VELS Unit Planner - Poetry Staff: SJ Year Level: 7

Step 1
1. What is worthy and desiring of understanding? (Identify desired results)
2. What is evidence of understanding? (Determine acceptable evidences)
3. What learning experiences and teaching promote understanding, interest and excellence? (Plan learning experiences and instructions)
Key Concept Film as text - Cars
(Generative topic /
why? / big idea)
Focus Essential Domain: English
Learning Domain Dimensions: Reading and Speaking/Listening
Students read and view different texts that explore ideas and information related to challenging topics, themes and issues. They identify the
ideas, themes and issues explored in these texts, and provide supporting evidence to justify their interpretations. They produce personal
responses. They infer meanings and messages in texts and compare the presentation of information and ideas in different texts.

Students produce, in print and electronic forms, texts for a variety of purposes. They write extended narratives or scripts with attention to
characterisation, consistency of viewpoint and development of a resolution. They write personal reflections on, or evaluations of, texts
presenting challenging themes and issues. Students improve the accuracy and readability of their writing, developing confidence in the
identification and use of grammatical conventions and features of language and in their use of figurative language. They use a range of
punctuation accurately to support meaning. They edit their writing for clarity, coherence and consistency of style, and proofread and correct
spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors.

Students express creative responses to texts, themes and issues. They critically evaluate the spoken language of others and select, prepare
and present spoken texts for specific audiences and purposes. They use a variety of multimodal texts to support individual presentations in
which they inform or persuade an audience. When listening to others, students ask clarifying questions and build on the ideas of others. They
identify key ideas and take notes. They show an awareness of the influence of audience on the construction and presentation of spoken texts,
and of how situational and sociocultural factors affect audience responses.
Supporting Domain: Presenting
Domain Dimensions: Communication
Students select and clearly organise relevant ideas and information in written, visual and oral presentations. They use a repertoire of
presentation formats, such as dramatic performances, oral reports, multimedia presentations and written reports. They provide feedback to
peers based on teacher-provided and/or class-generated criteria for effective presentations. Students use key terms to clarify meaning.

Supporting Domain: Personal Learning

Domain Dimensions: Managing Personal Learning
Students develop study habits to assist learning; for example, diary keeping, organisation, a homework routine. They use coping and
problem-solving strategies for persistence in working towards achievement. They monitor and evaluate progress toward achieving short and
long-term learning goals, developing criteria to monitor action plans when completing set tasks.

Understanding 1 2 3 4
Goals An effective combination of the How do themes in a text How do the characters Tension in a plot can make
(Written as ‘elements of film’ is what defines help define a storyline? define the success of a film? or break a storyline.
essential questions the success of a film.
or statements)
Step 2
1. What is worthy and desiring of understanding? (Identify desired results)
2. What is evidence of understanding? (Determine acceptable evidences)
3. What learning experiences and teaching promote understanding, interest and excellence? (Plan learning experiences and instructions)
Sequence Understandin Performances of Understanding Ongoing Assessment Reference to
g Goals (Criteria, feedback & reflection) specific VELS
standards
Introductory Watch Film
Performances 1
Analysis of how text can be
(Tuning in) After watching: • Class notes interpreted from a variety of
• discuss plot, setting, characters perspectives. Recognition
• introduce the 3 themes of: that texts are produced for
multiple audiences and
‘teamwork’, ‘friendship’, ‘loyalty’ purposes

Discussion and exploration of

ideas

1,2,3

Guided Inquiry
Performances 1,2,3 Introduce ‘elements of film’ • Completion of class worksheets /
(Finding out / • this is #2 on the LA – do as a class participation in class activities Analysis of how text can be
interpreted from a variety of
sorting out / together perspectives. Recognition
going further) • ‘camera angles’, ‘camera shots’, that texts are produced for
‘camera movement’ multiple audiences and
purposes

Culminating Experimentation with

different techniques to
Performances 1,2,3,4 Distribute LA and discuss • LA & class notes influence audiences and
(Making • For lower level students, you may want achieve the intended
conclusions / to chunk the assessment – space one purpose of their writing
taking action) activity out per page and/or reduce the Evaluation of performance
amount you wish for them to answer using self-evaluation rubrics
(respond only to those directly assessed
on)

Step 3
1. What is worthy and desiring of understanding? (Identify desired results)
2. What is evidence of understanding? (Determine acceptable evidences)
 3. What learning experiences and teaching promote understanding, interest and excellence? (Plan learning experiences and
instructions)

Weekly Overview
(Units may vary in length. A 6 week timeframe is not prescriptive)
Week 1 Watch movie and discuss – introduce elements of film
Week 2 Distribute LA
Watch back through parts of the movie to highlight elements of film – this is the #2 question on the LA
Week 3 LA
Week 4 LA
Week 5 Reflection & Speak Out

Resources
Cars DVD
Teacher notes on elements of film
LA