Short films can be engaging texts from which to construct a whole unit, or as reward breaks for single lessons. The rich variety of styles and stories in short films from around the world will appeal to even the most disengaged or low-ability student. This single-lesson activity comprises questions for the 15 minute short satirical film ‘Utopia’, directed by Kosta Nikas. The film is suitable for students 15+. (There are multiple instances of swearing, blocked by a beep). Please note this file does not include the film itself, nor can we guarantee that the film will remain at that site permanently. We advise teachers to check the link above, or make sure that they can view the film before purchasing.

Fitzgerald’s novel about ‘careless people’ and avarice in the modern era is an established favourite for senior students. These pre-reading research tasks introduce students to the Roaring 20s, and can be given as homework or group work. The four task sheets cover Long Island life; Prohibition; Cars; and Americans in WWI. They involve a link to useful online reading and knowledge-building questions which engage students briefly before they go on to close textual study of the novel. Teachers can differentiate the tasks for students of varying ability.

‘New Accents’, by the Chinese-Australian poet Yu Ouyang, is a set text for HSC Standard English study. This set of notes gives a full analysis of the poem with a relevant image and a handy grab-box explaining the poem’s significance and poetic techniques. A simple, one-stop analysis of this complex poem which students can work through in class or take home for private study.

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

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

‘Lake within a lake’ by the Australian poet Oodgeroo Noonuccal, is a set text for HSC Standard English study. This set of notes gives a full analysis of the poem with a relevant image and a handy grab-box explaining the poem’s significance and poetic techniques. Important points are in red. A simple, one-stop analysis of this complex poem which students can work through in class or take home for private study.

This is a three-part resource for students undertaking the NSW HSC Standard English Module A: Language, Identity, and Culture A generic essay plan shows students how to compose an essay suitable for Stage 6, progressing them from the simpler PEEL/TEAL models of Stage 4 and 5. A sample essay for the prescribed text, The Castle answers the 2019 HSC question: Film relies on dialogue to create cultural tension. To what extent do you agree with this statement? There is also a second copy of the essay, marked up to show how it follows the plan, and with five short questions which require students to engage critically with the essay and its form.

This is a three-part resource for students undertaking the NSW HSC Common Module Texts and Human Experience. A generic essay plan shows students how to compose an essay suitable for Stage 6, progressing them from the simpler PEEL/TEAL models of Stage 4 and 5. A sample essay for the prescribed text, Favel Parrett’s novel Past the Shallows, answers the 2019 HSC question: To what extent does the exploration of human experience in Past the Shallows invite you to reconsider your understanding of loss? There is also a second copy of the essay, marked up to show how it follows the plan, and with five short questions which require students to engage critically with the essay and its form.

This is a three-part resource for students undertaking the NSW HSC Standard English Module B: Close Study of a Text. A generic essay plan shows students how to compose an essay suitable for Stage 6, progressing them from the simpler PEEL/TEAL models of Stage 4 and 5. A sample essay for the prescribed text, the poetry of Robert Gray answers the 2019 HSC question: Literature reinforces or challenges our understanding of ordinary situations. Discuss this statement, making detailed reference to your prescribed text. There is also a second copy of the essay, marked up to show how it follows the plan, and with five short questions which require students to engage critically with the essay and its form.

This is a three-part resource for students undertaking the NSW HSC Standard English Module B: Close Study of a Text. A generic essay plan shows students how to compose an essay suitable for Stage 6, progressing them from the simpler PEEL/TEAL models of Stage 4 and 5. A sample essay for the prescribed text, M.T. Anderson’s novel Feed, answers a sample question for this module. There is also a second copy of the essay, marked up to show how it follows the plan, and with five short questions which require students to engage critically with the essay and its form.

This resource comprises two different sample answers to the 2019 HSC Advanced English Module C question, which gave candidates a short paragraph from a novel and asked them to continue the piece. Candidates had to evoke a particular emotional response from readers, and could continue in an imaginative, persuasive, or discursive mode. The first sample answer shows how the prompt paragraph could be continued in an imaginative/discursive vein, drawing on techniques from both modes and evoking a response of shock from the reader. The second sample answer shows how the prompt could be continued in an imaginative/persuasive vein, also drawing on techniques from both modes and evoking a response of amusement and surprise from the reader. While the first answer continues the passage on the same level of fictiveness, the second answer treats the passage as a framed text and explicitly analyses it within the response. Check out more creative writing resources at https://thecraftofwriting.org/

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. These activities support Cecil Castellucci’s recent short story ‘We Have Always Lived on Mars’, which can be found free online by searching for the title. 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. Castellucci’s sci-fi story has been successfully used with a Stage 4 / Year 8 class (12-13 years).

Ray Bradbury’s seminal novel is a perennial favourite for middle schoolers. This 49-page unit of work has been tested successfully with a mixed-ability Year 9 (age 13-15) class and provides material for a full 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. Commentary of each overarching section is given, and 70+ writing tasks cover the whole novel. The tasks cover a variety of levels from comprehension to complex inference and personal response. 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 a short passage. Texts of Blake’s poem, ‘The Tyger’ and Matthew Arnold, ‘Dover Beach’. Practice assessment task based on short-answer questions, a close reading of a passage, and a creative question Five research tasksheets which can be done by groups during the novel study, as extension work for Gifted and Talented students, or as closure to a unit of study. The Atomic Bomb Memory Phoenix Railroads Rivers Each task comprises four sections, following Bloom’s taxonomy, and requires students to complete: a piece of contextual research, a close reading of a nominated passage, a free-form writing at length, and a creative piece. Five middle-school appropriate essay questions. There is also a presentation on book-burning which can be used with this unit.

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

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

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. There are four activities, corresponding to Bloom’s taxonomy of lower- to higher-order tasks. A comprehension question checks knowledge and understanding A close reading task assists development of textual analysis A writing at length task involves considering the story’s effect, mood, or technical strategies. A choice of two creative writing tasks use an aspect of the story as a springboard to write creatively, discursively, or persuasively. This twist in the tale moral short story, ‘The Necklace’, Guy de Maupassant is around 3000 words and has been successfully used with a Year 10 class (ages 15-16)

Ray Bradbury’s seminal novel is a perennial favourite for middle schoolers. These research tasks round out students’ knowledge of some of the important symbols and references in the novel: The Atomic Bomb Memory Phoenix Railroads Rivers The tasks can be given completed during the reading, as extension work for Gifted and Talented students, or as closure to a unit of study. Each task comprises four sections, following Bloom’s taxonomy, and requires students to complete: a piece of contextual research, a close reading of a nominated passage, a free-form writing at length, and a creative piece.

Ray Bradbury’s seminal novel Fahrenheit 451 is a perennial favourite for middle schoolers. This 13-slide ppt presentation gives a background to the ideas of fire as a medium of purification and protest, and the major book-burners of history. It can be used in a study of power and control, and with Ray Bradbury’s novel.

This free, ten-slide presentation assists students who are reading Kazuo Ishiguro’s An Artist of the Floating World to understand the background of art and politics which is essential to the novel.

A two-page handout introduction to the modern short story, which can be given to students with one of Diving Bell’s Short Story Study texts, or used separately.