PART B:

Lesson 1:
TOPIC: The nature of contact between Aboriginal people and/or Torres Strait Islanders and others, for example, the Macassans and the
Europeans, and the effects of these interactions on, for example families and the environment (ACHHK080).
Year Level: 4
Time: 60 minutes approximately
This assessment task addresses the broad AC English: Content Descriptor from the Literacy SubStrand: Interpreting, analyzing, and evaluating .
Use comprehension strategies to build literal and inferred meaning to expand content knowledge, integrating and linking ideas and analysing and
evaluating texts (ACELY1692).
Relevant Elaborations: Finding the main idea of a text
During this lesson students will:
During the lesson students are learning to find the main ideas presented in a text. They are doing this through engaging with a class text, and
identifying the key information they need in order to identify and describe the main idea portrayed in the story.
LESSON INTRODUCTION: BEFORE READING

As a class revisit the meaning of main ideas in texts.

What are main ideas in texts?
How do you we identify what a the main idea is?

Share the learning intention with the class.

Share the success criteria with the class

Literacy learning intention:

1

We are learning to find the main ideas presented in texts.

Success criteria for whole class

I am successful if I am able to identify and explain the main idea of the story.
Shared Text for whole class: The Rabbits by John Marsden and Shaun Tan.
DURING:
Instructional strategy: Shared reading
Read the book once, allowing the students to gain an overall understanding of the story.
Before reading the book the second time explain:
Now this time when I read the story, focus on identifying the main idea being portrayed by the author
AFTER:
1. Whole class activity:

Engage in whole class discussion (Refer to appendix 3)

Thinking Routine: Headlines.

Complete and modal the activity once, ensuring that all students understand.

Students will complete the activity in mixed-ability pairs.

2. Focussed teaching group:

Learning Intention:
We are learning to analyse the text and find the main idea.
Success criteria for focus teaching group
I am doing well if I able to analyse the text and use evidence to find the main idea.
2

Focus Group Students:

The students that will be in the focus group will be five students in the Interpretive reading in order to extend their knowledge and understanding
(list of students reference number in appendix 4)
Focus Group Text:
The Red Tree - Shaun Tan
Instructional Strategy: Shared reading

Share learning intention and success criteria with the group.

Select two pages to analyse with the students (Refer to Appendix 2)

Scaffold the students learning through the use of a guided discussion (Refer to Appendix 4)
Students will write a statement about the main idea, using evidence from the text.

Assessment:
In order to assess the students I will anecdotally record the responses throughout the group discussion. As another resource for assessment I will
also collect the statements that the students write,
When assessing the students I will be assessing them against the success criteria, so are they able to find the main idea of the text using
evidence?
LESSON CONCLUSION:

Whole class is brought back together as a group.

Six pairs are selected to share their headlines.

Engage in class discussion to consolidate and confirm learning (Refer to appendix 5).
3

Lesson 2:
TOPIC: The nature of contact between Aboriginal people and/or Torres Strait Islanders and others, for example, the Macassans and the
Europeans, and the effects of these interactions on, for example families and the environment (ACHHK080).
Year Level: 4
Time: 60 minutes approximately
This assessment task addresses the broad AC English: Content Descriptor from the Literacy SubStrand: Interpreting, analyzing, and evaluating .
Use comprehension strategies to build literal and inferred meaning to expand content knowledge, integrating and linking ideas and analysing and
evaluating texts (ACELY1692).
Relevant Elaborations: Making connections between the text and students own experience and other texts.
During this lesson students will:
During the lesson students will be engaging with a multimodal text, and from this text make connections between it and their own experiences.
Students will engage in activities that will require them to take on the perspective of one of the characters, enabling them to make comparisons
and contrasts with themselves.
LESSON INTRODUCTION: BEFORE READING

As a class revisit what it means to make connections between yourself and a text.
How can we make connections with a story?

Share learning intention with the class.

Share success criteria with the class.

Literacy learning intention:

We are learning to make connections between the story and our own personal experiences.

Success criteria for whole class:

I am successful if I am able to use the story to make comparisons with experiences of my own.

Shared Text for whole class:

The encounter - http://www.myplace.edu.au/teaching_activities/1878_-_before_time/1788/1/the_encounter.html
DURING:

Instructional strategy: Shared viewing.

Watch the video once, allowing students to gain an overall understanding of the story.

Before watching the clip the second time explain: Now this time when we watch the video, focus on the different connections that you can
make with the storyline and characters.

AFTER:
1. Whole class activity:

Engage in whole class discussion (Refer to appendix 7)

Thinking routine: Step inside

Students will engage in a thinking routine that will require them to consider the perspective of a character. This will then be further
extended on as students will then be required to compare and contrast the life of this character and their own.

This thinking routine will be completed in mixed-ability pairs.

2. Focussed teaching group:

Learning intention:
We are learning to make connections with the story, using examples from our own lives.
Success criteria for focus teaching group
I am doing well if I am able to make connections with the text, using examples from the text and my own experiences.
Focus Group Students:
The students that will be in the focus group will be those who are in the Phrase-level meaning (list of students reference number in appendix 4)
Focus Group Text:
Big Tree Little Tree By Tim Brown and Andy Geppert
Instructional strategy: Shared reading

Share learning intention and success criteria with the group.

Scaffold the students learning through the use of a guided discussion (Refer to Appendix 8)

Students will draw a picture the shows their connection with the text, this will also have an accompanying statement.

Assessment:
In order to assess the students I will anecdotally record the responses throughout the group discussion. As another resource for assessment I will
also collect the statements and illustrations.
When assessing the students I will refer back to the success criteria and see if they have made connections with the text by using personal
examples.
LESSON CONCLUSION:

Whole class is brought back together as a group.

Pick 5 students to share their answers and findings with the class.
6

Engage in class discussion to consolidate and confirm learning (Refer to appendix 9).
APPENDIX 1: Text for whole class (Lesson 1)
Tan, S.& Marsden, J. (2010). The Rabbits. Port Melbourne, Victoria: Lothian Children's Books.

APPENDIX 2: Text for focus group (Lesson 1)

Tan, S. ( 2001). The Red Tree. Australia: Hachette Australia.

APPENDIX 3:
Guiding questions for whole class discussion after reading:

Who can tell me the main idea of the story?

What makes you say that?

What clues in the text did you use to find the main idea?

How does the author present the main idea to the readers?

Did the visuals help to portray the main idea?

Did the main idea have to be directly stated? Why/Why not?

Model appropriate language to the students by repeating back their answers (eg. So you made a connection between you and the text by
looking at)

APPENDIX 4:
Students in the focus group:

1702842
17643042
25717812
28299644
26354319

Through the process of guided discussions, and individually focusing on the different features of the text, the students will be able to see
and engaged with the different levels of analyse that are needed in order to comprehend the text and identify its main idea. The use of
discussion will provide students with an opportunity to express their ideas and understandings, not only providing opportunities for the
students to learn from each other, but also for an assessment opportunity.
The text chosen selected for this focus group is one that requires students to engage with a range on semiotic systems in order to
comprehend and interpret the authors intentions. Hopefully by using such a text these students will be challenged and extended and excel
into Inferential reading.
Focus Group questions for guided discussion:
1. Discuss the students impression of the book:

What are you initial thoughts on the book?

Do you think it will be easy or hard to find the main idea of this story?
What parts of the text do you think we need to consider?

2. Discuss the language used in the text:

What does the text in book tell us?

How does the text help us to find the main idea of the book?

10

3. Discuss the visual features within the text

What do the illustrations tell us about the story?

What are the different elements of the illustrations that we need to consider?
Does the colours used help us to understand the story? If so how?
How does the position of the different characters and objects inform us about the text?

11

APPENDIX 5:
Guiding question for lesson conclusion group discussion:

So how can we find the main idea of a story?

What information do we use to find the main ideas?

Do we just have to use the written information? Why/why not?

How does the author and illustrator portray the main idea?

What evidence from the text did you use to determine the main idea?

12

APPENDIX 6: Text for whole class (Lesson 2)

My Place for Teachers. (2011). The encounter [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.myplace.edu.au/teaching_activities/1878__before_time/1788/1/the_encounter.html

13

APPENDIX 7: Text for focus group (Lesson 2)

Brown, J., & Gepprt, A. (2010). Little big tree. Kallangur, Qld: Kidiki Publishing.

14

APPENDIX 8:

Guiding questions for whole class discussion after reading:

What connections did you make with the text?

What did this story remind you of?

Can you relate to any of the characters?

How are you similar or different from the characters?

How are your lifestyles similar or different to those of the characters?

15

APPENDIX 9:
Students in the focus group:

10906789
31249379
61100916
50582413

Through the process of guided discussions, the teacher is able to use prompting questions to help students to begin to think abou the
different ways in which they can make connections with the text. This provides the teacher with not only an opportunity to gage the
students level of comprehension, but also an opportunity to extend the students knowledge and skills. The response and contributions of
the students are also a rich source of assessment for the teacher, and future learning experiences that they can provide.
Focus Group questions for guided discussion:

Does this story remind you of anything?

Can you relate to any of the characters?

Can you related to any of the decisions made by the characters? Why/why not?

What similarities or differences can you share?

Do you think the story was relatable? Why/ why not?

What are the different things in stories that you can connect with?

Why do think it is important to make connections between yourself and a text?

16

APPENDIX 10:
Guiding question for lesson conclusion group discussion:

So what connections do you make between your self and the text?

What aspects of the texts can we make connections with?

Why do you think its important to be able to make connections with texts?

Do you just have to find similarties with the text? Why/why not?

17