Overview

This overview is for lessons 1-3 within the ‘What matters’ learning sequence. These lessons are designed to extend students' understanding of how to write with authority for a specific audience and purpose. They will be supported to develop an awareness of how to write with purpose and audience in mind and how they can use this knowledge to enhance the quality of their writing. Students will engage in a short research task on a topic of their choosing. They will organise the information they gather, ready for use in their own writing. 

Students will:

• extend their understanding of the process of research 

• engage personally in research about a topic of their choosing 

• connect their views with the information identified during research 

• organise information and ideas gathered from research to use in their own compositions 

• learn about the English textual concept argument 

• understand how purpose and audience influences composition choices. 

These first three lessons address the following outcomes: 

• EN4-2A a student effectively uses a widening range of processes, skills, strategies and knowledge for responding to and composing texts in different media and technologies. 

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

• EN4-7D a student demonstrates understanding of how texts can express aspects of their broadening world and their relationships within it. 

Students will engage in research to develop their content knowledge about a topic that matters to them. They will use a series of suggestions for research to demonstrate that they have thought carefully about their topic and equipped themselves to write authentically and with authority about this topic. 

During this lesson, students will: 

• demonstrate their understanding of how to research effectively 

• engage in the process of research to extend their understanding of a topic that matters to them. 

Outcomes

• EN4-2A effectively uses a widening range of processes, skills, strategies and knowledge for responding to and composing texts in different media and technologies 

• S4O2UA09: understand and use bibliographies, citations (including web citations) to acknowledge sources and avoid plagiarism 

• S4O2RC12: use comprehension strategies to interpret and evaluate texts by reflecting on the validity of content and the credibility of sources, including finding evidence in the text for the author's point of view 

• EN4-9E a student uses, reflects on and assesses their individual and collaborative skills for learning. 

• S4O9UA4: develop and use vocabulary for describing, analysing and reflecting on their learning experiences 

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

This is the second lesson in a sequence of nine about ‘writing matters’. In this lesson, students will organise the information they gathered from their research, using a guided approach. They will also reflect on the topic they selected, identifying how the research has extended their understanding. 

During this lesson, students will: 

• assess the quality of the sources used 

• organise the information they gather into structured notes. 

Outcomes

• EN4-2A effectively uses a widening range of processes, skills, strategies and knowledge for responding to and composing texts in different media and technologies 

• S4O2RC12: use comprehension strategies to interpret and evaluate texts by reflecting on the validity of content and the credibility of sources, including finding evidence in the text for the author's point of view 

• EN4-7D demonstrates understanding of how texts can express aspects of their broadening world and their relationships within it 

• S4O7DA3: compare and contrast texts that present alternative views of their own world 

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

This is the third lesson in a sequence of nine in the learning from home unit ‘writing matters’. In this lesson, students will learn about the English textual concept argument and begin organising their ideas and research to ensure that the content they have prepared will equip them to write for different audience groups and with purpose. 

During this lesson, students will: 

• develop their understanding of the English textual concept argument 

• understand how the purpose of writing is shaped by the argument 

• articulate an argument, for a specified audience. 

Outcomes

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

  • S4O3RC21: 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 

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

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