Curriculum 2A SID: 18120875

Assessment 1: Lesson Plan and Sequencing

Table of Contents

Evaluation / Extension ............................................................................................................................. 2

Lesson 1: (Gwen Harwood, ‘Father and Child’) ............................................................................... 6

In retrospect ................................................................................................................................................ 9

Poem Analysis (Prescribed Text).......................................................................................................10

Lesson 2: (Gwen Harwood, ‘Father and Child’) .............................................................................13

In retrospect ..............................................................................................................................................15

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Evaluation / Extension

Gwen Harwood’s poem ‘Father and Child’ explores a variety of different language

forms, features and techniques that effortlessly fits well with the Year 12 Advanced (Stage 6)

Module C: The Craft of Writing. It allows students to become critical and creative thinkers.

This module works best for students to collaboratively work together and discuss their

understanding and knowledge towards the chosen text. The poem explores many qualities in

relation to its diptych structure however ‘reading for adaptation’ will be the key feature

focused throughout both lesson plans.

Students are able to work through many ways to craft writing. They are able to use the

imagery described within the prescribed poem as well as use their imagination to write their

own story while using the poem as reference. There are gaps within the poem where students

could construct their story as they could answer these gaps, for example which character

could be missing in the poem, where is the mother and siblings of the child. Another question

that will get students to think twice would be why did the child want to kill the owl? Could it

be because the child wanted to show his father that he has power? Why didn’t the father kill

the owl himself rather than putting the child in this situation, maybe the father wanted to

teach his child a lesson about growing up, could the author be portraying this message

throughout the poem? Throughout the lessons students explore and engage with the key

feature of ‘reading for adaptation’ as the audience reflects and examines on the experience of

the character as they learn a message from the story. They are also to analyse, explore and

work together to craft their own writing by constructing an imaginative piece based on their

understandings of the poem and answering the gaps from the poem to finish the story off. In

the prescribed poem students are able to explore time and how a child and father’s

relationship changes between ‘Barn owl’ and ‘Nightfall’. This stanza emphasises on a child

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horror that represents the innocence of the child who now understands that death is not

simple nor clean, “afraid by the fallen gun, a lonely child who believed death clean and final,

not this obscene” (Stanza 4, Barn Owl), descriptive use of imagery to portray the feeling of

power has disappeared. Students are able to analyse in depth, play with and write with the

text, as well as working individually to answer questions to have a clear insight towards the

characters life. After a period of time the protagonist becomes a mature person as roles shift

between the father and child, portraying a metaphorical description about the impending

death of the father “Forty years, lived or dreamed: what memories pack them home. Now the

season that seemed incredible is come. Father and child, we stand in time’s long-promised

land.” (Stanza 1, Nightfall). Through this, students are to process and product their

understandings to the poem by scaffolding their ideas as well as thinking of ways to fill in the

gaps. They are to think about the key feature of ‘reading for adaptation’ by being critical

thinkers to how the composer has presented meaning to the responder. Students work their

way towards crafting their writing in the first lesson by participating in a variety of different

activities as well as further thinking about ways to fill in gaps in the story, as this will evoke

further adaptations to their writing. These activities are used in the lesson where students are

invited to share more ideas and different perspectives.

In order for students to grasp a clear understanding towards the key feature of

‘reading for adaptation’ it is a great idea for a secondary text to be introduced, as this will

challenge students perceptions and knowledge. This reinforces outcome EA:12-7 from the

syllabus as students develop their task through secondary text. There is a distinctive feature

presented in the secondary text ‘CIA (Australia)’ by Roanna Gonsalves, which additionally

explores the protagonists’ adaption to the first world country. Though the focus of ‘reading

for adaptation’ will further be discussed towards how it accommodates towards the Advanced

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Year 12 (Stage 6) Module C: The Craft of Writing, and how the audience would grasp a

message from the story. In the text, the protagonist tries to create a bond of solidity between

women from the third world, due to the struggles she has faced in the past. Gonsalves’

narrative portrays the protagonist adapting to the world through the highlighted events that

have occurred in her past. She finds it difficult to fit in due to her cultural representation thus,

feels alienated. However, she tried to discover a mutual bond that she might have with other

Indian women. She also believes that her culture would keep her socially connected, as she

also would not fell alienated within the first world. “When I first migrated to Australia I used

to smile at anyone who looked like an Indian. The aim was to establish a shared connection,

as if to say, ‘I understand. We are two peas in a strange pod” (p.99). The protagonist also

believed that if she tried to blend in she would also have to adapt to the Australian standards

by emphasizing that, “I wore black trousers to work every day, and pastel tops from Target or

Big W, not wanting to draw attention to my ethnicity” (p.84). As this portrays the adaptive

nature the protagonist tries to conform into while she shops at Australian based companies to

fit in rather than her wearing her cultural garments to not draw attention upon herself.

Throughout both texts it is essential for the audience to reflect and examine on the

experience of the character as they learn a message from the story. Scaffolding allows

students to shape their perspective and share they vision towards the text. This however

further reinforces the outcome in the syllabus EA:12-5, as students are able to develop

complex ideas and written expressions through group work during class times. Students are

also able to work collaboratively or independently to discuss and speculate their pre-written

texts in the second lesson. However this module focuses mostly on how students work with

the text to craft their own writing and how they choose to fit the text in their written piece.

Therefore, lesson one focuses completely on analysing Harwood’s poem as students try and

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find a connection to the poem while students work their way towards crafting a few sentences

using the text. The main theme throughout the poem is the loss of innocence of a young child.

Lesson two does not directly continue from lesson one, as there are two lessons in between,

students are to come into lesson two knowing the secondary text as they have already

completed their prewriting and drafting stage and have already analysed the secondary text.

Although, lesson two digs deeper in relation to student knowledge and understanding to what

they are able to craft in their writing and rework on their story by using the secondary text.

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Lesson 1: (Gwen Harwood, ‘Father and Child’)

Class: (Year 12) English Advanced Stage 6 Time: 60 minutes

Teacher: Objectives for self

- To… analyse the poetic techniques by analysing the experiences of the character
through language forms and features portrayed within the poem, for example tone,
genre, theme, imagery and figure of speech.
- To… teach students the relationship of meaning and the historic period through
poetry to learn and use poetry as a craft of writing by creatively guiding students
minds.
- To… use group work to get students to engage and communicate with one another
and share their ideas and thoughts while analysing the poem.

Syllabus Outcomes for students Preliminary/HSC…

Outcome:
- EA12-3: Critically analyses and uses language forms, features and structures of texts
justifying appropriateness for specific purposes, audiences and contexts and evaluates
their effects on meaning.
- EA12-7: Evaluates the diverse ways texts can represent personal and public worlds
and recognises how they are valued.

Materials
- ‘Barn Owl’ and ‘Nightfall’ poem paper print outs
- A3 paper for each group to brainstorm notes
- Markers
- Laptop slides

Procedures

Time Organisation Teaching/ Learning activities

5 mins Individual/ 1. Mark the roll
Whole class 2. Introduce the topic
Teacher writes question on board by getting students to think about the
topic for this lesson.
Question: “Over time, relationship between a child and their parent
completely changes”
Teacher then begins to run a class discussion on the topic by identifying
the concepts and creating a mind map to shape the theme of a poem.

10 mins Individual Students are given Gwen Harwood’s poem ‘Father and Child’ and
presented with a set of questions. Students are required to read the whole
poem on their own. They are also recommended to write down notes
along side the poem for further analyses. During this stage students
record down the key feature of ‘reading for adaption’ in relation to the
poem. Students are to reflect and examine on the experience of the
character as they learn a message from the story.

Questions for students to answer on laptop slides:

- What is the first thing you notice in the poem? Discuss symbol of

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experience through nature and time.

 Answer may include: The first thing may include the title
“Father and Child”, that clearly indicates a relationship of a
father and a child.
- What is your point of view of the poem as to how the character
has changed in the period of time?
 Answer may include: It is portrayed through the mood and
shift of nature as; the persona develops over time into a
mature character that understands the importance between
life and death.
- The persona changes in time: describe the persona
 Answer may include: At the beginning of the poem the
persona is a naïve character, however this shifts as the poem
goes on because the narrator changes due to the loss of
childhood innocence the persona adapts by understanding
that death is not an easy process.
- The poem is a Bildungsroman story?
 Answer may include: A bildungsroman is a changing
perception of the protagonist that explores an individual’s
growth and development through a period.

Students are recommended to individually answer and note down as

many notes as they can before the group discussion so they could share
their notes with their group. Students are asked to reflect on their
responses before they are presented to the class by making sure they
meet the correct guidelines to have completed the assigned task.

20 mins Groups Students are divided into two separate groups as one group looks at the
first half of the poem titled ‘Barn Owl’ and the second group looks at the
second half of the poem titled ‘Nightfall’.

Each group is to collaborate, work together and share their own notes
about the poem. In groups students need to analyse ‘reading for
adaptation’ feature in depth and understand meaning and the message
the poem is provoking.
- Discuss with your group the bildungsroman genre and how
reading for adaptation is a key feature throughout the poem.
 Answer may include: Reading for adaptation could be
explored through the characters emotions, imagery and the
tone that is used to portray the characters emotions. Each
student could have a different answer.
- How has the character changed over time to amend his/her
norms?
 Answer may include: As a child the persona encompasses
various memories through the role changing of the father and
child, from the first part of the poem to the second. Time
clearly positions both characters into reversing roles, which
highlights experiences of life.

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10 mins Whole class Class discussion about the poem, two students from each group present
to the whole class the key feature they analysed as a group.

Teacher also discusses any other relevant points that students have not
picked up on while analysing the poem. Such as gaps that the poem was
missing. For example: which character was missing? Mother? Siblings?
- Discuss as a class how the loss of innocence and purity
exemplifies the characters emotions through his/her journey.
 Answer may include: quotes from the poem that clearly
portrays the loss of innocence and purity of the character
through time.

Rhetorical questions for students to think about:

- Why have I chose ‘reading for adaptation’ as a key feature in this
text? – To understand a message.
- What is important about this key feature that makes it affective to
use? – For students to craft writing by learning a message.

Note: Students need to understand that our thoughts mediate the

experiences of our world; there is a fine link between our beliefs and the
world. As the class discussion goes on students beliefs and
understandings would change. Therefore, the poem takes the reader on a
descriptive journey.

15 mins Individual Students craft a story starting off with filling in the gaps to the poem.
Students to use their imagination to answer questions in relation to the
missing mother and siblings and further gaps as they finish off the story
as they answer the gaps. Why does the child want to show his father that
he has power by killing the owl?

Students could also construct three sentences by using the final

descriptive stanza from the first half of the poem “I fired. The black eyes
shone once into mine, and slept. I leaned my head upon my father’s arm,
and wept, owl-blind in early sun for what I had begun.”

Homework Students to take home their prewritten task and the question on the board
and brainstorm and scaffold more ideas that could help change the poem
into a short story and consider thinking about the key feature of the
lesson of ‘reading for adaptation’ as they try and craft their own piece of
writing by being creative and critical thinkers as they learn a message
from the story.

Students are required to bring this into the next lesson.

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In retrospect

This lesson is very important as the lesson looks at the prescribed text in depth and

works to get students thinking about different characteristics. The first activity requires

students to analyse and answer questions from the slides presented from the computer. These

questions help students broaden their understanding towards the poem. The objective of this

lesson is to get students to collaboratively work together to scaffold ideas, these ideas are

emphasised towards their writing task as students reflect and examine on the experiences of

the character as they learn a message from the story. Looking at the current lesson plan if

there was more time students could have also conducted further research about the poem to

grasp a deeper understanding, as this would have deepened their knowledge. However, this

could have been a limitation as research could take up time during a lesson. Though,

recommended extension activities would have encouraged students to justify and defend their

opinion to contribute in speaking such as pairing up to gain a higher level towards what they

know as well as really going for it by presenting their viewpoint. Whereas, for students who

struggle to analyse the poem extension activities could include taking further notes while

students talk and giving them more time to present their ideas by allowing them to have more

thinking time. Hence, the emphasis of connecting texts is important, as students would attain

in contrasting different texts to generate further and in depth meaning to the notion.

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Poem Analysis

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Lesson 2: (Gwen Harwood, ‘Father and Child’)

Class: (Year 12) English Advanced Stage 6 Time: 60 minutes

Teacher: Objectives for self

- To… help students to transform the prescribed texts into a story that explores
character, thoughts, setting and atmosphere all through a realistic setting.
- To… broaden the students understanding of the concept of writing through the
crafting process of a short story.
- To… compose an imaginative piece by comparing and contrasting the similar notions
portrayed in different texts.

Syllabus Outcomes for students Preliminary/HSC…

Outcome:
- EA12-4: Strategically adapts and applies knowledge, skills and understanding of
language concepts and literary devices in new and different contexts.
- EA12-5: Thinks imaginatively, creatively, interpretively, critically and discerningly to
respond to, evaluate and compose texts that synthesise complex information, ideas
and arguments.

Materials
- ‘Barn Owl’ and ‘Nightfall’ poem paper print outs
- Student workbooks

Procedures
Time Organisation Teaching/ Learning activities
5 mins Individual/ 1. Mark the roll
Whole Class 2. Introduce the topic – this lesson continues from previous two lessons

From the previous lessons students take out there prewritten tasks, they
are to pair up with a partner and share their written story. As this allows
students to interact and engage in a small discussion.

Students should have completed their prewriting and drafting stage and
should be at the revising stage where they should be reworking the
organisation and details of their story.

10 mins Group work/ As a secondary text, students are to use the chapter ‘CIA (Australia)’
class from The Permanent Resident by Roanna Gonsalves previously analysed
discussion in the previous lessons, to explore the protagonists adaptation to the first
world.

Students:
- Are recommended to write at least one main point on the board
that could help other students rework a few details in their story
in relation to both texts.
- Are to use the secondary text as a backup that would help them
structure their story by understanding the difference of time and
how different stories use different ways to send messaged to their

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audiences presented by the characters.

- Need to understand that Gonsalves conforms to Australian
standards to adapt in the first world as she undertakes a few
changes in her life to not put herself underneath the spotlight.
- Could play with audience and imagine they are in the period of
time, as they can choose to send a message or give a warning in
the period of time about the future.
- Need to understand how this would affect the kind of product
they play with, by focusing on the key feature of ‘reading for
adaptation’.

10 mins Class Teacher explains today’s lesson activity:

discussion - Students are required to focus deeply with their written task of
reworking details in their story, as they use the technique
‘intertextuality’ through the connections and messages they have
learnt or drawn from the poem, the secondary text and any other
notes mentioned by peers in the classroom, this could also looks
at students creating a character that has adapted to a new
contemporary world.
- Within their story they can choose to transform one scene from
the poem or the secondary text into a short diary entry by
revealing the characters emotions and creating a real life
experience that explores a variety of different realistic settings.
- This diary entry could also look at small flashback scenes, as
they build on ideas as the visual responder. Students need to
make sure their story explores the characters inner thoughts,
setting and atmosphere in the adaptive world.

Students need to think of ways of responding, as they need to believe in

themselves while they expand on their knowledge when completing this
task. The quality of their engagement will give a rise to their written
piece.

Students also need to be reminded that they need to try and work out
what they learnt as the key feature of ‘reading for adaptation’ towards
their writing skills and crafting something they want to mean.

35 mins Individual Students work individually to rework ideas and craft their short story.
Teacher constantly monitors the progress of the students and provides
some assistance for any student who may require some guidance.
Teacher engages with students by questioning their ideas to enable the
student to give further thought and reflect on weather they meet the
criteria.

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In retrospect

In retrospect this lesson builds upon all activities from the previous lessons and works

towards students being critical and creative thinkers. The first activity in the lesson requires

students to engage and collaborate their ideas. Students at the advanced level are all expected

to prewrite and draft their story within the first three lessons before reworking on further

details to their story. The second activity in the lesson only allows students to have more time

to rework ideas as well as use the secondary text to incorporate ‘reading for adaptation’ to

their writing, as they reflect and examine the characters as they learn a message from the

narrative. The reason why the secondary text only looks at one chapter from the novel is

because that chapter allows students to explore the key feature of ‘reading for adaptation’ in

another point of view for students to play and understand different versions of meaning to

grasp knowledge. Hence, to improve this lesson students could construct a paragraph from

both texts to use it as guidance for any student who may struggle during the crafting process.

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