This resource provides annotations on the mentioned poems, and essay development sheet, ppts on the poems, analytical readings (already highlighted) to spear head class discussion around the main ideas within the poems. I have inlcuded my annotations and an accompanying workhseet for most of these poems. I also got the students to create Hollow Men outof pipecleaners for a diorama as they needed a brain break from the substantial disillusionment and fragmentation that was taking place :-)

This is a simplified version of structuring a letter of introduction when you first meet classes. Nothing snazzy but allows you to learn your class quickly. It also allows you to pick up on their literacy skills in the first lesson.

As part of a ‘What Matter’s’ unit we looked at persuasive devices in Gillard’s Misogyny speech. Students got a copy of a particular part of the speech and then we extracted the varying rhetorical devices. This resource includes both the PPT I used and the speech extract. You will notice that down the side of the speech itself, there is space for the students to annotate. We then worked towards the development of reflection skills. Namely, how x device was used and for what effect.

We were looking at the multilingual poem of Joel Davison’s ‘The Wounded Brave’ as a way to examine identity and things that ‘matter’ in the Australian context. This is a lesson that examines the poem, the context of it. Students worked in tables to unpack the poem. It includes Midnight Oil’s Gadigal Land song, a video about languages within Australia. This can take up to a week to do depending on what you want the students to do at the end.

We looked at things that ‘mattered’ during this unit of work. This involved working through the way speeches used rhetorical devices to ensure that the message communicated was strong. Looking at the Australian contex, we examined Rudd’s sorry speech as well Grant’s speech. Both lessons were accompanied by the speech transcript. Rudd’s came from the Department of Education NSW website. It is also included here.

A visual table of defining moments in Australian History - unfortunately I don’t have the completed one :-(

Full lesson on Owen’s Disabled. Included is scaffolded worksheet and PPT. Expectation is on the teacher to annotate poem with the students. But the focus is on how we perceived disability in a modern context. Lesson is focused on a lower ability class.

These are some lessons on introducing the novel Pride and Prejudice, analytical paragraph development, the importance of marriage. I have created some structured worksheets for paragraph development based on the prescriptive structure of Point, Evidence, Technique, Analysis, Evidence, Technique, Analysis, Link. PETAL. However, it can be adapted depending on your classes. I have included a range of visuals as I had a mixed ability class. There are ‘word bingos’ and a bookmark with key words on it to make use of. You can make use of some or all of the resources.