English / Year 10 / Literature / Responding to literature

Curriculum content descriptions

Reflect on, extend, endorse or refute others’ interpretations of and responses to literature (ACELT1640)

Elaborations
  • determining, through debate, whether a text possesses universal qualities and remains relevant
  • presenting arguments based on close textual analysis to support an interpretation of a text, for example writing an essay or creating a set of director’s notes
  • creating personal reading lists in a variety of genres and explain why the texts qualify for inclusion on a particular list
  • reflecting upon and asking questions about interpretations of texts relevant to a student’s cultural background
General capabilities
  • Literacy Literacy
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
  • Personal and social capability Personal and social capability
ScOT terms

Personal responses,  Reasoning

Video

First Tuesday Book Club: Navigating 'Cloud Atlas'

Some authors like to take readers on a journey, none more so than David Mitchell, the author of 'Cloud Atlas'. His novel is a complex tale that attempts to weave together six different narratives over a period of hundreds of years. Join in this discussion and find out if he succeeds. This clip is the second in a series of two.

Video

First Tuesday Book Club: The power of one book to captivate Australia

Bryce Courtenay's novel 'The Power of One' has sold millions of copies worldwide. But just how did a debut novel, set in South Africa and written by a South African author, end up on the list of '10 Aussie books to read before you die'? Find out more in this clip.

Video

Jennifer Byrne Presents: Should some YA novels be banned?

Ever since Mark Twain's 'Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' was published in 1884, books for teenagers have come under close scrutiny by adults concerned about their appropriateness for younger audiences. Why are some adults so worried about what teenagers read? Are they right to be concerned? Explore the tricky topic of censorship ...

Video

Radio National: Is the Great Gatsby 'tilting at windmills'?

Intertextuality is about the process of making connections, either consciously or subconsciously, and can shape the way we interpret a text. In this audio clip, explore the intertextual link between two classic novels: 'The great Gatsby' by F Scott Fitzgerald and 'Don Quixote' by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. This clip ...

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.

Video

First Tuesday Book Club: The Australianness of 'Cloudstreet'

Could 'Cloudstreet' be the great Australian novel? Jennifer Byrne, Peter Garrett, Mem Fox, Marieke Hardy and Jason Steger discuss Tim Winton's novel, trying to pinpoint just what makes it a classic example of modern Australian writing. This panel discussion is aimed at people who have already read 'Cloudstreet'.

Text

Perspective in war poetry

Perspective shapes what we see in the world and the way we see it. Students will read/ listen to two poems composed in different contexts and examine how the perspective of the composer is captured through their use of language, imagery, other poetic devices. They consider the fact that perspective includes the values that ...

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Core Concepts in English

The videos, posters and support information on this set of webpages support students from a range of year levels to understand the textual concepts in English. Find posters and student-friendly videos that define genre, intertextuality, literary value, style, character development, imagery and many others. They have been ...

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Planning, programming and assessing English 7–10

Find comprehensive units of work, planning templates and other support resources for students in Stage 4 and 5 (years 7, 8, 9 and 10) of the curriculum. The resources have been created to support the New South Wales English K–10 Syllabus (NESA 2022). However, they may be useful to teachers from other states and territories ...

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English concepts: Visual Representation Posters

These posters are designed to support students in a range of year levels to understand the textual concepts in English. Find posters that define genre, intertextuality, literary value, style, character development, imagery and many others. They have been designed to initiate discussion, challenge thinking, and deepen understanding. ...

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Syllabus requirements planner – Stage 5

This sample syllabus requirements planner is aligned to the New South Wales English K–10 Syllabus (NESA 2022). This planner identifies key requirements for planning and implementing the Stage 5 (Years 9 and 10) English syllabus. It may be useful to teachers from other states and territories for comparative purposes in planning ...

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Sample scope and sequence – Year 10

This sample scope and sequence for Year 10 is aligned to the New South Wales English K–10 Syllabus (NESA 2022). It may be useful to teachers from other states and territories for comparative purposes.

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Novel voices

Through this resource, students will engage with a novel to explore how authors use narrative conventions to represent ideas and shape meaning. As they study the teacher-selected novel, students deepen their understanding of how elements of prose fiction and point of view can be used to influence a reader’s response to ...

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Exploring the speculative

Students investigate speculative fiction, its evolution and how changes in the genre can reflect changing values. They analyse and discuss the ways that writers of speculative fiction use and manipulate language to convey thematic messages in their texts. Students deepen their understanding of authorial intent and reflect ...

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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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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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Staging Shakespeare: How do you stage a comedy scene?

In this lesson, students will explore the nature of comedy by informally staging the opening scenes from William Shakespeare’s play, As You Like It. Students will apply a variety of stylistic approaches to stage scenes from the play, then perform for an audience.

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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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Bran Nue Dae: Unit of work

This unit of work has been written to support the script of Bran Nue Dae which includes themes of belonging, coming of age, displacement, First Nations experiences and identity. It would also provide some support for use of the film of this text. This unit provides practical teaching ideas, an assessment task and an essay ...

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The Boat: Unit of work

This unit of work has been written to support the short story collection The Boat. Identity is a significant theme along with definitions of place, concepts of home, emotional and geographical dislocation, and trust. This unit provides practical teaching ideas, an assessment task and an essay by Catherine Cole