HSC Module C: The Craft of Writing offers students complex texts from which to draw for their own writing. Because of their complex construction and ideas, students can be at a loss for ‘ways in’ to the text. Diving Bell’s ‘Ways Into’ series for Module C provide a structured way for students to consider the text in terms of Content, Context, and Construction, with appropriate elements within these headings. By the end of the worksheet the student should be clear on the content, meaning, construction-strategies, and ways to use George Orwell’s famous and fabulous essay ‘Politics and the English Language’. A completed teacher’s copy with possible responses is available so that time-poor teachers can lead classes through these texts.

Writing historical fiction is an excellent way for History students to develop an understanding of historical narrative, cause and effect, empathy, and perspective. Yet many teachers do not feel comfortable introducing an fiction task to the History classroom, or confident in steering students through it in a manner fundamentally different from English. This 10-section workbook engages students in a self-guided exercise in forming a historian’s question, locating sources with which to answer it, and performing a thought-experiment with historical imagination. They write the narrative in stages closely tied to historical skills, and so recognize from the outside the contestability of historical explanations and the relative quality of significance and evaluation performed by different historians. This workbook can be partnered with Diving Bell Education’s Investigating Story and History, a 10-section workbook which guides students through the development of narrative from the earliest human stories to the narratives of the digital era, and shows how History has an innately narrative character.

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).

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. Miriam Marshall’s ‘A Breath of Wind’ reflects on an encounter between a young white woman and an Aboriginal man. It is around 1368 words long and has been used successfully with a senior class (16-18 years).

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. Anna Hallett’s ‘A Tempest’ is an inversion of a famous moment from Shakespeare’s The Tempest. It is around 950 words long and has been used successfully with a senior class (16-18 years).

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. Helen Benedict’s ‘Binocular’ is a character-driven story about a boy’s experience after spying on a girl. It is around 2400 words long and has been used successfully with a senior class (16-18 years).

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. This feminist retelling of a famous biblical story, ‘Oath’ by Anton Linn is around 1200 words long and has been used successfully with a senior class (16-18 years).

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. This character-driven story of two old people attempting a day out despite dementia, ‘Day Out’, by Rose Hughson, is around 2700 words long and has been used successfully with a senior class (16-18 years).

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. This character-driven story, ‘Bequest’, by Alan Stevenson, is around 1400 words long and has been used successfully with a senior class (16-18 years).

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. These two very short absurdist stories, ‘To Light a Match’, by Stephen Leacock and ‘A Common Confusion’, by Franz Kafka, are around 1000 words altogether and have been successfully used with a Year 7/8 class (11-13 years).

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 comic short story, ‘Gabriel-Ernest’, by Saki, is around 2500 words and has been successfully used with a Year 9/10 class ( 15-16 years).

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 apocalyptic short story, ‘Finis’, by Frank Pollack, is around 4000 words and has been successfully used with a Year 9/10 class ( 15-16 years).

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 character-driven short story, ‘The Old Man at the Bridge’, by Ernest Hemingway is around 800 words and has been successfully used with a Year 7/8 class (11-13 years).

Comparative units are a great way to examine how the same preoccupations appear in different times, styles, and forms. This senior unit of work invites students to compare Fritz Lang’s 1927 expressionist sci-fi extravaganza Metropolis with George Orwell’s 1949 dystopian novel 1984. They consider the two texts’ handling of themes, narrative strategies, and representational techniques through a side-by-side reading and viewing of the text pairing. The unit has been designed for a 10-week term, and this resource includes: A brief list of useful websites and readings which students should research to gain a sense of the film’s context and to give them time to read the first chapters of the novel. A breakdown of the text-pairing over seven task-sheets corresponding to 7 weeks of a school term. Each week contains A nominated section of the film and novel for study Topics and questions for class discussion which students should prepare either verbally or in writing. A writing task to consolidate the week’s work The final weeks of term can be given over to an assessment task, which will be put up on this shop.

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 beautiful short story, ‘If Not Higher’ by Isaac Peretz is around 1200 words and has been successfully used with a Year 7/8 class (11-13 years).

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 satirical short story ‘Putois’ by French writer Anatole France is around 5000 words and has been successfully used with a Year 10 class (age 14-15).

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.

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.

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 Australian dreaming story from the Birpai people of coastal NSW’ is around 1500 words and has been successfully used with a Year 7/8 class (age 11-13).

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.