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Work sample Year 4 English- The spacey elephant

This work sample demonstrates evidence of student learning in relation to aspects of the achievement standards for Year 4 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 ...

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 ...

Video

What's With Poetry?, Ch 6: Why do we create poetry?

There are many reasons why you might write poetry. Maybe it's because you saw something beautiful and you want to share that feeling with others. Or maybe something funny happened to you on your way to school and you want to remember it. You don't have to be a creative genius to write poetry and you don't have to have the ...

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

Opinion Writing for Kids

This is a series of eight short videos for students on opinion writing. The series covers what is opinion writing; choosing a topic; making a plan; writing a draft: introduction, reasons and examples, conclusion; revising and editing.

Video

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 ...

Online

Activity: down with waste home challenge

This is a web resource that provides a student activity about waste reduction with a teacher guide describing the three key aspects of the activity: researching the environmental and social benefits of recycling and home composting and writing a short persuasive piece about reducing the waste sent to landfill; carrying ...

Online

Activity: make an energy saving book

This is a web resource about conserving energy that provides a student activity accompanied by a teacher guide. The activity requires students to each design a one-page document exploring an idea for saving energy, and then to combine their documents to create a class energy saving booklet. A student worksheet provides ...

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

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

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.

Video

Outback House: Aboriginal bush foods

Imagine leaving your home and travelling back over 150 years to live and work on an outback farm. Sixteen Australians take part in a reality TV show about life on Oxley Downs, a sheep station built to look and work like an 1860s station. Witness the excitement as two visitors from the local Wiradjuri nation arrive at the ...

Assessment

Year 4 history assessment - First contacts: A First Fleet story

This is an assessment package that uses the Year 4 Australian Curriculum history achievement standard to gather evidence about how well students have demonstrated what they know, what they understand and what they can do in relation to the topic 'First Contacts'. Students use historical sources to research the life of an ...

Online

Cats, Dogs and Us: Education pack (years 3-4)

This education pack is an International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) resource designed to build students' understanding about the special place domestic cats and dogs have in people's lives. The pack consists of a teaching guide, a student magazine and six student worksheets focusing on topics such as the physical characteristics ...

Video

To plan or not to plan

Different writers approach writing in different ways. Some just dive in with nothing but an idea, while others like Morris Gleitzman like to spend some time planning their story before writing. What's your writing style like? Discuss the pros and cons of both styles.

Video

How to write about what you love

Many of us enjoy writing when it is about something we care passionately about. Watch Lili Wilkinson describe her love of gardening and how she incorporated that love into her book, 'Green Valentine'. Can you think of something you care passionately about to create a story around?

Video

BTN: Daily bread

Do you eat bread? How often? Discover why bread has been important for human survival for thousands of years. Find out how to find the healthiest types of bread to eat. See how you can make your own bread at home.

Video

Messages in a book

When you write, is there a message you want to impart to your readers? Shamini Flint's Diary series, about a boy who is not very good at sports, has several messages for her readers. What are they?

Video

How to Build Stories, Ch 1: What is a story?

Stories are all around us and they're happening all the time. But what exactly is a story? Stories teach and explain things, create emotion and entertain us. Watch this wonderful video and find out more.

Video

Sally Rippin on authors and illustrators

Watch this clip to find out about the relationship between authors and illustrators. What role does the publisher play in this relationship? What does Sally Rippin say about the role of illustrations in books for young children?