English / Year 7 / Language / Text structure and organisation

Curriculum content descriptions

Understand and explain how the text structures and language features of texts become more complex in informative and persuasive texts and identify underlying structures such as taxonomies, cause and effect, and extended metaphors (ACELA1531)

Elaborations
  • learning about the structure of the book or film review and how it moves from context description to text summary and then to a text judgment
General capabilities
  • Literacy Literacy
ScOT terms

Text structure

Text

Elements of Fables

What are the key elements of a fable? In this teaching activity, students will improvise scenarios found in fables. They will identify the key elements of a fable and describe the author’s use of personification. Examples of fables are included in the unit.

Text

A World of Myths

How did past civilizations explain natural phenomena? In this teaching activity students will explore how myths help to explain nature and science. Students will read, discuss, and draw comparisons between creation myths and explanatory myths. Examples of myths are included in the unit.

Text

Work sample Year 7 English: Picture book

This work sample demonstrates evidence of student learning in relation to aspects of the achievement standards for Year 7 English. The primary purpose for the work sample is to demonstrate the standard, so the focus is on what is evident in the sample not how it was created. The sample is an authentic representation of ...

Text

Cartooning Political and Social Issues

In this lesson, students will examine the role of cartoons play in presenting viewpoints about political or social issues. Students gather and organize information about a current or past issue and analyze the different sides. They plan, design, and illustrate a political cartoon that presents a position on a political ...

Interactive

Creating cartoons

The resource focuses on discussing, analysing and explaining a variety of cartoons in a variety of print and digital texts. It will enhance visual literacy skills in a range of media texts. Students have the opportunity to create cartoons to share with others. This resource supports the Australian Curriculum in English K–10.

Interactive

Syllabus bites: Exploring Asia-related texts

This resource has information, links and study guides on Asia-related texts to support the Australian Curriculum in English for Year 7, 8, 9, 10.

Interactive

A New Kind of Alchemy

'A New Kind of Alchemy' is an interactive online graphic novel about a future world threatened by extinction. It is based on a short story by Australian writer, James Roy. The graphics can be downloaded and used to create your own story.

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

Creating a picture book

This resource focuses on how to create a picture book, including information, links and activities. This resource supports the Australian Curriculum in English K–10.

Interactive

Visual humour

This resource focuses on how humour is created in images, films and multimodal texts. It includes activities and reading strategies to support the analysis and understanding of the processes of visual humour in texts. This resource supports the Australian Curriculum in English K–10.

Video

Rebecca Lim and her writing process

How long does it take to write a YA book? Rebecca Lim fills us in and explains the role reading plays in the writing of her books. Why does she say that having an editor is important? Try challenging yourself to write a story in 100 words.

Video

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?

Video

Heywire: Woolly holiday

For Genevieve Wright, the first day of school holidays means heading to the shearing shed to spend a day of back-breaking work! As you listen to her Heywire audio story, explore Genevieve's characterisation of herself. How does she reflect her personality through the descriptions of her actions and environment?<br /><br ...

Video

Story development and plot holes with Andy Griffiths

How do you move your characters forward in a story? A trick Andy Griffiths uses is asking a lot of questions. His favourite question to ask is "what's the worst thing that can happen next?" Try asking yourself that question if you get stuck when writing your next story. In this clip Andy also talks about plot holes. What ...

Video

BTN: Did you see it? Subliminal advertising

Are you persuaded to purchase products by the advertising you see on TV? If advertising was so subtle that we couldn't distinguish it from the content of the shows we watch, what effect might this have? Watch this clip and find out how some advertisers are using hidden messages to advertise products and influence our purchasing ...

Video

Why is it useful to have a big bad wolf character in stories?

Watch this clip to hear Andy Griffiths explain why it's good to have villains in stories. How can the "big bad wolf" character help to move the story along? Think about some of the stories you've read lately. Which characters were the "big bad wolf" characters and what did they add to the stories? 

Audio

Heywire: Inspirational Teens

Have you ever made a big contribution to your local community? Heywire is a national competition that assists young people to make a difference in rural communities. Bridie Johnstone from Woodend, Victoria, was a finalist of the 2012 Heywire storytelling competition for young people. Listen to how she is using music to ...

Video

What do you call someone who plays a flute?

What do teenage writers Noa and Francis love about writing? Do you love writing for similar reasons? Or for different ones? Francis says that practice makes perfect when it comes to writing. He also says that thinking won't make you a better writer, writing will. Noa says that reading more has helped her improve her writing. How?

Video

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!

Video

Interviews With Australian 10 Authors, Ch 3: Michael Gow's Australian classic

According to Gow, his play Away became an Australian classic ‘accidentally'. In this interview, he talks about the way he overlays the context of the Vietnam War and the rise of materialism with the themes of coming of age and accepting the death of a child to create a play that is powerful and complex.