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.
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 lesson which focuses on developing student ability to define, describe and explain (cognitive verbs which they will need for their upcoming assessment).It also builds student knowledge of how the media perpetuates gender stereotypes. It begins with a revision activity (a match the definitions task).This is followed by looking at what it means to define, describe and explain.Looking at some example questions which use the cognitive verb ‘explain.’ Some sentence starters which can be used for explaining are provided (from Pat Hipwell’s Logon Literacy explain poster). Then, using the Gradual Release of Responsibility method there is a ‘we do’ practice explain question to be done as a whole class and one to be done with their elbow partners (the person sitting beside them). This is followed by a self reflection tool for the student to see how confident they feel at this point. After this, the lesson moves onto practicing some question types similar to those on the exam that we have encountered thus far.There is a set of ‘you do’ questions about a person and what can be inferred from their interests and appearance and whether it is fair to ‘judge a book by its cover.’ This is followed by a look at another question which will require students to unpack an advertisement and “explain the effect the advertisement could have on female and male audiences.” As this is intended for a year 12 class, the advertisements are quite mature. They are derogatory advertisements produced for the men’s fashion brand Suitsupply which was founded in 2000 by Fokke de Jong in Amsterdam. This is meant to generate discussion about the fact that ‘sex sells’ and without rules to curtail advertising companies, some really messed up advertisements can be created. They are to make connections between the sexualisation of women in ads and how this can inadvertently reinforce negative perceptions of women and their value in society. This ties in nicely with our second part of the unit which is about discrimination. After doing the suit supply paragraph together, there is a Madison Avenue advertisement about cooking equipment for the students to analyse on their own and complete a practice response about.
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 designed to introduce the second focus of the unit - discrimination. The warm up is to copy 3 terms into their glossary (discrimination, gender discrimination and sexist). Then there is a discussion of an interesting moment in the 2021 Australian season of ‘I’m a celebrity get me out of here.’ There is an opinion piece which summarises what happened in the episode and the various reactions to it (from the celebrities and the author herself). There is a retrieval chart for students to use as they read the article to identify the various perspectives (they must identify 3 perspectives). During this activity it is easy to get students to begin using language of comparison. This is followed by a brainstorming activity to see what students know about discrimination and groups which have faced discrimination in the past. This is followed by an explanation about the differences between discrimination and prejudic. Additional discrimination subcategories/types are introduced - individual, institutional, direct and indirect. There is a checking for understanding activity where students are provided with 6 scenarios and must circle which of them are examples of gender discrimination. This is followed by statistics about gender discrimination and issues which have been experienced by women including the earning gap. Following this, students copy notes about Australia’s ‘Sex Discrimination Act’ (1984). This is one of the federal laws students should be able to refer to in their exam. As the exam is a response to stimulus, students are then introduced to ‘infographics’ as there is an infographic in the exam. We spend time talking about how to draw information from visual sources and offer our own interpretation of them. This is followed by brief information about when discrimination can occur in a workplace and a checking for understanding activity where students fill in a graphic organiser about the differences between prejudice and discrimination.
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 continues to explore gender discrimination and laws about discrimination (in Australia. It begins with a discussion about 3 more cognitive verbs students must demonstrate in their exam (decide, recommend and justify). There is a visual of the process for justifying from the QCAA which I use to explain this cognition further (it includes sentence starters). This is followed by an explanation of criteria 2.3 and what students must demonstrate to get an A in this criterion. There are some example questions for students to see what they look like in the exam. This is followed by some new content - Australian workplace rights. We unpack what a right is and look at rights that employees should have at work. We look at the Equal employment opportunity commission, what they do and how they are safeguarded by a number of state and federal anti-discrimination laws. We briefly touch on Federal laws (e.g. Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 & Fair Work Act 2009) and Queensland laws re discrimination (e.g. The Sex Discrimination Act & Queensland: Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (QLD)). We also looked at which of Australia’s National Employment Standards link to these laws. We also look at what the Fair Work Act does to protect parents or those seeking to become parents from adverse action. This includes questions which cannot be asked when interviewing potential employees to prevent biases around hiring (e.g. women around age of having babies).This is followed by advice about what to do if you believe you are being treated unfairly at work. To conclude the lesson, we go through the type of question to expect on exam (a small scenario which they must read and identify at least 2 perspectives from).
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 second lesson on Australia’s anti-discrimination laws.
The PPT begins with a viewing activity (studentsare to watch a clip and summarise what they have learned about the types of discrimination).
Within the lesson students will be:
Exploring employer and employee responsibilities (re inclusivity and combatting discrimination)
Looking at how workplace dress codes can be sexist (and what employers should do about it)
Learning what protections Australian law has in place for parents and would-be parents (and what they should do if they are denied these rights by their workplace)
There are additional videos at the back of the PowerPoint for using if the students get through all the content planned for the lesson early.
A Unit plan designed for a 10 week term of 11 Modern History. It includes a subject description, a description of the unit, a list of unit objectives (from the syllabus), inquiry questions to guide the unit, the recommended teaching and learning cycle from QCAA, a topic specific learning intentions and success criteria, assessment task details and a list of recommended resources. A Scope and Sequence suggesting topics to be covered throughout the term is also included within the document (as taught by me in 2020).
A handout version of the learning intentions and success criteria for students to glue into their books and refer to throughout the term.
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. Designed for use in 70 minute lessons. The end of term assessment for this unit was an essay.
A final lesson for use before the practice exam. The focus is on inclusivity and the importance of stopping discrimination and harrassment in our communities. It begins with a warm up (completing a cloze passage about Australia’s Sex Discrimination Act). This is followed by a review of this act and the additions that were made in 2013 making it unlawful to discriminate against a person on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex status under federal law.
Students have to read an article(LGBT-inclusive education: To teach or not to teach?) and fill in a graphic organiser identifying the different viewpoints within the article.
This is followed with a discussion about what is being taught in the Australian curriculum (in particular in terms of the sexual education curriculum). A question is posed: ‘What does LGBTQi±inclusive sexuality education look like?’ Answers from the United Nation are discussed.
This is followed by a practice exam-style question. Students have to read the sources and identify the viewpoints within them about inclusive education. They use these to write a TEEL paragraph summarising the key points made in these sources which answers the question: “Why is inclusivity important? Explain what experts recommend should be done to make Australian schools more inclusive of LGBTQIA+ students.”
The sources are provided on the subsequent slides.
At the end of this lesson, students should be able to: define sex discrimination and provide an example, explain how the Sex Discriminatino Act applies to workplaces and education institutions and list some steps a person can take if they think they are experiencing discrimination.
Resource 1: A Unit plan designed for a 10 week term (with the assessment taking place in week 8 to allow time for beginning the next unit). The unit plant includes syllabus objectives, a description of the unit, assessment task details and a list of recommended resources (including visual media)
Resource 2: A Scope and Sequence suggesting topics to be covered throughout the term is provided. It shows the balance between teaching content and practicing exam cognitions and building students communication skills.
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.
A template for adding to the collaboration space of the Class Notebook (One Note) at the beginning of a unit on the Russian Revolution. I usually allocate students a couple of words that they must define to contribute to the class glossary. There are some definitions that have been pre added so students can see the level of detail expected from a definition.
Designed as a warm up activity to check for student understanding of key terms that they encounter in an introduction to the Russian Revolution. There are 10 key terms for a match the terms activity (bourgeoisie, proletariat, intelligentsia, okhrana, autocratic, divine right, duma, communism, historians, revolution)
A teacher answer to this worksheet is also provided
A lesson designed for the beginning of term (where students spent the last two weeks of the previous term learning about the Russian Revolution). It is an introduction to the unit and the concept of Inquiry based learning. It begins with a recap of what we are learning about and the guiding questions for this unit. This is followed by an explanation of inquiry-based learning and the skills that they will gain from completing this unit. An overview of the important checkpoints for the upcoming assessment so students know they will be held accountable to mini-deadlines. This is followed by information from the senior modern history textbook about why inquiry is vital. Discussion of an obstacle for studying the Russian Revolution – two types of calendars and dates. This is followed by a video of how to create a key inquiry question (the first step in the assessment process). This is followed by some important points to keep in mind when writing the question. This is followed by some example inquiry questions for different topics to discuss their merits.
A lesson designed to teach students about the importance of conducting thorough background research prior to writing their sub questions, valuable online sources they have access to and how to perform a BOOLEAN search. This is followed by advice for forming sub questions (for when they are ready to do that part of their assessment).
It begins with a history skills video about conducting background research and a discussion about the importance of coming up with a system that works for them for organising their research. Afterwards, students are introduced to the State Library of Queensland – a useful resource for inquiry tasks and how they can sign up. Screen shots are provided about how to run a search through their online data base. Students are reminded of the types of sources they should be looking for and how to determine if a source is useful.
The lesson concludes with advice about creating sub questions, a video with examples and an examination of the sub questions in the QCAA example about Mao Zedong. Following this, students have time to begin conducting their background research.
A PowerPoint teaching students how to write a key component of their assessment – a rationale. It begins by explaining what a rationale is and why we use them in history. There is a video tutorial where another teacher explains the process for writing a rationale about the Frontier Wars during Australian colonial times. This is followed by a discussion of the suggested structure outlined in the video. Afterwards, the QCAA exemplar about Mao Zedong is unpacked and the essential features are noted. Possible sentence starters are provided. The lesson concludes with information about how to write a tentative thesis (which will be outlined in the rationale). There are three bad ones to look at and three good ones. Then students have time to begin drafting their tentative thesis statements.
The PowerPoint begins with a reflection about their rationale and another example for them to look at. This is followed by a reminder of upcoming assessment checkpoints (mini deadlines). Afterwards two prior knowledge checking questions are posed: are all historical sources equally trustworthy? How might the reliability of a historical document be affected by the circumstances under which it was created. This is followed by some writing tips for when writing about sources e.g. better words to use as an alternative for states. This is followed by an explanation of how to complete the source analysis tables for their assessment. It begins with an explanation of the analysing and evaluating criteria. There is a video demonstrating how to do this using the Myall Creek Massacre (Australian Frontier Wars). I provide a suggested word count for students based on the number of sources they have chosen. There is also a website with useful tips about refining your writing to remove unnecessary words. The PowerPoint includes tips for analysing and evaluating sources. This is followed by a breakdown of he criteria for analysing and what each descriptor is about. There are examples of each level of response (for a different topic). Some sentence starters are provided for the students to use and they have time to begin writing this section of their assessment.
A lesson designed to help students reflect on their successes / struggles when writing their source analysis & evaluation dot points within their assessment. There are some reflection questions. This is followed by an example source analysis completed by a past student (a soviet postcard - 1918). Through looking at the example analysis of a visual primary source and its strengths and weaknesses – students can see if they have any of these elements missing from their own analysis. This is followed by the same student’s analysis of a written secondary source.
A PowerPoint designed to teach the students how to write a critical summary of evidence for their assessment. It begins by explaining what it is and what the term justify means. There is an overview of the required elements and three potential structures from the History Skills website that students can choose from. There is a video (online tutorial) from YouTube about how to write a critical summary. I have some tips that students should keep in mind when writing their critical summary. Finally, the QCAA example is included along with the marking notes showing which criterion are being addressed. Afterwards, students have time to write their own.
A worksheet for a viewing lesson designed to pique student interest in road laws at the beginning of a new unit. This resource includes the handout for students to complete and a modeled response (teacher answers).
The handout includes a retrieval chart for students to record information including: the result of the first breathalyzer test, the quantity and type of alcohol consumed, second reading, conviction etc. It also includes some short response questions and an extended response question which requires students to write a paragraph citing relevant QLD traffic laws which would be applied if this incident had occurred in QLD instead of NSW.
The episode is available on Click View and a link is included at the top of the handout.
Pedagogical Tip: I utilise the broadcast strategy approach (Barry & King, 1998) previewing the questions prior to playing the episode so that students know what to listen out for.
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.
A worksheet for a viewing lesson designed to pique student interest in road laws at the beginning of a new unit. This episode included a few low range drink driving offences and one drug related offence.
This resource includes the handout for students to complete and a modeled response (teacher answers).
The handout includes a retrieval chart for students to record information including: the result of the first breathalyzer test, the quantity and type of alcohol consumed, second reading, conviction etc. It also includes some short response questions and an extended response question which requires students to write a paragraph citing relevant QLD traffic laws which would be applied if this incident had occurred in QLD instead of NSW.
The worksheet includes screenshots from relevant legislation which students must draw on in their response.
The episode is available on Click View and a link is included at the top of the handout.
Pedagogical Tip: I utilise the broadcast strategy approach (Barry & King, 1998) previewing the questions prior to playing the episode so that students know what to listen out for.
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.
A recent episode of Australian Reality Television program Territory Cops (S3 Episode 7) available on 10 Play. The episode has 4 incidents and the handout has a retrieval chart for students to record key information from each event. Of particular interest is a serious crash that has resulted in the critical injury of one female driver. The investigative process the detectives use is outlined. There is also a hooning incident.
Beneath the retrieval chart are 4 short response questions about hooning.
The final activity is an extended response (paragraph) in response to the hooning incident. Students are required to cite relevant Queensland laws which would likely have been applied if this crime was committed here instead of NSW.
Links to QLD legislation are provided for students to access via laptops.
Pedagogical Tip: I utilise the broadcast strategy approach (Barry & King, 1998) previewing the questions prior to playing the episode so that students know what to listen out for.
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.
A worksheet for viewing the Australian factual television series Highway Patrol. The episode (Season 3, Episode 8 “Head On”) is available on 7Plus streaming services.
The 2012 episode has 3 key scenarios (attending the scene of a head-on collision, apprehending a high-range drink driver and dealing with a P Plater who is speeding).
The worksheet includes questions about the processes police take to determine who was responsible for the crash. It also includes a retrieval chart for the 2 other incidents in the episode. (I have provided a teacher answer version of this part of the worksheet.)
The worksheet also includes an extended response (paragraph) question about the high-range drink driver and what punishment he would likely have received if he committed this offence in QLD instead of NSW. I have included screen shots of relevant legislation for students to refer to when crafting their response.
Pedagogical Tip: I utilise the broadcast strategy approach (Barry & King, 1998) previewing the questions prior to playing the episode so that students know what to listen out for.
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.
A lesson which zooms into the focus for our assessment – traffic crimes. It begins with an amusing video (a car insurance commercial) to engage the students. This is followed by a discussion question (brainstorming activity). Info is provided about a law students may not be familiar with (about the usage of mobile phones while driving). Afterwards students are shown a visual stimulus (data) in a QLD Road crash weekly report. We practice extracting information (statistics) from this and explaining them as students may like to use this kind of information as a hook in the introduction of their multimodal speech. Another data set (Fatalities by characteristic from Jan 2015-Dec 2020) is shown. Following this, students copy notes about drink driving and how alcohol affects the body. They are shown the QLD law which is used to convict people driving with alcohol or drugs in their system. They are also shown a news article which shows the consequences of drink driving. Students have to practice identifying viewpoints in stimulus texts so they can discuss the various perspectives voiced in the article. If time permits, students may watch an episode of RBT or this can be saved until another lesson.
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 multimodal presentation.
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 word search. 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.’