Unique resources created by an experienced Secondary English and History teacher. These are academically rigorous resources that target children between 13 and 18 years of age.
Unique resources created by an experienced Secondary English and History teacher. These are academically rigorous resources that target children between 13 and 18 years of age.
This 32 page booklet has been designed as part of an Australian film studies unit focusing on the 2002 film The Rabbit Proof Fence. It includes activities exploring characterisation, the beliefs of the time and analysing the aesthetic features (film and language techniques) which students are to complete during and after viewing the film. While used for year 9 in this case, it could be applicable for any junior secondary grade. It could also be used during NAIDOC week.
This booklet contains resources which would be useful for preparing students to write a range of genres including film reviews, feature articles, persuasive texts and analytical essays. There are questions about the events/themes/character’s perspectives and the effects of the aesthetic features.
It introduces students to concepts such as textual structures, language features, visual features, film techniques and themes. It includes information about the socio cultural context of the film, articles about the women on which the film is based, key quotes from the film, scaffolded analysis activities for key scenes, an introduction to evaluative language and how it is used to describe films. The final pages include an explanation of how to structure an essay (along with planning and editing steps).
1) PowerPoint - This lesson focuses on teaching students about the context of World War One so that they have some frame of reference for approaching the poems written in this period. Afterwards, it explores how the perceptions of war in poetry changed during this period from patriotic beliefs in its valour to disillusionment as World War One saw a complete change in the way wars were fought and the attitudes towards them. This lesson opens with checking students prior knowledge of WW1. It then explains what the world was like during the 19th Century and the imperialist ideology. The beliefs of Europe’s’ Great Powers, the major causes of WW1, The assassination of Franz Ferdinand: A Shot that Changed the World, societal beliefs about war at the time, exploring propaganda posters from World War One, new technologies used in this war and the outcomes of the war. Things we will learn by the study of poetry from the First World War.
A worksheet to be used while viewing the Bio pic ‘Long Walk to Freedom.’ It includes during viewing questions and post viewing questions about key people, key events, ideologies/beliefs/motives and some empathy-based questions. There is also a homework activity which requires students to do some further research about Mandela.
Resources designed for the new senior Modern History syllabus (implemented in QLD in 2019). The syllabus objectives would also be useful more broadly for English students in other states and countries with an interest in the Anti-Apartheid movement in South Africa (1948-1994).
A mini lesson (10 slides) designed to introduce students to some political systems. It begins with some terms to add to their glossary: capitalism and communism. This is followed by an image which explains the following system in terms of cows - socialism, communism, fascism, Nazism, bureaucratism and capitalism. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels’ class struggle theories are summarised. There is a video to help students grasp this entitled “Communism vs. Socialism: What’s the difference?” There is information for students to copy about the Communist Manifesto of 1848 (notes to be copied are underlined). There are also some checking for understanding activities.
A lesson designed to provide students with an understanding of events between the Warlord era (1916) to the establishment of the Chinese Communist Party.
The lesson includes definitions for terms including Kuomintang/Guomindang, Communism (which students need to add to their glossary)
Information is provided about the diverse nature of warlords. The impact of the Treaty of Versailles meeting in 1919 (and the decision not to return the Shandong province to China) is briefly mentioned. This leads to an exploration of the May Fourth Movement, the New Culture Movement and the Guomindang (Nationalist party). Sun Yat-Sen’s 3 guiding ideological principles are shown. Information is provided about how he was inspired by the 1917 Marxist revolution in Russia. Information about how Marx’s theory had to be modified to fit China’s situation (is provided). This is followed by details about how the CCP formed (with the help of a Comintern Agent) in 1921. A brief bio of the following figure is provided for students to copy down (Jiang Jieshi/Chiang Kai-Shek). Why the CCP initially allied itself with the Nationalist party and how this relationship became fractured. A brief bio of Mao Zedong / Mao Tse-Tung is introduced.
**Resources designed for the new senior Modern History syllabus (implemented in QLD in 2019). The end of term assessment for this unit was an Independent Source Investigation.
The content would also be useful more broadly for students in other states and countries with an interest in the China (1931-1976). The other resources are also available in my store – Aussie_Resources.**
This PowerPoint includes: a synopsis of film and information about the author of the novel: Dashiell Hammett. This ppt introduces the femme fatale and film noir and explores its defining features and how they influenced crime films. It also looks at societal influences on writers and filmmakers of the time. Within the lesson there are a few viewing activities including an excerpt from The Maltese Falcon and the trailer of Postman always rings twice (another well-known example). If I have time I usually show the trailer of Gone Baby Gone as a modern example. For homework, students consider how they could incorporate some of these elements into their own short story.
A fun PPT I put together for the end of the year. It has 10 questions per round.
The rounds include:
Films of 2024 (identifying from pictures)
Next lines (given a line of a Christmas carol and must write next line)
Famous faces (identifying celebrities from pictures of part of their face / body)
Christmas tv viewing (identifying Xmas films from still images)
Christmas trivia
Songs of 2024 (watch a YouTube clip which has snippets of songs from this year)
News of 2024 [questions about events which happened this year]
Films of 2023
News of 2023
A ppt which explores how the literary devices are used in texts that represent teenagers. Teen specific examples of parody including clips from 'Not Another Teen Movie.' Examples of sarcasm with clips from 'The Inbetweeners' tv show (no swearing). The impact of tone of voice. Introducing other techniques: exaggeration, burlesque, irony (with a clip from the Little Rascals and Shrek). Then it looks at clips of J'amie from Summer Heights High and an example monologue about this scene written by a past student.
The first two lessons in a year 9 English unit. Within this unit, students engage with a range of Australian literary texts including short stories, films and poetry, and literature for stereotypes including bogans, Indigenous Australians and bushmen etc. We also explore concepts like multiculturalism, fair go and mateship. Students explore how events, situations and people can be represented from different perspectives and draw conclusions about characters, key ideas and Australia’s identity, justifying these with selective use of textual evidence.
PowerPoint 1: Unit introduction
Classroom expectations, Homework expectations, Expectations around use of laptops in the classroom and an introduction to the unit. It includes questions to prompt students to brainstorm their prior knowledge. It also includes clips from advertisements including the Australia Day Lamb Ads for fun brainstorming activities.
PowerPoint 2:
Introduction to key terms: multicultural, patriot, assimilate, nationalism and juxtapositon.
Identifying Australian stereotypes within a music video parody
Defining the term Identity and teaching students how to answer quesitons using the RAF method. It includes example responses and then questions for the students to respod to.
The Key Focuses of the unit are teaching students about:
○ Christian vocation: working for Christ (living his mission by serving other people.)
○ Seven sacraments esp. Baptism and confirmation
○ Gifts of the Holy spirit (character traits)
○ Serving Christ through worship and prayer (through communion & Eucharist)
○ doing God’s work when we speak out against injustice (CSTs)
○ Human dignity
○ Authentic freedom
This is a PowerPoint designed to teach students about the Gifts of the Holy spirit. It begins with a film explaining why we are baptised as at Baptism, we receive seven special gifts from the Holy Spirit. These gifts help us to make good choices, and to serve God and others. Subsequently the PowerPoint goes through each of these gifts. The presentation also includes information about the twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit and a journal writing activity to finish off the lesson.
A PowerPoint for use in a 70 minute lesson. It begins with a look at Vietnam’s geographic location and the countries which border it. This information is used to explain which countries have tried to invade Vietnam in the past. This lesson explores questions including: What was Vietnam like under French rule? & Why was communism so attractive to Vietnamese Nationalists? A key historical figure (Ho Chi Minh) is introduced to students and his ideological influences are explained. Afterwards a series of sources about Ho Chi Minh are included along with questions which students can either answer in their books or discuss as a class (teacher discretion). There is information about key events before and during WW2. Students are asked to consider why communism may have been appealing to Vietnamese Nationalists. Some key dates from the Timeline in Hoepper et al’s 1996 textbook ‘Inquiry 2’ are displayed and a range of sources are used to elaborate on these talking points. The term Viet Minh is introduced to students. Information about how this group formed, their attire and who they fought against is outlined. Another figure – Emperor Bao Dai is introduced as he is someone who is likely to come up in student research. A key source – Ho Chi Minh’s speech proclaiming independence on September 2nd, 1945 – is provided for students to read along with a series of short response questions. This is followed by a paragraph writing activity which can be done as a ‘we do’ or a ‘you do’ depending on the ability level of the class. The lesson concludes with some information about the aid the USA provided to French to try to help them regain control of Vietnam after the Second World War. The Battle of Dien is briefly touched upon as well as the Geneva Settlement and the subsequent partitioning of Vietnam into two states. At the conclusion of the lesson, successful students will be able to explain the historical concept of anti-colonialism, key individuals and groups involved in the quest for Vietnam’s independence and the factors and events that influenced them.
A handout designed to go with this lesson. It includes some information about Ho Chi Minh and a range of sources about him. For instance, The path which led me to Leninism by Ho Chi Minh – a primary source which outlines his reasons for joining the French Communist Party & his speech proclaiming independence on September 2nd, 1945. The handout includes questions but does not provide space for the answers (to save on printing).
**NB: Resources designed for the new senior Modern History syllabus (implemented in QLD in 2019). The content would also be useful more broadly for students in other states and countries with an interest in the Vietnamese Independence Movement (1945-1975). The other resources are also available in my store - lrigb4. The end of term assessment for this unit was an essay.
**
A lesson designed for use in a 12 Essential English classroom in Queensland, Australia as part of Unit 3: “Language that influences.” During this unit students learned how to create and shape perspectives on community, local and global issues in texts. Their assessment at the end of this unit was to write a 4-6 minute persuasive multimodal (speech) to be delivered live or pre-recorded about an issue of their choice.
The lesson begins with a settling activity where students copy terms into their glossary (inform, describe, explain and persuade).
This is followed by a Viewing Activity: How shopping Apps dominate fast fashion and appeal to young people. Students are given some tips for how to reduce their expenditure on new clothes (ideas came from a podcast I listened to.) There was a brainstorming activity (to see what students retained from previous lesson about fast fashion). Students had to draw a table in their books to complete as they watched a report made by the ABC program ‘Foreign Correspondent.’ They had to make a list of environmental impacts and social impacts (impacts on the people).
Following this, students learned about 3 types of appeal that they can use in a persuasive speech. We then discussed why teenagers should care about the environment (linking this to values, attitudes and beliefs).
Finally, we reviewed the P.E.R.S.U.A.D.E Acronym (which lists 8 different persuasive techniques which students can use in their assessment and in the writing activities in class this term). Then students had to write a TEEEL paragraph about ‘Fast Fashion’ which was both informative and persuasive (to consolidate their knowledge).
This lesson is an introduction to a moral/ethical dilemma - designer babies and saviour siblings. It defines each of these terms, includes quotes from doctors, a discussion of what genetic testing can currently do and a speculation what it could be used for in the future, some questions about the ethics of genetic testing, three case studies for students to consider, and a film trailer from My Sister's Keeper in preparation for watching this film.
A PowerPoint designed for a 50 minute lesson which includes summaries of key scenes and important things to note in this act. It also features questions to check for understanding.
An updated version of the Act One (Scenes 1-4) PowerPoint for a school with 70 minute lessons. It includes a warm up activity (definitions to copy), extra quotes and questions to check for understand. A lesson plan has also been included.
A PowerPoint focusing on the Party Scene (Act One, Scene 5). It begins with a mini lesson on characterisation (with definitions and examples). Subsequently students act out the scene and discuss the perspectives of various characters. Afterwards, we watch the 1997 film version and prepare to explore the balcony scene in a future lesson.
A 5 page script for the party scene which has been translated into modern language (more accessible for students).
A homework sheet with questions about the party scene (Act 1, Scene 5).
A handout - revision activity - a list of jumbled up events from this act which students have to reorganise into chronological order.
Part of a set of resources created for a year 10 English class in Australia (ACARA syllabus). The other resources are also available in my store - lrigb4. Designed for use in 70 minute lessons (with extra activities as a back up if the class is advanced).
This booklet has been designed as part of a year 8 English unit of work on Parvana (a novel set in Afghanistan during the reign of the Taliban). It includes activities about characters, the setting and language features which students are to complete as they read the novel. There are also questions about the events/themes/character's perspectives et cetera for each chapter.
This is all in preparation for a creative writing assessment where students take what they have learned to create a written literary transformation (a short story from a marginalised character's perspective). Their short story has to focus on a moral issue within the novel.
I have referenced the other study guides I drew on when creating this resource.
In addition to analysing cinematic techniques (aka visual features), students need to analyse the effect of language features in their chosen documentary. This lesson introduces students to a range of language features to watch out for with examples from Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 911 and Morgan Spurlock's Super Size Me. These language features include high modality, rhetorical questions, emotive language, repetition and groups of three. It also includes a list of generic questions for students to ask themselves when watching documentaries.
The first lesson to introduce students to the ‘Art and Community’ unit. It introduces students to some key terms they need to know for the unit. I use underlining to indicate to students what notes they need to copy from slides. There is information about some types of art (mosaic, sculpture, recycled art, collage, street art and wheat pasting). There is a viewing activity (a news story about street artworks made early on during the COVID 19 Pandemic). This is followed by some information about the upcoming assessment task and dates so students know where they are heading. Students also learn about the purpose of art which they will have to write about in the front section of their inquiry booklet. The lesson ends with an interesting viewing activity of the 100 most creative street artworks. There is also information about bottle cap art as our school decided to do a fun end of term activity where the students made one collective street art for display at the school.
Part of a set of resources created for a senior Social & Community studies class in Australia (QCAA syllabus). The other resources are also available in my store - Aussie_Resources. Designed for use in 70 minute lessons. The end of term assessment for this unit was a 90 minute short response examination.
A PowerPoint which begins with a warm up practice exam question where students must make inferences about someone based on a photograph of them and some brief information about their occupation and interests. This is followed by a reflection to see how confident students felt about this task. Afterwards the term ‘stereotype’ is defined along with some information about why people stereotype. Students are to copy the definition of ‘gender stereotypes’ into their glossary. There is a viewing activity that explains this concept further. Looking at some stereotypes e.g. which gender is dressed in pink vs blue. This segues to a discussion about how advertisements target viewers of particular genders. There is a clip for students to view and discuss (Top 10 Unnecessarily Gendered Products). This is followed by some visual literacy activities where students have to analyse a range of advertisements and explain their meaning (as this is a skill they must have for their exam). Some of these advertisements are quite sexual and lend well to discussions about the impact of advertisements on body image. They can also cause society to continue to accept misogynistic views of women. There is also a sample advertisement related question for students to view and another one for them to attempt to answer. If time permits, at the end of the lesson, there is an interesting TED talk to watch.
A free PowerPoint which I think History teachers will find helpful. If you use it, and like it, please come and give me a positive star rating / review :). Constructive criticism is also appreciated.
PowerPoint 1: Causes of World War Two
• term overview (what we are learning + how we will be assessed)
• key questions for unit (from ACARA)
• context (what happened after WW1 that set the stage for WW2)
• statistics (number of casualties in WW2)
• information about the following:
o the treaty of Versailles
o Hitler’s rise to power: worldwide economic depression + the effects of the depression on Germany + the fall of Germany’s democratic government
o Anti-communism
o The basic ideas of the Nazi ideology + The source of Hitler’s power
o Other major causes of WW2: Japanese expansionism, appeasement, militarism, the rise of fascism in Italy, nationalism, American isolationism,
o Maps: Theatres of War: Where WWII Was Fought
o two homework tasks (developing a glossary of terms + reading from a textbook and answering questions)