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What's With Poetry?, Ch 5: Visual language

When someone is telling you a story, do you visualise that story? You're not alone! A good storyteller or a poet knows exactly how to use certain words so the listener will visualise the story or poem in the way the storyteller or poet intends. A few well chosen and crafted words can allow readers to visualise a whole world. ...

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BTN: Internet privacy

Imagine if 60,000 people turned up to your birthday party! How would you convince your parents that it wasn't your fault? A good way would be to use evidence to make your argument credible, or believable. Watch how this clip, a news story about Facebook and internet privacy, carefully selects sources of information to make ...

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How to Build Stories, Ch 2: Creating characters for your story

Great characters help us fall in love with stories. Characters need to keep readers excited, but they also need to think and feel in ways we can all understand, and they need to remind us of people in our own lives. Follow these fantastic tips to create interesting, relatable characters!

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To plan or not to plan

Different writers approach writing in different ways. Some just dive in with nothing but an idea, while others like Morris Gleitzman like to spend some time planning their story before writing. What's your writing style like? Discuss the pros and cons of both styles.

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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?

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Editing with Alice Pung

In addition to being a writer, Alice Pung has experience as an editor. What was the advice her own editor gave her when she started editing other people's work? Alice believes that good editors ask writers good questions. How else can editors help writers? Next time a friend or classmate asks you to give them feedback on ...

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Interviews With 10 Australian Authors, Ch 7: Playing with Hannie Rayson

It was while Hannie Rayson was at acting school that she realised she wanted to be a playwright. In this interview led by Tom Tilley she talks about how she began writing plays, why she became interested in the notion of Anglo Australian art and culture, and how all her characters are in some way an embodiment of herself.

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Dust Echoes, Ep 11: The Bat and the Butterfly

'Bat and Butterfly' is about Aboriginal moieties and what happens if you do not follow Aboriginal law. In central Arnhem Land there are two moieties, Yirritja and Dhuwa. Yirritja families must marry Dhuwa and vice versa. In this story the man, however talented he may be, behaves like a coward when he abducts a girl from ...

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Heywire: Crocodiles, jellyfish and self-expression

Have you ever sat through a classmate's oral presentation and nearly fallen asleep in the middle of it? Often this is because the speaker isn't using their voice in a way that gets your attention and keeps you interested. In this Heywire audio story, explore how Alpha Capaque, a young woman from the Northern Territory, ...

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Changing the ending with Michael Gow

Have you ever watched a play or read a book and been dissatisified with the ending? Michael Gow talks about how he changed the ending to his play Away once and how angry his audience was. What do you think about authors and playwrights re-writing their stories and plays to give them different endings?

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Thomas Keneally – Lachlan Macquarie

In this resource Thomas Keneally assesses Macquarie’s role in development of NSW.

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Telling the truth in history

In this resource Thomas Keneally addresses the issue of fictionalising history and the difference between novels and histories.

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Understanding the past

In this resource Thomas Keneally addresses the importance of understanding Australia’s past with particular emphasis on Australia’s strong tradition of democratic action and democratic institutions.

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The significance of Bennelong Point

In this resource Thomas Keneally speaks about the significance of Bennelong Point and the relationship between Governor Phillip and Bennelong. Learncast video.

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The significance of Bennelong

In this resource Thomas Keneally speaks about the significance of Bennelong and contrasts him with Pemulwuy.

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The history in the journey

In this resource Thomas Keneally speaks about telling the history of Australia using the journeys of people who lived it.

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Thomas Keneally – fascinating facts about Aboriginal people

In this resource Thomas Keneally speaks about the extraordinary things he discovered about Aboriginal people from a archaeological dig at Brewarrina.

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The research process

In this resource Thomas Keneally reveals the sources he used to uncover the details about early life in Australia.

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Belonging

In this resource Thomas Keneally addresses the issues of belonging and of marginalised peoples.

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Face2Face: Thomas Keneally

This resource is an interview with Thomas Keneally on his book, 'Australians: Origins to Eureka'.