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Listed under:  Language  >  Language conventions
Video

Persuasive Writing for Kids

This is a series of six short videos for students on the basics of persuasive writing. The series covers what is persuasive writing; brainstorming topics; planning and pre-writing; reasons; writing an introduction and draft and closing.

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Writing a personal narrative (for kids)

This is a series of eight short videos for students on how to write a personal narrative. The series covers brainstorming; planning and pre-writing; writing an introduction or opening; writing a draft; writing a closing or conclusion; revising my writing; editing my writing and publishing my writing.

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The Hunger Games

This web page includes a range of resources to support classroom studies of the novel and film 'The Hunger Ganes'. Resources include a study guide, explorations of characters, themes and issues and tips on writing essays. The resources discuss the use of film techniques to create setting, the genre of dystopia and the concept ...

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Letter of Introduction

This resource for students explains how to write a letter of introduction for your English teacher

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Analysing Persuasive Language

This resource for students is a comprehensive explanation of how to analyse a persuasive article, from how to identify the contention and tone, to how persuasive techniques are used to position the reader. Techniques discussed, with examples, include the use of adjectives, adverbs, alliteration, appeals, anecdotes, everyday ...

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Book Review

This resource provides advice to students on how to present a three-minute book review, with advice on how to write the review, and how to present it orally.

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Show, Don't Tell

This resource for students explains the importance, when writing narratives, of showing your reader rather than telling, with an example, ways of achieving this, and some follow-up activities

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Shakespearean Language

This resource for students is the first in a series of three entitled 'Introduction to Shakespeare', which focuses mainly on 'The Taming of the Shrew'. Students are asked to write sentences in modern English which feature a common word from Shakespeare's time. A link to Shakespearean insults is then provided and students ...

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Introduction to Shakespeare: Ten Things I Hate about You

This resource for students is the third in a series of three entitled 'Introduction to Shakespeare', which is mainly based on a study of 'The Taming of the Shrew'. This resource asks students to: write a plot summary of the film; contrast plot flow charts of the play and the film; discuss gender roles in Shakespeare's ...

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Shaun Tan's The Lost Thing

This is a very rich resource for students from the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI), which gives them an insight into the art of Shaun Tan through a focus on both the book and the film of The Lost Thing. The content focuses on aspects of storytelling, including themes, techniques, forms and language, visual, ...

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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 ...

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The Conversation - Aesthetics and beauty

A series of articles that examine historic and modern constructs of beauty. Articles include historic understanding of Greek beauty; if there is an “ideal body shape” for women; questions of beauty and blackness; body image; and the beauty of scientific theories such as general relativity. Articles are authored by recognised ...

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Paul Hogan and Australian slang

Listen to Australian comic actor Paul Hogan talk to reporters in February 1987 about the Oscars and his role as Mick Dundee in the film 'Crocodile Dundee' (1986). Hogan played a laid-back outback survivalist in this hugely successful film, which is known for its use of Australian slang. Take note of Hogan's own use of Australian ...

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Radio National: Gender convergence in teenager swearing

Explore how the use of swearing by teenagers is changing. Maria Zijlstra talks to Mike Thelwall, Professor of Information Science at the University of Wolverhampton, about the upsurge in swearing on social networking sites, especially among girls. He contends that, in the UK in particular, swearing is losing its shock value ...

Video

Can We Help?: Golly gosh, what do those sayings mean?

Have you ever wondered where sayings like 'golly gosh', 'by gum' or 'drat' come from? In this video, Professor Kate Burridge explains the origins and meaning of these and other sayings. She also explains the history of the pronoun 'you'.

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Growing an organic edible garden

Find out about the roles that earthworms and other animals play in a sustainable organic garden. View this clip called 'Great pizzas', created by young reporters from Willunga Primary School, South Australia. The clip was developed as part of the ABC Splash Live 'Making the news!' project, which featured local sustainability ...

Video

Know your audience

Before you watch this video, guess the intended readership of Shamini Flint's Diary series about a boy playing sports. How did you come to this conclusion? Were you correct? Why do you think it's important for writers to think about who their intended readers are?

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Books shaping identity

Do you identify with a book's protagonists when you read? Shamini Flint says she started writing her Sasha series of books about a girl growing up in Asia because she couldn't find books like these for her daughter. She thought it was important for her to be exposed to characters who were like her - someone who looked like ...

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First Tuesday Book Club: Sentencing 'The Book Thief'

People can express their opinions and attitudes in ways other than words. In this clip, join in the discussion about Markus Zusak's popular novel 'The Book Thief', and explore how verbal and non-verbal cues can add emphasis to your speech.

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Alice Pung's writing practice

Do writers write every day? Author Alice Pung does. In this clip Alice describes her writing practice. Why does she use a cheap notebook for capturing ideas? What sort of writing does she do to get the creativity flowing? Give Alice's techniques a try and see whether they work for you!