Refining English Units to Improve Literacy and Learning

English teachers, perhaps more than other teachers, are responsible for helping
students become literate citizens in Australian society. Indeed, the United Nations
mandates that all people have a right to literacy, defining a literate person as someone who
has acquired the essential knowledge and skills which enable him to engage in effective
functioning in his group and community (as cited in Anstey & Bull, 2004, p. 10).
Significantly, in terms of education, NSW also defines literacy broadly, so that it includes
communication and participation in society not just reading and writing (Snyder, 2008).
Additionally, government literacy policy advises that all Australians should develop
and maintain a level of spoken and written English which is appropriate for a range of
contexts, with the support of education and training programs addressing their diverse
learning needs (Dawkins, 1991, p. 4). Fulfilling this requirement is a particular challenge
for the NSW Bridgeport High School English teacher in 8C, because students have diverse
abilities and many students struggle with reading and writing. This said, the broad
definition of literacy offers an opportunity for teachers to focus on the communication and
participation aspects of literacy, at least initially.
With this in mind, the Storyteller and the Story lesson sequence has been refined to
meet the needs of specific students and improve the literacy outcomes of the unit.
Focussing on lessons 3 and 4 as prototypes for revising the whole sequence, three strategic
changes have been made to strengthen student learning and literacy. These changes are
focussed around making learning more significant, more practical and more differentiated.
This paper will discuss these changes in the light of contemporary research and judge the
quality of these changes (Ladwig, 2009) using the pedagogical lenses of the NSW Quality
Teaching model.

1. Making the learning more authentic

More relevant content
In lessons 3 and 4 a higher level of significance has been achieved because the
lessons draw on the Background Knowledge of the students and the texts are more
connected to their lives. For instance, at the start of the lesson 3, an interesting YouTube
clip of Benedict Cumberbatch voice acting Smaug the dragon presents students with a
contemporary expert while also strengthening Knowledge Integration by connecting the
focus of the lesson (storytelling) to the real world of acting. Lesson 3 also integrates
student Background Knowledge of sport and Harry Potter which supports outcome EN43B. It is significant that teachers tap into students interests, and this class has a high
number of students who like sport and fantasy. By providing students with a contemporary
sport story as well as J.K Rowlings The Three Brothers, the teacher has a better chance of
maintaining interest in meaningful, contextualised and authentic ways (EN4-3B).
This is in line with Krauses suggestion that literacies in the classroom should
connect to the world outside if they are to be useful (2015). Importantly, this activity now
has far more significance for Daniel, Nathan, Junior and Tenille, because it draws on the
element of Inclusivity in an attempt to involve all students, connecting to students out-ofschool backgrounds, [and] recognising the rich and diverse array of experiences students
bring with them (Gore, 2007, p. 24). It is a well-known fact that ATSI students like
Tennille are regularly absent and disconnected from school processes (Sikora & Biddle,
2015), and that this is partly due to a privileging of white and middle class ways of
knowing and being (Keddie, 2012, p. 267). Importantly, the refined lessons give students
like Tennille more real (Mullins, Lawson, & Mootz, n.d, p. 12) reasons to engage. For
instance, telling a sports story verbally could be a good start to making learning more
relevant for Tenille.
Another key part of this strategy is that Cultural Knowledge is strengthened by
removing negative criticism from the lesson. Because the focus is on Engagement, Tennille

should not be penalised or teased for using grammar incorrectly when sharing her
analyses out loud. Researchers such as Eades (1993) urge that respecting, valuing and
understanding Aboriginal ways of using English is a significant step in respecting, valuing
and understanding the identity and self-esteem of these children (p. 6). This is an ongoing
challenge for the English teacher, because there is some level of inherent conflict between
preparing students for a predominantly white Australian society while also wanting to
respect and empower other cultural understandings.
An authentic storytelling environment
Giving the students an opportunity to perform a story for the class (lesson 3) is much
more significant than filling an organiser with written definitions of what makes a good
story. This new activity supports lesson outcomes EN4-1A, EN4-3B and EN4-4B as it
gives students experience in using metalanguage to discuss how the aesthetics of
storytelling shape meaning. It also gives students an opportunity to recognise the power of
language in communicating ideas, feelings and views.
The Story Showcase activity in lesson 4 (see Appendix B) also raises the authenticity
(Reeves, 2011) of the learning sequence because students know that samples of their work
will be on display in the Library for the Story Week exhibition. This real world
Connectedness increases students commitment to producing good work (Gore, 2007, p.
25) because motivation to learn is strengthened in a learning environment that is situated
and holistic, and moves beyond specific tasks and functions (Wilhelm, 2006, p. 58).
Furthermore, allowing students to choose their own story to analyse should promote
ownership and raise the personal significance of the task as Student Direction has been
increased. This also strengthens outcome EN4-2A, engaging students in a range of tasks.

2. Making the learning more practical

Verbal tasks
Deep Understanding has been increased through practical, hands on (Hanlen,
2010) engagement with performing and critiquing stories. Because Junior and Daniel can
barely read, and Kenny, Nathan, Taylor, Mark and Tennille all have below average reading
and writing skills, verbal tasks have been increased to strengthen Engagement. This is
because these students often have different reading needs (Winch, 2007, p. 54) and little
motivation to read in the first place (Wooley and Hay, 2007).
Furthermore, research has shown that one way to start motivating these students is to
draw on what they can do (Bailey, 2009). Accordingly, lessons 3 and 4 feature more verbal
discussions and the formative assessment tasks in the Showcase activities give students the
option to record audio as well as write. This reflects Department of Employment,
Education, Training and Youth Affairs (DEETYA) research which recommends that
students with poor literacy benefit from practical activities where they experience success
easily (DEETYA, 1999, p. 16). For this reason, the Wikipedia research activity has been
replaced with the Showcase activities because they are less abstract and rely more on
listening and speaking than reading.
This is not to diminish the importance of reading or writing, but to recognise that
alternative modes of learning can make a good starting point for Engagement (Callow,
2010). Nevertheless, according to Howard (2009), mastering verbal communication should
be a priority in education, since students who can speak well are less likely to repeat a
grade or drop out of school (p. 4). Indeed, this focus on verbal literacy clearly increases
Substantive Communication and verbal Metalanguage, because students are directly
engaging with verbal analysis, elaborating on their responses (Gore, 2007, p.21) and
drawing on specialist language to discuss the elements of storytelling. Thus, strengthening
verbal literacy has not diminishing learning, because students are still engaged with the

learning outcomes of the unit. Rather, a verbal emphasis consolidates Deep Understanding
by engaging students in activities that require them to apply knowledge (p. 19).
According to Nuthall, these practical experiences are crucial for learning because
students require three or four experiences involving interaction with relevant information
for a new knowledge construct to be created in working memory (as cited in Hattie, 2009,
p. 242). Thus, the verbal interactivity that has been introduced into this sequence will
facilitate enduring understanding because information which is actively engaged with is
easier to recall (Willingham, 2011).

Dramatic Pedagogy
Importantly, the new focus on practical learning in the sequence encourages students
to perform as expert storytellers. This incorporation of dramatic pedagogy (Neelands,
1992) into student learning has the potential to produce deep understanding and higher
order thinking, learning that is holistic and experiential, not just cognitive (O'Toole,
Stinson, & Moore, 2009, p. 97). Significantly, research reveals that teaching English
through dramatic pedagogy can greatly improve literacy outcomes (Pitfield, 2013), because
physical enactment or embodiment of an idea or event, to visual and then written
representation, extends and develops childrens neural circuitry. Storytelling
[emphasis added] and imaginative writing have been shown to be greatly enhanced
through the use of process drama strategies. (Ewing, 2010, p. 40)
This embodied pedagogy fosters Engagement and incorporates Narrative into the learning
process. It motivates students to learn because it keeps their interest in the short term and is
also memorable in the long term (Woolfolk & Margetts, 2013). Furthermore, encouraging
students to adopt Heathcotes mantle of the expert and take on roles as storytellers and
critics, sends a message to students that their perspectives are both powerful and
valuable.

Moreover, this means that evaluating and creating now have equal priority in this
unit, which is a positive change because creating is the peak of Blooms revised taxonomy.
Higher-Order Thinking has been strengthened through the formative Showcase assessment
that involve students creating/performing their own stories, thus activating higher levels
of cognitive skills that lead to deeper learning (Adams, 2015, p. 153).
Ultimately, by focussing on students current verbal abilities, rewarding their
creative efforts and helping them integrate new knowledge strategically (Pressley &
Gaskins, 2006), Deep Understanding is strengthened, and the learning environment is
oriented towards mastery rather than performance (Schraw, 2001, p. 122).

3. Making the learning more differentiated

Choice over classwork and formative assessment
Differentiation has been incorporated into unit coursework and formative assessment
tasks so that students are given meaningful choices over their learning. This means that
students have multiple options for taking in information, making sense of ideas, and
expressing what they learn (Tomlinson, 2001, p. 1). This is in line with literature which
suggests that limiting English course work to just reading or writing is generally a bad
idea, particularly for students who struggle with literacy (Krause, 2015). In lessons 3 and 4
students now have a choice over the kind of stories they want to tell/analyse. This has
improved the Inclusivity of the lesson in the hope that a student like Daniel can now feel
success and be an active participant (Gore, 2007, p. 78) because he can choose modes of
response other than writing.
In a similar manner, the lessons Social Support is improved through a positive
learning environment where students encourage and support each other in taking learning
risks and where put-downs are not tolerated (p. 23). This is especially important for
students like Matthew and Kenny who are intimidated by public speaking. Clearly, it is

beneficial for teachers to support these students by selecting and modifying material
(Hibbert & Iannacci, 2005, p. 716), so that they can navigate their own learning in an
encouraging environment.
Not surprisingly, giving students more independence and greater control over their
work has a positive effect on learning. Indeed, according to Manual (2012), increasing
student autonomy is key to improving literacy outcomes: A wide variety of reading
material that is accessible and selected by the student [emphasis added] at least as regularly
as that selected by the teacher is a critical factor in ongoing reading achievement (p. 53).
Accordingly, the Story Showcase activities provide students with a range of challenges and
modes to engage with, which directly supports outcome EN4-2A.
Although students will eventually complete most of the activities, they can choose
which order they complete them in, and they can also choose their best three pieces of
work to put on display in the Library. This means that students can play to their strengths
and will not be considered in terms of their deficits (Hinchman & Sheridan-Thomas,
2014, p. 81). Furthermore, giving students like Matthew the opportunity to choose more
creative tasks like writing an original story significantly strengthens unit outcome EN4-1A
because it allows him to express his own personal feelings and ideas an opportunity
which barely existed in the original lessons.

Support for the challenged/bored

Lessons 3 and 4 now include a short support section with strategies to support
struggling students and extension activities for students who complete their work ahead of
the class. This differentiation is an important change because it recognises that learners
are not all the same (Killen, 2013, p. 107). Despite the teachers best efforts at
encouraging a student like Kenny to verbalise what he would struggle to write, it is
possible that he would still be resistant and refuse to participate. Thus, planning to provide
alternatives for struggling students in the classroom is important because the Board of

Studies equity principle 3.1, calls for teachers to promote learning that prepares all
students to participate (2015, p. 1), and even the students who struggle with reading
cannot be treated as a homogeneous group (Manuel, 2007, p. 49).
Furthermore, giving students more choice over their learning increases the chances
of creating a learning environment of Engagement. In this way, differentiation facilities
Student Direction and supports the strategies of significance and practical learning
described above.

Where to from here?

Ultimately, these changes have strengthened the literacy outcomes of the unit, and
provided authentic and practical lessons where quality learning can occur. The kinds of
changes that have been made to lessons 3 and 4 are prototypical examples of changes that
should be extended throughout the unit. By selecting more relevant content and increasing
the amount of verbal tasks, students are encouraged to become expert storytellers and
critics in a learning environment of mastery. Furthermore, by providing support for
students who struggle to keep up and giving all students choice over their classwork and
formative assessment, students can participate in work that is level appropriate and
engaging. Reading and writing skills will still need to be taught explicitly in this unit and
beyond, but these changes have put struggling students in a better position to receive such
instruction. Thus, these changes have brought students one step closer to what Sawyer
dubs a 21st century powerful literacy (2007, p. 46). There is still much ground to
cover, but the Storyteller and the Story is off to a running start.

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APPENDIX A: Modified lesson sequence

Key to changes made:
Purple is making learning more significant and authentic
Red is making the lesson more practical, hands on, experiential
Blue is giving students choices and direction (including verbal options)
Green is general changes

Lesson 1: Storytelling: What makes a good story?

Syllabus Outcomes:

Date:

EN4-1A
explore and appreciate the aesthetic qualities in their own and other texts and the power of language to communicate information, ideas, feelings and viewpoints
EN4-2A
use a range of effective strategies for organising information, ideas and arguments, eg clustering, listing, compare and contrast, semantic chains, graphic and diagram
outlines, and mind maps
EN4-4B
explore and analyse the ways purpose, audience and context affect a composer's choices of content, language forms and features and structures of texts to creatively
shape meaning
Introduction
Settling routine
Storytelling: What makes a good story?
Teaching Activities
Teacher Activities:

Student Activities:

Brainstorm students impressions about what makes a good story. Make sure kids know answers can be
wrong/different etc.

Students use bubbl.us to build whole class map.

Discuss the responses and cluster and prioritize into a list. What are the connections between the
different parts? Mine, organize, and prioritize. Each student, using an app, must prioritize the list
themselves-make their own mind map

Use hierarchy function to prioritise ideas.

Organise students in pairs and ask them to recall a story they have either heard or read and to retell it to
their partner each student in turn explains to their partner why they remembered and enjoyed the story.
This is too open, has lots of chances to be made naughty/inappropriate - also not specific enough.

Work in pairs.

Students reflect individually in their Moodle Journal. Respond to learning scaffold about their own and
partners story. What if they cant access Moodle?

Complete journal entry.

Teacher plays a selected audio story and leads a class discussion. Class discussion on what?
synthesise the responses to the story using the following headings: purpose, plot, structure (such as
engaging openings), language features (including descriptive language/imagery), characterisation,
narrative point of view.

Students listen to a selected audio story and participate in a

class discussion about the purpose of the story.

Explain why the storyteller is important.

What is the place of oral storytelling in the modern world?
Students draw some conclusions from these activities about the qualities of a good storyteller. This may
be done as a class discussion, think/pair/share, or journal writing.
Closure:
Teacher explains that the story will be the focus of an analysis in the following lesson. The whole class will build an agreed description of what makes a good story.
Assessment:
Prioritised mapping of class ideas.
Participation in class discussion

Lesson 2: Storytelling: What makes a good story?

Date:

Syllabus Outcomes:
EN4-1A
explore and appreciate the aesthetic qualities in their own and other texts and the power of language to communicate information, ideas, feelings and viewpoints
EN4-2A
use a range of effective strategies
for organising information, ideas
and arguments, eg clustering, listing, compare and contrast, semantic
chains, graphic and diagram outlines, and mind maps
EN4-3B
engage with the language and structures of texts in meaningful, contextualised and authentic ways
recognise and use appropriate metalanguage in discussing a range of language forms, features and structures
EN4-4B
explore and analyse the ways purpose, audience and context affect a composer's choices of content, language forms and features and structures of texts to creatively
shape meaning
Introduction
Settling routine
Storytelling: What makes a good story?
Teaching Activities
Teacher Activities:

Student Activities:

Teacher replays the story from last lesson and gets students to draw up an organizer with the following
categories:
Purpose
Plot
Structure
Language features
Characterization
Narrative POV

Students create a mind map or graphic chart using a web

2.0 tool of their own choosing

Students work in pairs to recall ideas from last lessons

discussion.

Teacher asks students to spend 5 minutes in pairs recalling points from last lessons class discussion.
Surely this is a bit cold?

Some students share their points with the whole class and
teacher assists students to correctly categorise the points
raised.

Teacher calls on individual students to offer up points from last lesson class discussion, asking students
to name the category they think it belongs in. After three to four ideas have been discussed and placed in
categories, students are asked to work on in pairs but individually complete their organizer.

Students work on in pairs.

Students asked to reflect individually in their Moodle Journal. Respond to what they have learnt about
matching ideas about a good story with the categories. Is this too early to reflect on what theyve learnt?

Students complete journal entry.

Teacher leads students in building a definition of what makes a good story. Whats the point of a
definition? Are the students aware?

Some students contribute ideas, some students are asked to

offer alternative words to complete the definition.

Closure:
Teacher points out the need to have this starting point about what a good story is and asks them to think about what conditions might need to occur to change their
minds about their definition. Foreshadows that they will be coming back to the definition at the end of the study.
Assessment:
Individual organizer with students use of evidence from the story to support their decisions.

Purple is making learning more significant and authentic

Red is making the lesson more practical, hands on, experiential
Blue is giving students choices and direction (Differentiation)
Green is general changes

Lesson 3: Having a go at storytelling and critiquing

Date:

Syllabus Outcomes:
EN4-1A explore and appreciate the aesthetic qualities in their own and other texts and the power of language to communicate information, ideas, feelings and viewpoints
EN4-2A use a range of effective strategies for organising information, ideas and arguments, eg clustering, listing, compare and contrast, semantic chains, graphic and diagram outlines,
and mind maps
EN4-3B engage with the language and structures of texts in meaningful, contextualised and authentic ways. Recognise and use appropriate metalanguage in discussing a range of
language forms, features and structures
EN4-4B explore and analyse the ways purpose, audience and context affect a composer's choices of content, language forms and features and structures of texts to creatively shape
meaning
Introduction
Settling routine
Gain attention through an icebreaker Youtube clip for the class: Benedict Cumberbatch voice acting as Smaug.
Explain that the way story is told is important, noting the explicit connection to drama (storytelling is a theatrical activity).
Teaching Activities
Teacher Activities:
Student Activities:
Students asked to listen and respond to various story tellers.
Write the following elements on the board, asking the students to copy them into their workbooks:
Students view clip and discuss how different elements were used
to create an effective story.
Voice
Body language
Rhythm
Tone
Note taking
Emphasis
Pause
Music / sound effects
Students discuss what elements of storytelling they found
Play the Smaug clip again, but this time ask students to write down how he used his voice, body language, rhythm
effective in an example. This is a good opportunity to bring in
etc. to tell the story effectively. Conduct a discussion afterwards, asking students what they found particularly
problematic knowledge by noting that effective storytelling is
effective, or what elements didnt quite work for them as an audience. Encourage them to participate as much as
somewhat subjective to personal taste.
they can with as much detailed as possible.
Students view a model on how to do an analysis of a storytellers
Model (visually and verbally) a quick written analysis of Cumberbatchs storytelling on the board, letting students
work on a text.
know they will soon have to do a similar analysis themselves and that I expect a similar standard.
Storyteller and Critics:
Draw students attention to the fact that stories can be quite different, and that they can take many different forms.
Then split students into groups of 3 or 4, and give them a story to rehearse from the following options:
* Extract from the Odyssey
* Sports commentary
* Stranger than fiction transcript
* The Three Brothers Story (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)
One student becomes the story teller and the rest become critics. The storyteller then reads (performs) their story
(3 min) in front of the critic/s, while they take notes on the elements. The critics then share their brief analysis of
the storytelling elements that were used. Students then swap over parts (and stories) and repeat the activity. Make
sure students know that this activity is about having a go and analyzing storytelling elements, not criticizing each

Students choose and rehearse a story together and take turns

speaking out loud using story telling elements to enhance the
story. Note: It is likely that students with poorer literacy will not
want to be the first storyteller in their groups. This is fine,
because students going before them will give a level of
familiarity with the text, and help them to judge words in a
familiar context.
Watch out for Kenny and Matthew who dont like group work
and are afraid of public speaking.encourage their efforts
verbally and put them at ease humour?

other. Foreshadow that they will have to show back their performance and analyses to the class.

Showback:
Groups then show back their best performance to the class.
The critics then form an expert hot seat panel that I will interview, asking them to explain their evaluations of
the story verbally. After they have given their thoughts, open it up for class for feedback too. Invite students to
justify their responses, letting them know there is no wrong answer if they can find evidence to back it up.
Draw attention to the fact that different students use of the elements shaped the way the text was received the
storyteller is also an author and shapes the text accordingly.

Students perform a story for the class and use verbal

metalanguage to engage in critical evaluation of each others
storytelling performances.

Make sure talk is positive. Thank storytellers and critics for their efforts. Make sure that they feel good about the
learning risks they took.

Support for struggling students

If a student is really struggling or refuses to participate in the group activity I can ask them to watch instead, and
ask them inferential questions about they think is working and isnt. I can also give them an audio recording of
The Three Brothers to listen to on their headphones with the following recorded questions:
What did you like about that story?
Choose 1 element from the board that you noticed being used in the story and tell me how Hermione used it to
make her story more interesting

Extension support activity

If students finish their group work early, they can reflect in their
journal answer the following questions:
What elements did you struggle with most as a storyteller? Can
you think of reasons for this?
How could you get better at telling stories?
What elements did you enjoy using the most?

Closure:
Finish by congratulating the students for their work and asking them to think about what they found most challenging about telling the stories.
Ask all Students to find a story that they enjoy and post an evaluation (300 words OR 3 min audio recording) on the class discussion board about how the narrators voice worked to
make that story come alive for them. Let them know I expect a high quality response that references all elements discussed in class today.
Finally, tell the students to bring the recording of their chosen story to class next lesson. Foreshadow the possibility that they could study this text in the assessment instead of a school
text. If they dont bring it, theyll have to study a school text.
Assessment:
Participation in group discussion and analysis
Engaging with a short story and performing it dramatically for an audience.
Extension: Students reflect on their own experience of telling stories and identify possible weaknesses and strategies which could help them improve.

Lesson 4: Building the field on a story

Date:

Syllabus Outcomes:
EN4-1A explore and appreciate the aesthetic qualities in their own and other texts and the power of language to communicate information, ideas, feelings and viewpoints
EN4-2A use a range of effective strategies for organising information, ideas and arguments, eg clustering, listing, compare and contrast, semantic chains, graphic and diagram outlines,
and mind maps
EN4-3B engage with the language and structures of texts in meaningful, contextualised and authentic ways. recognise and use appropriate metalanguage in discussing a range of
language forms, features and structures
EN4-4B explore and analyse the ways purpose, audience and context affect a composers choices of content, language forms and features and structures of texts to creatively shape
meaning
Introduction
Settling routine
Show an extract from one of the students chosen stories -It needs to be fun and engaging.
Ask the student to explain why they liked it, thus connecting stories to the real world.
Teaching Activities
Teacher Activities:
Give class general feedback on the quality of their discussion board analyses. Tell them which areas they need to
improve.
Choose one (good) written analysis from the discussion board (after getting student permission). On the
smartboard/whiteboard, write and explain verbally why the analysis is a good response, identifying correct use
of quotes and techniques that the student has used as supporting evidence.
Discuss with the class how the analysis might be strengthened even further. Model a modified response with
input from the students.
Story Showcase
Hand out the Story Showcase sheet (SEE APPENDIX B). Explain how this sheet is directly related to their
assessment and get students started on the activities.
Tell them I expect them to complete two activities at the same kind of quality as the modelled paragraph on the
board, but that they can choose to do whichever activities they like.
They may use the text that they brought to class (if they check it with me first). Explain that they eventually will
have to do all the activities on the sheet, but that their best 3 activities will be selected to go in the Story Week
exhibition in the library.

Student Activities:
Students listen to feedback on how to improve their analyses. Note:
If there is no exemplar analysis then Ill need to model one myself.
Students receive a model on how to improve an evaluation/analysis.
Students discuss with class how to strengthen an analysis. Note: try
to include all students here, using the 3 levels of questioning.
Students engage in a range of activities ranging from sharing their
opinion to offering an evaluation of storytelling techniques. Students
may choose which questions to answer, and whether they write or
record a verbal response. Note: If one of the very literate students
like Jean Paul wants to record, try to persuade them that writing is
good practice for the assessment task. Conversely, if one of the
students who struggles with literacy actually wants to have a go at
writing, Ill need to be ready to support them too.
If all else fails, I can blue tooth the recordings to students phones.

Resources:
Computers or phones for recording.
Skype headphone/mic sets.
USBs with the different story recordings on them.
Support for struggling students
Extension activity
Tell the students I have 6 skype headphone/mic units for anyone who really doesnt want to write. As students
If students finish 2 activities from the sheet quickly, I can ask them
are completing this activity, check that everyone has a suitable text. Check that Daniel, Nathan, Junior are
to start on a third. This will go towards their homework for next
engaged. If they are struggling to engage, I will get them started on the simplest activity in the Story Showcase
lesson.
plan, making sure they have Skype mics (or phones) to start recording.
Closure:
Ask the students to reflect for a minute on what they learnt today. Ask them to compare the work they produced in their chosen activity with the model from the beginning of the lesson.

Do they think it is of a similar quality?

Congratulate all students whove put in effort this lesson and ask all students to have completed 3 (in total) activities from the storyteller sheet before next lesson, at the same quality as
the model.
Foreshadow that next lesson will be on the origin of storytelling.
Assessment:
All students choose a suitable text to study, which they can use for their summative assessment task.
Students engage in a discussion on how to improve an analysis
Students begin work on analyzing their chosen story (at least 1-2 activities completed at least a C level).

Purple is making learning more significant and authentic

Red is making the lesson more practical, hands on, experiential
Blue is giving students choices and direction (Differentiation)
Green is general changes

Lesson 5: Early traditions of storytelling

Date:
EN4-1A
explore and appreciate the aesthetic qualities in their own and other texts and the power of language to communicate information, ideas, feelings and viewpoints
EN4-3B
engage with the language and structures of texts in meaningful, contextualised and authentic ways
recognise and use appropriate metalanguage in discussing a range of language forms, features and structures
EN4-4B
explore and analyse the ways purpose, audience and context affect a composer's choices of content, language forms and features and structures of texts to creatively
shape meaning
EN4-6C
explain the similarities and differences in meaning and language between texts created for different purposes or audiences
EN4-7D
draw on experience to consider the ways the real world is represented in the imaginary worlds of texts, including imaginative literature, film, media and
multimedia texts
EN4-8D
recognise and explain differing viewpoints about the world, cultures, individual people and concerns represented in texts
Introduction
Settling routine
Students reminded that we are beginning the journey of trying to decide what makes a great storyteller, what qualities are essential. Our first step is to look at oral
storytelling since it came first and that students this lesson will make sure they have accurate information about oral storytelling before we look at some examples
that are considered great by world standards.
Teaching Activities
Teacher Activities:
Students are provided with 3 URL addresses. Each site has the potential to either prove their answers
correct or to challenge the information derived from Wikipedia. This is a very full text based lesson!
The focus on Wikipedia also seems quite dry. How are Daniel and Junior supposed to compare
websites if they struggle to read?

Student Activities:
Students verify their information for each answer. They
complete a short statement of the value of the Wikipedia
information based on their research.

Teacher introduces the first example and gives the background context of this ancient oral story and
its traditions.
Students are asked to open worksheet 2 in their Edmodo folder. The questions for reflection are:

Students open worksheet 2.

What is the story about?

How does the writer/storyteller engage the reader/listener?

Teacher plays an excerpt from The Iliad.

Students listen.

Teacher plays the excerpt again.

Students take notes

Teacher shows a scene from the movie Troy to invoke the context of the story.
Teacher leads a class discussion about the first question.

Students contribute ideas.

Teacher gives students time to complete the two questions.

Teacher introduces the second example and gives the background context of this Australian oral
story and its traditions.

Students listen.
Students take notes

Teacher plays The Man From Snowy River

Teacher shows the scene that captures some of the action of the poem
Teacher leads a class discussion about the first question. Boring!
Students contribute ideas.
Teacher gives students time to complete the two questions.
Closure:
Teacher discusses that an important question for them to think about for next class is:
Why have these stories endured through time? The reason they need an answer to this question is to determine what qualities are essential for a good story teller.
Assessment:
Completed questions and reflective statement about the value of Wikipedia. Why the focus on Wikipedia?

APPENDIX B:
First of all, choose a
story that youd like
to study!

Story Showcase
web of activities

A story of your choosing.

The Oddyssey
(Ian Mckellan)

Football rags to
riches

The Man from

Snowy River

Akiras tale (Anime)

(Remember, if you want to study a

story of your choosing you MUST
get permission from the teacher first)

Second, listen to
your chosen story
once, then choose a
new activity to work
on. Activities are the
blue boxes.

Your opinion: Is this a good

story? Explain in 200 words
or 2 min recording)

Plot out the structure

of this story on a
timeline. Identify the
major plot points and
identify the climax of
the story.

All of these activities are related to your assessment,

and they will help you build the field around a story!

Your opinion: Is this story

told well? Explain in 200
words or 2 min recording)

The Story

The Storyteller

Forms and Features:

es

Elements:

Purpose
Plot
Structure
Language
Characterisation
Narrative POV

Voice
Body language
Rhythm Tone
Emphasis
Pause
Music / sound effects

Draw a mind map of the

authors main purpose in
writing this story, including
at least 10 possible
motivating factors
(50 words)

Evaluation: Do the forms and features

(above) support the authors purpose?
(500 words or 5 min recording)

Can you think of another

way this story could be
told? Explain your idea in
200 words or 2 min
recording)

Draw a table with the strengths

and weaknesses of this
storyteller (300 words)

Why is this story valuable

to us today?
(300 words or 3 min
recording)

Evaluation: Overall, how effective was

storyteller was in captivating the audience
using the story telling elements? (500 words)