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.

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.