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Heywire: Presenting a point of view about marriage equality

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Heywire: Presenting a point of view about marriage equality

SUBJECTS:  English

YEARS:  9–10


Marriage equality is a controversial issue in Australia, one that has provoked media sensationalism, political rhetoric and heated arguments.

Marriage equality is a controversial issue in Australia, one that has provoked media sensationalism, political rhetoric and heated arguments. Sometimes, however, quieter voices make their point amid all the furore.

Explore the voice of Lochsley Wilson in his Heywire audio story.

To talk with someone about anxiety or depression visit www.headspace.org.au or www.beyondblue.org.au, or call the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800.

Could you write or record a similar story about yourself and/or your community?

The ABC's Heywire competition calls for stories from 16-22 year olds in regional Australia. Enter to get your story featured on the ABC and score an all-expenses-paid trip to the Heywire Regional Youth Summit in Canberra. More: https://www.abc.net.au/heywire/


Things to think about

  1. 1.What is your stance on gay (same sex) marriage? Do you think marriage in Australia should only be between a man and a woman, or should the right to marry be extended to people regardless of sexual orientation? What values lie at the heart of your position? Where do your beliefs about this issue come from?
  2. 2.How does the beginning of Lochsley's audio story engage the listener and establish a connection? How does he then show that he is treated differently? What is ironic about the words of those fighting 'for the children' hurting 'more than the bullies at school'? Why might Lochsley refer to a song associated with past civil rights campaigns? Identify the arguments Lochsley makes for marriage equality and three persuasive techniques he uses to promote them.
  3. 3.How would you characterise the approach Lochsley has taken to promote marriage equality? Consider the tone of what he says. One of the strengths of Lochsley's story is his selection of content. What details has he focused on? Another strength is the appeal to shared values. Which values are evident in his audio story? Overall, how successful do you think it is?
  4. 4.This audio story's argument deserves closer analysis. Investigate Aristotle's model of rhetoric with its three appeals of logos, ethos and pathos. Draw up a three-column table with these as headings and note instances where Lochsley uses each approach. Use your findings to write your own speech or audio story arguing your views about a current social issue.



Date of broadcast: 31 May 2013


Copyright

Metadata © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia Ltd 2012 (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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