Overview

Lessons 7 – 9 extend on the learning in lessons 1 – 6 by deepening students’ understanding of the essential elements of narrative through exploration of two short stories. In this sequence there is significantly more content than what would be required for three lessons. This has been provided in order to support differentiation in the Stage 4 classroom. It is highly recommended students are assigned or provided the resources and activities reflective of their areas of need.   

The learning sequence can be extended over three-nine lessons depending on the tasks allocated for completion. When assigning tasks keep in mind the need to allocate students sufficient time to engage with each task and complete it to the best of their ability. 

By engaging in this sequence of learning, students will come to understand the following:

• identify and explain how language features and devices create meaning in short stories 

• identify examples of the seven essentials elements of narrative in a short story  

• engage with the planning stage of the writing process by gathering ideas for their short story 

• understand and begin planning the creative task – composing a short story 

• explore how writers convey information through deliberate characterisation  

• use the W.A.L.T.ER scaffold as a method of identifying and analysing characterisation 

• identify how direct and indirect characterisation uses language to convey ideas about characters 

• explore how ‘show, don’t tell’ and sensory imagery are used to engage readers in short stories 

• experiment with ‘show don’t tell’ and sensory imagery to enhance their own writing 

• annotate a text to explore how language is used to convey meaning 

• extend their understanding of the essential elements of narrative through a close reading of a text 

• develop their understanding of how characters are used to represent the larger ideas of a text.  

These lessons address the following outcomes – a student:

• EN4-1A responds to and composes texts for understanding, interpretation, critical analysis, imaginative expression and pleasure 

• EN4-3B uses and describes language forms, features and structures of texts appropriate to a range of purposes, audiences and contexts 

• EN4-5C  thinks imaginatively, creatively, interpretively and critically about information, ideas and arguments to respond to and compose texts   

Students will continue to unpack meaning in the short story ‘Abuela’s Mark’. They will engage in a close reading of the text to form a detailed understanding of how essential elements of a narrative are used to form meaning. They will use this knowledge in future lessons to plan their own short story that was detailed in lesson 5.  

During this lesson, students will: 

• identify and explain how language features and devices create meaning in short stories 

• identify examples of the seven essentials elements of narrative in a short story  

• engage with the planning stage of the writing process by gathering ideas for their short story 

• understand and begin planning the creative task – composing a short story. 

Outcome and content points relevant to this lesson – a student: 

• EN4-3B uses and describes language forms, features and structures of texts appropriate to a range of purposes, audiences and contexts  

  • S403DA7 recognise and use appropriate metalanguage in discussing a range of language forms, features and structures 

  • S403UA14 interpret and analyse language choices, including sentence patterns, dialogue, imagery and other language features, in short stories, literary essays and plays (ACELT1767) 

• S4-5C thinks imaginatively, creatively, interpretively and critically about information, ideas and arguments to respond to and compose texts   

  • S405EP1 describe and explain qualities of language in their own and others’ texts that contribute to the enjoyment that can be experienced in responding to and composing texts 

The coding for this content point comes from the English Textual Concepts and Learning Processes resources for Stage 4 English – Stage 4. 

Students will unpack the creative writing task which they will work towards and complete in subsequent lessons. They will continue their exploration of narrative through a focus on the short story form. They will explore new vocabulary and consolidate their learning by using a reading and summarising strategy to identify and summarise key information. 

During this lesson, students will: 

• explore how writers convey information through deliberate characterisation  

• use the W.A.L.T.ER scaffold as a method of identifying and analysing characterisation 

• identify how direct and indirect characterisation uses language to convey ideas about characters 

• explore how ‘show, don’t tell’ and sensory imagery are used to engage readers in short stories 

• experiment with ‘show don’t tell’ and sensory imagery to enhance their own writing. 

Outcome and content points relevant to this lesson – a student: 

• EN4-1A responds to and composes texts for understanding, interpretation, critical analysis, imaginative expression and pleasure 

  • S4O1EP04 experiment with language forms and features to compose texts for pleasure and enjoyment 

  • S401RC04 compare the ways that language and images are used to create character, and to influence emotions and opinions in different types of texts (ACELT1621) 

  • S401RC05 recognise and analyse the ways that characterisation, events and settings are combined in narratives, and discuss the purposes and appeal of different approaches (ACELT1622)   

• EN4-3B uses and describes language forms, features and structures of texts appropriate to a range of purposes, audiences and contexts 

• S403EP1 engage with the language and structures of texts in meaningful, contextualised and authentic ways 

The coding for this content point comes from the English Textual Concepts and Learning Processes resources for Stage 4 English – Stage 4.  

Students will build on and apply prior learning by exploring the short story ‘Paper Elephants’ by Frankie Saxx. They will extend their understanding of the essential elements of narrative to understand how plot, conflict, character and setting are used in combination by writers to convey ideas about the text. This learning will support students to apply these methods in their own writing as they plan to ‘explode a moment’ in their own short story.    

During this lesson, students will: 

• annotate a text to explore how language is used to convey meaning 

• extend their understanding of the essential elements of narrative through a close reading of a text 

• develop their understanding of how characters are used to represent the larger ideas of a text. 

Outcome and content points relevant to this lesson – a student: 

• EN4-1A responds to and composes texts for understanding, interpretation, critical analysis, imaginative expression and pleasure 

  • S401RC04 compare the ways that language and images are used to create character, and to influence emotions and opinions in different types of texts (ACELT1621) 

  • S401RC05 recognise and analyse the ways that characterisation, events and settings are combined in narratives, and discuss the purposes and appeal of different approaches (ACELT1622)    

• EN4-3B uses and describes language forms, features and structures of texts appropriate to a range of purposes, audiences and contexts 

• S403EP1 engage with the language and structures of texts in meaningful, contextualised and authentic ways 

• S403EP02 identify, discuss and reflect on the ideas and information in a range of texts 

• S403DA7 recognise and use appropriate metalanguage in discussing a range of language forms, features and structures 

The coding for this content point comes from the English Textual Concepts and Learning Processes resources for Stage 4 English – Stage 4.