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.
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 colonialism and Australia’s Frontier Wars (1788-1930s).
This is a PowerPoint which can be used in the the first few lessons of the term. It is part of a Frontier Wars unit which culminates in a 2 hour examination (short response to stimulus). The first part of this lesson explains what history is (followed up with a clip), an overview of the assessment for the year, goal setting, rules and expectations. This is followed by an introduction to The Frontier Wars including terms to be copied into their glossary. Subsequently, contextual information is provided to set the scene: an explanation of what Indigenous life was like pre-contact, how Indigenous people came to be in Australia, the cultural achievements of Indigenous people, their beliefs about the land, language and learning, social organization, the role of elders, weapons, art, face & body painting. Finally, I explain what other groups the first Australians met before Cook, touch on the colonial mentality of the English and the reasons why BRitain wanted to colonise Australia (a place so far away).
I pride myself on the quality of the materials I produce, I don’t charge high prices because I don’t agree with paying £10 for a wordsearch. If you need to check before you buy, have a look at some of the free resources in my shop for a sample of the quality and depth.
A lesson PowerPoint. It begins with a proofreading activity (an excerpt from Chapter 5). Followed by a mini lesson on using an apostrophe to make contractions. This includes examples and non examples and a series of activities which progress through the I do, we do, you do phase of the gradual release of responsibility pedagogy. In upcoming lessons, students will write a persuasive essay to convince their readers of their perspective about Ned Kelly’s guilt or innocence. Students will read chapter six of Black Snake and complete activities so that they can use evidence from the novel to develop their argument about whether Ned Kelly was a victim, a villain or a hero. They learn about mood and tone and apply their new knowledge to the fictional passage at the beginning of the chapter. The PowerPoint ends with a summary of the chapter and some questions to be completed for homework.
A handout with the activities for Chapter 6 which students will complete throughout the lesson.
Part of a set of resources created for a year 7 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). The focus text is ‘Black Snake: The Daring of Ned Kelly’ by Carole Wilkinson.
A lesson PowerPoint. It begins with a proofreading activity (an excerpt from Chapter 4). Followed by a review of the events in Chapter 4 of Black Snake. It then includes activities based on the opening section of Chapter 5 (including answering comprehension questions.) Students will be successful if they can: Identify the motivation of the narrator at the beginning of chapter 5 and explain the narrator’s viewpoint. Students will review the term modality and consider whether the language used by the writer (narrator) is high / low modality. There is also a creative writing activity for students to complete (an imaginative recount based on an excerpt from this chapter).
A copy of the lesson plan
Chapter 5 handout - the activities contained in the PowerPoint for distributing to learners.
Part of a set of resources created for a year 7 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). The focus text is ‘Black Snake: The Daring of Ned Kelly’ by Carole Wilkinson.
This lesson was designed for the second phase of the unit where students are preparing to write a persuasive text about Ned Kelly. This lesson focuses on reading the events in Chapter Four of Black Snake, responding to questions and considering whether Ned’s actions make him a hero or a villain (or a victim of circumstances). There is a video excerpt of the shootout at Stringybark Creek (from the Heath Ledger film). There is also a clip from the Victoria Police which is intended as a memorial for the policemen killed in action by the Kelly Gang members. It also includes information about the two letters Ned famously wrote expressing why he turned to a life of crime (The Cameron Letter and the Jerilderie Letter). It concludes with information about how the public opinion of Ned shifted from a negative one to a more positive one after the 1960s. The lesson tries to present all points of view so that students can make up their own minds about Ned Kelly and whether he deserves to be held up as an Aussie icon.
Handout - proofreading activity (an excerpt from the novel).
Part of a set of resources created for a year 7 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). The focus text is ‘Black Snake: The Daring of Ned Kelly’ by Carole Wilkinson.
A PowerPoint explaining the assessment task to students and what they are being marked on. This is interlaced with tips and activities for the various criteria. There are tips for writing dialogue (reviewing punctuation rules), past vs present tense, homophones etc. It also includes a list of common errors made by students in the previous year for this task.
A planning booklet for students to use to brainstorm their ideas prior to writing their short story (aka imaginative recount). It includes prompts and graphic organisers which students can work through in class and for homework.
A series of PowerPoints designed for the drafting phase of the unit. Each begins with a mini lesson with a specific focus (e.g. characterisation, juxtaposition etc.) they then focus on students writing a particular part of the narrative in the lesson (e.g. orientation) with hints, examples and reminders.
A graphic organiser for students to write their short story (imaginative recount) into.
A draft feedback form which lists common errors that students make. The teacher merely needs to highlight the feedback which applies to the student. This speeds up the drafting workload for the teacher and ensures all students are receiving consistent feedback based on the cognitive verbs prioritised in the unit.
Part of a set of resources created for a year 7 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). The focus text is ‘Black Snake: The Daring of Ned Kelly’ by Carole Wilkinson.
PowerPoint - How to write a short story + extracts from Chapter Four of Black Snake. This lesson begins with a proofreading activity where students need to add the necessary punctuation to an excerpt from the novel. The rules for when to begin a new paragraph in a narrative (short story). The structure of a short story (narrative arc). The PowerPoint then steps through each part of the short story providing examples from other texts. It also includes an exemplar short story (for the upcoming assessment task) retelling the story of when Ned saved the Sheldon Boy from Ned’s perspective. Some of the key language features in the exemplar have been highlighted / colour coded so students can see the range of devices being used throughout. Subsequently it looks at the short piece of fiction at the beginning of chapter four. This passage is written from the perspective of a young girl (whose father, a trooper, was killed by Ned Kelly at Stringybark Creek.) This is followed by questions to check students’ understanding of the plot and how the author constructed a child’s perspective.
Study passage - ‘Enemies of Society’ an extract from the beginning of Chapter 4. Some of the key language features have been highlighted in the word document.
Part of a set of resources created for a year 7 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). The focus text is ‘Black Snake: The Daring of Ned Kelly’ by Carole Wilkinson.
Part of a set of resources created for a year 7 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). The focus text is ‘Black Snake: The Daring of Ned Kelly’ by Carole Wilkinson.
PowerPoint 1 ‘Taking a closer look at One Stray Bullet’ - **
Reviewing what happened in the opening of chapter 3 ‘One Stray Bullet.’ This short piece of fiction told from the perspective of Ned’s sister Kate is one of the passages that students can choose for their written literary transformation {imaginative recount / short story}. The focus of this lesson is exploring characterisation (one of the creative writing techniques the author has used effectively in this extract) in order to prepare learners to develop their characters adequately within a small word limit. It includes a highlighting activity (colour coding the action/dialogue/actions/descriptions of the various characters in the passage.) The lesson also provides further historical context into the Fitzpatrick incident. It also includes scaffolding for if they were to re-write the opening of this narrative from the antagonists (Constable
Fitzpatrick’s) perspective. There are 8 sentence starters to aid students to begin writing a practice narrative from Fitzpatrick’s perspective. There is a proofreading checklist for students to use after they have written their orientation. This passage can be used to gauge the students current writing abilities.
PowerPoint 2 - Developing setting
Assessment expectations – what language features students need to use to get a C, B & A. Reviewing key parts of speech that students need to know and use in their short story assessment (adjectives, adverbs, verbs & abstract nouns). Learning how to establish setting in a narrative. Top writing tips with example sentences. The importance of showing not telling. The importance of avoiding cliches. Planning to write a story from Mrs Kelly’s perspective (based on the events in One Stray Bullet). The lesson concludes with a creative writing activity where students write their own description of The Kelly House imagining that they are Ned’s mother.
Part of a set of resources created for a year 7 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). The focus text is ‘Black Snake: The Daring of Ned Kelly’ by Carole Wilkinson.
1) The lesson PowerPoint
Discuss that ‘One Stray Bullet’ is one of the passages that students can choose for their written literary transformation {imaginative recount / short story}. Read this excerpt and make predictions about what the various characters would have done after this event {aka the Fitzpatrick incident}. Discuss the use of foreshadowing in the title. Discussion questions about the various characters’ viewpoints follow. There are also some short response (comprehension / analysis) questions for students to respond to. The remainder of the slides sum up the rest of the events in Chapter 3. There are video clips to cater to visual learners.
2) Handout - ‘One Stray Bullet’ excerpt of Black Snake
3) Week two and three spelling words handout (24 words per week).
Part of a set of resources created for a year 7 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). The focus text is ‘Black Snake: The Daring of Ned Kelly’ by Carole Wilkinson.
1) Lesson PowerPoint
The PowerPoint begins with teaching students some important features of narratives as students will be writing a short story {aka imaginative recount} for their first assessment task. There are slides on how to write in first person and the difference between first person and third person. The use of full stops to create short, sharp sentences in narratives (and the effect of this technique) is explored. As a class read the ‘what if you were there?’ section at the beginning of chapter 2. There are 5 ‘quick quiz’ questions and some discussion questions {related to the assessment}. An introduction to key narrative features {point of view, contrast & juxtaposition} with examples from what we just read. There are tips about how to write dialogue in a narrative and punctuate it correctly. There is some information about considering the aesthetic and social value of texts (to be discussed). Students read the remainder of Chapter 2. Finally foreshadowing is discussed with an example from Chapter 2.
2) A handout to be used in conjunction with the PowerPoint.
Part of a set of resources created for a year 7 English class in Australia (ACARA syllabus). The other resources are also available in my store - Aussie_Resources. Designed for use in 70 minute lessons (with extra activities as a back up if the class is advanced). The focus text is ‘Black Snake: The Daring of Ned Kelly’ by Carole Wilkinson.
1) Lesson PowerPoint
The beginning of the PowerPoint introduces students to some of the key language features used in the novel Black Snake with definitions, examples and examples from Black Snake. The language features are colloquialisms, idioms, figurative language {similes / metaphors} & descriptive language {adjectives.} Afterwards there are some comprehension questions. Afterwards we look at a picture book – ‘Ned Kelly and the Green Sash’ written by Mark Greenwood and illustrated by Frane Lessac. As we read the story, students are encouraged to think about the language and visual features used and the effects they create in telling the story. Afterwards, the students can read the remainder of chapter 1 filling in the retrieval chart. If there is time at the end, there is a slide about how to identify factual information from evaluative language and a slide summing up the events in chapter 1.
2) A retrieval chart for students to summarise what they have learned while reading Chapter 1.
Part of a set of resources created for a year 7 English class in Australia (ACARA syllabus). The other resources are also available in my store - lrigb4. Designed for use in 70 minute lessons. The focus text is ‘Black Snake: The Daring of Ned Kelly’ by Carole Wilkinson.
1) A PowerPoint for a lesson designed for the introductory phase of a 7 English unit on Ned Kelly. It is designed to provide context (teach students what Australia was like during Ned Kelly’s lifetime). By the end of the lesson, students should be able to explain what you think life would have been like for early settlers (and add some key points to the ‘L’ section of their KWL chart). There are slides on: what men and women wore, the various social groups {convicts/ex convicts, free settlers, selectors, squatters, troopers & hawkers}, bushrangers, transportation, housing and housekeeping, common foods, lifestyle, the gold rush and tools/resources. The slides include descriptions and images. Subsequently, students glue in the character table (retrieval chart) and begin reading the ‘What if you were there’ section at the opening of Chapter 1 of Black Snake. They should be recording key details about the various characters they come across as they read. The students should also be developing novel-specific vocabulary – keeping a track of any slang words, idioms or other language features we notice as they read. There are 3 checking for understanding questions at the end.
2) Character Retrieval chart (handout)
Part of a set of resources created for a year 7 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).
A PowerPoint designed to engage students / excite them as they ‘tune in’ to the new unit. It includes: a review of my classroom expectations (as well as the positive and negative consequences). Some interesting facts about Ned Kelly. Some questions about the front and back cover of the novel Black Snake: The Daring of Ned Kelly’ by Carole Wilkinson. After getting the students to make predictions about the novel, they complete a K-W-L chart about what they already know about Ned Kelly and what they would like to know. Subsequently we go through what the two assessments for the term will be. We then review some important parts of the novel and how they work (contents, a map of Kelly Country and the Introduction). Some info about the language features in the novel is provided as well as a spelling list of 24 words taken from the novel and ACARA’s English glossary. Students will define these for homework throughout the week. Some extra information is included at the end of the PowerPoint if you happen to finish early.
2)** A handout containing the map, contents, intro and spelling words.**
Part of a set of resources created for a year 11 Engineering Skills class in Australia (new syllabus). The other resources are also available in my store - lrigb4.
This is a draft feedback checklist created to aid the teacher to provide consistent feedback to students about their theory in a timely manner. It has comments for the various parts of the assessment - the photo journal, technical drawing, plan of the making, JSA and reflection (analysis of the final product and their own workmanship).
This style of feedback is not indicated on the actual draft itself, but as a separate document, which means that the learner has to locate the issues in their draft for correction.
A lifesaver for busy teachers!
Part of a set of resources created for a year 11 Engineering Skills class in Australia (new syllabus). The other resources are also available in my store - lrigb4.
A graphic organiser for helping the students plan to analyse their metal carry-all tool box. As part of dimension 3, students are assessed on their ability to “evaluate industry practices, production processes and products, and make recommendations.” When students evaluate, they test and check industry practices, production processes and their own created products for effectiveness, usability, functionality and suitability for the intended purpose. They also assign merit according to criteria derived from specifications. When students make recommendations, they consider alternatives and suggest ways to improve production processes and products.
The graphic organiser provides prompting questions and sentence starters to assist students to plan and write their analysis.
Part of a set of resources created for a year 11 Engineering Skills class in Australia (new syllabus). The other resources are also available in my store - lrigb4.
1)** a photo journal template** containing a step-by-step series of photographs for the construction of a sheet-metal tool box. Students have to annotate these by answering the five questions at the top of the template to demonstrate their understanding of the tools, machines, processes, safety concerns and time management required to complete the job.
technical drawings of the tool box design.
Part of a set of resources created for a year 11 Engineering Skills class in Australia (new syllabus). The other resources are also available in my store - lrigb4.
A unit plan which includes a description of the subject, a unit description, a list of key resources, a breakdown of assessment (theory and prac), syllabus objectives, a list of learning intentions and success criteria, a place to record the differentiation you are providing for particular learners in your class, ways to monitor learning, some questions for reflecting and a teaching and learning guide for the key knowledge / skills to be taught in the unit.
2)** An Introductory PowerPoint for the assessment portion of the unit**. It revisits classroom expectations (in particular those around working in a computer room). It provides tips for the photographic journal portion of the assessment task. It explains to the students how they will be graded for their theory and prac (photographic journal + technical drawing + JSA + construction procedure + toolbox construction).
Part of a set of resources created for a year 11 Engineering Skills class in Australia (new syllabus). The other resources are also available in my store - lrigb4.
1)** A PowerPoint **reviewing how to write a procedural text (one of the text types the students’ will need in Engineering Skills).
It explains what a procedural text is giving examples from everyday life (real world context). Give tips for writing a procedural text (e.g. tense, not first person). An activity to check students’ understanding of active verbs.
Explaining how their procedural plan aka plan of the making component of the assessment is a procedural text and must follow these genre conventions. It also gives students some common active verbs used in Engineering to use within their procedural text.
A template plan of the making for students to complete as part of their preparation for making a sheet-metal tool box.
Part of a set of resources created for a year 11 Engineering Skills class in Australia (new syllabus). The other resources are also available in my store - lrigb4.
A PowerPoint designed to teach students how to prepare a Job Safety Analysis to ensure they have considered all safety risks associated with creating a sheet metal carry all tool box. This lesson will teach students to explain the workplace health and safety implications which exist in industrial and workshop environments (and plan to manage any risks associated with their tasks).
It introduces key terms including: hazard, housekeeping, outcome, likelihood, risk score, elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls and PPE
It includes tips for keeping equipment serviced and following safety procedures. It warns students about the dangers of horseplay. It explains the purpose for a JSA, some things to consider when writing one, lists some common potential hazards in a workshop + some possible control measures, the concept of the hazard control hierarchy is introduced. The PPT also goes through the various parts of the JSA to be completed, provides some tips for noise protection, explains the concept of the daily noise dose & a brief summary of the types of PPE that should be worn.
**A JSA template **for students to complete electronically (it can also be printed)
Part of a set of resources created for a year 11 Engineering Skills class in Australia (new syllabus). The other resources are also available in my store - lrigb4.
This is a word wall designed to be displayed in the classroom as a visual prompt for students during the learning and drafting process.
It includes: the names of tools and machines, terms for developing a JSA (Job Safety Analysis), terms for the requirements of a procedural text, verbs and linking words.
Provided as both PDF and word file.
A set of PowerPoints which I think History teachers will find helpful. If you use them, and like them, please come and give me a positive star rating / review. Constructive criticism is also appreciated.
PowerPoint 1: Kokoda lesson 1
• context
o What happened after Pearl Harbor?
o Japanese imperialism
• Where is New Guinea? What was it called back then?
• What were conditions like on the Kokoda track?
• Viewing activities clips from Getaway, the 2006 Kokoda film
• The experiences of Australian soldiers in the Kokoda campaign
o*** Number of Australians killed or injured in Papua New Guinea
o The Kokoda track and what it looks like
o Images of the golden stairs
o Dysentery
o What they ate
o What they carried
o The psychological impact*
• Links to other sources (including videos) which you might like to explore with your class (with descriptions)
Homework Sheet
Definitions to find for a glossary, a photograph (source) to view and answer questions about, two written sources to view and answer questions about
PowerPoint 2: Kokoda lesson 2
• The four groups who fought in New Guinea in 1942 (Australians, Americans, New Guineans and The Japanese)
• View an SBS news story about a fuzzy wuzzy angel being reunited with an Australian that he saved
• Who were the ‘fuzzy wuzzy angels?’
• The Japanese offensive continued
• How the Kokoda campaign ended