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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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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Seahorse: Unit of work

This unit of work has been written to support the book Seahorse. The book Seahorse is an adventure about family, traditions and being truly appreciative for the luck and opportunities that come along the way. This unit includes practical ideas for using this book in your classroom.

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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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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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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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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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Henry Lawson the Poet

Students study one poem by Henry Lawson in depth, investigating a range of language forms and features, before illustrating their poem to reflect the imagery portrayed in the words, and reciting their poem to the class. This activity is supported by resources (photographs, video and textual records) from the State Library ...

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TrackSAFE Education Primary School Resources: Year 5 and Year 6 English

This unit of work focuses on the influences that impact on safe behaviours in and around tracks, platforms and trains. Guided activities build students' rail safety vocabulary including grammar and word building. Modelled writing activities support students to shape a research-based inquiry investigating factors that impact ...

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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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Painting pictures with words

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

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Perspectives on Kamay

This resource explores the perspectives of the Aboriginal people of Kamay Botany Bay and the men aboard the HMB Endeavour upon their meeting in 1770. It will also help students to understand the history of Australia's Aboriginal peoples and why their stories of the past are equally important to hear. Note to Aboriginal ...

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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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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.

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Shaun Tan's The Lost Thing

This is a very rich resource for students from the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI), which gives them an insight into the art of Shaun Tan through a focus on both the book and the film of The Lost Thing. The content focuses on aspects of storytelling, including themes, techniques, forms and language, visual, ...

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Characters as friends

Do you agree with Morris Gleitzman when he says that characters you create are like friends? How hard do you think it is to put your characters through difficult situations and make them suffer if you feel this way?

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Creating a reading culture in a school community

This teacher resource describes how Proserpine State School in Queensland successfully responded to the need to improve student outcomes, especially in the area of reading, by implementing a whole-school approach that encouraged students to read more, and more widely. The resource is presented in eight sections: Summary; ...

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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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Can We Help?: Word histories: how extraordinary!

Words can change over time and so can their meanings. The word 'extra' broke away from other words to become a word on its own. Professor Kate Burridge explains how this impacts on words like 'extraordinary'. She also explains the origins and meanings of the words 'hearse' and 'rehearse''.