Good Grief?

Term One: Text Studies

Notes for 2025

DO A NOVEL IN HERE AND USE THESE TEXTS FOR UNFAMILIAR TEXT WARM UP!!
put into the second term - will work better once they have the metalanguage of language features
do waaaaaaaay more teacher modelling
spend more time on developing understanding of grief.
use 4 level reading guides - kids need to understand the text before they analyse it
use only thoughts and feelings of a kuia as the assessment text
show kids the sentence starters for the exemplars
build in time and capacity for practice essays
use more poems and drop the visual texts; use ones that are death related but also widen it out to loss of other things eg sad joke on a marae is a great one to teacher model with and get kids to develop their use of prior knowledge
Develop our own task - using the questions in the paua coloured section below.
Drop infographics and do waaay more socratic dialogue
Essay structure is similar to old response to text essay?
Describe the main character
Explain How they are affected/changed by the main events of the story
How does their reactions help explain the authors message/theme to the reader
How does this change impact the reader? Keep them reading?
Reader hook?
te ao Maori - and ancestors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tp3z1iVlyk4

Key vocabulary - Nga kupu hou

Aspect (aspects of literature)

Aspects may include purposes and audiences, ideas (such as character, theme, setting, plot), language features (such as figurative language, style, syntax, symbolism, vocabulary), structures (such as part text, whole text, narrative), written conventions (such as spelling, punctuation, grammar).

Audience

The group for which a text is produced. The more specific the better.

Critically evaluate

To take a clear stance or make a judgement. In order to explore why the conclusions drawn are worth thinking about or of relevance, students may draw: on links between the student's own life and the text, on connections within a text, on connections between texts.

Purpose

The implied intention behind the choices made in creating a text

Position (verb)

The way in which the audience is manipulated to respond in a particular way or to view things from a particular perspective.

Structural features

Structural features are ways that a text is shaped or organised. Examples include: paragraphing, sequence/transitions, and clear opening, middle, and end.

Significant learning; Nga whakaaro nui

We want to be able to understand the whakapapa of each text and how it shapes the text. We'll know we're successful when we can answer these sorts of questions:

- Who's perspective / viewpoint / take on life in Aotearoa and beyond is presented in each text?
- When is the text being written and how might that time, and its values, change how the text is written?
- Who is the author? What ethnicity, gender, sexuality and age are they and how might that define what they write about? What are their experiences and how do they motivate their writing?

We want to be able to identify and understand the main idea of each text as well as a group of texts. We'll know we're successful when we can answer these sorts of questions:

- What is each text is about? How does it relate / connect to other texts?
- What ideas are being presented?

We want to be able to think about and respond to a text by taking a stance on it. We'll know we're successful when we can answer these sorts of questions:

- How do I react to this text? What's my opinion of what the author has said? Why do I think this?
- Do I agree with the ideas and opinions in it? How and why? Why not?
- How do my experiences shape how I view this text?
- does it challenge and / or change my perspective on life? How and why? Why not?
- What might be missing from this text? How would that change the text?
- How well has this author / creator got their idea across? What could they have done better?
- Is this text trustworthy? Reliable? Credible? How do I know?

We want to be able to identify the language features an author has chosen to use and explain how they add to the overall effect. We'll know we're successful when we can answer these sorts of questions:

- Why does the author use these language features?
- Do the chosen language features add to the purpose or detract from it?
- How do they work together to shape over all? What is the author trying to make me feel / think about (position me)?

We want to be able to identify and explain the literary qualities of texts. We'll know we're successful when we can answer these sorts of questions:

- Where is the story set and how / why is that important?
- Who are the characters? Who are the main characters and why? What are their relationships? How do they respond and change in the face of challenge? What do they learn during the story? How would the story and theme change through different characters being chosen?
- What is the theme of the story? What do we learn from reading this? How does the theme challenge, develop , confirm or change the way we see ourselves and the world we live in?
- How does the plot develop? What problems do we encounter and how are these solved?
- Who is telling the story and how? What is their point of view and how is it shaped?
- What are the conflicts in the story? What do they tell us about the characters?
- What is the tone of the text? What attitudes come across in the way the author has chosen to write? How does that influence the text?

What-to-look-for-in-a-text.pdf

Step One: Literary Analysis & Aspects AKA pulling a story to bits to figure out how it works

What is it? Literary analysis (pulling a story to bits to figure out how it works) is identifying each of the main SEVEN aspects (bits) of a text and then thinking about how they help tell the story and get the point across. An aspect is the tools that an author uses to write a text. The 7 main aspects of literary analysis are:

Author's whakapapa - who is the author and where do they come from? What influences their writing?
Plot - what happens during the course of the story?
Characters - who is in the story and what happens to them during it? This also includes how the characters' relate to each other; are they in conflict, or do they get along?
Setting - where and when the story is being told?

5. Narrative view point - who is telling the story and how does this shape the story?

6. Literary devices/conventions/elements/techniques - what language features / devices / conventions is the author choosing to use and why?

7. Theme - this is the main message that an author is trying to get across to you.

Why is it important? Literary analysis is important because it helps you to more deeply understand a text; the more you understand, the more you get out of it. Aspects are important because they help you to break down a text and compare it to others because these aspects provide similarities.

The main idea is that these are tools that help you figure out what the author is trying to say about the world and how they are convincing & persuading people to read their ideas. The main thing you need to figure out is: What makes people want to read this text?

How do you do it? As you read, ask yourself the questions that are in the colourful sheet above. These aren't all the questions, but they're a great starting point. Additionally, you can use the steps outline below.

Check out these videos that go a bit deeper on key literary analysis (pulling a story to bits to figure out how it works) aspects (the main bits to look at):

Setting

Deeper meanings

Character Analysis

Theme Analysis

Activity 1: Understanding Literary Analysis (time allowance - 2 lessons)

Make a copy of this slide deck and use the information above as well as your own Google research to find out what each literary aspect is and how you figure it out.

HE2524-Coping-with-Grief--Loss-Web_May-21-v1621896941914.pdf

Understanding the idea of grief

The texts that we are about to read all deal with the idea of grief.

Grief is something that every soul will experience whether they want to or not. It is the feelings that come from losing someone or something you love.

This loss could be through death, divorce, moving, theft, or even changes in your life such as poor health.

Everyone experiences grief differently, so by looking at these texts we can understand our own journeys with grief and help those around us with theirs.

Click on the PDF file to the left (the one with the grass) to find out more about grief and what it can do to us, as well as places we can get help from.

Step One: Analysis Modelling

Your teacher will model how to do this sort of analysis using this note maker.

We will be looking at the poem When I heard my father had died written by Jonah Cropp.

You can access the poem by clicking on it to the right.

Before we start, take a moment to read the poem and write what you think about it.

schoolspoetryaward.co.nz/2023/08/01/when-i-heard-my-father-died-jonah-cropp/

Step Two: Short texts

Choose ONE of these short texts to read (time allowance - 2 lessons). As you read it, complete this note maker - you will need to make your own copy.

Tired Eyes - Anya Ngawhare

Short Story: Tired Eyes

Anya Ngawhare

A story of true friendship, sacrifice and love.

schoolspoetryaward.co.nz/2018/08/24/he-sailed-away-kushla-siemonek/

Poem: He Sailed Away

Kushla Siemonek

A story of losing a father

Short text learning activities

Activity 1: Socratic Seminar (time allowance - 1 lesson)

What is one? A Socratic Seminar is a planned and structured conversation about a text that you have read where you share your ideas and interpretations with other people.

Why do one? These dialogues were invented by one of the most famous thinkers ever - Socrates who lived in Athens, Greece around 2400 years ago. Socrates used questions to help people understand things much more deeply. So by participating in a Socratic Seminar

Prepare using the close reading worksheet from above :)

Examples of questions:

Why do you say that?
What do you mean by…?
How does this relate to our discussion?
What do you think is the main issue?
Could you expand upon that point further?

Activity 2: Create an infographic (time allowance - 1 lesson)

What is it? An infographic is a one pager that contains all the main information of a text.

Why do one? By completing one for your chosen text, it helps you to more deeply understand your text because you are figuring out what is important and what is not.

How to do one? Check out these examples of texts that you probably know so that you know what you're aiming for. Then, in your 1B5 write down some notes on what you think the theme, main narrative point of view, main characters, plot summary, main things that you notice about the way the text is created, how the text helps you to better understand the world around you.

Once your have figured out what you want to say, you can produce your infographic on paper, or use Prezi, Visme, Canva, or your own Google Slides.

Activity 3: Summarising

Bring your thinking together by writing a literary response essay. Open this template and then, in your 1B5, write the essay following the instructions.

Step Three: Visual & Oral text options

Choose ONE of these visual / oral texts to view (time allowance - 2 lessons). As you read it, complete this note maker - you will need to make your own copy.

Short Film: Teine Sa - Ahi

In this story of learning to honour what is sacred, Iz leans on the power of a stranger called Ahi to help their father realise what he needs to value in his life.

Short film: Aiga

In the wake of their mother’s death, Leiloa must teach her younger brother to cope without Mum’s cooking.

Eulogy: Alan Rickman

A close friend says goodbye to their friend.

Visual & Oral text learning activities

Activity 1: Socratic Seminar (time allowance - 1 lesson)

What is one? A Socratic Seminar is a planned and structured conversation about a text that you have read where you share your ideas and interpretations with other people.

Prepare using the close reading worksheet from above :)

Examples of questions:

Why do you say that?
What do you mean by…?
How does this relate to our discussion?
What do you think is the main issue?
Could you expand upon that point further?

Activity 2: Create an infographic (time allowance - 1 lesson)

What is it? An infographic is a one pager that contains all the main information of a text.

Why do one? By completing one for your chosen text, it helps you to more deeply understand your text because you are figuring out what is important and what is not.

Once your have figured out what you want to say, you can produce your infographic on paper, or use Prezi, Visme, Canva, or your own Google Slides.

Activity 3: Summarising

Bring your thinking together by writing a literary response essay. Open this template and then, in your 1B5, write the essay following the instructions.

Assessment

Standard: AS91925 Demonstrate understanding of specific aspects of studied text (English 1.2)

Credits: 5

Assessment mode: Internal

Assessment intention:

Ākonga will develop a written response to studied text, by considering the similarities and differences of the world of the text and their own world by discussing how aspects of text work together to engage the reader (make people want to read on) and teach the reader about the theme.
Ākonga will write about two or more aspects.
Aspects could include: character, ideas, setting, plot, style, purposes, language features or techniques, structure

As you read through all of the instructions, make your own copy of the notemaker to the right so help you understand what you need to do.

Task: Bring it home

Exemplars: Click here to find exemplars

Marking Schedule: 1.2b Assessment Schedule

Target texts: Choose ONE of these texts to read, interpret and write about:

****remember to take notes with this note maker

1.2 Understanding what I have to do in the assessment

Clarifying what you are writing about:

How does Apirana Taylor explore / investigate the idea of the effect of grief? Think about:

What is the PLOT EVENT that causes the character's grief? ie the loss of language & identity OR the loss of environment & lifestyle
How does Apirana Taylor develop his CHARACTERS? ie how do the characters react to the loss? How do they feel about that loss? What do they do about that? What do these reactions make the reader feel?
How does Apirana Taylor use STRUCTURE (the order of his ideas) to help create his characters and get across his theme?
Which LANGUAGE FEATURES does Apirana Taylor choose to use and what is he trying to make the reader feel by using them? How do these language features help keep the reader hooked on the reading? What feelings do they reinforce for the reader?
How does the PLOT EVENT, the CHARACTERS and their reactions and the LANGUAGE FEATURES all work together to get across Apirana Taylor's THEME? What is the audience supposed to learn about the idea of grief and how might they see that in the world around them?

Timeline & Assessment Conditions:

3 weeks - you may work on this in class and at home.
The use of AI to help write your report in any way is against the rules of assessment and will result in failing the assessment as well as potential further action such as having to complete all further assessments under supervision and using pen and paper.
Your teacher can give broad advice but is unable to provide specific and detailed direction.

Due Date: Friday of Week 1, Term 2 at 11.59pm. Submit via Google Classroom using the assigned template - there will be a copy of this for you in the Google Classroom. Use this checklist to ensure you have covered everything that you need to.

What to use: Notes and infographics

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