English / Year 10 / Literature / Engaging with and responding to literature

Curriculum content descriptions

evaluate the social, moral or ethical positions represented in literature (AC9E10LE04)

Elaborations
  • identifying and analysing ethical positions on a significant issue, including values and/or principles involved, and evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the position presented
General capabilities
  • Ethical understanding Ethical understanding
  • Literacy Literacy
ScOT terms

Country (First Nations Australians),  Culture,  Literature,  Beliefs

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Tomorrow, When the War Began: Unit of work

This unit of work has been written to support the novel Tomorrow, When the War Began. The novel explores responses of a group of teenagers to the realisation that their town (and surrounding region) has been invaded by an unknown foreign power. This unit provides practical teaching ideas and an assessment task.

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While The Billy Boils: Unit of work

Fifty-two of Henry Lawson’s stories and sketches, first published in newspapers and magazines from 1888 onwards, were gathered in the collection While The Billy Boils. This unit focuses on that collection of writing and provides practical teaching ideas, an assessment task and an essay by Peter Craven.

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Legendary Tales of the Australian Aborigines: Unit of work

This unit of work has been written to support the text titled Legendary Tales of the Australian Aborigines. David Unaipon created the original collection of stories, drawing from traditional Aboriginal stories from around South Australia including his own Ngarrindjeri people. This unit provides practical teaching ideas, ...

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Remember Ronald Ryan: Unit of work

This unit of work has been written to support the play Remember Ronald Ryan which is the human and political story of the last man to be executed in Australia. Find themes related to Australian identity, capital punishment, fate, justice, morality, redemption and social class This unit provides practical teaching ideas, ...

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Learning From Lyrics

In this lesson, students will research the lyrics of contemporary songs to analyse how social issues, are expressed through music and other art forms. Students will interpret song lyrics to create original art expressing the theme, issue, point of view, and/or facts from the song.

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Utopian Monologues

In this teaching activity, students are introduced to the idea of a “utopia”—an idealized society. Students will read Sir Thomas More’s Utopia and examine the concepts behind his vision of an ideal society. Students then compare the ideas in Utopia with those found in the Bill of Rights. They will then write and perform ...

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Creation Myth Play Scripts

In this lesson, students will explore different cultures’ supernatural explanations for human existence. Templates such as a Cultural Creation Myth Comparison Organizer are provided. Students will make comparisons between creation myths then write an original creation myth play script to perform for an audience.

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Art and Poetry

How are surrealist techniques applied in art and poetry? In this lesson, students will analyse poetic devices in the poems and images of the surrealist movement. They will learn about artists including André Breton, Robert Desnos, Salvador Dalí, and Joan Miró. Students will write original poems using surrealist techniques.

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The Arrival: Unit of work

This unit of work has been written to support the textless graphic novel The Arrival. The book draws its inspiration from tales of migrants in past and recent times. Find themes related to the Australian landscape, colonisation, connection to place, fear, identity, isolation, marginalisation and the migrant experience. ...

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Work sample Year 10 English: Essay on the Romantic poetry movement with visual representations

This work sample demonstrates evidence of student learning in relation to aspects of the achievement standards for Year 10 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 ...

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George Orwell’s '1984'

1984 is a novel by British author George Orwell, published in 1949. How has that period - the late 1940s - shaped the novel? What world event and its consequences led to Orwell writing such a dystopian novel? Professor Bowen claims the Senate House, formerly Ministry of Information, is the basis for the novel's Ministry ...

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Characters in Woolf's 'Mrs Dalloway'

Virginia Woolf's 'Mrs Dalloway' is set in London over a period of a single day in June 1923. What other novel, mentioned in this video, is set over a period of a single day? What might be the consequences of setting a novel over such a short period of time? Other than Mrs Dalloway, name an important character in the novel. ...

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Jane Austen: Expectations and aspirations of women

How liberated were the women in Jane Austen's novels? Were they encouraged to confront the social norms and gender roles of their times? Listen as Oxford University's Professor Kathryn Sutherland shares her thoughts on the aspirations and expectations of middle and upper class women in Ms Austen's works. This clip from ...

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Macbeth: Are you a man or a mouse?

Let's get inside the devious mind of Lady Macbeth! Bell Shakespeare's Kate Mulvany and John Bell explore the methods Lady Macbeth uses to manipulate her husband. This delightfully despicable character knows just which buttons to press! Listen in on the conversation with James Evans and see for yourself.

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Lady Macbeth: The power of deadly persuasion

After considering the matter carefully, Macbeth decides not to carry out the plan to murder King Duncan. Until, that is, he is persuaded to by his wife. Lady Macbeth is a fascinating character. Devoted wife or villainess? Watch this performance from Kate Mulvany and Ivan Donato of Bell Shakespeare to decide for yourself.

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First Tuesday Book Club: Navigating 'The Secret River'

Kate Grenville's multiple-award-winning novel 'The Secret River' explores an earlier period of Australian history. What is it that makes this novel so compelling and troubling for its many Australian readers? As you watch this clip, consider how this book encourages readers to re-evaluate their beliefs and values.

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First Tuesday Book Club: A moral minefield: Christos Tsiolkas's 'The Slap'

'The Slap', a novel from Australian author Christos Tsiolkas, created plenty of controversy when it was published. Why is it that some novels seem to stir people up more than others? Learn how the novel affected a group of panel members discussing popular Australian books.

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Jennifer Byrne Presents: Teen titles dominate! The YA publishing industry

The Young Adult, or YA, publishing industry has exploded in recent years. But what is driving this surge in novels for teenagers? Join a panel of YA writers as they explore why this once niche market has become a literary phenomenon.

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Jennifer Byrne Presents: Anything's possible

What are writers of Young Adult (or YA) fiction seeking to achieve? What obligations do they have to their audience, if any? In this clip, listen as four successful authors share their ideas on these things.

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Heywire: Presenting a point of view about marriage equality

Marriage equality is a controversial issue in Australia, one that has provoked media sensationalism, political rhetoric and heated arguments. Sometimes, however, quieter voices make their point amid all the furore. Explore the voice of Lochsley Wilson in his Heywire audio story.<br /><br />To talk with someone about anxiety ...