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English language arts
Unit of Work: Othello
Shakespeare’s play about race and manipulation is an established favourite for senior students. This 35-page unit of work has been tested successfully with a mixed-ability class and provides material for a full 10-week school term.
This unit focuses on close textual analysis. There is a mixture of tasks which gets students writing analytically, personally, and creatively, helping them to build up their own unique interpretation of the work, and eventually to express this in a formal essay.
There is a brief, student-friendly explanation of what a close reading actually is and how to perform it, followed by a sample close reading of the opening passage.
Each scene has a single-page task sheet comprising three higher-order tasks: a close reading of a nominated passage, an extended response to develop interpretative thinking, and a choice of creative writing tasks which springboard from the language and ideas in the chapter.
Ten senior-level essay questions offer a choice of arguments about character, theme, language, and context, and a sample essay discusses how the play shows that ‘we need the Outsider narrative to help us define ourselves’.
Unit of Work: The Picture of Dorian Gray
Wilde’s Gothic novel about vanity and perdition is an established favourite for senior students. This 55-page unit of work has been tested successfully with a mixed-ability class and provides material for a full 10-week school term.
Pre-reading research tasks introduce students to the late Victorian period and the Decadent movement, before the bulk of the unit focuses on close textual analysis. There is a mixture of tasks which gets students writing analytically, personally, and creatively, helping them to build up their own unique interpretation of the work, and eventually to express this in a formal essay.
There is a brief, student-friendly explanation of what a close reading is and how to perform it, followed by a sample close reading of the opening passage.
Each chapter has a single-page task sheet comprising three higher-order tasks: a close reading of a nominated passage, an extended response to develop interpretative thinking, and a choice of creative writing tasks which springboard from the language and ideas in the chapter.
There is a discrete analysis task which shows students how to evaluate the same piece of textual evidence against three different questions, preventing them from regurgitating the same remarks regardless of question.
A guided essay which breaks an essay down into manageable steps for lower-ability students or those who struggle to form and maintain an argument. Ten senior-level essay questions offer a choice of arguments about character, theme, language, and context, and a sample essay discusses whether ‘touching the sacred things is the only thing worth touching’.
Victorian Poetry Study Activity: Dante Gabriel and Christina Rossetti
Victorian poetry regularly makes the top ten poems in public surveys, and much of our conception of what makes ‘good’ poetry was shaped by poets like Tennyson, Browning, Rossetti, and Arnold. This period formed the emotional and social attitudes which linger today – even in post-modern texts which claim to have moved beyond them. While the Romantics were read by the literati, the Victorian poets in this unit formed the core of public poetry consumption. An understanding of this period is essential for students who will read Edwardian and Modernist literature in later terms, by showing them what these writers and artists reacted against.
This activity comprises
two poems by the Rossettis with questions which require students to make a close analysis and interpretation
suggestions for extension reading to extend their knowledge of the poets
a creative writing task which helps them to engage laterally and personally with the ideas in the poetry.
Victorian Poetry Study Activity - Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Victorian poetry regularly makes the top ten poems in public surveys, and much of our conception of what makes ‘good’ poetry was shaped by poets like Tennyson, Browning, Rossetti, and Arnold. This period formed the emotional and social attitudes which linger today – even in post-modern texts which claim to have moved beyond them. While the Romantics were read by the literati, the Victorian poets in this unit formed the core of public poetry consumption. An understanding of this period is essential for students who will read Edwardian and Modernist literature in later terms, by showing them what these writers and artists reacted against.
This activity comprises
two poems by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, with questions which require students to make a close analysis and interpretation
suggestions for extension reading to extend their knowledge of the poet
a creative writing task which helps them to engage laterally and personally with the ideas in the poetry.
Victorian Poetry Study Activity: The Poetry of Faith
Victorian poetry regularly makes the top ten poems in public surveys, and much of our conception of what makes ‘good’ poetry was shaped by poets like Tennyson, Browning, Rossetti, and Arnold. This period formed the emotional and social attitudes which linger today – even in post-modern texts which claim to have moved beyond them. While the Romantics were read by the literati, the Victorian poets in this unit formed the core of public poetry consumption. An understanding of this period is essential for students who will read Edwardian and Modernist literature in later terms, by showing them what these writers and artists reacted against.
This activity comprises
two poems by Matthew Arnold and Gerald Manley Hopkins with questions which require students to make a close analysis and interpretation
suggestions for extension reading to extend their knowledge of the poets
a creative writing task which helps them to engage laterally and personally with the ideas in the poetry.
Victorian Poetry Study Activity: The Barrett Brownings
Victorian poetry regularly makes the top ten poems in public surveys, and much of our conception of what makes ‘good’ poetry was shaped by poets like Tennyson, Browning, Rossetti, and Arnold. This period formed the emotional and social attitudes which linger today – even in post-modern texts which claim to have moved beyond them. While the Romantics were read by the literati, the Victorian poets in this unit formed the core of public poetry consumption. An understanding of this period is essential for students who will read Edwardian and Modernist literature in later terms, by showing them what these writers and artists reacted against.
This activity comprises
two poems by Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning with questions which require students to make a close analysis and interpretation
suggestions for extension reading to extend their knowledge of the poets
a creative writing task which helps them to engage laterally and personally with the ideas in the poetry.
Unit of Work: Introduction to Medieval Literature
The Middle Ages are fun and fascinating period of literature which even younger middle school students can enjoy. This complete unit of work is an easy and enjoyable survey of ten different medieval genres (including courtly love poetry, advice guides to children, frame tales, chronicles, and allegories) which will engage students of a more developed reading ability. This unit was successfully tested on a high-ability Year 8 (age 13-14) group.
It assumes no prior knowledge of the medieval period.
Contextual introduction to the period, changes to the English language, discussion of what people read and valued.
Ten short modules covering ten different text-types found in popular medieval literature. Each module includes:
introduction to the text type and a discussion of where we can see it in literature and culture today; a short focus text in modern English, either translated or retold
Bloom’s Taxonomy questions on the focus text
Stand-alone creative writing with medieval prompts
Summative thematic essay on one short text (provided) and the student’s choice of another text from the unit
Teachers can use the ten modules as a complete unit or as single modules supporting a study of another text.
The Great Gatsby: Chapter Tasks
Fitzgerald’s novel about ‘careless people’ and avarice in the modern era is an established favourite for senior students. This set of chapter questions comprises a single-page task sheet for each chapter. Each chapter has three higher-order tasks: a close reading of a nominated passage, an extended response to develop interpretative thinking, and a choice of creative writing tasks which springboard from the language and ideas in the chapter. The tasks lay the foundation for a critical essay at the end of the unit of study.
HSC Standard English Mod C: Imaginative, Discursive AND Persuasive Sample Answer
This substantial resource provides THREE different answers to the following question:
**A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on. **Sir Winston Churchill
Use the lines above as a stimulus for the opening of an imaginative, discursive or persuasive piece of writing. In your piece of writing incorporate at least ONE example of figurative language that you have learned about through your study of the prescribed texts for Module C.
There is an imaginative, discursive AND persuasive answer so that you can show students how the same idea can be turned three different ways, to answer this question. Students can read through the answers alone or you can use the resource to test their knowledge of factors involved in good exam writing and how one mode differs from the other.
Each answer has a response to the (b) question, requiring students to **Explain how your writing in part (a) was influenced by what you have learned about figurative language through the study of your prescribed texts for Module C. **The (b) sections draw on ‘How to Live Before You Die’ by Steve Jobs, a prescribed text for Standard English, although no knowledge of this text is required to read or teach this resource.
19th Century Poetry Study Activity: Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson
19th century poetry regularly makes the top ten poems in public surveys, and much of our conception of what makes ‘good’ poetry was shaped by poets like Tennyson, Browning, Rossetti, and Arnold. This period formed the emotional and social attitudes which linger today – even in post-modern texts which claim to have moved beyond them. While the Romantics were read by the literati, the poets in this unit formed the core of public poetry consumption. An understanding of this period is essential for students who will read Edwardian and Modernist literature in later terms, by showing them what these writers and artists reacted against.
This activity comprises
four poems by Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson with questions which require students to make a close analysis and interpretation
suggestions for extension reading to extend their knowledge of the poets
a creative writing task which helps them to engage laterally and personally with the ideas in the poetry.
Othello: Act and Scene Activities
Shakespeare’s tragedy about race and manipulation is an established favourite for senior students. Each scene has a single-page task sheet comprising three higher-order tasks: a close reading of a nominated passage, an extended response to develop interpretative thinking, and a choice of creative writing tasks which springboard from the language and ideas in the scene. These tasks get students writing analytically, personally, and creatively, helping them to build up their own unique interpretation of the work, and eventually to express this in a formal essay.
King Lear: Act and Scene Activities
Shakespeare’s tragedy about madness and family is an established favourite for senior students. Each scene has a single-page task sheet comprising three higher-order tasks: a close reading of a nominated passage, an extended response to develop interpretative thinking, and a choice of creative writing tasks which springboard from the language and ideas in the scene. These tasks get students writing analytically, personally, and creatively, helping them to build up their own unique interpretation of the work, and eventually to express this in a formal essay.
Short Story Study: H.P. Lovecraft, 'Dagon'
Short stories are a vital part of English literature. These short story studies can be used to build a short story unit, to supplement other texts, or as a standby lesson.
Use this with our FREE Introduction to Short Stories two-page handout.
Each classic story is copyright free in Australia, the U.K. and U.S. Paragraphs are numbered for ease of reference.
Activities correspond to Bloom’s taxonomy of lower- to higher-order tasks.
A comprehension question checks knowledge and understanding
Application questions ask students to apply their knowledge of literary or rhetorical technique
Analytical questions interrogate the story’s effect, mood, and construction-strategies.
Creative writing tasks use an aspect of the story as a springboard to write creatively, discursively, or persuasively.
H.P. Lovecraft’s classic cosmic horror story has been successfully used with a Stage 5 / Year 10 class ( 15 years).
Texts and Human Experience Short Story: Peter Gaskill, 'Black Magic'
Short stories are an effective way to illustrate the key concepts and reading strategies in the HSC Texts and Human Experience module. These short stories can be used to introduce the module, to supplement the prescribed text, as a standby lesson, or as part of an assessment task.
Questions ask students to apply concepts from the rubric to the story, and sample answers on separate pages which the teacher may detach for teaching.
Peter Gaskill’s story ‘Black Magic’ is about a fighter pilot attempting to make an impossible landing on a Pacific island during WWII. It is around 2226 words long and has been used successfully with a senior class (16-18 years).
Poetry Study Worksheet: W.B. Yeats, 'Among Schoolchildren'
The poetry of W.B. Yeats is a great choice for higher interest/ability senior students. This worksheet will take 1-2 lessons to complete. It provides:
a copy of the poem
a comprehensive series of questions structured according to Bloom’s Taxonomy for easier differentiation
a creative writing task which students can complete as homework
Poetry Study Worksheet: W.B. Yeats, 'Song of Wandering Angus'
The poetry of W.B. Yeats is a great choice for higher interest/ability senior students. This worksheet will take 1-2 lessons to complete. It provides:
a copy of the poem
a comprehensive series of questions structured according to Bloom’s Taxonomy for easier differentiation
a creative writing task which students can complete as homework
Poetry Study Worksheet: W.B. Yeats, 'Wild Swans at Coole'
The poetry of W.B. Yeats is a great choice for higher interest/ability senior students. This worksheet will take 1-2 lessons to complete. It provides:
a copy of the poem
a comprehensive series of questions structured according to Bloom’s Taxonomy for easier differentiation
a creative writing task which students can complete as homework
Victorian Poetry Study Activity: The Poetry of Empire
Victorian poetry regularly makes the top ten poems in public surveys, and much of our conception of what makes ‘good’ poetry was shaped by poets like Tennyson, Browning, Rossetti, and Arnold. This period formed the emotional and social attitudes which linger today – even in post-modern texts which claim to have moved beyond them. While the Romantics were read by the literati, the Victorian poets in this unit formed the core of public poetry consumption. An understanding of this period is essential for students who will read Edwardian and Modernist literature in later terms, by showing them what these writers and artists reacted against.
This activity comprises
two poems by Kipling and Hardy with questions which require students to make a close analysis and interpretation
suggestions for extension reading to extend their knowledge of the poets
a creative writing task which helps them to engage laterally and personally with the ideas in the poetry.
Bundle
19th Century Poetry and Novel: Twin Units of Work
Victorian poetry regularly makes the top ten poems in public surveys, and much of our conception of what makes ‘good’ poetry was shaped by poets like Tennyson, Browning, Rossetti, and Arnold. This period formed the emotional and social attitudes which linger today – even in post-modern texts which claim to have moved beyond them. While the Romantics were read by the literati, the Victorian poets in this unit formed the core of public poetry consumption. An understanding of this period is essential for students who will read Edwardian and Modernist literature in later terms, by showing them what these writers and artists reacted against.
The unit is designed to be taught over an 8-10 week term, and contains:
Introduction to Victorian Britain – an easy research task which students can do together or individually, drawing on readily-available online resources about the nineteenth century.
Seven poetry-focused modules:
o The Poet Laureate: Alfred, Lord Tennyson
o The Pre-Raphaelites: Dante Gabriel and Christina Rossetti
o Celebrity Marriages: Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning
o Personal Piety: Matthew Arnold and Gerald Manley Hopkins
o Nonsense Poetry: Edward Lear and Lewis Carroll
o The Poetry of Empire: Rudyard Kipling and Thomas Hardy
o America: Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson
A short list of films, documentaries, and series which students can watch for context.
An essay-based assessment task suitable for students aged 15-16
TOGETHER WITH SILAS MARNER
A thorough study of each chapter in Eliot’s short masterpiece Silas Marner. Each chapter is annotated with a short precis of the chapter’s events, so that students can quickly locate the right section, and a thematic table at the beginning lays out some of the complex philosophical and literary ideas which underpin Eliot’s morality tale. Language and narrative techniques are carefully explained, and each chapter is accompanied by a selection of quotations to strengthen students’ understanding of evidence-based arguments.
Unit of Work: Narratives that shape our world - Voltaire's Candide
Voltaire’s brilliant philosophical satire has never been more relevant than now. Candide’s response to the belief that “all’s for the best in the best of all possible worlds” is a timely challenge for a climate in turmoil and the need for intelligent resilience.
This 59-page unit contains
An introductory task on the Enlightenment and its ideas and values
An biographical task on Voltaire’s life
Reading questions and activities on each chapter of Candide, supported by images
A bibliography of short stories which can be used as support texts and for extension reading
A number of essay questions suitable for senior students