Search results

Listed under:  Language  >  Literature
Text

The Lost Thing: Unit of work

This unit of work has been written to support The Lost Thing, a quirky picture story book about finding your place in the world. It explores themes of belonging, bureaucracy, conformity, dystopia and friendship. This unit provides practical teaching ideas, an assessment task and an essay by Gary Crew.

Text

47 Degrees: Unit of work

This unit of work has been written to support 47 Degrees, an account of the experiences of writer Justin D'Ath during the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria. Explore themes of belonging, bravery, community, grief, resilience and the environment. This unit provides practical teaching ideas and an assessment task

Interactive

Stories without words

Learn how Australian story-teller, artist and academy award winner, Shaun Tan uses emotive illustrations to tell a story. You will also create your own character and tell a story using illustration.

Video

Hannie Rayson on writing complex roles for women

Watch as Hannie Rayson describes her early desire to write multidimensional, complex roles for women in her plays. What was this in response to?  Why is it important for audiences to see female characters as well as male characters driving drama in plays? 

Video

Hannie Rayson on the Australian voice in theatre

How important do you think it is to hear Australian stories told on stage? Listen as Hannie Rayson explains her early beliefs about where great drama comes from. After watching this clip, try writing a dramatic scene that takes place at a family barbeque.

Interactive

Refugees welcome here

This resource embeds the use of online collaboration tools and 21st century learning skills in a student-centered hands-on project designed to welcome refugees into their community. The syllabus outcomes are aligned to NSW Stage 4 English, Geography or Visual Arts but this could be used with older or younger students by ...

Interactive

Writers Talk 2007

A resource for primary and secondary students that features ten award-winning writers from the 2007 Sydney Writers' Festival. The resource explores each author's books, background, beliefs and approaches to writing, and includes advice for young writers. Video interviews of each author are accompanied by a biography, bibliography. ...

Interactive

Writing a discussion

The resource contains information, activities and tasks on how to write a discussion. It includes writing and publishing templates for students for a variety of purposes and contexts. This resource supports the Australian Curriculum in English K–10.

Text

Playing Beatie Bow: Unit of work

This unit of work has been written to support the novel Playing Beattie Bow. The value of this novel study lies in the opportunities presented to explore the evolution of the English language, including the impact of new technologies on language and the genre of time travel. This unit provides practical teaching ideas and ...

Text

Mahtab’s Story: Unit of work

This unit of work has been written to support the novel Mahtab’s Story. The novel focuses on asylum seekers and explores themes of courage, family, hope and resilience. This unit provides practical teaching ideas, an assessment task and an essay about the novel by Yassmin Abdel-Magied

Text

The Deep: Here Be Dragons: Unit of work

The Deep: Here Be Dragons is a graphic novel tells the tales of the Nekton family – a multiethnic family of Aquanauts who live on a submarine. It explores themes of discovery, family, hope, respect and the environment. This unit provides practical teaching ideas and an assessment task. This teacher resource provides practical ...

Text

Blueback: Unit of work

This unit of work has been written to support Tim Winton’s novel Blueback which is a story about family, belonging and living a life in tune with the environment. This unit provides practical teaching ideas and an assessment task.

Text

Ubby’s Underdogs: the Legend of the Phoenix Dragon: Unit of work

This unit of work has been written to support the novel Ubby’s Underdogs: the Legend of the Phoenix Dragon. The novel, set in Broome of the late 1940s, is mostly concerned with the activities of two teenage gangs and explores themes of courage and bullying. As a graphic novel, it offers opportunities to teach about symbolism, ...

Text

Ubby’s Underdogs: Heroes Beginnings. Unit of work

This unit of work has been written to support the novel Ubby’s Underdogs: Heroes Beginnings. This graphic novel explores themes of Aboriginal history and culture, courage, Chinese history, corruption, feminism, First Nations texts, friendship, inter-cultural relationships and teenage gangs. This unit provides practical ...

Text

Vampyre: Unit of work

This unit of work has been written to support the picture story book Vampyre. The book is told from the point of view of a vampire who is entering young adulthood with the responsibilities that come at that time in life. It shows the struggle to be an individual and find your identity. This unit provides practical teaching ...

Text

Just Macbeth!: Unit of work

This unit of work has been written to support the novel Just Macbeth!. Using a group of Australian teenagers as the main characters, the novel plays with the themes of Shakespeare’s play The Tragedy of Macbeth. It explores themes of ambition, guilt and forgiveness, humour, trust and betrayal. This unit provides practical ...

Text

Midnite: Unit of work

This unit of work has been written to support the novel Midnite which is a good-humoured history of the exploits of bushranger Captain Midnite and his five good animal friends. This unit provides practical teaching ideas and an assessment task.

Video

Finding 'closure' in Michael Gow's Away

What does it mean to 'find closure'? Characters in Michael Gow's Away struggle with accepting unpleasant truths and letting go of the past. Coral finds closure when she finally accepts her son's death. How is this symbolised in the play?

Text

Stories: journey to the west

This is a two-part presentation of slides, telling and illustrating the Chinese Buddhist legend of 'Journey to the west'. 'Part 1: the adventures of Monkey' introduces the main character, Monkey, and the folk story outlines how his character evolves, becoming boastful and mischievous. 'Part 2: preparing for the great journey' ...

Video

Gary Crew and the role of objects

In some stories, writers use particular objects as symbols. In other stories, writers use objects as tools to help them shape their narrative. What does Gary Crew say about the meaning of the ring in Strange Objects? What is its purpose within the story?