This lesson is organised around the Teaching and Learning Cycle.
Links to the Victorian Curriculum – English
Reading and Viewing, Language: Text structure and organisation
Level 5:
Reading and Viewing, Literature: Examining literature
Level 5:
- Recognise that ideas in literary texts can be conveyed from different viewpoints, which can lead to different kinds of interpretations and responses (Content description VCELT315)
Reading and Viewing, Literacy: Interpreting, analysing, evaluating
Level 5:
- Use comprehension strategies to analyse information, integrating and linking ideas from a variety of print and digital sources (Content description VCELY319)
Level 6:
- Select, navigate and read increasingly complex texts for a range of purposes, applying appropriate text processing strategies to recall information and consolidate meaning (Content description VCELY346)
Writing, Language: Expressing and developing ideas
Level 5:
- Understand how noun groups/phrases and adjective groups/phrases can be expanded in a variety of ways to provide a fuller description of the person, place, thing or idea (Content description VCELA324)
- Understand the use of vocabulary to express greater precision of meaning, and know that words can have different meanings in different contexts (Content description VCELA325)
Writing, Literacy: Creating texts
Level 5:
- Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive print and multimodal texts, choosing text structures, language features, images and sound appropriate to purpose and audience (Content description VCELY329)
Links to the Victorian Curriculum – English as an Additional Language (EAL)
Pathway B
Reading and viewing
Level BL:
- Read simple, familiar texts with assistance
(VCEALC184)
- Give a personal response to a text(VCEALC188)
- Participate in activities around class texts
(VCEALC190)
- Engage with a small range of picture books in the classroom
(VCEALA197)
- Recognise and explore texts in different media and modes(VCEALL199)
- Understand and explore the basic layout and conventions of simple texts
(VCEALL200)
- Acquire information from simple images, with teacher direction and support
(VCEALC186)
Level B1:
- Understand the purpose and basic organisational features of simple text types
(VCEALL280)
- Engage with a diverse range of picture books that reflect a variety of cultural beliefs, practices and views
(VCEALA277)
- Incorporate learnt vocabulary into writing
(VCEALL315)
- Understand a range of simple texts based on predictable language structures and vocabulary
(VCEALC264)
- Participate in simple group activities on shared texts, with some support
(VCEALC270)
- Identify and compare differences between text types
(VCEALL279)
- Provide responses to texts
(VCEALC268)
- Acquire some information from a small range of images
(VCEALC266)
Level B2:
- Understand the purpose and organisational features of common text types
(VCEALL361)
- Engage with a diverse range of texts that reflect a variety of cultural beliefs, practices and views
(VCEALA437)
- Use modelled vocabulary appropriately
(VCEALL395)
- Read simple, unfamiliar informative, imaginative and persuasive texts, with support
(VCEALC345)
- Contribute to group activities on shared texts
(VCEALC351)
- Identify informative, imaginative and persuasive texts when reading texts or listening to texts read aloud
(VCEALL360)
- Express a personal response to an imaginative text or elements of the text
(VCEALC349)
- Acquire information from different types of visual representations in text
(VCEALC347)
Level B3:
- Interpret the purpose and organisational features of different text types(VCEALL440)
- Engage with a diverse range of texts reflecting a variety of cultures and perspectives(VCEALA437)
- Use a range of key vocabulary appropriately(VCEALL474)
- Access, interpret and evaluate information from a range of print and digital texts, including visual, multimodal and interactive
(VCEALC424)
- Contribute actively to group activities on shared texts(VCEALC430)
- Identify and compare a range of different text types(VCEALL439)
- Express a personal response to a small range of imaginative texts
(VCEALC428)
- Interpret and explain information from a range of images in text
(VCEALC426)
Writing
Level BL:
- Use topic-specific vocabulary encountered in classroom activities
(VCEALL235)
- Use high-frequency words accurately, although sometimes repetitively
(VCEALL234)
- Create basic texts, with support and modelling
(VCEALA220)
- Use basic descriptive words
(VCEALL232)
- Contribute ideas to shared writing activities
(VCEALA221)
- Understand the difference between writing and drawing, and that writing changes according to context and purpose
(VCEALA219)
- Use topic-specific vocabulary encountered in classroom activities
(VCEALL235)
Level B1:
- Use formulaic structures
(VCEALL314)
- Incorporate learnt vocabulary into writing
(VCEALL315)
- Create short, simple texts for particular purposes, with some support and modelling
(VCEALA300)
- Use a small range of simple descriptive phrases
(VCEALL312)
- Rewrite after correction, discussion or prompting
(VCEALA302)
- Use repetition for effect
(VCEALL316)
- Contribute to shared simple brainstorming of ideas and identify relevant vocabulary to be incorporated into the written work
(VCEALA301)
- Write using language that largely reflects features of spoken language
(VCEALA299)
Level B2:
- Use a varied and appropriate vocabulary
(VCEALL394)
- Use modelled vocabulary appropriately
(VCEALL395)
- Create a small range of texts based on modelling
(VCEALA380)
- Draft a piece of writing focusing on meaning, and revise after rereading or discussion
(VCEALA382)
- Use simple extended descriptive phrases
(VCEALL392)
- Select some descriptive vocabulary appropriate to context
(VCEALL396)
- Plan, with support, the format of a text according to its communicative purpose(VCEALA381)
- Write using language that is beginning to reflect the features of written language more than the features of spoken language
(VCEALA379)
Level B3:
- Use some antonyms and synonyms
(VCEALL473)
- Use a range of key vocabulary appropriately
(VCEALL474)
- Use own experience and perspectives to elaborate and support a viewpoint
(VCEALA459)
- Follow a simple planning, drafting and revision process when writing
(VCEALA461)
- Write using extended descriptive phrases
(VCEALL471)
- Create mood and feeling through the selection of appropriate vocabulary and idiom
(VCEALL475)
- Plan individually and review own writing
(VCEALA460)
- Present work appropriately for purpose and audience
(VCEALA458)
Theory/practice connections
Students' school experiences will expose them to a variety of text types. Working with text types involves organising language to meet a social purpose (Humphrey, Droga & Feez, 2012).
Students can be assisted to compose texts, which meet specific social purposes by using scaffolds or proformas. However, it is important to ensure that students are aware that there are many ways in which texts can be organised to meet a social purpose. For example, an information text could be a graph, a diagram, a visual text with symbols, a verbal text etc.
Additional resources
- examples of reviews in paper format and links to online sites
- proforma for writing a review.
Learning intentions
We are learning to review books.
Success criteria
- I can state the purpose of reviews.
- I can place reviews along a continuum of formality.
- I know how to structure a written review.
- I can use language to show judgement and language to persuade.
Group size
Individual, partner, small group, whole class.
Learning sequence
Occurs over several sessions
- Clearly state the learning intention and explain to students that they will work in small groups, to plan a library display, promoting Armin Greder's work. To prepare for this task students re-read The Island and The City. They may also have access to other books Armin Greder has illustrated, such as I am Thomas, The Great Bear and An Ordinary Day.
- Students negotiate how to present the display and create a plan of action. The display must include a synopsis of the books, presentation of the texts' themes and book reviews.
Supporting students to write reviews: Building the field of knowledge - The purpose of reviews
- Conduct a floor storming activity, where students sit around cards with words or images from reviews. For example: highly recommended, great, suitable for young children, should, must, thumbs up icon, smiley face icon, tick icon, three stars. Discuss when they have heard these words used or seen such icons. Lead students to the notion of reviews and brainstorm experiences with reviews in their lives. This could include reviews they see on cooking shows, after a football match, movie recommendations etc. Students create a definition for ‘reviews’.
Deconstructing reviews
- Provide students with a number of written reviews, including online links to reviews. Students match each review with the definition of a review previously created. Consider if the definition needs to be modified.
- Students create a list of commonalities found in reviews – these could include structure of the texts, the use of vocabulary, purpose, use of visuals etc.
- On a language continuum from least formal language to most formal language, plot where most of the reviews occur. Encourage students to explain why (Many reviews use more informal language, directly speaking to the reader and referencing the reader with the pronoun ‘you’. This serves to strengthen the relationship between writer and reader, and encourage the reader to accept the opinions and recommendations of the review).
Modelling reviews
- Present students with a scaffold of a book review, as an example of one way of structuring this type of writing. E.g.
- Introduction: Introductory sentence presenting the book and author. Information about the type of book
- Offer information about the book, which the reader will find of interest – a character description, themes of the text, setting, use of interesting language etc. Any important quotes from the text can be included in this section. Each idea should be included in a new paragraph. This section will include the language of judgement
- The reviewer’s response – likes and dislikes about the book
- The suggested audience for whom the book is written
- Recommendation to read or not to read, referring back to the text. This section will include language to persuade.
- With the use of the above scaffold, model the writing an exemplar text. Make explicit to students the language of judgement, to show the writer’s view towards the text. For example: The endearing characters, The entertaining story, The fast-moving plot. (A simple way of including judgement is through the build up of the noun group.)Also, model the language of persuasion. I highly recommend this book, if you are interested in history. It is a must read!
Jointly construct text
- Students work in small groups to jointly construct two paragraphs for an Armin Greder text. One paragraph will include the language of judgement, the other will include the language of persuasion. Project students’ writing onto an interactive whiteboard, to use for peer feedback and editing. Use examples from the students’ text to create charts for language of judgement and persuasion, for later reference.
- Students complete a cloze activity, using the reviews used earlier on, where language of judgement or persuasion have been removed. Once completed students can check their responses against the original text. Assessment: This can be used as a language assessment activity.
Independent construction of text
- Students write their own reviews based on The Island and The City.
- Students present their work to peers for feedback and editing.
- Students collaborate to construct their author display for the school library.
Differentiation
Reviews can take on different degrees of formality. More able students can be involved in experimentation of how language can change, to make it more/less formal. These students can consider when a more formal review would be better suited.
The structure of the review can be further scaffolded by slowing down the pace of the teaching. Each day, the teacher can model the sections of the review, across several days. Students could participate in a joint construction and then write independently about that section. For students who need extra assistance with writing, guided writing or interactive writing session may be appropriate.