English / Year 6 / Literacy / Interpreting, analysing, evaluating

Curriculum content descriptions

Analyse how text structures and language features work together to meet the purpose of a text (ACELY1711)

Elaborations
  • comparing the structures and features of different texts, including print and digital sources on similar topics, and evaluating which features best aid navigation and clear communication about the topic
General capabilities
  • Literacy Literacy
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
ScOT terms

Text structure

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.

Interactive

Tristan Bancks

This resource is a series of videos featuring writer Tristan Bancks talking about his writing. Related resources and teaching notes are included.

Video

Narrative structure with Gary Crew

Listen as Gary Crew talks about the narrative structure of his book, Strange Objects. What are the reasons he gives for incorporating so many different sorts of texts (from newspaper articles to diaries and archeological reports) into his narrative?

Interactive

Cartoons

This resource is for Stage 3, Stage 4 and Stage 5 and introduces the purpose and features of cartoons. It includes information slides showing examples of different types of cartoons and interactive questions to test students' understanding of the content covered.

Interactive

Syllabus bites: Active and passive voice

A web page with information, teacher guides and activities on writing sentences using the active and passive voice. This resource supports the BOS NSW Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum in English K–10.

Text

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, ...

Video

Illustrated Books

This resource demonstrates a whole class art and literacy workshop where Year 5 and 6 students make illustrated books for a younger audience. The group devised a story and created illustrations inspired by a visit by to a zoo.

Video

A Terrible Shipwreck

This lesson plan was inspired by a painting of a multiple shipwreck on Deal beach in February 1870. Students will explore the factors that influence the readability of a piece of text and create a piece of writing in the style of a local newspaper for a defined audience.

Text

Showing a Movie in Class? Help Your Students Develop Active Viewing Skills

Use this lesson plan and worksheet to help your students practice their active viewing skills and to structure a film review, regardless of the film that they are viewing.

Text

Creative Writing

This lesson can be used to develop writing skills such as those used in news reports. It also aims to encourage students to assess the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing.

Text

The world of science and its powerful language

Part of this essay focuses on the specific text types used in Science and their features. There are particular text types that are used for different scientific purposes, and within each of those text types, there are particular grammars and language for different scientific purposes. Use this resource as support in teaching ...

Text

The shape of text to come

This webpage includes a sample chapter of the book ‘The shape of text to come’ that can be downloaded. The chapter focuses on strategies to teach multi-modal texts including a helpful schema of questions that will help and support students’ understanding of this genre.

Online

Cats, Dogs and Us: Education pack (years 5-6)

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 five student worksheets focusing on topics such as the physical characteristics ...

Text

Viewing and Representing

Reading/viewing requires students to construct meaning by interpreting the parts (images, symbols, conventions, context) that are related to the visual message and to understand not only “what” the text is saying but “how” the text works. Find prompts, assessment rubrics and other supporting elements.

Video

Dangers of wood smoke

Find out about some of the issues surrounding wood smoke and how to reduce its impact on the environment and our health. View this clip called 'Where there's fire, there's smoke', created by young reporters from Presbyterian Ladies College in Armidale, New South Wales. The clip was developed as part of the ABC Splash Live ...

Video

Andy Griffiths' tips for writing funny stories

Watch this video and learn how to write funny stories with tips from Andy Griffiths! What does he say is a good starting point? Why don't you try writing a story about a time something embarrassing happened to you? What does Andy say is the key to getting readers to enjoy your story and have a laugh?

Video

Young authors' creative writing advice

When you write, is there a particular piece of writing advice you keep in the back of your mind - something that helps you to write a better story? Watch these two students talk about the advice given to them that helps them to write better stories.

Text

Work sample Year 6 English: Responding to the news - Letter to the Editor

This work sample demonstrates evidence of student learning in relation to aspects of the achievement standards for Year 6 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 ...

Online

The ad campaign

This learning sequence invites students to analyse the 'Dumb Ways to Die' advertising campaign and how the key messages are communicated to the audience. Students then design a new iteration of the Dumb Ways to Die campaign, that could engage a young audience and provide messages about travel safety not covered by the original ...

Video

Migratory birds

Discover a program that builds awareness about Tasmania's shore birds. See how community involvement is helping to monitor their populations. View this clip called 'Migratory birds', created by young reporters from Circular Head Christian School, Tasmania. The clip was developed as part of the ABC Splash Live 'Making the ...