English / Year 5 / Literature / Examining literature

Curriculum content descriptions

Understand, interpret and experiment with sound devices and imagery, including simile, metaphor and personification, in narratives, shape poetry, songs, anthems and odes (ACELT1611)

Elaborations
  • discussing how figurative language including simile and metaphor can make use of a comparison between different things, for example ‘My love is like a red, red rose’; ‘Tyger!, Tyger! burning bright, In the forests of the night’; and how by appealing to the imagination, it provides new ways of looking at the world
  • investigating the qualities of contemporary protest songs, for example those about Indigenous peoples and those about the environment
General capabilities
  • Literacy Literacy
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
ScOT terms

Figures of speech,  Imagery (Literary devices),  Lyric poetry

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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.

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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.

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Tristan Bancks

This resource is a series of videos featuring writer Tristan Bancks talking about his writing. Related resources and teaching notes are included.

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Alison Lester – writing your own books

This twelve video resource contains video of author and illustrator Alison Lester guiding students to create, first a collaborative whole class book and second, an individual book using digital technologies. In each video Lester discusses aspects of her creative processes and the books she has written. Her books are aimed ...

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Hologram poetry lesson

In this lesson, students are asked to present a poem as a visual illusion. They explore holograms and visual illusions, and then delve into the mechanics of poetry construction by exploring the poetry of Banjo Paterson. They write their own poem or recite a poem and create a hologram illusion of themselves reciting a poem. ...

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Making waves with Hokusai

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

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Fun with flowers

Students discover the creative and scientific art of botanical illustration and respond to the drawing through poetry and music.

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Point of view: witness reports

Read and listen to three witness reports of a skateboard crash. Notice that each report presents a different point of view. Look at a model report to see how past tense verbs and opinion adjectives shape the point of view in a text. Build reports by choosing verbs and adverbs to reflect each witness's point of view. Include ...

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Responsible fishing in Western Australia: write an article

Go fishing in Western Australia. Look at how and why laws restrict people from taking certain fish. Identify cases where laws apply: size limits, bag limits and closed seasons. Build a magazine article explaining the fishing laws. Use a model structure and persuasive text to support a responsible position. For example, ...

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Painting pictures with words

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

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Rebecca Lim's spooky themes

Do you enjoy reading spooky stories? Listen to Rebecca Lim as she describes how her half-memories, reading experiences and imagination come together to inspire her.

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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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How to Build Stories, Ch 3: Understanding story plots

There are a million ways to get from the beginning to the end of a story. Watch this entertaining video to learn about different story types and how to move your characters through a story in satisfying ways.

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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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Researching with Gary Crew

When authors write stories involving historical events, they often spend time doing research. Why do you think they might do this? What are some of the primary source documents Gary Crew used to inform his book, Strange Objects?

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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!

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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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Thinking about settings with Leigh Hobbs

As Leigh Hobbs says, the great thing about inventing a character is that you also have the power to choose where they live. What's your character's world like? Describe your character at home. Where do they live? And what do they do there? Now choose a completely different location and plonk your character there. Think ...

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BTN: Who was Banjo Paterson?

Banjo Paterson was an Australian writer and a poet, most famous for writing 'Waltzing Matilda' and 'The Man From Snowy River'. It could be said that his writing, based on his own experiences of the Australian bush life, has shaped Australia's identity. Do you agree? Why/why not?

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Andy Griffiths' tips for writing funny stories

Watch this video and learn how to write funny stories with tips from Andy Griffiths! What does he say is a good starting point? Why don't you try writing a story about a time something embarrassing happened to you? What does Andy say is the key to getting readers to enjoy your story and have a laugh?