Prelim Area of Study Text Anthology: English (Advanced)

Monica Sharpe (18795006)

Text Anthology

Film trailer: Theatrical trailer for The Impossible

Speech: Leonardo DiCaprios 2016 speech to the UN Summit on Climate Change

Picture book: The Rabbits by John Marsden & Shaun Tan

Poem: Listen Mr Oxford don by John Agard

Short story: The Waltz by Dorothy Parker

This text anthology has been developed to allow students to explore the complexities of

the concept of power. Power is an active and enigmatic force at work in all human

interactions. Individuals can experience being empowered or disempowered in

particular situations, and these experiences can act as a catalyst for change or action.

There are various sources of power, or means by which power can be accessed, that can

be determined by personal, historical and cultural contexts.

The Syllabus dictates that the Area of Study is an exploration of a concept that affects

our perceptions of ourselves and our world (BOSTES, 2015). The texts in this

anthology have been deliberately chosen to provide students with a wide variety of

representations of power, allowing them to develop a nuanced and complex

understanding of a concept that can provide a lens for understanding themselves and

the world.
Power comes in a variety of different forms, the most obvious being physical power. In

the theatrical trailer of the 2012 film The Impossible the physical power of nature, in the

form of the tsunami, is initially depicted as insurmountable for the characters. The

sense of human powerlessness is conveyed in the text through the extreme wide-angle

shots of the tsunami as it hits, the hand held camera effect and the close up shots of the

characters screaming faces. However, ultimately it is this experience of powerlessness

that acts as a catalyst for the characters to unite, grow and fulfill their human potential.

The uplifting music at the conclusion of the text, combined with the montage of the

characters embracing demonstrates this final sense of empowerment. Through a study

of The Impossible film trailer students explore the idea that disempowerment can act as

a catalyst for eventual empowerment.

Leonardo DiCaprios 2016 speech to the UN Summit on climate change similarly

portrays the overwhelming physical force of nature. DiCaprio employs vivid imagery in

his representation of the climate-effected physical world as a runaway freight train

bringing with it an impending disaster for all living things. However, while in The

Impossible film trailer (2012) it is powerlessness that acts as a catalyst for fulfilling

human potential, in his speech, DiCaprio appeals to the power individuals in his

audience already possess, to motivate action. DiCaprio uses high modality language and

imperatives in it is time to declare no more talk. No more excuses This is the only

body that can do what is needed. You, sitting in this very hall to inspire the audience to

initiate change through the unique power they hold as world leaders. As students study

The Impossible film trailer and DiCaprios speech together, they explore how states of

disempowerment and empowerment can similarly act as vehicles for change, and self-

development.
Context plays a significant role in effecting an individual or groups access to power.

Marsden and Tans postcolonial picture book The Rabbits (1998) illustrates the lack of

power experienced by colonised peoples through a pictorial representation of the

colonisation experience of Aboriginal Australians. In his illustrations Tan employs

contrast in the size of the rabbits, representing the British, and the bilbies, representing

Aboriginal Australians, within the frames. In most of the pictures the rabbits are

extremely large and dominate the spread, while the bilbies are small and placed on the

edges or in the background of the pictures. This use of contrast and composition

conveys the domination of the British, and the helplessness of the Aboriginal

Australians during colonisation. This distribution of power results from the cultural and

political context of the two groups. Through a study of The Rabbits students therefore

explore the effect of context in determining access to power

However, although context may affect access to power, it does not necessarily

determine it. It is possible for individuals or groups to resist the traditional power

structures of their context. Such resistance is represented in Agards postcolonial poem

Listen Mr Oxford Don (1985). Although like The Rabbits (1998), Listen Mr Oxford don

portrays the perspective of a postcolonial people, in Listen Mr Oxford don this position is

one of resistance and empowerment rather than helplessness. The abrupt punctuation,

use of non-standard English and repetition of I at the beginning of the stanzas suggests

resistance to and protest against traditional structures of power. Through studying The

Rabbits and Listen Mr Oxford don, texts with similar postcolonial contexts and yet vastly

different representations of power, students investigate the notion that although

context effects the representation of power, power is not dictated by context.

More subtle societal pressures such as gender conventions can also affect power. In

Parkers short story, The Waltz (1944), the internal monologue of the protagonist,

interrupted by her italicised dialogue with her unwanted dance partner, demonstrates

the extent to which gender expectations can disempower individuals. Parker employs

biting sarcasm to portray the disempowered position of her protagonist as in What can

you say, when a man asks you to dance with him? I most certainly will not dance with

you, Ill see you in hell first. No. There was nothing for me to do, but say Id adore to.

However, although within the plot of the story the protagonist is physically

disempowered, her defiant internal voice can be seen as empowering in itself. Thus, the

representation of power is more complex and nuanced within this text than the others

in the anthology. The protagonist can be seen as both empowered and disempowered

simultaneously. In exploring The Waltz, students consider the effect of societal

expectations of power, and also are encouraged to reflect upon the fact that

representations of power can be complex and problematic.

 References

Agard, J. (1985) Listen Mr Oxford don. Retrieved from https://genius.com/John-agard-

listen-mr-oxford-don-annotated

Bayona, J. (2012) The Impossible [theatrical trailer]. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bgw394ZKsis

Board of Studies Teaching and Educational Standards NSW (2015) HSC Prescriptions

2015-20 Stage 6. Retrieved from

http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc/pdf_doc/english-

prescriptions-2015-20.pdf

DiCaprio, L. (April 22, 2016) A Landmark Day for the Earth [video file and transcript].

Retrieved from http://leonardodicaprio.org/landmark-day-earth/

Marsden, J., & Tan, S. (1998) The Rabbits. Sydney: Hachette Australia Pty. Ltd.

Parker, D. (1944) The Waltz. Retrieved from

https://dickatlee.com/poetry/pdfs/waltz_dorothy_parker.pdf
 Lesson One- Area of Study: Power

Class Year 11 Advanced English

Lesson Focus This lesson aims to introduce students to the concept of power. It
specifically introduces students to notions of empowerment and
disempowerment and how experiences of power, or a lack of power,
can act as catalysts for change.
The lesson addresses these questions through a focus on the film
trailer of The Impossible and Leonardo DiCaprios 2016 speech to the
UN Summit on climate change.

Teacher Objectives Develop and implement effective questions to guide and

facilitate robust class discussion
Experiment with, and manage, new form of group work
(jigsaw activity)
Outcomes 2. A student describes and explains relationships among texts

4. A student describes and explains the ways in which language

forms and features, and structures of particular texts shape meaning
and influence response

Resources Whiteboard, Copies of the power word map worksheets, Jigsaw

activity worksheet, Copies of the transcript of DiCaprios speech,
Smartboard and internet access to video of DiCaprios speech,
Elements of an effective English paragraph PowerPoint slide,
student devices and workbooks.

Time Class Organisation Learning and Teaching Activities

Whole class Teacher enters and writes Power at the top of the
whiteboard. Instruct students to write down as many words
5 minutes as they can related to power. Go around the room quickly
and have every student say one word from their list.
Pairs
Break the students into pairs and give each pair a blank
copy of the power word map (Appendix A). The students try
and fill the map in with the words from their lists. They can
only think of new words if no word from their list will fit
into the sections.

This activity aims to broaden students thinking about the

concept of power, by scaffolding different ways of thinking
about the concept.

Briefly introduce students to the new unit as an Area of

Study on the concept of power.
10 Whole class Watch The Impossible film trailer through once.
minutes
Conduct a whole class discussion on the representation of
power in the film trailer.
The teacher should guide this discussion using the following
questions;
1. Who/what has power in this film trailer?
2. Who/what doesnt have power/is disempowered?
Write some notes on the whiteboard as this discussion
takes place.

Pairs Write the following statement and question on the

whiteboard;
The experience of being powerless can have positive effects
for individuals and their community.
In what ways does the experience of being powerless have
positive consequences for the characters in the trailer?
Instruct students to briefly discuss this statement and
question with their partner, before asking several groups to
share their answers.
Add some notes from the discussion on to the whiteboard.

Individual To conclude this discussion, instruct students to write two

conceptual sentences about power that they think are
represented in the text. Explain that a conceptual sentence
only mentions an idea about the concept without
mentioning specifics about the text.
Some examples students could come up with are; being
powerless can lead to self-development, emotional power is
more significant than physical strength, the experience of
being powerless can unite people etc.
If students are struggling, provide some of these examples.

15 Group work Jigsaw activity (Ger, 2010)

minutes
Break students into groups of four and hand out the jigsaw
worksheet (Appendix B). Explain to the students that they
will be watching the film trailer again and this time they will
be looking for how the composer has used specific film
techniques to communicate the ideas about power that
were discussed in the whole class discussion.
Have each group choose one conceptual idea about power
they thought of in the previous activity on which to focus.
Each student in the group will be responsible for one
quadrant of the worksheet. An example is given in each of
 the quadrants, which the teacher can go through as a whole
class as a model for the students.

Play the film trailer again as students fill out their assigned
quadrant. Give students a few more minutes after the trailer
has finished.

Each student now shares with their group what they have
written. By the end of the activity, each student will have a
completed worksheet.

13 Whole class Hand out copies of the transcript of Leonardo DiCaprios

minutes speech. (Appendix C)

Play the video of DiCaprio giving the speech (website

through which to access the video is in the reference list),
having students watch, read along and, if they would like,
underline anything they stands out in relation to power.

Conduct a class discussion focused on the speech.

Ask students;
What is the purpose of DiCaprios speech? (to persuade his
audience, to illicit an emotional response, to inspire action)
Explicitly tell the students at this point that a texts formal
aspects are determined by the text-type, in this case
speech.
What are some of the techniques that DiCaprio uses that are
text-type specific? (high modality language, emotive
language, facts and statistics, imperatives)
As this discussion is taking place, choose one student to
take notes on the whiteboard.

The teacher now states: Both the speech and the film trailer
suggest that an individuals experience of power, either
having it or not having it, can lead to change. Now we are
going to look at the ways the texts represent this idea about
power either similarly or differently.

Ask students;
How does Dicaprio appeal to the audiences power as
individuals as a way to motivate action?
In what ways is this similar or different to the motivation
for action of the characters in The Impossible?
How does the fact that our second text is a speech, rather
than a film trailer, affect the way power is represented?
Choose another students to add some notes to the
whiteboard as the discussion around these questions
 continues.

10 Individual writing In this final writing task, students synthesize their learning
minutes from both the jigsaw activity and the whole class discussion
into a long response (2 paragraphs).

Give the students the following long response question

Both the experience of being empowered and
disempowered can act as a catalyst for change.
Discuss in relation to the theatrical trailer of The Impossible
and DiCaprios speech to the UN Summit on climate change.

Have students begin working on their long response. During

this time the teacher should circulate through the class and
help any students who are struggling.

Paragraph slide (Appendix D) can be used for the students if

they need to be reminded of the elements of an effective
paragraph.

2 minutes Whole class Assign the students the rest of the long paragraph as
homework to be handed in at the beginning of the next
lesson.

Evaluation/Extension
The word map activity acts as an informal pre-assessment for the teacher to gage the
students ability to think about the concept in a complex way. As the students respond
to questions in the class discussions and complete the group work the teacher should
informally monitor students understanding. The final paragraph activity acts as an
informal summative assessment.

Extension activity: Ask students to use their devices to access The Climate Reality
Project website (https://www.climaterealityproject.org/). Instruct students to explore
the website and consider how the website it similar or different in its representation of
power, compared to DiCaprios speech.

In retrospect
In retrospect, this lesson definitely meets the outcome of allowing students to make
connections between texts, both in the class discussion and in the final longer
paragraph response activity. The questions used are precise and effective in guiding
students understanding of the concept. Students are also encouraged to think about
specific forms and features of particular texts, and the effect these have on meaning. In
these ways the lesson fulfills the outcomes.
There is a substantial amount of whole class discussion in this first lesson. This would
only work if the entire class was fully engaged and would need to be modified if
students were not engaged.
Appendix A (Power worksheet)

Synonyms Antonyms

What are some different forms power can take? (i.e. emotional)

Some ideas and concepts are powerful, for example love. What are
some other powerful ideas?

People who have power Things that have power

 Synonyms Antonyms
Strength Powerlessness
Control Helplessness
Dominance Weakness
Authority Inability

What are some different forms power can take? (i.e. emotional)
Physical Personal
Mental Communal

Some ideas and concepts are powerful, for example love. What are
some other powerful ideas?
Family Democracy
Revenge Betrayal

People who have power Things that have power

Police Storms
Government Cars
Teacher Institutions
Celebrities Weapons
Appendix B (Jigsaw activity)
JIGSAW ACTIVITY- The Impossible film trailer

Conceptual Idea about Power:

CAMERA WORK LIGHTING AND COLOUR

Hand held camera effect creates an atmosphere of chaos, After the tsunami hits, the colours in the shots are all natural
illustrating the helplessness of the family at the beginning of the browns and dull green, suggests the overwhelming physical power
trailer. of nature.

SOUND & MUSIC EDITING

The uplifting music at the conclusion of the trailer suggests that The montage of the different characters embracing at the
the family is eventually empowered as they overcome the conclusion of the trailer conveys the power they have when they
obstacles in front of them. are united as a family.
 Appendix C (Speech transcript)

Transcript of Leonardo DiCaprios 2016 Speech to the UN Summit

Thank you, Mr. Secretary General, for the honor to address this body once more. And thanks to the
distinguished climate leaders assembled here today who are ready to take action.

President Abraham Lincoln was also thinking of bold action 150 years ago when he said:

The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. As our case is new so we must think
anew and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves and then we shall save our country.

He was speaking before the US Congress to confront the defining issue of his time slavery.

Everyone knew it had to end but no one had the political will to stop it. Remarkably, his words ring as
true today when applied to the defining crisis of our time Climate Change.

As a UN Messenger of Peace, I have been travelling all over the world for the last two years documenting
how this crisis is changing the natural balance of our planet. I have seen cities like Beijing choked by
industrial pollution. Ancient Boreal forests in Canada that have been clear cut and rainforests in
Indonesia that have been incinerated. In India I met farmers whose crops have literally been washed
away by historic flooding. In America I have witnessed unprecedented droughts in California and sea
level rise flooding the streets of Miami. In Greenland and in the Arctic I was astonished to see that
ancient glaciers are rapidly disappearing well ahead of scientific predictions. All that I have seen and
learned on this journey has terrified me.

There is no doubt in the worlds scientific community that this a direct result of human activity and that
the effects of climate change will become astronomically worse in the future.

I do not need to throw statistics at you. You know them better than I do, and more importantly, you
know what will happen if this scourge is left unchecked. You know that climate change is happening
faster than even the most pessimistic of scientists warned us decades ago. It has become a runaway
freight train bringing with it an impending disaster for all living things.
Now think about the shame that each of us will carry when our children and grandchildren look back
and realize that we had the means of stopping this devastation, but simply lacked the political will to do
so.

Yes, we have achieved the Paris Agreement. More countries have come together to sign this agreement
today than for any other cause in the history of humankind and that is a reason for hope but
unfortunately the evidence shows us that it will not be enough.

Our planet cannot be saved unless we leave fossil fuels in the ground where they belong. An upheaval
and massive change is required, now. One that leads to a new collective consciousness. A new collective
evolution of the human race, inspired and enabled by a sense of urgency from all of you.

We all know that reversing the course of climate change will not be easy, but the tools are in our hands
if we apply them before it is too late.

Renewable energy, clean fuels, and putting a price on carbon pollution are beginning to turn the tide.
This transition is not only the right thing for our world, but it also makes clear economic sense, and is
possible within our lifetime.

But it is now upon you to do what great leaders have always done: to lead, inspire, and empower as
President Lincoln did in his time.

We can congratulate each other today, but it will mean nothing if you return to your countries and fail
to push beyond the promises of this historic agreement. Now is the time for bold unprecedented action.

My friends, look at the delegates around you. It is time to ask each other which side of history will you
be on?

As a citizen of our planet who has witnessed so much on this journey I thank you for all you have done to
lay the foundation of a solution to this crisis, but after 21 years of debates and conferences it is time to
declare no more talk. No more excuses. No more ten-year studies. No more allowing the fossil fuel
companies to manipulate and dictate the science and policies that effect our future. This is the only body
that can do what is needed. You, sitting in this very hall.
The world is now watching. You will either be lauded by future generations, or vilified by them.

Lincolns words still resonate to all of us here today:

We will be remembered in spite of ourselves. The fiery trial through which we pass will light us down, in
honor or dishonor, to the last generation We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of
earth.

That is our charge now you are the last best hope of Earth. We ask you to protect it. Or we and all
living things we cherish are history.

Thank you.
Appendix D (elements of effective paragraph slide)
 References

Bayona, J. (2012) The Impossible [theatrical trailer]. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bgw394ZKsis

Board of Studies Teaching and Educational Standards NSW (2009) English: Stage 6

Syllabus. Retrieved from

https://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc/pdf_doc/english-

syllabus-from2010.pdf

DiCaprio, L. (April 22, 2016) A Landmark Day for the Earth [video file and transcript].

Retrieved from http://leonardodicaprio.org/landmark-day-earth/

Ger, A. (2010) A comparative research on the effectiveness of cooperative learning

method and jigsaw technique on teaching literary genres. Educational Research

and Reviews 5(8), 439-445. Retrieved from http://www.academicjournals.org/

 Lesson Two
Area of Study Power

Class Year 11 Advanced English

Lesson Focus The second lesson in this sequence focuses on the effect of context
on the representation of power and expands upon the notions of
empowerment and disempowerment that were introduced in the
first lesson.
The lesson focuses on two postcolonial texts, the picture book The
Rabbits by John Marsden & Shaun Tan, and the poem Listen Mr
Oxford Don by John Agard.
Teacher Objectives Experiment with popcorn reading of a poem
Introduce students to elements of visual literacy that they
may not be away of (i.e. salience, iconography)
Outcomes and Content 1. A student describes and explains the relationship between
composer, responder, text and context in particular texts

9. A student assesses the appropriateness of a range of processes and

technologies in the investigation and organization of information and
ideas.

Resources Class set of The Rabbits, Smartboard, PowerPoint slides, copies of

Listen Mr Oxford Don, student devices, access to online classroom (i.e.
Schoolbox)

Time Class Organisation Learning and Teaching Activities

While outside the classroom, teacher gives the

5 minutes Individual instruction that when students sit down at their desks
they are to immediately open up their books and write
one sentence about what they learnt about power last
lesson.

Have two or three students read out their sentences to

the class. Collect long response that was given as
homework in the first lesson.

15 minutes Whole class Hand out the class set of The Rabbits.

The teacher reads through the picture book as the

students follow along. The book only takes a couple of
minutes to read. Try and read the picture book as if you
were reading a normal picture book to a younger group
of students. This will focus the class and also be true to
 the texts form.

Ask the students;

What is the book about? Students should answer that it is
a representation of the colonization of Australia.

Introduce the idea of context by bringing up the

definition slide on the Smartboard (Appendix A).
Students should have at least a basic understanding of
context from previous units of work, however if the class
does not seem to understand more time could be spent
on exploring this concept.

Pairs Have students think-pair-share with a partner answering

the following question;

How does context effect the representation of power in

The Rabbits?

Have some groups share their answers with the class.

Students should come up with answers like; in the text
the bilbies are represented as powerless because of their
cultural context, or similarly the power of the rabbits is
because of the context of colonisation.

Ultimately, students should learn that the text represents

power as being determined by context. If the students do
not arrive at this by themselves, the teacher may need to
do some explicit teaching here.

15 minutes Whole class Analysis of picture book pages

Work through an example of an analysis of the picture

book opening on the PowerPoint slide (Appendix B) with
the whole class. This will scaffold for the students the
kind of elements they should be analyzing.

Pairs Allocate each pair of students an opening from the text,

and have them work together to analyse how notions of
power have been represented in the text. The students
should take notes in their workbooks. As this is
occurring, the teacher should be circulating to provide
assistance.

10 minutes Whole class Hand out copies of Listen Mr Oxford Don (Appendix C). Do
 a popcorn reading of the poem. As you go around the
room, each student reads out one line of the poem. This
aims to engage the attention of all students and also to
establish a sense of rhythm.

Put up the biography slide of John Agard (Appendix D),

and have one student read it aloud to the class.

Ask;
Knowing this information about the writer of the poem,
how is the context similar to The Rabbits? An answer
would be that they are both written from the perspective
of person with a colonized background.

10 minutes Individual Creative task

Tell the students that they will now be doing a creative

task to explore how Agard uses his unusual language to
represent power.

Have each of the students choose a stanza of the poem,

and try and write it in standard English, using standard
grammar. If there are words in the poem they do not
understand (eg. Oxford don, Clapham Common) they can
use their devices to conduct some research.

Stanza 3 example:
I do not have a gun
I do not have a knife
But stealing the Queens English
Is the story of my life.

This is a fun activity that should be done quickly. It aims

to engage the students in the language of the poem.
Pairs
Ask the students to reflect with their partner on the
difference in the power of the writing when they wrote in
standard English, compared to Agards non standard
English. Have the pairs write a list of the features of the
language that are used to represent power. (violent
language, abrupt punctuation, repetition, use of the
creole language etc.)

10 minutes Individual Online forum

Have students turn on their devices and open up the

 forum section of the English online classroom (i.e.
Schoolbox).

The final activity of the lesson is to write a forum post

answering the following question;

Both The Rabbits and Listen Mr. Oxford Don have are
written from a postcolonial perspective. However, their
representation of power is very different.
Explain how the representation of power is different in
the two texts and hypothesize why this might be the
case.

Ask students to respond to two of their classmates

forum posts as homework. Also ask students to read The
Waltz, which will be posted on the online classroom, for
next lesson.

Evaluation/Extension

The teacher can monitor class understanding through using targeted questioning
during the class discussion. The teacher should also circulate during the activity where
students are analyzing the picture book opening to ensure students are on the right
track. The online forum task is also used as an informal summative assessment of
students understanding.

Extension activity for gifted and talented students: Consider the current situation of
refugees in Australia. They, like Aboriginal Australians, have experienced a lack of
power because of the political system. Imagine you are composing a picture book
exploring refugees experience of power in Australia. Begin drafting some interesting
ways you could represent their experience.

In retrospect

This lesson is effective because it introduces students to the effect of context on

representations of power, expanding their knowledge and understanding of the
concept. The lesson allows students to manipulate language in the creative task, and
allows them to engage with different technology in the online forum task. Allowing
students to experiment with the online forum as a piece of technology that permits a
new way of expressing their own opinion, but also collaborating with their peers, fulfills
the outcome of the lesson.

The question I would ask after this lesson, is did I allow enough time and scaffolding to
analyse the poem effectively? It is possible that not enough time has been allocated in
this lesson for student to engage in a close language analysis of the poem. The teacher
would need to be flexible in their approach if students were struggling with the poem.
Resources for Lesson 2

Appendix A (PowerPoint slides)

Appendix B (PowerPoint slides)
Appendix C (poem)

Listen Mr Oxford don

Me not no Oxford don

me a simple immigrant
from Clapham Common
I didnt graduate
I immigrate

But listen Mr Oxford don

Im a man on de run
and a man on de run
is a dangerous one

I ent have no gun

I ent have no knife
but mugging de Queens English
is the story of my life

I dont need no axe

to split/ up yu syntax
I dont need no hammer
to mash/ up yu grammar

I warning you Mr Oxford don

Im a wanted man
and a wanted man
is a dangerous one

Dem accuse me of assault

on de Oxford dictionary/
imagine a concise peaceful man like me/
dem want me serve time
for inciting rhyme to riot
but I rekking it quiet
down here in Clapham Common

Im not a violent man Mr Oxford don

I only armed wit mih human breath
but human breath
is a dangerous weapon

So mek dem send one big word after me

I ent serving no jail sentence
I slashing suffix in self defence
I bashing future wit present tense
and if necessary

I making de Queens English accessory/ to my offence

JOHN AGARD
Appendix D (PowerPoint slide)
 References

Agard, J. (1985) Listen Mr Oxford don. Retrieved from https://genius.com/John-agard-

listen-mr-oxford-don-annotated

Board of Studies Teaching and Educational Standards NSW (2009) English: Stage 6

Syllabus. Retrieved from

https://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc/pdf_doc/english-

syllabus-from2010.pdf

Marsden, J., & Tan, S. (1998) The Rabbits. Sydney: Hachette Australia Pty. Ltd.

Oxford Dictionaries (2017) Context definition. Retrieved from

https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/context

Jetnikoff, A. (2010) Using media technologies in English. In S. Gannon, M. Howie & W.

Sawyer (Eds) Charged with Meaning: Re-viewing English Third Edition (pp. 307-

315). Sydney: Phoenix Education

John Agard photograph [Image] Retrieved from

http://www.poetryarchive.org/poet/john-agard

The Poetry Archive (2015) John Agard. Retrieved from

http://www.poetryarchive.org/poet/john-agard
 Lesson Three
Area of Study: Power

Class Year 11 Advanced English

Lesson Focus The final lesson in this sequence continues an exploration of the
effect of context on representations of power. It particularly focuses
on complex or problematic representations of power and asks
students to form their own opinion on ideas about power
communicated through texts.
The lesson focuses on the short story, The Waltz, by Dorothy Parker.
Teacher Objectives Provide students with ample opportunity to develop their
own reading of the text
Conduct a class mini-debate effectively

Outcomes 6. A student engages with a wide range of texts to develop a

considered and informed personal response.
10. A student analyses and synthesizes information and ideas from a
range of texts for a range of purposes, audiences and contexts.

Resources Student devices, Gender convention PowerPoint, example argument

for mini-debate, essay scaffold worksheets, example introduction,
Smartboard

Time Class Organisation Learning and Teaching Activities

In the previous lesson students were asked to read The

5 minutes Whole class Waltz which can be found on the online classroom (i.e.
Schoolbox).

Have a few students share what the story was about.

Since this is a more complex text, the teacher may need to
help the students comprehend exactly what is happening
in the story.

10 minutes Whole class Go through the context slides on gender conventions

(Appendix A) with the class. As you present the
advertisements and extract, ask students what they are
learning about gender expectations at the time.

Ask;
How does knowing about the gender conventions in the
1940s help us interpret The Waltz? (Some answers would
be that it demonstrates that women were expected to act a
certain way and be submissive to men, they were not
encouraged to have their own opinions etc.)
25 minutes Groups Class mini-debate

Write the following questions on the Smartboard:

Is the speaker in The Waltz represented by Parker as
having any real power? Why or why not?
What does this illustrate about the concept of power?

Tell the class that, in groups, they will be constructing an

argument for a class mini-debate. They will be arguing
either that the speaker in The Waltz is empowered, or
powerless. Remind them that they will need to use
evidence from the text, including literary devices and
quotations in their argument, and that they should
consider the previous discussion of context.

To make the groups, ask students to go to one side of the

room if there view is that she is empowered, and the other
side of the room, if they think she is powerless. Try and
allow the students to argue the side that they already
believe, validating that their own opinion and
interpretation of the text is valid.

Display the example paragraph (Appendix B) on the

Smartboard, to assist students begin their arguments.
Emphasize to students that they do not need to write their
argument out as formally as the example paragraph, it is
just there to assist them with ideas and the elements they
will need to include, particularly literary devices and
analysis.

After 20 minutes, give each group a minute to present

their argument. At the conclusion, have students discuss
which argument they think was stronger and why.

15 minutes Individual The students will now begin to scaffold any essay in which
they compare representations of power in two of the texts
that have been studied in this lesson sequence.

Where there is power, there will be resistance.

To what extent is resistance represented as more
significant than power in TWO of the texts studied in this
unit.

Give students a minute to discuss the question with their

 partner, and then ask what they think will be required for
the question. Brainstorm some ideas on the whiteboard.

Display and work through the example introduction,

highlighting the important parts of an introduction (thesis
statement, elaboration with reference to the text, main
paragraph ideas, linking sentence.)

Hand out the essay scaffold. The Elements of an effective

English paragraph slide from the first lesson in this
sequence can also be displayed at this point.

Have students fill out the scaffold, and then begin the
introduction. Teacher should circulate during this activity
to assist students

5 minutes Whole class Inform students that they need to complete the
introduction and first paragraph for homework, and we
will continue to work on the essay next lesson.

Evaluation/Extension

The teacher should gage the extent to which the students comprehended the text by
questioning a variety of students at the beginning of the lesson. During the class debate
and the essay planning sections of the lesson the teacher should circulate throughout
the room, clarifying and assisting students in developing their understanding.

Extension activity: Ask the students to compose the same text, including the spoken
words and the internal monologue, but from the male point of view. Ask them to
consider how they would represent the power of the male position through their
language.

In retrospect

This lesson fulfills the outcomes because it allows the students to develop their own
personal responses to texts, both in the mini-debate and the essay activity. Conducting
both the mini-debate and the essay also allows students to synthesise their ideas for
different purposes and contexts.

I think this lesson is challenging, and after the lesson I would certainly reflect on the
classes ability to interpret the short story. I think providing both the example argument
paragraph, and the example introduction was important for this lesson.
Resources for Lesson 3

Appendix A (PowerPoint slides)

Appendix B (sample paragraph for argument)

Individuals can empower themselves in unique and inventive ways, even in contexts
where they are traditionally powerless. In The Waltz, Parker constructs a female
narrative voice that challenges the control of gender conventions and ultimately
empowers herself. While 1940s gender conventions defined the female role as
submissive and docile, the protagonist in The Waltz is portrayed as fiery and irreverent.
Parker achieves this through her use of humour, and particularly sarcasm, as in Id love
to waltz with you. Id love to waltz with you. Id love to have my tonsils out. Id love to be
in a midnight fire at sea. As the protagonist belittles and laughs at her male protagonist,
she is constructed by Parker as strong and defiant, rather than powerless. The Waltz
suggests that even in traditionally disempowered positions, individuals can resist and
protest.
Appendix C (essay scaffold worksheet

Question:

Thesis statement:
(your answer to the question)

INTRODUCTION (introduce thesis statement which answers question, outline main ideas of
paragraphs)

BODY

PARAGRAPH 1 main idea:

1. Evidence:

2. Analysis:

3. Effect:

PARAGRAPH 2 main idea:

1. Evidence:

2. Analysis:

3. Effect:

PARAGRAPH 3 main idea:

1. Evidence:

2. Analysis:

3. Effect:

PARAGRAPH 4 main idea:

1. Evidence:

2. Analysis:

3. Effect:

CONCLUSION
Appendix D (sample introduction)

Resistance to traditional power structures within society is a prevalent theme explored

within texts. The significance given to either resistance or power however, is often
determined by the texts context and purpose. This is certainly the case within John
Agards poem Listen Mr Oxford don and Dorothy Parkers short story The Waltz, both of
which espouse the importance of resistance, but to varying degrees. Written from a
postcolonial perspective, Listen Mr Oxford don portrays resistance to the traditional
structures of cultural power as extremely significant, and ultimately more powerful
than such structures. The Waltz depicts resistance to traditional power structures, in
this case, the power of gender expectations in the 1940s context. However, unlike Listen
Mr Oxford don, The Waltz suggests that even though resistance is possible and
significant, traditional power structures can still influence and constrain the behaviour
of individuals. As a result of their different contexts and purposes, Listen Mr Oxford don
and The Waltz represent the significance of power and resistance differently.
 References

Bryant. B (1944) Future perfect: A guide to personality and popularity for the Junior Miss

New York: EM Hale

Parker, D. (1944) The Waltz. Retrieved from

https://dickatlee.com/poetry/pdfs/waltz_dorothy_parker.pdf

Jergens Lotion advertisement (1941) Retrieved from

http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/beauty-and-hygiene-ads-1940s/2

Lee advertisement (1947) Retrieved from Retrieved from

http:www.vintageadbrowser.com/gender-ads-1940s