Weeks 1-4 Term 2

Since returning in Term 2 our lesson schedule has been as follows:

27/04/11:  'An ANZAC's Dream' annotation and deconstruction
29/04/11:  'An ANZAC's Dream' continued
03/05/11:  Speech writing for assessment task
04/05/11:  Speech writing for assessment task
05/05/11:  Speech writing for assessment task
09/05/11:  Assessment Task due.  'Then and Now' reading and annotation
11/05/11:  'Then and Now' tasks
13/05/11:  'Then and Now' tasks continued
17/05/11:  Mrs Lans not in class - School Certificate poetry activities
18/05/11:  Mrs Lans not in class - School Certificate writing activities
19/05/11:  Assessment Task speech presentations.

Wednesday - Period 5

We will conclude our study of Mary Gilmore's poem, Old Botany Bay today.  Make sure all tasks have been completed and published on your Weebly.

Consider this poem in terms of the assessment task question:


How do Australia poets use language to convey unique views of Australia?

Wednesday - Period 4, Friday - Period 5 & Tuesday - Period 2

We will begin our look at 'Australian Voices' poetry by studying a poem of Mary Gilmore's - 'Old Botany Bay'.

This will involve:

• small group work during initial reading
• annotation of poem
• completion of deconstruction sheet
• Weebly responses (including research on Mary Gilmore and reading questions)

Finally ... we will brainstorm the 'unique view of Australia' that Gilmore presents in this poem.

Monday - Period 3

Assessment Task # 2 issued.

Today you will need to complete your Wallwisher brainstorm on 'what it is to be Australian'.  When you have completed this you will need to embed it on your Weebly.

Wednesday - Period 5

POETRY

Today we will begin our study of poetry by revising poetic terms on the glossary and mind map that is to be glued in your book.

Watch the video below and take note of the ideas that Anthony "K-Swift" expresses in his poem, "What is Poetry?".  On your Weebly (under a new tab titled 'Poetry'),  make a list of his answers using dot points.

Tuesday - Period 2

Assessment Task - Identity (in class) 


Section 1 - 10 Multiple Choice questions
Section 2 - 5 Short Answer questions
Section 3 - Feature Article composition

Wednesday - Period 4 & Friday - Period 5

 Today you will compose the draft of your feature article:  "What is it to be an Australian in the 21st century?".  The ideas we brainstormed last lesson can be found in the diagram below, but feel free to add your own ideas.  You might also take some ideas from the images it contains.  Your draft will need to be typed in a Word document. Remember to use the feature article scaffold in your book to guide your writing.

Monday - Period 3

To practise for your assessment task in Week 8 we will write a feature article on identity.

First we will take a look at the scaffold contained in the assessment task and look at some feature articles.

Next we will brainstorm our feature article topic:  "What is Australian identity in the 21st century?".

Then you will spend some time researching possible ideas to include in your article.

Thursday - Period 2

Using the diagram below (from Tuesday's lesson) you will today write an outline of the identity features of 'The Gravedigger'.  You should have also put this diagram on your Weebly.

This needs to be written in paragraphs on your Weebly and SHOULD NOT simply RETELL the story, but describe the identity ideas throughout the text.  The diagram will help you - look at each part and write about what each part teaches us about identity.

Wednesday - Period 2

Before we begin writing about identity messages found in The Gravedigger, we will take some time to look at a range of identity ideas and explore some vocabulary around them.

Using the sheet in your book that defines and describes identity, locate words that are unfamiliar to you or that you don't commonly use.  Visit www.lexipedia.com and find the definitions of these words.  Make a list of them and their definitions in your book.

Tuesday - Period 5 (8/3/11)

Today we will read another identity story, Joy Dettman's The Gravedigger.  This story considers how our identity is formed by factors and influences outside our control, and how understanding can work beyond the obvious identity we project or have been given.

Mind map of the identity elements of the plot:

Friday - Period 5

Following a class discussion on celebrity identity and physical appearance, you will finish the tasks from last lesson.  In particular you should have ideas from the discussion that you can include in your response to:

2.  Two paragraphs stating your opinion on how our identity is influenced by our physical appearance.  You can refer to specific examples from the short story, 'Cinderella, Inc' or your internet research.


Remember: your paragraph must include ...
Topic sentence
Body sentences (supporting details/examples/evidence)
Concluding sentence

Wednesday - Period 4

Today you will complete your internet research on the use of plastic surgery by celebrities.  To demonstrate how identity is linked to a change in physical appearance you need to post the following on your Weebly:

1. a collage of celebrities who have had plastic surgery (use Photovisi to create your collage and then embed into your Weebly)
2. Your opinion on how our identity is influenced by our physical appearance.  This should be two paragraphs long and you can refer to specific examples or the short story, 'Cinderella, Inc' or your internet research.

Thursday - Period 2 (24/2/11)

Today you will complete some multiple choice and short answer comprehension questions about the short story, 'Cinderella, Inc'.  These questions are similar in style to your assessment task and the School Certificate Examination.

For the remainder of the lesson you are to investigate the use of plastic surgery by celebrities in anticipation of our next lesson.

Wednesday - Period 5

Lesson lost due to History/Geography excursion.

Friday - Period 5 & Tuesday - Period 2

In these lessons we will read and respond to our next short story - 'Cinderella, Inc'.  In this story the author, Christopher Anvil, writes about a future time where we can physically transform ourselves through surgery to assume new and completely different physical identities.  This story raises the issue of how we (and others) perceive our identity based on our looks.

You will use the short story response questions in your book and post responses on your Weebly.

Monday - Period 3 & Wednesday - Period 4

Now that our initial activities for the beginning of the year are out of the way (spelling and comprehension tests, Weebly setup) we will be concentrating on the concept of 'identity'.

The PowerPoint we viewed gave us some basic ideas around identity.  We will look at a range of short stories that deal with different aspects of identity and look at the composer's message about identity.  Each will make comments about the importance of identity through the story they tell.

We will start by looking at Maria Nuttick's short story, Carpe Diem.  In this story an old woman, Bitsy, spends her day completely out of character.  For this, and all the texts we study, we will address the following questions:
1.      In no more than 3 sentences write a synopsis (outline) of the plot.  (What is the story about?)

2.     List the personal, social and cultural identity details of the protagonist (main character).  This can be done in point form.

3.     What words, phrases and sentences are in the text that describe or allow us to recognise the identity of the protagonist?

4.     Identify the language techniques in the examples you find for question 3.

5.     How does the composer want us to feel about the protagonist/antagonist?

6.    What lesson/s do we learn about ‘identity’ from this story?

Friday - Period 3

Close Study of Film - in our final lessons for 2010 you will undertake a close study of a Tropfest film.  View all the films below and choose ONE as the subject of your study.

Your initial task is to compose a series of questions (that you also answer in detail) using the questioning circles model (see diagram on classroom wall).

Then undertake a second viewing in which you make notes about the film techniques employed, the meaning they create, the effectiveness of them, and how they develop the themes.

We will revise a close study of text program through a short film - 'The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello'.  Pay attention to the areas of focus, discussion of theme, analysis of filmic techniques and mise en scene, etc as a model for your own study in Week 8.

Monday - Period 5 & Tuesday - Period 3

Narrative revision in preparation for the School Certificate - brainstorm (see below), deconstruction, planning & composition, peer marking.