Introduction - Aims and Objectives

The broad theme of “Vampires” form the basis of development for this writing unit, targeted
at VELS level 6 and devised to be taught as part of a Year 10 English Curriculum.

Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings that subsist by feeding on the blood of living
creatures, irregardless of whether they are human or non-human. Vampiric entities of
many forms have been recorded in many cultures and folklore, and it was Bram Stoker’s
1897 novel Dracula, remembered as one of the quintessential vampire-themed novels, that
has provided the basis of modern vampiric fiction and spawned a distinctive vampire genre
that remains popular up to this day, with a variety of texts and media still reflecting the
myth that is the vampires.

The release of Stephenie Meyer’s novel Twilight in 2005 gained immense popularity and
commercial success and was subsequently followed up by New Moon in 2006, Eclipse in
2007, and Breaking Dawn in 2008. The Twilight Saga follows the life of Isabella Swan who
moves to Forks, Washington and falls in love with a 104-year-old vampire named Edward
Cullen. It not only sold over 100 million copies, but also spawned a series of film
adaptations that grossed over $1 billion worldwide. Garnering much critical acclaim, the
Saga also spawned an entire line of related merchandise and catapulted vampires right to
the forefront of popular culture.

In view of the fact that most students would have at least watched one of the Twilight Saga
films or read at least one of the Twilight novels (most would’ve watched all 3 films, and
read all 4 novels), we have thus selected “Vampires” as a broad theme for our writing unit.
There will be usage of the film Twilight, as well as the novel itself. It is our hope that
through the usage of texts that most students would’ve at least read or seen and be
familiar with, the students that go through our writing unit will be encouraged in a higher
order of thinking, and engaged in critical literacy.

This unit of work provides a variety of tasks and activities that will critically engage
students in reading, watching, interpreting, analysing, research, writing, public speaking,
inter and intra-personal skills and through the process develop or gain critical thinking
skills. It starts of relatively easy by engaging students with watching, interpreting and
analysing of a film text that is followed up by research, pair-work and writing, and each task
builds upon the previous task in terms of knowledge and skills acquired, and employed.
The unit ends with a higher order thinking task of writing a short fictional piece. By this
time, it is expected that the student would have acquired the skills required to successfully
complete the task. Students would be continuously assessed with every task, and drafting
as well as self-reflection would be a big part of this unit.

This unit thus ultimately seeks to create a learning environment that encourages
autonomous and collaborative learning whilst building up the students’ critical thinking
skills and critical literacy skills.
 Vampire Unit: An Essence

Week 1 - Introductory Lesson, Provision of Unit outline, explanation of continuous Journal

task, watching of film Twilight.
Week 2 - Teaching of foundational film analysis technique, research of film reviews,
drafting and pair-work on film reviews, film review to be submitted.
Week 3 - Teaching of foundational debate strategy and skills, working on debates.
Week 4 - Debates, characterization activity, teaching of short story writing
Week 5 - Drafting and working on short stories
Week 6 - Submission of short stories and journal entries

By the end of this unit, students will be competent in the following areas of writing:
1. Film analysis and review
2. Drafting
3. Debate script writing
4. Short story writing
5. Fictional character deconstruction
6. Writing in groups / with a partner
7. Self-evaluation writing
 Journal Entries

During the course of this unit, students are required to maintain a journal. Students are
expected to document their reflections and evaluations after each lesson in their journals,
to be submitted at the end of the unit.

Task:
After each lesson, you will have to reflect on what you have learnt and write them down in
your journal. You may either write them in your own style, or follow these guidelines:

1. What have you learnt through today’s lesson, and how have you learnt it?
2. What did you like about today’s lesson? What did you dislike about today’s lesson?
3. Are there any parts of the lesson that you found difficult to understand?
4. Are there any parts of the lesson that you found interesting, or did you gain any new
insight or come up with new ideas from this lesson?
5. Document any points raised during the course of today’s lesson that caught your
attention, and explain why it caught your attention.

It is a continuous self-evaluation and reflection task, and would be of immense benefit at

the end of the unit.

Teacher’s Note:
Journal entries will demonstrate students’ achievements of learning outcomes and would
help (in the future) in modifying unit to better suit students and meeting learning outcomes.
 Twilight: A Film Review

Aim: To develop students’ ability to review a film (text).

Objectives:
1. To develop students’ analytical skills.
2. To develop students’ ability to critique a media text
3. To develop students’ ability to come up with drafts before finalising their work.
4. To develop students’ inter-personal skills.

Task:
1. Research on the Internet movie reviews for the film Twilight.
2. Using these reviews as a guide, draft your own Movie Review in your notebooks.
3. Once you have completed your draft, work with a partner to proof read and edit each
others’ work.
4. On the completion of your draft, rewrite it for final submission.
5. Final submission must be between 600-800 words.

Your movie review will be read by a general audience comprising both adults and children
of different ages, so you should include information that will interest both.

What to include in your review.

An outline
A summary of Twilight without giving away essential details such as the ending or any
surprises or plot twists. The main aim of a review is to entice the reader to watch the
movie, so you do not want to give away too much. At this juncture, you should be
comparing the plot of both films as well.
Actors
Describe, compare and contrast the characters in the film. Give examples wherever
possible. Remember, aim to tease the reader to want to watch the movie.
Themes / Genre
Describe the ideas and issues that are explored in the film. List down several, and explain
whether they were easy to understand or how they contributed overall to the film. Give
examples whenever possible.

Tips for writing

1. Write the introduction first. It is the most important part of a good article and it has to
entice readers to want to read it.
2. If you are going to compare both films using a rating system, use one that is easy to
understand, for example, 3 out of 5 stars.
3. For your final submission, use a simple font, and have it set at size 12 to make it easy to
read.

Teacher’s Note:
If Internet access is not available, distribute reviews in Appendix to the students instead as
a guide to reviewing.
 Characterization Activity

Aim: To develop students’ ability to analyse novels and characterisation in novels

Objectives:
1. To develop students’ ability to explore character identity
2. To encourage inter-personal communication and group work through the task
3. To further enhance students’ public-speaking abilities through presentations of their
finished task

Activity:

1. Students break into groups, each group is assigned a character from the Twilight novel.
2. Create a poster on assigned character that includes:
a. character’s name
b. physical characteristics
c. personality traits
d. character’s relationships with others
e. importance of character to novel
f. factors that influence character’s identity
g. other relevant information
3. Groups to present posters to rest of class
4. Class to discuss similarities and differences of each assigned character
5. Discussion of character’s identity in relation to students’ identity
6. Posters to be displayed around classroom to aid students in writing their short story

Teacher’s Note:
This characterization activity builds the foundation for the students to come up with their
own characters for their own fictional short story - the final task of this writing unit.
 Writing A Fictional Short Story

Aim: To develop students’ ability to create fictional characters, and write a short story
surrounding their fictional character.

Objectives:
1. To enhance students’ ability to demonstrate skills learnt: narration, plot, theme,
description, dialogue, and characterization.
2. To develop students’ ability to write a fictional short story.
3. To further enhance students’ ability of creative thought.
4. To develop students’ ability to work in groups.

Task:
1. Using the notes you gleaned from the characterization exercise, come up with a fictional
character that will be the central character of your short story.
2. Discuss your idea of your character in your groups, and obtain feedback from your
groupmates, and tweak your character “idea”.
3. Develop a central theme and plot of your short story.
4. Draft out your short story, and work with your partner, proof-reading and editing each
others’ work.
5. Complete your work, and submit.

Note:
Your short story must include dialogue (speech), a plot/theme, and involve at least one
character. It must also be at least 600-800 words.

Tips:
“Create” your character using the characterization traits that you have learnt from the
characterization activity. Think about Twilight: a story can be as simple as girl meets boy,
girl fall in loves with boy. It’s all in the description and narration.

Teacher’s Note:
Help students who are struggling with the task by pointing out the character traits that are
on the poster they created for the characterization exercise.
Appendix

TWILIGHT REVIEWS
Review #1
Twilight opens with the introduction of our heroine, Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart). She is in
sunny Arizona with her mom and new stepfather, and as they prepare for a long road trip
she decides that she’d rather go up to Washington state to stay with her estranged father,
Charlie (Billy Burke). He lives in the small town of Forks (population 3,000) and is the local
sheriff.
She arrives in the middle of the school year so although it should be hard to make friends
(and it’s implied), she manages to connect with a group of kids who are far more
welcoming than she is ready to be welcomed. They give her the scoop on who’s who and
they soon point out the Cullens, an odd assortment of very pale-skinned guys and gals. To
make things weirder, they are apparently foster brothers/sisters yet they are “couples.”
They’ve been taken in by the local Dr. Cullen and his wife.
One of the group is of course, Edward (Robert Pattinson). His story is that “no girl is good
enough for him.” Of course Bella is immediately fixated on him, although the feeling is
apparently very much not mutual. As a matter of fact when she is assigned to be his lab
partner, he seems to be repulsed by her.
Edward leaves for a few days, and when he returns his mood towards Bella has changed
considerably. He’s now polite and at least feigns interest. She (mostly) gets over being
offended and tries to get to know him although he still doesn’t want to get close to her.
Almost immediately he saves her from being killed in a car accident in a scene that’s been
shown in the trailer. She’s no dummy and doesn’t miss the fact that he was across the
parking lot, got over to her in a flash and was able to keep a van from smashing into her (to
the point that he left a dent in the door with his hand). [Note slight sarcasm there, folks]
Anyway, we soon meet Dr. Cullen (Peter Facinelli) at the hospital, whose makeup job is so
incredibly white that he looks like the Cesar Romero version of the Joker. He is none to
pleased about Edward (I guess I can’t call him “Ed,” huh?) possibly exposing who he really
is to save Bella’s life.
One thing leads to another and the burgeoning romance is on its way, with a side trip to a
confrontation with the “bad” vampires who actually kill humans to feed (go figure). You see
the Cullens only drink the blood of animals. The bad guys have been responsible for a
number of gruesome murders in town recently. One of them decides to target Bella and
thus we get the final confrontation which finally brings us some decent action.
So what’s good?
I thought that the stars and supporting cast actually did a really great job. Bella’s friends
were engaging, funny and they played their roles very naturally. Billy Burke was low key
and very good as Bella’s father, Kristen Stewart did a decent job, and I have to say that
despite his severely sculpted eyebrows and uber-funky hair that I liked Rob Pattinson’s
portrayal of Edward Cullen. I don’t know how closely the way he played the character
matched the version in the book, but I thought that his uncertainty and awkwardness in
light of how powerful he really was made him quite charming.
There were quite a few moments of unexpected humor in the film that I enjoyed. Nothing
huge or slapsticky, but just little things that were enough to actually make me laugh out
loud (which some comedies this year didn’t manage to make me do). Really the
performances made this worthwhile for me.
So what wasn’t so good?
For a non-fan, it was really a pretty bland film. It seemed very slow-moving at times, and
let’s face it – it’s a pretty “stock” teen romance movie. There wasn’t anything really special
here outside of the fact that it had, you know… vampires.
Nothing really eye-catching as far as cinematography or interesting shots, and one think
that really struck me as bad were the visual effects. When the film had its first “super-
speed” effect, where the bad vampires corner one of the locals, it was so poorly done that I
think I actually gasped out loud. I mean there was this incredibly cheesy blur that I can’t
really describe except to say that anything you see on an average episode of Smallville is
done far better.
Imagine my shock at the end of the film when in the credits I saw Industrial Light & Magic
listed among the visual effects companies. I can only guess that they were responsible for
some other effect and not the one I just mentioned (which was terrible throughout the film).
Towards the end the teen-romance-cheese-factor pegged the needle in the aftermath of
the big battle in a scene between Edward and Bella. That was about the hardest scene in
the movie to sit through, and pretty much from there until the end it was quite sappy and
reminded me of a typical teen TV series on the CW.
The audience full of Twilight fans seemed to enjoy it a lot and gave it a thumbs up, so I
guess it’s achieved its goal. I’m curious to see if it does well enough at the box office to
generate a sequel (which I’m thinking would actually be better than this film).
So take all that for what it’s worth – I’ll leave the decision of whether to see it or not up to
you.
Oh, and yes (for the fans), Edward does “sparkle” in the film and Bella is clumsy.
http://screenrant.com/twilight-review-vic-4325/

Review #2
EDWARD CULLEN is a vampire who likes to think of himself as a vegetarian. On this
novel premise, Stephenie Meyer, the author of Twilight, has launched a publishing
juggernaut. Her series of supernatural romances has hooked teenage readers the world
over. But even before Twilight was published, a savvy group of American producers bought
the screen rights. Now, with the film's successful release in the US, they've realised they
have the makings of that prized box-office commodity: a franchise.
But back to the vegetarian vampire who hasn't extinguished his blood lust in favour of
prune juice. He has made an impressive sacrifice in restricting his diet to animal blood.
This takes willpower. Just how much is evident from the scene in which he first sets eyes
on the new girl at school. The film's director, Catherine Hardwicke (13 and Lords Of
Dogtown), is known for taking a pretty naturalistic view of adolescent life, but on this
occasion she has no qualms about overplaying the moment. British actor Robert Pattinson
is already familiar to Harry Potter fans as the saintly Cedric Diggory, and he brings to the
role of Edward a consumptive pallor, a perfect profile and a darkly enigmatic demeanour.
He's closely related to Heathcliff and to Romeo - although there is one crucial difference.
As he directs his hungry gaze at the delectable Bella (Kristen Stewart), you're never sure if
he's contemplating the joys of eternal love or the pleasures of a long lunch.
Meyer did not invent the concept of the vampire with a conscience. Anne Rice got there
first with herVampire Chronicles. But the vampire as high school glamour boy certainly
pumps a new exoticism into the teen pic. In this context, "going all the way" takes on
another meaning.
If nothing else, this leading man makes a change from the Judd Apatow brand of romantic
hero - the woman-shy slacker who eschews the dating game to stay at home with his
collection of Star Warsmemorabilia. Edward's idea of a night on the town is to scoop up
Bella in his arms and call on his supernatural powers to take her swinging through the
treetops.
The story is set in Forks, a town in the rainy north-west state of Washington - home to firs,
fogs and garage bands, although Edward himself prefers a little Debussy played on a
grand piano.
When the film opens, Bella has just moved to Forks from her mother's home in sunny
Phoenix, to live for a while with her father, Charlie (Billy Burke), the local cop. Dark-haired
and oval-faced, she's an indoor girl, who's missed out on getting an Arizona tan, which
may be why Edward likes her so much. She's also habitually matter-of-fact. Meyer's Bella
was prone to swooning a lot. Her screen counterpart isn't. Whether Edward is saving her
from being gang-raped or putting himself between her and a speeding truck, she remains
remarkably composed. "Uh-huh," she says to the news that he's actually 100 years old and
can read minds. It's only during their nocturnal sweeps through the foliage that she seems
even vaguely impressed.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/entertainment/film/film-
reviews/twilight/2008/12/11/1228584978753.html
Scoring Rubric (Film Review)

CRITERIA SCORE:

5 4 3 2 1
Content and Evidence of Evidence of Some A few ideas, Lack of
Ideas creative conclusions conclusion / answer of thought,
thinking and and higher- higher-order limited answer bears
connection order thinking. thinking. For relevance to almost no
between ideas. Relevant and the most part question. relation to
Fully complete adequate answers the question.
and thorough answer. topic question.
answer.
Excellent
content
coverage.
Support and Good support Main ideas Most ideas A few ideas No references
Evidence and evidence supported with supported with supported with or sources and
provided. All facts and facts and facts and no additional
main ideas fully sources that sources that sources that details provided
supported with includes included some included to back up
abundant and relevant details. sparingly little main ideas.
interesting details. details.
details and
sources.
Organisation Excellent Good Decent Details and Complete lack
and Clarity organization organization of organization of examples are of organization
and clarity work, good work, decent not organized in work.
throughout. clarity. Easy to clarity. properly and
Very easy to follow and Somewhat easy are hard to
follow and understand. to follow and to follow and
understand. understand. understand.
Spelling and All spelling and Only one or two Three errors. Four errors. More than four
Grammar grammar are errors. grammar
correct. and/or spelling
errors.
Vocabulary Appropriate Occasionally Uses wrong or Limited Vocabulary so
terms used uses inappropriate vocabulary and limited and so
consistently, inappropriate words fairly frequent errors often misused
clear command terms. frequently. clearly that reader has
of vocabulary. Expression of Expression of hindered to rely on own
ideas not ideas may be expression if interpretation.
impaired. limited due to ideas.
inadequate
vocabulary.
Scoring Rubric (Short Story)
CRITERIA SCORE:

5 4 3 2 1
Creativity and Evidence of Evidence of Some A few ideas, Lack of
Content creative conclusions conclusion / somewhat thought, not
thinking and and higher- higher-order creative. much creative
connection order thinking. thinking. Below average input.
between ideas. Good narrative. Decent narrative. Poor narrative.
Excellent narrative.
narrative.
Organisation Excellent Good Decent Details and Complete lack
and Clarity organization organization of organization of examples are of organization
and clarity work, good work, decent not organized in work.
throughout. clarity. Easy toclarity. properly and
Very easy to follow and Somewhat easy are hard to
follow and understand. to follow and to follow and
understand. understand. understand.
Spelling and All spelling and Only one or two Three errors. Four errors. More than four
Grammar grammar are errors. grammar
correct. and/or spelling
errors.
Vocabulary Appropriate Occasionally Uses wrong or Limited Vocabulary so
terms used uses inappropriate vocabulary and limited and so
consistently, inappropriate words fairly frequent errors often misused
clear command terms. frequently. clearly that reader has
of vocabulary. Expression of Expression of hindered to rely on own
ideas not ideas may be expression if interpretation.
impaired. limited due to ideas.
inadequate
vocabulary.