English / Year 4 / Language / Language variation and change

Curriculum content descriptions

Understand that Standard Australian English is one of many social dialects used in Australia, and that while it originated in England it has been influenced by many other languages (ACELA1487)

Elaborations
  • identifying words used in Standard Australian English that are derived from other languages, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, and determining if the original meaning is reflected in English usage, for example example ‘kangaroo’, ‘tsunami’,’ typhoon’, ‘amok’, ‘orang–utan’
  • identifying commonly used words derived from other cultures
General capabilities
  • Literacy Literacy
  • Intercultural understanding Intercultural understanding
ScOT terms

Language conventions,  Standard Australian English

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

Telestory - iTunes app

Create your own news broadcast, fun movie or your own themed TV shows using this video-creation tool. Videos can be saved in app or published via Telestory's moderated video channel 'ToonTube'. Free when reviewed 5/6/15.

Online

Teaching Reading and Viewing - Comprehension Strategies and activities for Years 1-9

This resource developed by the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority provides teachers with a collection of strategies and activities for developing students’ comprehension. It is a companion document to the series of guides on teaching reading and viewing. The strategies are listed alphabetically in the table ...

Interactive

Impressive impromptus

Do you think impromptu speaking is impossible? Learn how to captivate your audience and make the most of your speaking opportunities and how to deliver impressive impromptus.

Interactive

Making waves with Hokusai

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

Interactive

Endeavour to persuade

This resource is designed to guide Year 3 to Year 6 students in the art of persuasive writing, based on responses to information texts and their own research on specific topics. The information texts used in this resource were written as part of the commemoration of the visit of HMB Endeavour to Kamay Botany Bay in 1770. ...

Interactive

Design thinking across the curriculum

This cross-curriculum resource is designed to introduce Stage 2, 3 and 4 students to the design thinking process through a series of videos and interactive activities. This resource is also downloadable as a SCORM file: the downloaded version will only work if you upload it to a webserver, such as Moodle or Canvas.

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.

Interactive

World heritage: Kakadu information display

Look at descriptions of Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory. Help a park ranger to sort facts and pictures for an information display. Use a model structure, sample text and images to build a description for visitors. Include sections on the park's location, wildlife and cultural importance.

Interactive

Big battles!

Students explore music and dance through body percussion and singing as they learn the story of the unicorn and lion's big battle. They create a collage artwork using images of lions and unicorns that they can find.

Online

Literacy and Numeracy Pilot in low SES school communities

This teacher resource describes a pilot implemented in 76 public schools in Victoria, including primary, P-12, and secondary schools in two rural and regional and two metropolitan clusters. The pilot aimed to improve the literacy and numeracy of students in low socioeconomic status communities. This included new arrivals, ...

Online

Books in Homes Primary Programme

This teacher resource is about the Books in Homes Primary Programme, in which students in low socioeconomic status schools with limited access to books at home are provided with nine books of their choice per year. There are ten sections: Summary; Target student group; Method; Measures; Results; Lessons learned; Next steps; ...

Online

A whole-school approach in literacy and numeracy

This teacher resource describes the successful whole-school strategies implemented by 147 New South Wales schools to improve the literacy and numeracy of students, particularly those not achieving national minimum standards. Organised in nine sections: Summary; Target student group; Method; Results; Next steps; Lessons ...

Interactive

Patrick Brennan: the legend of Ned Kelly

Play the role of a reporter in 1881. Produce a feature article for a newspaper about the life of Ned Kelly. Review a brief history. Interview his friends and enemies. Gather evidence of social and political influences that affected Ned Kelly’s life. Compile an article that explores the myth and decide whether Ned Kelly ...

Interactive

Wonderful words, creative stories: space

Add descriptive words to two simple sentences about a rocket and an astronaut to make the sentences more interesting. Try out different descriptive words in each sentence. Notice how your choice of words affects the animated images in each sentence. Use your two lively sentences as the start and end of an imaginative story. ...

Online

Taronga Zoo - Wild Australia: iPad app

This iPad app is designed for Stage 2 students to use while on excursion in the Wild Australia area in Taronga Zoo Sydney and at the Taronga Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo. Students create a field report from observations and can email and review their editable summary poster for further study back at school. The app has intuitive ...

Text

Focus on China: Cross Curriculum Connections in Primary Schools

Ideas and resources that connect the learning of Chinese language with other learning areas.

Text

Focus on Japan: Cross Curriculum Connections in Primary Schools

Ideas and resources that connect the learning of Japanese language with other learning areas.

Interactive

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 ...

Text

Through a child's eye: an especially joyous exhibition of mandalas

This is a presentation of seven slides displaying a small exhibition of children's stories, related drawings and background information about mandalas. The stories and drawings illustrate selected fables as an expression of Buddhist teachings. The presentation was created as a result of an art project to commemorate the ...