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.

Friday - Period 3 & Monday - Period 2

School Certificate Preparation:  In these lessons you will compose a feature article on the issue of mosquito alarms.  You will decide the purpose of your article (inform, entertain, educate, etc) and approach (informative, balanced, humorous, etc) and concentrate on a composition that observes the structure and conventions of a feature article.

Monday - Period 5

School Certificate Preparation:  To consolidate our examination of poetry in preparation for the School Certificate, you will annotate an unseen poem under time conditions, as well as complete the short answer questions from the 2006 School Certificate Examination.

Wednesday - Period 1 & Friday - Period 3

School Certificate Trial Feedback - papers returned and teacher feedback given.

• Letter to the Editor - student checklist completed.
• Narrative - marking criteria examined, areas for consideration discussed.
• Poem, 'Circular Breathing' - initial reading in anticipation of review.  Group analysis of a stanza, shared with entire class.  Short answer questions and marking scheme revisited following our analysis.

The aim of this feedback and revision is for you to recognise where you did not achieve marks.  You need to reflect on whether this was an oversight, misunderstanding of the question, or insufficient knowledge.  When you can pinpoint where you lost marks, you can strategise on how to ensure you get them in the School Certificate exam in November.

School Certificate Revision

In Week 8 we have revised each section of the School Certificate Exam paper - multiple choice, short answers, extended writing responses.  Past papers and an online multiple choice quiz can be accessed at the Board of Studies website.

To assist in revision of techniques please find below a Glossary of Terms that you might like to revise.
Stage 6 Glossary of Terms

Week 6 Lessons (Mon, Tues & Fri)

'The Running Man' - online study

• Please plan to attend the Father/Son Relationship Study tutorial with Mrs Lans during one of this week's lessons.
• Please make sure your blog posts (your own and the class blog) are up to date.
• You must ensure that you have made progress each week by attending to a suitable number of tasks and blog posts.
• Take a look at Task 5 to familiarise yourself with the essay question due at the end of this unit.
• Homework:  Please ensure you have completed your reading of the novel by Friday, 27/08/10.

Week 5 Lessons (Mon, Wed & Fri)

'The Running Man' - online study

• Please plan to attend the Genre Study tutorial with Mrs Lans during one of this week's lessons.
• Please make sure your blog posts (your own and the class blog) are up to date.
• You must ensure that you have made progress each week by attending to a suitable number of tasks and blog posts.
• Take a look at Task 5 to familiarise yourself with the essay question due at the end of this unit.
• Homework:  Please ensure you have read Chapters 10-13 by Friday, 20/08/10.

Week 4 Lessons (Mon, Tues & Fri)

'The Running Man' - online study

• Please plan to attend the Language Study tutorial with Mrs Lans during one of this week's lessons.
• Please respond to last week's class blog item with a post about your initial reading responses if you haven't already done so.
• Please respond to this week's class blog item.
• You must ensure that you have made progress each week by attending to a suitable number of tasks and blog posts.
• Homework:  Please ensure you have read Chapters 5-9 by Friday, 13/08/10.

Friday - Period 3

The Running Man - online study.  Please respond to the class blog with a post about your initial reading responses.

Homework:  Please ensure you have read Chapters 5-9 by Friday, 13/08/10.

Wednesday - Period 1

In this lesson you will be introduced to your novel study that will take place in Weeks 3-7.  You will visit the Weebly site set up for this online study and establish your own in preparation for your work in this unit.  The class weebly address is:  www.lansenglish10.weebly.com

Homework:  You need to have read Chapters 1-4 by Friday, 06/08/10.

Friday - Period 3

Novel issue:  Library borrowing of Michael Gerard Bauer's novel, 'The Running Man'.  Please commence your reading of this text as soon as possible.  Homework:  please read Chapters 1-4 (pages 1-53) by Friday, 06/08/10.


Essay Writing:  Introductions and conclusions revised.  Composition of one paragraph under timed conditions.

Tuesday - Period 3

Essay planning:  in today's lesson you are to form groups to explore one of Dawe's themes.  You need to share the ideas about that theme found in two or more poems, and how he has used language to develop these ideas.  When complete you should then draft an essay plan that reflects your approach to next Monday's in-class assessment task.  This draft essay plan should support any study and preparation you make for the task at home.

Monday - Period 5

"There comes at time when excessive speeding
Takes over the driver at the wheel..." - Momentum

Deconstruction and short analysis of Bruce Dawe's poem, 'Momentum'.  This poem is Dawe's political view of the war in Iraq and is in contrast to the other poems we have studied (subject matter, extended metaphor).

Core ideas found in Dawe's poetry collated:

• female experiences/gender roles
• minutae of life
• relationships
• human psyche

Wednesday - Period 1 & Friday - Period 3

Activities:

Study of Bruce Dawe's poem, 'Drifters'. Annotate, deconstruct and complete summary table. After shared deconstruction you are to compose a paragraph in response to the question: Analyse how Bruce Dawe represents human experiences in his poem, 'Drifters'.

Wednesday - Period 1 & Friday - Period 3

By the end of term you need to have completed the following to consolidate this term's study of Bruce Dawe's poetry:

1. Complete summary tables for each poem (The Tackle Box, Up the Wall, Going).
2. Complete a paragraph for each poem using the paragraph scaffold.
3. Discuss, using the 'comments' link below, the idea that Dawe's poems demonstrate both social and emotional awareness.  

(25/06/10) Friday - Period 3 & (28/06/10) Monday - Period 2

'Up the Wall' by Bruce Dawe - Annotation and analysis.

This sympathetic poem explores the world of the lonely housewife and the pathos of her tedious and unfulfilling role as wife and mother.

Dawe's understanding of the female experience and the social conditions created by gendered roles is expertly and clearly revealed in this poem.

Monday - Period 5 & Tuesday - Period 3

Activities:

Deconstruction and analysis of Bruce Dawe's poem, 'The Tacklebox'.  Paragraph response if time.

Tuesday - Period 1

Deconstruction and analysis of Bruce Dawe's 'The Tackle Box' continued.

Lesson deferred due to discussion of Year 11 Course choices.

Tuesday - Period 3

Activities:

Using the information from your viewing of Bruce Dawe's Biography (Australian Screen) and feature articles supplied, compose a profile of Dawe that addresses his background and poetic interests and skill.

If time permits - deconstruction of 'The Tackle Box'

Monday - Period 5

Activities:

1. If you are yet to post a response to Friday's activity, please do so this lesson. (Make sure you click on the link for the post below - not this one.)
2. Deconstruction revision - choose one of the following poems and complete the deconstruction table provided in class. (If, Puppy Mills, The Clock of Life, You Want a Social Life with Friends)
3. Viewing - Bruce Dawe profile video.

The Merchant of Venice - 20 points task due today.

Friday - Period 3

Well done to everyone on their voicethreads for the casket riddles.

NEW UNIT - POETRY

Our focus activity to reintroduce poetry will be an evaluative activity using poetry typography (see links below).  The aim of this activity is to acknowledge the power of poetry to concisely and effectively explore ideas.

View each of the videos and read the poems on the handout provided.  In your book note down the subject matter and theme of each poem.  Choose the poem that you feel was most powerful in exploring a theme and also choose a video that you feel best represented the poem visually.  Post a response using the 'comments' link below explaining both of your choices.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjXHRUlKe_M (You Want a Social Life, With Friends' - Kenneth Koche)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-CXa7RePu4 ('No Cure' - Derek del Barrio)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyNxBIDZoV8 ('For Your Tomorrow' - Major John Etty-Leal)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3f9IAqWcF_0 ('Puppy Mill' - Peggy Wilson)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utcb7JTrX-M ('The Clock of Life' - Robert H. Smith)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tTeZNfwesg ('If' - Rudyard Kipling)

Wednesday - Period 1

Merchant of Venice Activities:



If you have not completed your Voicethread recordings, make sure you have posted three (3) audio posts by the end of the lesson.

Next - compose a paragraph n response to the question: Shylock – is he a villain or a victim of the society he lives in? Please see Mrs Lans for paper to write on. To be submitted for marking at the end of the lesson or by Friday's lesson if not completed in class.

Homework: any of the above tasks not completed in class MUST be done for homework by Friday, 04/06/10.

Monday - Period 2

Casket Riddles - decipher the riddles for each of the gold, silver and lead caskets.  Consider the qualities that Portia's father is revealing in each of his riddles.  Make suitable notes for each in your book.

Using this information, record your responses in the Voicethread below.

Homework - Responses totalling 20 points (from the 42 point questions) due today.

Monday - Period 5

Activities:

Close study of each scene (continued) for relevance to plot, character, theme, and language used.  Completed in groups and shared.

Wednesday - Period 1

Activities:

Close study of each scene for relevance to plot, character, theme, and language used.

Monday - Period 2

Speech presentations were finished on Friday.  Without exception each of you spoke well and effectively presented your identity ideas.  Well done to you all.

Activities:  (The Merchant of Venice)

1.  Completion and submission of identify paragraphs (15 minutes only).
2.  Close study of Shylock's monologue.

Friday - Period 3

Assessment Task - Identity speech presentations

Homework:  Using the 'comments' link below this post, you are to post a comment stating which speeches presented today you found most effective. You need to explain why this speech was effective and you can address both the content of the speech and the presentation (delivery). This is not a vote for friends, but rather information to demonstrate your understanding of the topic and speech presentation.

Tuesday - Period 3

Assessment Task - Identity speech presentations

Homework:  Using the 'comments' link below this post, you are to post a comment stating which speeches presented today you found most effective. You need to explain why this speech was effective and you can address both the content of the speech and the presentation (delivery). This is not a vote for friends, but rather information to demonstrate your understanding of the topic and speech presentation.

Monday - Period 5

Assessment Task - Identity speech presentations

Homework:  Using the 'comments' link below this post, you are to post a comment stating which speeches presented today you found most effective. You need to explain why this speech was effective and you can address both the content of the speech and the presentation (delivery). This is not a vote for friends, but rather information to demonstrate your understanding of the topic and speech presentation.

Wednesday - Period 1 & Friday - Period 3

Activities:

1.  Text/reader/world questions completed.  Feedback to class.
2.  Paragraph writing - Two paragraphs in response to the following question:
In 'The Merchant of Venice', Shakespeare considers the values of mercy and friendship and the actions of prejudice and revenge.  Choose one value and one action and examine his representation of these themes.


Homework:  42 Point Question responses (totalling 20 points) due on 31/5/10.  'Article of the Week' due Monday, 10/5/10. 


SPEECH PRESENTATIONS - in class Week 4 (starting Monday).

Monday - Period 2

Activities:

Themes - text/reader/world questions and answers devised for the themes of: prejudice, friendship, mercy.

Remember:

Knowledge of the text being read	Text
Personal response to the text	Reader
Knowledge of the world and other texts	World

So you will need questions for the following:  text, text/reader, reader, reader/world, world, world/text

Homework:  Remember to be working on questions totalling 20 points from the '42 points' sheet.

Friday - Period 3

Assessment task transcript sumbitted.

Activities:
1.  Backchannelling and Wallwisher responses examined.
2.  Conflict - types of conflict and their meaning identified.
3.  Text/Reader/Word - questions modelled/devised on the theme of revenge.

Don't forget to take a look at your entries in the 'What Matters?' writing competition which have been compiled into an online booklet.  You can check it out on the top right of this page.


Homework:  Over the next week make sure you rehearse your speech to ensure you meet the time limit/requirement of the assessment task.  Your '42 Point Questions' is due later in the unit and still requires your attention.

Tuesday - Period 3

Monday's lesson lost due to public holiday.
Homework:  Assessment Task #2 - transcript due on Friday, 30/4/10.  Presentation of speech in Week 4.  'Article of the Week' homework will resume in Week 3.

Tuesday's Activities:

1.  Setting:  Venice & Belmont
2.  Characters:  Summary paragraph for Antonio.
3.  Characters:  Relevance to plot and quotes to be recorded on Wallwisher for both Shylock and Antonio

Friday - Period 3

Activities:

1.  Five act play structure examined.  MOV mapped to Freytag's dramatic structure.
2.  Backchannelling:  initial discussions around Shylock

Homework:  Assessment Task # 2 (Identity Speech) transcript is due on 30/4/10.  Make sure you have started work on this, giving yourself enough time to rehearse your speech and modify it if timing is a factor.  Remember you need to focus on 'challenges' to identity and how they can be seen in 'Mona Lisa Smile' and a text of your choosing.  See the mind map on the post below dated 24/3/10 for guidance.
You must identify and comment on the effectiveness of the techniques the filmmaker has used to give you these messages.  These can be found in your classnotes.  Two-thirds of your speech should address the film and one third the related text.

Wednesday - Period 1

Activities:

1.  Essential questions:

§  How far would you be willing to go for a friend?

§  What causes prejudice?

§  Does money bring happiness?

§  When are you obligated to break the rules?

2.  Jewish Stereotype

Homework:  42 Point Questions issued.  You are to complete tasks of your choice to the value of 20 points.  Responses can be completed in your book or handed in separately.  Due date: 31/05/10

Monday - Period 4

Activities:

1.  Parts A & B of Assessment Task #1 returned.
2.  Following items issued:  close study mind map, drama mind map, plot activity.
3.  Historical context of Shakespeare's 'The Merchant of Venice'

Homework:  Reminder to be working on your speech (formal assessment task) due in Week 2 (30/04/10).  Ensure that you time your speech before you submit the transcript.


Those students who are yet to submit their 'What Matters?' opinion piece must do so in Wednesday's lesson (21/04/10).

Close Study of Text - Term 2

Hopefully your reading of the abridged text of 'The Merchant of Venice' has not been troublesome.  As a heads up for our study of this text the mind map below details the areas we will look at as part of our close study.

Reminder:  Your 'What Matter's?' completed copy is due in our first lesson of the term.  It must be a digital copy and you can email it before then if ready.

Tuesday - Period 3

Activities:

1.  Rapid brainstorm of the identity concepts in Morton Rhue's novel, 'The Wave'.
2.  Paragraph writing
3.  Merchant of Venice abridged text and graphic novel issued.

See holiday homework on previous post.

Monday - Period 5

Activities:

1.  Identity Assessment Task for students who were absent on Friday.
2.  Writing:  paragraph writing using exemplar as a model for paragraphs on 'Mona Lisa Smile' and a related text.  The brainstorming done in Wednesday's lesson can be found in the blog post below.

Holiday homework: 
1.  'What Matters?' final copy to be completed.  Due on first lesson of Term 2 or emailed earlier if possible.  lansenglish@yahoo.com.au
2.  'The Merchant of Venice' abridged text to be read before the beginning of Term 2.  Post-reading quiz will take place in the first lesson.  For assistance in understanding the text, you can refer to the 'No Fear Shakespeare' online translation of the text.

• You can also download a free audio version from iTunes.  Use the 'Power Search' option and search for the title of the play.
• The BBC has some useful videos and information on the play which can be found here.

Friday - Period 3

Identity Assessment Task - in class activity.

Wednesday - Period 1

Activities:

1. Assessment Task No 2 issued. Speech Task on Identity due in Term 2.
2. Paragraph writing using 'MATES' scaffold explained/revised.  Exemplar issued for student reference.
3. Challenges to Identity brainstorm.  See mind map below.

Homework:  Last reminder to annotate the assessment task stimulus texts (interview, feature article and poem) in anticipation of the task on Friday 26/3/10.  Also revise the structure of a feature article.  You also need to have completed your reading of 'The Wave' by Tuesday, 30/3/10.

Monday - Period 2

Activities:

Identity sample reading task - 'Cobb Cartoon'
Poetry deconstruction/analysis - 'Identity' by anonymous

When studying poetry explore the following elements as part of your deconstruction and analysis:

Homework: 

1. Annotate the stimulus texts provided with your Assessment Task notification in anticipation of your assessment task on Friday, 26/3/10.
2. Following the return of your draft 'What Matters?' opinion piece, edit, proofread and publish your final copy.  A digital version can be emailed to lansenglish@yahoo.com.au or must submitted on the first day of Term 2.
3. Bring your copy of 'The Wave' to class on Tuesday, 30/3/10.

Friday - Period 3

Lesson lost to History/Geography excursion.

Note:  In-class assessment task on Identity (multiple choice, short answers & feature article) will take place on Wednesday 24/3/10.  Students absent due to Music excursion will complete in the next lesson.

Homework:  Ensure that you have read and deconstructed the texts for the assessment task.  You need to annotate your copy of the texts with stylistic and language features in preparation for the task.  Remember you are looking for the:

• Identity messages (ideas, concepts) the text contains which you will express as a motherhood statement.
• Language techniques employed to bring us this identity message.
• Effectiveness of the language techniques and the text as a whole in representing identity ideas.

Tuesday - Period 3

Writing - this lesson you will be issued with a 'MATES' scaffold and exemplar and we will examine/revise how a critical response paragraph should be composed.  This will be the model for this week's homework. 

Homework:  Compose a paragraph in response to the question, How has identity been represented in the film, Mona Lisa Smile?  You must make close reference to the text and use the 'MATES' structure.  Due Monday, 22/3/10.

Friday - Period 3

Activities:

• Scene analysis - identity representations in selected scenes. 

Once this is complete, you will now have addressed sufficient elements of 'Mona Lisa Smile' to respond about identity as it is represented in this text.  Your notes should include:  character table, stylistic and film techniques (from PowerPoint), motherhood statements, song lyrics, script extracts, scene analysis.

Homework:  Article of the Week, 'School bans on Muslim veils', due on Monday, 15/3/10.

Wednesday - Period 1

Activities:

1.  Quotes (continued)
2.  Scene deconstructions.

Homework:  Article of the Week, 'School Ban on Muslin Veils' due on Monday, 15/3/10.

Monday - Period 2

Activities:

1.  Analysis of song lyrics.  Highlight quotes from the lyrics that inform the identity ideas represented in the film.
2.  Quote analysis (if time).

Homework: 
DUE TODAY:  Draft for the Whitlam Institute Writing Competition - 'What Matters?'
DUE 15/3/10:  Article of the Week - 'School Ban on Muslim Veils'

Reminder that you need to have finished your reading of 'The Wave' by the BEGINNING OF WEEK 9.

Friday - Period 3

Activities:

1.  Mona Lisa Smile PowerPoint presentation continued.
2.  Examination of song lyrics from movie soundtrack for identity representations.

Homework Reminder:  Your draft for the 'What Matters?' writing competition is due on Monday, 8/3/10.  A digital or hard copy is fine.

Tuesday - Period 3

Activities:

PowerPoint Presentation - Deconstruction of 'Mona Lisa Smile'.

Homework:  Remember that your draft opinion piece for the 'What Matters?' writing competition is due on Monday, 8/3/10.  An electronic copy is preferred, either submitted in class or emailed.

Monday - Period 5

Activities:

"Societal expectations define the roles of women." 

The motherhood statements that you posted last week have been compiled into a shared list.  The modifications to some illustrate better expression of the concept (often a simple case of nominalisation).  We will make connections between the film and these motherhood statements by identifying evidence of each from the text.

Homework:  The 'What Matters?' draft is due next Monday, 8/3/10.  This week there will not be an 'Article of the Week' to permit you to complete your draft.

Friday - Period 3

Activities:

1.  Complete characterisation tables started last lesson - appearance, actions, thoughts, feelings, things they say and how they are said, attitude/values, opinions of others, opinions held by others.
2.  Make sure you have posted TWO motherhood statements using the 'comments' link on the previous posting below.  If you are uncertain how to do this, check first with someone who has already posted.
3.  Visit America During the 1950s - make summary notes from the information found under the headings 'social changes' and 'gender issues'.  These notes are the social and historical context of this text.

Homework:  Your 'Article of the Week' regarding unions is due on Monday, 1/3/10.

Wednesday - Period 1

Activities:

1.  Completion of film deconstruction sheet
2.  Character study - identity descriptions of each character
3.  Motherhood statement brainstorm - using the 'comments' link below, post at least TWO identity motherhood statements that are represented in 'Mona Lisa Smile'.

Homework: 
1.  Article of the Week - 'Pope Benedict XVI's Vatican policies back union rights'
2.  'What Matters?' writing competition - draft due Monday of Week 7

Monday - Period 5 & Tuesday - Period 3

Activities:

1.  'Victims of our own prejudice' - conceptualising of ideas presented in this text.
2.  Assessment Task # 1 issued.
2.  'Mona Lisa Smile' viewing. 
We lose Friday's lesson due to the History/Geography excursions.  Before your return on Monday 22/2/10, begin to formulate motherhood statements about identity that occur to you as a result of your viewing of the film.  The trailer can be viewed below to assist you.



Homework: 

• Article of the Week, 'Violence risks foreign student market'.
• 'What Matters?' writing competition:  formulate a topic, viewpoin t and approach for this writing task.  Your draft version is due to Mrs Lans by Monday, Week 7.

Monday - Period 2 & Thursday - Period 1

1.  Stereotypes - 'Tribes' matching activity. 
2.  Related Text:  'Victims of our own prejudice' (opinion) deconstruction and analysis.  ( 3 Motherhood statements to be ready for lesson on Week 4 Monday, Period 5)

Homework:  Article of the Week - 'Silent Asylum Seekers'.  Responses to be completed by Monday, 15/02/10 Period 5.

Friday - Period 3

We will continue to focus on the concept of 'identity' via the following activities:

1.  Continuation of PowerPoint

HOMEWORK:  Your response to the 'Article of the Week' is due on Monday, Period 2.  Two paragraphs addressing the importance/relevance of your chosen topics/issues to our contemporary world.

Remember to commence your wider reading of 'The Wave' by Morton Rhue.  You must have finished reading this by the end of Week 9.

Monday - Period 5

To commence your Year 10 study we will cover the following activities:

1. Weekly vocabulary activity
2. School Certificate checklist
3.  'Article of the Week' homework task
4. 'What Matters' writing competition (Term 1)

Activities 1, 3 & 4 will be regular parts of your study, each designed to focus on your reading, writing, ideas and vocabulary. Together with the SC checklist they will assist your preparation for the School Certificate Exam.