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Heywire: Young people making a difference

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Girl sits in doorway
Heywire: Young people making a difference

SUBJECTS:  English

YEARS:  9–10


Have you ever considered what it must be like to be homeless?

Often it is not until we are confronted with a personal experience that we realise the significance of such social issues.

Luke Owens from Bendigo Victoria, was a finalist of the 2012 Heywire storytelling competition for young people.

Listen to how he found out about homelessness, the impact this had on him and then examine the structure of his story.


Things to think about

  1. 1.Use the internet to find out current statistics on youth homelessness in Australia. It is important you use reliable sources such the Australian Bureau of Statistics, ABC News or Youth Homelessness Matters. Brainstorm a list of persuasive or rhetorical devices used in texts that you have learnt about at school.
  2. 2.Luke uses a problem-solution structure in his speech. Identify the problem and the solutions he suggests. How does Luke introduce the problem to the listener? Note down some key words and phrases that reveal how Luke felt after discovering the problem. How does Luke's voice reveal his emotions? Compare Luke's introduction with his conclusion. What has changed?
  3. 3.Why does Luke use the anecdote about the year 4 student? What effect does this have on the listener? Luke begins and ends with reference to his family situation. Why does he include his own experiences in this speech? What do Luke's actions reveal about his values? How is a memorable closing created in this speech? What is Luke's purpose here?
  4. 4.There have been many inspiring speeches throughout history. Using resources such as the ABC's Strictly Speaking website, listen to some famous speeches such as Martin Luther King Jr's 'I have a dream' or Kevin Rudd's 'Apology to the Stolen Generations of Australia'. Consider what aspects make these speeches effective?



Date of broadcast: 12 Dec 2012


Copyright

Metadata © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia Ltd 2012 (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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