland Page 18 of 24

Examining a character’s actions and behaviours (4 of 5)

Before reading: predict the chapters from the titles Read chapters 7 and 8 of Red Dog Explore choices in language (e.g noun groups,

alliteration that influence reader’s response) Model QAR questions and answers related to Red

Dog’s actions and behaviours Guided practice of comprehension strategies using

QAR Write a paragraph in blog in response to a question

about a character’ actions and behaviours Continue character profile for main character Discuss use of QAR strategy

Examining a character’s reactions (5 of 5)

Review Question-answer strategy Read chapters 9 and 10 of Red Dog Explore choices in language (e.g simile, repetition

and emotive language that influence reader’s response)

Guided practice of comprehension strategies using QAR

Cooperative learning of QAR strategy in comprehending chapters 9 and 10

Peer learning of QAR strategy in comprehending chapters 9 and 10

Write a paragraph in blog in response to a question about the character’s reactions to an event

Continue character profile of main character Discuss how the main character reacts to events

Differentiation

Resources

Curriculum into the Classroom (C2C), Unit plan, Education Queensland Page 19 of 24

Textsde Bernières, L, 2011, Red Dog, Vintage, Sydney ISBN 9781742752259Lawson, H.D.D., The Loaded Dog, Angus & Robertson, Australia, 1970, ISBN 0207121028

DigitalConcept mapping software Inspirationhttp://www.inspiration.com/The loaded dog audioWebsite —The Loaded Dog texthttp://www.gutenberg.org/files/1036/1036-h/1036-h.htm#2H_4_0018Slideshow presentation — Peer Edit with Perfection Tutorialhttp://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/peer-edit-with-perfection-786.htmlMovie Red Dog (DVD released 2 December 2011)

Find and prepareWebsite: readwritethink — Guided Comprehension: Self-Questioning Using Question-Answer Relationships — Printouts — QAR postershttp://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/guided-comprehension-self-questioning-227.html?tab=3#tabs

Helpful Informationhttp://www.readinglady.com/: in search engine type ‘qar’ choose ‘ QAR Question answer relationship strategy, where to seek answers to questions’ Website: Teacher Vision — Question-Answer relationshipshttp://www.teachervision.fen.com/skill-builder/reading-comprehension/48699.htmlLiterary Sociogramshttp://www.education.tas.gov.au/curriculum/standards/english/english/teachers/sociogramsRelationship map/Literary sociogramhttp://www.peelweb.org/admin/data/articles_online/i10p037a3.h

Website — For background information about Henry Lawson http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/henry-lawsonSpellingYear 5 Spelling JournalYear 6 Spelling JournalYear 7 Spelling Journal

Developing a character

Curriculum into the Classroom (C2C), Unit plan, Education Queensland Page 20 of 24

Curriculum into the Classroom (C2C), Unit plan, Education Queensland Page 21 of 24

Using language to compare

Reading a short story (1 of 5)

Introduce Henry Lawson and identify historical period Introduce The Loaded Dog — discuss title and make

predictions about what may happen in the story Read and/or listen to audio of The Loaded Dog Identify the elements of a short story

Identify story elements (2 of 5)

Identify setting for The Loaded Dog Identify the plot through the complication, the climax

and the ending (twist) Identify the theme Identify narrative viewpoint (Who is telling the story?

With whom does the reader empathise?) What is the author’s point of view about life in the

Australian goldfields?

Compare story elements (3 of 5)

Explain graphic organiser for comparisons Compare and record settings for The Loaded Dog

and Red Dog Compare and record the plots of The Loaded Dog

and Red Dog Compare and record the themes of The Loaded Dog

and Red Dog Create complex sentences by using subordinating

conjunctions to compare characters Share sentences comparing setting, plot and theme

of each story

Compare characters (4 of 5)

Identify noun groups and verb groups used to describe the young retriever dog in The Loaded Dog

Compare noun groups and verb groups used to describe Tally Ho in Chapter One of Red Dog with the young retriever dog

Revise modality to express meaning precisely Write complex sentences by using subordinating

conjunctions to compare similarities and differences of the two dogs

Share comparative sentences

Consolidation and review (5 of 5)

Revise and consolidate information about language used to construct characters

Differentiation

Curriculum into the Classroom (C2C), Unit plan, Education Queensland Page 22 of 24

Modelling writing of character analysis

Analyse character description (1 of 5)

Read and understand assessment tasks and related GTMJs

Analyse middle paragraph of p77 of Red Dog to identify how the author has constructed noun groups and used modality, alliteration and imagery to describe a character

Construct noun groups to describe an animal Share and discuss descriptions

Joint construction of a description (2 of 5)

Understand how ideas can be expanded through careful choice of verbs and adverbials

Understand modality when expressing opinion Create complex sentences through subordinating

conjunctions to expand ideas Construct a paragraph with students describing a

character from the stories Write a paragraph with a peer describing a known

animal or pet Share and discuss paragraphs

Joint construction of a comparison (3 of 5)

Understand author’s use of imagery to construct character

Compare two of the male characters from Red Dog and The Loaded Dog

Create complex sentences through subordinating conjunctions to expand ideas

Construct a comparison of the two male characters with students

Share and discuss comparisons

Plan draft of description or comparison (4 of 5) Review assessment tasks and GTMJs Plan a short text to explain how Red Dog develops

throughout the text Plan a short text to compare the two stories The

Loaded Dog and Red Dog Plan a written response that analyses and compares

the characterisation of the dog in the short story The Loaded Dog with the dog in the novel Red Dog

Share plan with a peer

Consolidation and review (5 of 5)

Revise and consolidate information about characters in preparation for assessment tasks

Spelling

Differentiation

Curriculum into the Classroom (C2C), Unit plan, Education Queensland Page 23 of 24

Writing response to characterisation

Writing draft (1&2 of 5)

Discuss features of written texts Draft a short text in online learning space to explain

how Red Dog develops throughout the text Draft a short text in online learning space to compare

the two stories The Loaded Dog and Red Dog Draft a written response in online learning space that

analyses and compares the characterisation of the dog in the short story The Loaded Dog with the dog in the novel Red Dog

Share drafts with peers

Editing draft (3 of 5)

Proofread own copy View slideshow: Peer edit with perfection Edit a peer’s text online Share edited texts

Publishing final draft (4 of 5)

Publish final text into online learning space Read peers’ texts in online learning space

Compare novel and movie of Red Dog (5 of 5)

View movie Red Dog Compare structure of the movie with the structure

of the text Discuss similarities and differences between movie

and novel Discuss similarities and differences in responses

by viewers and readers

Differentiation

References

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/ Australian Curriculum Version 3.0 dated 23 January 2012https://portal.ntschools.net/SITES/LEARNINGLINKS/default.aspxhttp://www.scootle.edu.au/ec/p/home

Curriculum into the Classroom (C2C), Unit plan, Education Queensland Page 24 of 24