English / Year 2 / Literature / Creating literature

Curriculum content descriptions

Innovate on familiar texts by experimenting with character, setting or plot (ACELT1833)

Elaborations
  • inventing some speech, dialogue or behaviour of favourite or humorous characters through imagining an alternative event or outcome in the original text
General capabilities
  • Literacy Literacy
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
ScOT terms

Characters (Narratives),  Settings (Narratives),  Plots (Stories)

Text

Who lives on the farm?

In this resource, students learn about the needs of living things on farms and the features of some specific farm animals that make them suited to particular areas. This lesson is part of a sequence of lessons that can be used with this age-group of students. Topics include Seasons and jobs on the farm; Who lives on the ...

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The Big Book of Old Tom: Unit of work

This unit of work has been written to support the story The Big Book of Old Tom. Explore themes of family, living alone/living with others, making and keeping friends, pets, respect and social awareness. This unit provides practical teaching ideas, assessment tasks and suggestions about how students might respond creatively ...

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Visual Storytelling

In this lesson, students will examine how illustrations contribute to the telling of a story. Through picture books (without words), students will discuss and interpret details about the characters, setting, and plot. Students will create illustrations to accompany a text and then write text to accompany illustrations.

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Faraway Places

This imaginative digital text is an illustrated rhyming poem for teachers to read aloud to students. It is about a girl who visits different and amazing places. The resource includes a teaching sequence related to the Big Six components of literacy development (oral language, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary ...

Text

TrackSAFE Education Primary School Resources: Foundation, Year 1 and Year 2 English

This webpage includes a unit of work focuses on developing student understanding of the importance of being track safe and the key message 'Stop, Look, Listen, Think'. It builds students' familiarity with the vocabulary and key concepts related to rail safety and provides differentiated activities for writers at different ...

Video

Tony Wilson's advice for new writers

What does author Tony Wilson think the hardest thing for new writers is? What does he say is the best way to get better at writing? Tony mentions an Australian author called Sonya Hartnett. Do some research and find out how old Sonya was when she wrote her first book. If writing is something you have fun doing, perhaps ...

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Andy Griffiths' tips for starting your story

Get some tips from Andy Griffiths on what to think about when you start to write a story. What does he say about plot? Why not take Andy's advice and start a story by thinking about something that has happened to you and then exaggerate it somehow. Concentrate on writing a short, dramatic moment by using lots of detail ...

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Sally Rippin on sculpting stories

Watch this clip to learn where Sally Rippin finds inspiration for her writing. What does she say about where story ideas come from? Sally talks about noting down ideas in a notebook and remembering how particular experiences made her feel. What does she say about turning ideas into stories? Why not try keeping a notebook ...

Video

Sustainability of a historic community garden

Discover the history of a local community garden and find out about some of its new sustainable features. View this clip called 'Sustainability in Edinburgh', created by young reporters from North Fitzroy Primary School, Victoria. The clip was developed as part of the ABC Splash Live 'Making the news!' project, which featured ...

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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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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?

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Changing ideas and discovering themes in stories

Have you ever started out with an idea for a story and later realised you wanted to change it? You're not the only one! In fact, changing your mind is all part of the process of writing. Listen as author Tony Wilson explains how the idea for his book 'The Cow Tripped over the Moon' changed over time. What was his initial ...

Video

A school's history of sustainability

Discover the history of sustainability at a local primary school as two generations of past students reflect on their time at the school. View this clip called 'The past of our present', created by young reporters from North Fitzroy Primary School, Victoria. The clip was developed as part of the ABC Splash Live 'Making ...

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Listening for rhythm with author Tony Wilson

Tony Wilson says that listening to rhyming books is like listening to music. How are they similar? Read a rhyming book out loud or ask someone to read one to you, and see if you can hear the rhythm. Can you clap along to it? Think about rhythm when you write your next story. Can you write something that has a beat?

Video

Adventure at Thompson's Creek - Ngayu Jilba Dungan Bada Thompson's Creek

This animation of a contemporary story created by primary school children from the Wajal Wajal community in Far North Queensland. The story is told in two versions; one in English language and one in Kuku Yalanji language. A glossary of language in provided along with a transcript of the story.

Video

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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ABC Open: Australian Children's Laureate, Jackie French

Jackie French is the Australian Children's Laureate for 2014-2015, and the author of the famous Wombat series of books. Watch this video to find out how a wombat inspired and conspired against her literary ambitions! What are your inspirations when you write?

Video

Developing characters with Leigh Hobbs

How can drawings of characters give readers clues about who they are? What are some of the clues Leigh Hobbs gives us about Old Tom's character through his drawings of him? Do you have a character in your head that you've been thinking about for a while? As you draw or write about your character, remember what Leigh says ...

Video

The wallaby and the dugong

This animation of a contemporary story created by primary school children from the Lockhart River community in Far North Queensland. The story is told in two versions; one in English language and one in Umpila language. A glossary of language in provided along with a transcript of the story.

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.