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What's With Poetry?, Ch 3: Rhythm and metre

Have you ever had a song or a jingle that got stuck in your head? This can happen because of the rhythm in the song or the jingle. Rhythm helps us to remember a song, jingle or poem by reminding us of other songs, jingles or poems with the same rhythm. Once you get a rhythm stuck in your head it can be very difficult to ...

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How to make a story interesting

To make a good story, author Tony Wilson says you need your characters to either make difficult decisions or do something difficult. Can you think of any good stories you've read where neither of these things happen? It's very difficult! Think about a tricky decision you've had to make or perhaps it's a tricky thing you've ...

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First Tuesday Book Club: What's so funny about parody?

Parody is a popular form of humour where a particular subject is mocked or trivialised. The novel 'Cold Comfort Farm' is an example of parody. But what makes novels such as this so funny? Find out more by exploring this clip.

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This Day Tonight: Understanding satire: the 'ocker' Australian

What do 'Borat', 'The Simpsons', 'Gulliver's Travels' and political cartoons have in common? They are all forms of satire: a particularly tricky genre of text. In this clip, explore the concept of satire and how it is constructed.

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Thinking about story themes

Noa and Francis are two young writers who've had their stories published. Listen as they talk about the main ideas they chose to explore in their stories. Find and watch the clips of Noa and Francis reading their pieces at the Melbourne Writers Festival (also found on Splash). How did they build their stories around the ...

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Story starting points

Do you sometimes have trouble finding an idea to write about? Watch this clip to learn how author Tony Wilson developed the idea for his book 'Stuff Happens: Jack'. Is there a dramatic moment from your life that might inspire a story? Remember what Tony says about building a fictional world around this real starting point, ...

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Heywire: Fortissimo frogs frustrate family

How could words convey the nightly racket of hundreds of croaking frogs outside your bedroom window? Can you think of ways to engage readers' senses so that they 'experience' the frog chorus? A use of imagery is one of them. It's something we'll explore in this humorous story about the perils of frogs. Could you write or ...

Online

What is Shakespeare Unbound?

Shakespeare doesn’t get any better than this. Actors from Australia’s famous Bell Shakespeare Company, including Artistic Director John Bell, present key scenes from six of Shakespeare’s best-known works before joining conversations to dissect the playwright’s use of character, plot and language. Custom-made for Australian ...

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Feathers, Fur and Fins: A song about emus

Imagine what it would be like to be a bird that cannot fly? Watch the clip and listen to the song by Don Spencer that captures in words and rhythm how the flightless emu thunders through the Australian bush.

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Feathers, Fur and Fins: A song about 'Aussie sharks'

Do you know any songs about Australian animals? Listen to this song about sharks performed by Don Spencer. Watch some sharks as they roam the ocean.

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ABC Open: Using descriptive language to evoke mood and feeling

Is there a particular place or time of day that you love? How would you describe this place and time to someone to convey how you feel? What sort of mood would you want to create? The narrator in this video tells us she loves sunrise. How does she communicate this through the language she uses? What is the mood created?

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How to retell a story (for kids)

A short video (1:48) for students explains how to retell a story focusing on characters, setting and major events.

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'Animal Farm' Writing Tasks: Write a Fable

This resource for students is twelfth in a series of thirteen based on a study of the novel 'Animal Farm'. The resource presents a list of 'moral messages' from the novel and asks students to choose one, and then write a fable illustrating the message. Information on fables is also provided, as well as links relating to ...

Online

Horton Hears a Who

This resource for primary school children examines the Dr Seuss picture book classic and the film based on the book. It examines the theme of sustainability. It contains questions and activities on the book and the film, as well as a teacher guide.

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Messages in a book

When you write, is there a message you want to impart to your readers? Shamini Flint's Diary series, about a boy who is not very good at sports, has several messages for her readers. What are they?

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How to Build Stories, Ch 5: Using language to flavour your story

Language is like the flavour of a story. It helps relate your imagination to readers in a way they'll understand. But you have to add the right flavours; otherwise your story will be like a bad meal. Learn how to write what you want your readers to imagine and feel.

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Rebecca Lim's advice for writers

Do you want to be a writer? Watch this clip to get some tips from author Rebecca Lim. What are some of the things she suggests? Find out about writing competitions - and enter one!

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How to Build Stories, Ep 4: Exploring genre and setting of your story

Every genre has different rules. But once you know them, you can choose which rules you want to break. Find out how you can mix and match genres to create unique, interesting stories!

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Writing what you know with Leigh Hobbs video

When you write a story, do you sometimes base characters, events or settings on your own experiences? Leigh Hobbs, author and illustrator of The Big Book of Old Tom, claims there's always a little bit of himself in everything he writes. Is this true for you too?

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Can We Help?: Vanishing words: the process of language change

The English language is full of strange contradictions and vanishing words. Have you ever wondered why we sometimes put words together that contradict each other, such as 'pretty awful' or 'terribly good'? If we can be 'ruthless', can we be 'ruthly' as well? Watch as Professor Kate Burridge explains these curious irregularities ...