This 5-page worksheet helps students understand and analyse Margaret Atwood’s poem Siren Song, with a particular focus on how Atwood challenges representations of these figures. The worksheet begins with an excerpt from Homer and a brief explanation of the Sirens, before asking students to compare the traditional representation with Atwood’s version in her poem. Critical analysis activities follow, focusing on a range of language techniques alongside questions addressing Atwood’s representation of the Sirens. This includes considerations of the male gaze, agency and whether Atwood’s final stanza undermines the position taken in the rest of the poem. The final page presents a focus question for students, with a selection of thesis statements designed as a starting point for a student extended response on these topics, with some scaffolding and support for students in writing a response. This worksheet is most suitable for an upper high school age group (Year 10-12), although there is plenty of opportunity to adapt this resource to any relatively able cohort. The file is included in both Word and pdf formats to facilitate this flexibility.

This set of worksheets on the picture book Flight by Nadia Wheatley and Armin Greder helps students understand and analyse this fable in the classroom. It is suitable for a high school audience. Students begin with understanding the text (2 pages), including consideration of the purpose and audience of the text and its appropriation of Christian narratives. They then move onto close analysis of the text (4 pages), with deconstruction of key language techniques such as personification and juxtaposition as well as analysis of the use of colour. Students also consider the way gender stereotypes have been perpetuated in the text and are presented with a final extended response question to synthesise their learning. The worksheets are included in both Word and pdf formats to improve flexibility. ~ ~ ~ While you’re here, why not check out these other resources on picture books for older readers? The Rabbits (Shaun Tan and John Marsden) The Lost Thing (Shaun Tan) The Red Tree (Shaun Tan) The Arrival (Shaun Tan) Cicada (Shaun Tan) The Island (Armin Greder) Australia to Z (Armin Greder) Woolvs in the Sitee (Margaret Wild and Anne Spudvilas) Girl on Wire (Lucy Estela and Elise Hurst)

This four-page worksheet helps students analyse Dylan Thomas’ evocative poem Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night. Questions begin with comprehension before moving into a deeper analysis of the poem, including consideration of the themes and language techniques of the poem. There is a particular focus on Thomas’ use of metaphor and symbolism, but other techniques like personification, imagery and juxtaposition are also addressed. Activities are varied and designed to be accessible to students of different abilities, with complexity increasing throughout the worksheet. The file is included in Word and pdf formats to improve flexibility, and there is an answer key to the first (plot jumble) activity.

This resource focuses on the language technique symbolism. The worksheet begins with an information box which explains the technique, gives an example and explains its effect. This is followed by a range of activities which build in complexity through the two-page worksheet. Activities include identifying common examples of symbolism, considering symbolism in short excerpts and discussing the use of more obscure symbolism in a poetry extract. The PowerPoint is designed to accompany the worksheet and includes examples of symbolism in visual texts such as paintings and company branding as well as answers and examples for some of the worksheet tasks. This resource is suitable for a high school audience. The worksheet is included in both Word and pdf formats to ensure no loss of detail. Image credit: Tool icon made by Good Ware from www.flaticon.com and used under licence. This ‘techniques toolkit’ resource is part of a set on language features and techniques in English. Check out these other techniques toolkit resources: Allusion | Euphemism | Focalisation (Point of View) | Imagery | Juxtaposition | Modality | Personification | Tone and Mood

Son of Mine by Oodgeroo Noonuccal is a challenging insight into the complex history of Aboriginal and White Australia and how this is passed to the next generation. This worksheet helps students understand and interpret the poem, focusing on both comprehension and analysis. This poem is excellent for exploring indigenous perspectives as well as understanding the intergenerational impact of suffering, alongside opportunities for hope. This four-page worksheet focuses on analysing the poem in detail, beginning with comprehension and moving into close analysis of textual features like negative language, repetition, nominalisation and more. The final page emphasises Noonuccal’s word choice, encouraging students to consider the associations, connotations and emotive significance of Noonuccal’s choices. The worksheet is included in both Word and pdf format to ensure flexibility and compatibility. ~ ~ ~ While you’re here, why not check out these other resources on Noonuccal’s poetry? No More Boomerang | The Past

These worksheets help students deconstruct the wonderful picture book Girl on Wire, an allegorical story of facing your fears and overcoming challenges. Suited especially to a secondary or upper-primary audience, the resource includes a 3-page comprehension worksheet discussing the ideas of the text and ensuring students understand the book as a metaphor with universal relevance. A 4-page analysis worksheet then helps students understand the language and visual techniques of the text, while also discussing key themes and how these are represented in the text. Finally, an additional two pages provide suggested answers to some of the questions and opportunities for further study or discussion. Note that you will need a copy of Estela and Hurst’s book to use these worksheets. Resources are included in both Word and pdf format for flexibility and compatibility. ~ ~ ~ While you’re here, why not check out these other resources on picture books for older readers? The Rabbits (Shaun Tan and John Marsden) The Lost Thing (Shaun Tan) The Red Tree (Shaun Tan) The Arrival (Shaun Tan) Cicada (Shaun Tan) The Island (Armin Greder) Australia to Z (Armin Greder) Woolvs in the Sitee (Margaret Wild and Anne Spudvilas)

This set of worksheets helps students deconstruct Shaun Tan’s Cicada. Divided into four sections totalling nine pages, students analyse various elements of the text such as the plot, themes, intertextuality and a range of language and visual techniques. The set includes: A general worksheet exploring plot, ideas and language techniques (3 pages) A themes worksheet dealing with the major themes of the text, with reference to techniques (2 pages) A worksheet on intertextuality (2 pages) A worksheet based on a Guardian article, providing insight into the context and development of the text, including early sketches and models (2 pages) All worksheets are provided in Word and pdf format for maximum flexibility and are designed to include tasks of varying difficulty and complexity to cater for a variety of students. ~ ~ ~ While you’re here, why not check out these other resources on picture books for older readers? The Rabbits (Shaun Tan and John Marsden) The Lost Thing (Shaun Tan) The Red Tree (Shaun Tan) The Arrival (Shaun Tan) The Island (Armin Greder) Australia to Z (Armin Greder) Woolvs in the Sitee (Margaret Wild and Anne Spudvilas) Girl on Wire (Lucy Estela and Elise Hurst)

This three-page worksheet helps students understand and deconstruct Langston Hughes’ powerful exploration of race and privilege in the poem ‘I, Too.’ The first part of the worksheet focuses on comprehension, before moving into close deconstruction of the poem including techniques such as tone, juxtaposition and word choice. Activities are varied, including accessible tasks such as sentence starters or table completion alongside more traditional questions. The file is included in both Word and pdf format for maximum flexibility and compatibility. While you’re here, why not check out the resource on another poem by Langston Hughes, Mother to Son, here.

This six-page resource will help secondary school students understand and analyse the poem Caged Bird by Maya Angelou. Activities begin with comprehension-style tasks including a summary table and sentence starters, before moving into closer analysis of themes and language techniques, including focus on specific examples from the poem. The final page includes a scaffolded extended writing task with a focus question, pre-written introduction and planning scaffold with ideas and examples pre-filled to assist students in writing the rest of the response themselves. This resource is suitable for a high school audience, especially around the 8-11th grade bracket, although it may well suit younger or older grades depending on ability. File is included in both Word and pdf formats. Note that this resource deals with Angelou’s poem Caged Bird, not the autobiographical text I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings While you’re here, why not check out a similar worksheet set on Angelou’s most famous poem, Still I Rise. It can be found here.

Immigrant Blues is a moving exploration of the migrant experience, and this four-page worksheet helps students understand and deconstruct the poem. The first part of the worksheet focuses on comprehension, before moving into a closer deconstruction of the poet’s language choices and examining specific examples. In the process, students consider language techniques used by Lee and how these assist in exploring the ideas of the poem. The file is included in both Word and pdf format for maximum flexibility and compatibility.

Spoken word poetry and slam poetry are a big hit today, and help make poetry fun in your classroom. This four-page worksheet serves as an overview of spoken word poetry and is useful for introducing this type of poetry to students. The worksheet begins with a fact file, providing a definition as well as the history and significance of spoken word poetry. Questions which follow focus on the differences between traditional and spoken word poetry and music. Examples are included to support the activities. The final page of the worksheet gives examples of some common techniques in spoken word poetry and invites students to craft their own stories in spoken word form. It is recommended that students complete these tasks alongside viewing a range of spoken word videos, as this type of poetry is of course best experienced rather than read. Worksheets are included in both Word and pdf formats to assist in compatibility.

This resource focuses on the language technique juxtaposition. The worksheet begins with an information box which explains the technique, gives an example and explains its effect. This is followed by a range of activities which build in complexity through the two-page worksheet. Activities include identifying juxtaposition, analysing juxtaposition in examples and students writing their own examples. The PowerPoint is designed to accompany the worksheet and includes answers and examples for many of the worksheet tasks, as well as a visual stimulus task. This resource is suitable for a high school or upper primary school audience. The worksheet is included in both Word and pdf formats to ensure no loss of detail. Image credit: Tool icon made by Good Ware from www.flaticon.com and used under licence. This ‘techniques toolkit’ resource is part of a set on language features and techniques in English. Check out these other techniques toolkit resources: Allusion | Euphemism | Focalisation (Point of View) | Imagery | Modality | Personification | Symbolism | Tone and Mood

Oodgeroo Noonuccal’s poems are powerful representations of the collision between white and indigenous Australian culture. This worksheet helps students understand and interpret her poem ‘The Past’. This poem is excellent for exploring indigenous perspectives as well as understanding the way historical policies like assimilation have had an impact on Aboriginal Australians. The worksheet focuses on analysing the poem in detail, beginning with comprehension, and moving into close analysis of textual features like juxtaposition, figurative language and tone. The final page of this three-page resource includes a short writing task, asking students to draw on examples studied earlier in the worksheet, integrating their understanding into a cohesive argument. The worksheet is included in both Word and pdf format to ensure flexibility and compatibility.

This resource and accompanying assessment task analyse the key closing speech delivered by Atticus in defence of Tom. The speech is annotated in detail for both language techniques and the ideas represented. Approximately half a page of general notes follow the annotations. The associated assessment task requires students to discuss the speech in an essay, using the notes to assist them. The task includes outcomes for the NSW English syllabus for the Australian curriculum as well as full marking criteria. The literacy criteria referred to in the marking criteria can be found in the author’s other resources.

This worksheet focuses on a close study of two extracts from Anh Do’s autobiography The Happiest Refugee. Students are led through a step-by-step process, finding key techniques in the extract, considering the key ideas and then writing an analytical paragraph in response to the focus question at the top of the worksheet. The two extracts are graded in difficulty, with Extract A more suitable for proficient students and Extract B including more scaffolding and more accessible techniques. This worksheet uses the TEEEL structure (Topic, Expand, Example, Explain, Link) but would be easily adapted to any similar paragraph structure (PEE, PEEL, IDEAL etc). Note that the extracts have been removed from this resource for copyright reasons, but can be easily added, or the worksheet condensed to work alongside hard copies of the autobiography. Clear references to the extracts are included to allow you to find these easily.

This poem by Benjamin Zephaniah reflects on poetry as a powerful way of expressing oneself, away from the rules and pompousness often associated with poetry in modern society. This resource is a worksheet which assists students in understanding the poem. The focus is on comprehension and understanding and it makes a great starter for studying the poem before engaging in a deeper analysis. The poem itself is readily available on the web, and there are some clips available of the poet reciting the poem. Quality is a bit of an issue, perhaps consider https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlnJ_WgAUYM Also recommended for engaging with Zephaniah as a poet is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4mG1hloMEs The file is included in both Word and pdf formats.

This resource is a make-your-own verb conjugation wheel for common German verbs. By cutting out the wheel and using a split-pin to join the two parts, students are able to make their own wheel for use in the classroom. This is a great hands-on activity which students enjoy both making and using in the classroom. Consider laminating or printing on heavy card for a reusable classroom resource. The file is attached as a pdf for clear printing, and also as a word document so that you can change the verbs to suit your course material as required.

This collection of resources accompanies a novel study of Red Dog by Louis de Bernieres. The activities include: - A worksheet on characterisation of emotions (show-don’t-tell) based on the chapter Red Dog’s Expensive Injury - A worksheet focusing on comprehension, characterisation and perspective based on the chapter Red Dog and Nancy Grey - A portfolio activity where students choose a number of activities from a larger list and prepare these as part of a ‘portfolio’ on Red Dog. Examples of these activities include redesigning the cover or writing a book review.

This set of detailed worksheets allows students to deconstruct The Arrival by Shaun Tan. It assists students in understanding and analysing the beautiful imagery and powerful story shaped by this master storyteller. In total this resource includes 12 pages of worksheets, with a double or single page on each part from the picture book. Worksheets included focus in particular on the following skills or techniques: Part 1 - themes, body language, representation, connotations Part 2 - comprehension, tone, representation Part 3 - summarising, contrast, symbolism, emotion Part 4 - mixed visual techniques (with definitions), creation of mood Part 5 - comprehension, symbolism (single page) Part 6 - selectivity and salience (implied, terms not used in worksheet) (single page) Whether you use every worksheet, choose one or two to deepen your students’ understanding, or even pick and mix questions from the different documents, these worksheets will help your students pull apart this incredible narrative and understand how Tan has created such a powerful narrative without a single word. All worksheets are included in both Word and pdf format to give you compatibility and flexibility. ~ ~ ~ While you’re here, why not check out these other resources on picture books for older readers? The Rabbits (Shaun Tan and John Marsden) The Lost Thing (Shaun Tan) The Red Tree (Shaun Tan) Cicada (Shaun Tan) The Island (Armin Greder) Australia to Z (Armin Greder) Woolvs in the Sitee (Margaret Wild and Anne Spudvilas) Girl on Wire (Lucy Estela and Elise Hurst)

The picture book The Island by Armin Greder is a fantastic text for older readers. Often used in units of work on refugees, belonging or prejudice it offers untold possibilities in the classroom. This resource helps students understand and analyse The Island, as well as write about it in extended form. This 5-page worksheet set has three parts. The first page deals with comprehending and understanding the text, before moving into close analysis, with a particular focus on visual features like symbolism, vectors and use of size, space and colour. The final two pages provide scaffolding for an extended response to the text using a focus question and drawing on the techniques explored earlier in the worksheet. The resource is included in both Word and pdf formats to ensure compatibility. ~ ~ ~ While you’re here, why not check out these other resources on picture books for older readers? The Rabbits (Shaun Tan and John Marsden) The Lost Thing (Shaun Tan) The Red Tree (Shaun Tan) The Arrival (Shaun Tan) Cicada (Shaun Tan) Australia to Z (Armin Greder) Woolvs in the Sitee (Margaret Wild and Anne Spudvilas) Girl on Wire (Lucy Estela and Elise Hurst)

In this poem Noonuccal challenges the supposed benefits of white culture in the lives of Aboriginal people. This four-page worksheet helps students analyse the poem, helping them understand its biting irony and clever plays on language, as well as providing an Aboriginal perspective on the clash between indigenous and white Australian cultures. The resource begins with a focus on comprehension, with a glossary of key terms from the poem and some general comprehension, before moving through a range of activities addressing language features like tone, juxtaposition, allusion, repetition and more. This resource will help support a detailed analysis of the poem and contains lots of supporting information in questions (see example below). The resource is included in both Word and pdf format to ensure flexibility and compatibility. Sample question: “In stanza eleven, Noonuccal presents a complex image of religious influence on Aboriginal people. Remember that many Aboriginal missions were run by the churches and under the control of ministers of religion. What point is Noonuccal making when she says “White fella witch-doctor / Wear dog-collar?” (tip: try to use techniques like allusion or symbolism in your response)”