Close message Due to scheduled maintenance on Friday 19th April 2024 between 7:00PM and 9:00PM AEST, the Scootle website may face disruption in service. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

English / Year 4 / Literature / Examining literature

Curriculum content descriptions

Understand, interpret and experiment with a range of devices and deliberate word play in poetry and other literary texts, for example nonsense words, spoonerisms, neologisms and puns (ACELT1606)

Elaborations
  • defining spoonerisms, neologisms and puns and exploring how they are used by authors to create a sense of freshness, originality and playfulness
  • discussing poetic language, including unusual adjectival use and how it engages us emotionally and brings to life the poet’s subject matter, for example ‘He grasps the crag with crooked hands’ (Alfred, Lord Tennyson); ‘Wee ... tim’rous beastie’ (Robert Burns)
General capabilities
  • Literacy Literacy
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
ScOT terms

Word formation,  Spoonerisms,  Puns,  Nonsense poetry

Online

Henry Lawson the Poet

Students study one poem by Henry Lawson in depth, investigating a range of language forms and features, before illustrating their poem to reflect the imagery portrayed in the words, and reciting their poem to the class. This activity is supported by resources (photographs, video and textual records) from the State Library ...

Video

How to get better at writing in rhyme

What does author Tony Wilson suggest doing to improve your rhyming skills? Why do you think reading might help? Are you familiar with the books and authors Tony mentions? Dame Lynley Dodd is the author of the Hairy Maclary books and Julia Donaldson is another successful author who uses rhyming in her books. Look them up ...

Interactive

Syllabus bites – responding to literature

A web page with information, teacher guides and resources on responding to texts. This resource supports the NSW English K-10 syllabus.

Text

Seahorse: Unit of work

This unit of work has been written to support the book Seahorse. The book Seahorse is an adventure about family, traditions and being truly appreciative for the luck and opportunities that come along the way. This unit includes practical ideas for using this book in your classroom.

Interactive

Making waves with Hokusai

Students create artworks and poetry inspired by the works of Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai.

Interactive

Painting pictures with words

Learn about the art of performance poetry and compose your own slam poem.

Video

What's With Poetry?, Ch 2: Rhyme time

Do all poems have to rhyme? Matt from the Sydney Story Factory explains how rhyme can be used in poetry to achieve certain effects, but sometimes deliberately not rhyming can be just as effective!

Video

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 ...

Video

Andy Griffiths on writing songs and stories

What's the difference between writing song lyrics and writing a story? Andy Griffiths thinks they are quite similar. Why does he think this? How important is rhythm in Andy's stories? Next time you write a story, try reading it out loud and listen for the rhythm of the words. Can you make your story's rhythm sound even better?

Video

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.

Video

What's With Poetry?, Ch 6: Why do we create poetry?

There are many reasons why you might write poetry. Maybe it's because you saw something beautiful and you want to share that feeling with others. Or maybe something funny happened to you on your way to school and you want to remember it. You don't have to be a creative genius to write poetry and you don't have to have the ...

Online

A comparison of the effectiveness of two strategy tutoring programs for children with persistent spelling difficulties

This teacher resource describes a small-scale research study into the capacity of two strategies of one-on-one tutoring (Look-Say-Cover-Write-Say-Check and Old Way/New Way - Mediational Learning) to help primary school students with persistent difficulties develop effective spelling strategies. It is presented in nine sections: ...

Interactive

Syllabus bites: Visual literacy

A resource with information, study guides and resources on visual literacy to support the English K-10 Australian Curriculum in English. It provides a series of activities, guidelines and tasks about visual texts from a variety of sources. Contains writing scaffolds, templates and proformas for responding and composing ...

Interactive

Syllabus bites: types of sentences

A web page resource with information, teacher guides and activities on types of sentences to support the Australian Curriculum in English K–10. It has detailed activities, links to resources and quizzes.