The unit allows students to become readers, writers and performers of written news. This program follows the otline of the wonderful BBC News Unit of Study on TES. Students will access a variety of news articles so that they can identify the common features and apply these when composing their own recount news article. Students will then extend this understanding into the realm of television, whereby they will learn to write and read a script. Students will work collaboratively as class to create a Falcon News broadcast.
Students will:
• understand the key features and organisation of a news story
• To understand the differences between fact and opinion
• To compare written news / TV news
• To use language which is appropriate to the task, reader/audience and purpose
• To use skills learned in written news and apply them to TV news
The unit engages students in a close study of Michael Morpurgo’s novel ‘Kensuke’s Kingdom’. Students will explore the themes, characters and techniques developed by the author and illustrate their understanding of these via a combination of creative and analytical tasks.
Students will:
• understand the features of a characterisation, narrative and themes and identify these throughout a close reading of the novel
• develop their ability to infer meaning from the novel and consider their own interpretation of the concepts covered.
• be introduced to analytical writing via the PEE formula and use quotations to support their points of view in their writing
• recognise some basic narrative techniques and explain their use and effect on the viewer
• adopt these narrative techniques in their own creative writing
• use multimedia to compose an engaging Book Trailer.
Any reviews or feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
This program was designed for a multicategorical class in an Australian Support Unit (SEN) in which all of the students were diagnosed with ASD. The program worked on a small group or pair rotational basis and the students thoroughly enjoyed the transition between different Literacy areas of focus. This program would work well in any small group setting in which students are grouped on their areas of strength and areas for improvement.
This resource was developed to meet the needs of an IO class within a Secondary Support Unit (SEN). It has been constructed for a Year 9-11 class who experience an intellectual disability and adjustments can easily be made to meet the needs of your learners.
Any reviews or feedback would be greatly appreciated.
This Life Skills Program of Study was designed to be delivered to Stage 4, 5 and 6 throughout an Australian Support Unit. The program makes various adjustments to meet the needs of learners who have a mild to moderate intellectual disability. The teaching and learning activities and resources are tailored to meet the age-appropriate needs of Secondary students and adjustments can easily be made to meet the highly personalised needs of your students.
Any reviews or feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
This Life Skills Program of Study was constructed for students in Stage 4, 5 and 6 within a Support Unit. Resources are taken from various websites.
Teachers within a Support, Special Education or even mainstream setting, can easily adjust this program to suit the needs of your learners. Any reviews would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
This Life Skills Program of Study was constructed for students in Stage 4, 5 and 6 within a Support Unit. Resources are taken from various websites and the booklet used is a TES resource (thank you!) Some resources can be found on Save Teacher’s Sundays.
Teachers within a Support, Special Education or even mainstream setting, can easily adjust this program to suit the needs of your learners. Any reviews would greatly appreciated. Thanks.
This Life Skills Program of Study was constructed for students in Stage 4, 5 and 6 within a Support Unit. Resources are taken from various websites and the booklet used is a TES resource (thank you!)
Teachers within a Support, Special Education or even mainstream setting, can easily adjust this program to suit the needs of your learners. Any reviews would greatly appreciated. Thanks.
This is a simple yet highly effective worksheet in which students who experience challenging behaviours, sit down together (with teacher and SLSO/ Aide support) to share their ‘triggers’. These are noted on the sheet and the group discussed possible strategies for each student. This task encourages empathy and teamwork as the students work to identify their own barriers to their learning and/or communication with others, whilst thinking about their peers and what supports they may need when they are struggling.
These sheets (best done in A3) can be displayed in the classroom so as to reinforce the significance and effectiveness of this task.
This program was designed to cater to the needs of an Australian SSP (School for Specific Purposes) class for students who exhibit challenging behaviours. The program was written for an Australian Stage 4 class (Years 7 and 8) but could easily be adapted for younger or older students.
The Key Learning Areas addressed throughout this 10 week program include:
English
Science
Maths
HSIE (Geography)
PDHPE
The outcomes are from the Australian Curriculum (mainstream) with adjustments made throughout to cater for students’ highly personalised learning and behaviour needs.
This program was designed for a Secondary Support Unit class and uses outcomes from the Australian Curriculum in English and PDHPE. It was created for my weekly Social Skills lessons and investigate what students know about healthy and unhealthy relationships. This is done by examining various forms of behaviours and communication; both inside and outside the school.
Students will also explore their highly personalised triggers and how their response to conflict affects how they and others feel. They will learn techniques in identifying if they are feeling overwhelmed or develop strategies such as distancing themselves from stressors or asking for help from an appropriate adult.
Resources, data and content have been taken from current evidence-based research in relation to adolescent mental health (e.g. R U OK?) and campaigns that have been released from Australian and U.K. Education Departments in addressing young peoples’ wellbeing. The sources and material used range from KS1-KS4 so that they are age-appropriate for both Primary and Secondary students in a Support Setting.
This Social Skills program utilises outcomes from the Australian Curriculum in English and PDHPE.
The program was designed after issues outside the classroom became known via my school’s Welfare team. This program was designed to explicitly teach what IS a healthy relationship and what choices or strategies are available when this is not the case.
This is a highly scaffolded worksheet which supports students in composing short Cinquain poems about themselves and fellow classmates. Great as ‘getting to know you’ or Social Skills activity.
This resource was designed to reinforce student understanding of Purpose, Audience and Form when composing texts. The assessment clearly states three criteria which students have to reflect upon after receiving their teacher’s comment and target. Students then evaluate on how they believe they went in this task and provide a response to the teacher’s feedback. I have found this form of assessment invaluable in setting clear and achievable goals that are personalised to my students needs, both in a mainstream and Special Education/ Support setting. I hope you find the same.
This program was designed using the Australian Curriculum Life Skills Outcomes and is designed to cater for the highly personalised needs of students in a Secondary Support Class.
This unit is divided into four parts and is closely linked to the Literacy Progressions. Students will be assessed on their abilities and areas for progress in the skills of Sight Words, Phonological Awareness, Phonics, Reading Accuracy and Fluency. The results from a combination of diagnostic assessments will allow students to be placed on the Literacy Progressions in the three areas of Phonological Awareness, Phonics and Reading. Student achievement and progress will be on display in the classroom via a Bump It Up wall in the area of Reading. This is to encourage students throughout their completion of the MultiLit Reinforced Reading Program. Students will also be completing a highly personalised Sight Words program followed by a Phonemic- based Spelling Program. These three skill-based areas will continue throughout the first semester of the school year. Finally, as a reading and writing component, students will complete a series of reading and writing tasks based on the genre of Personal Narratives. These will be modelled with an emphasis on planning, proof-reading and editing published work.
Students will:
• Complete a series of Literacy assessments which will benchmark their ability and areas for progress
• Participate in a 1:1 Sight Words program with accompanying spelling and reinforcement activities
• Learn vital phonemic spelling rules and strategies as they complete the Sound Wave Phonemic Spelling Program whilst working at their personalised level
• Complete MultiLit’s 1:1 Reinforced Reading Program twice per week and have their progress assessed and charted fortnightly
• Learn the purpose, audience and form used in Personal Narratives
• Appreciate the significance of planning, proof-reading and publishing pieces of written work.
*** This is only the program***
These resources were designed for a high ability Year 7 class and led to creation of a Personal Narrative Folio consisting of 3 pieces of descriptive writing.
Task 1: A description of a student’s first day of school
Task 2: A description of a person a student admires
Task 3: A recount of a student’s experience at school camp with an emphasis on using sensory imagery
A marking rubric is included.
This mind-map demonstrates how a Thematic Unit of Study can be designed using key questions as Learning Intentions for your students. Cross-Curricular Thematic Units of Study work incredibly well when working with students who experience challenging behaviours and barriers to their learning.
This sequence of 6 lessons introduces students to the concept of the Anti-Hero and the notion of redemption via a study of the two films ‘Despicable Me’ and ‘Megamind’. Students work in pairs for a lot of the non-viewing activities to provide differentiation in a mainstream or Support setting.
This activity is highly scaffolded in introducing students to their first impressions of the Australian film ‘Red Dog’. Students will need to have some understanding of basic film techniques prior to completing the grid as they watch the film or the grid component could be used in a second viewing. This activity could be used with either ‘Red Dog’ films.