Activity Introduction
Quick Summary: This lesson incorporates clips from Blue The Film as learning inspiration. In this finding out lesson, students will use visible thinking routines to respond to visual stimulus on the impact of plastic on seabirds. They will begin to learn about how images communicate meaning. They will enhance their understanding of poetry and the significance of word choices that communicate meaning in a poem about seabirds produced as part of Blue The Film. Students develop their skills in selecting language and vocabulary that creates meaning to draft and publish their own found poem.
Blue is a feature documentary film charting the drastic decline in the health of our oceans. With more than half of all marine life lost and the expansion of the industrialization of the seas, the film sets out the challenges we are facing and the opportunities for positive change. Blue changes the way we think about our liquid world and inspires the audience to action. Find out how to screen or download the film here. Along with the film is an ambitious global campaign to create advocacy and behaviour change through the #oceanguardian movement. To become an ocean guardian, see the website.
Learning intentions:
- Students learn how poetic devices, especially careful word choice and sound techniques and rhyme can be used to engage audiences and enhance meaning in creative texts.
- Students learn how the experiences of shorebirds/seabirds are being impacted by human activity and waste.
21st century skills:
Australian Curriculum Mapping
Content descriptions:
Year 7 English
- Understand, interpret and discuss how language is compressed to produce a dramatic effect in film or drama, and to create layers of meaning in poetry, for example haiku, tankas, couplets, free verse and verse novels (ACELT1623)
- Experiment with text structures and language features and their effects in creating literary texts, for example, using rhythm, sound effects, monologue, layout, navigation and colour (ACELT1805)
Syllabus outcomes: EN4-1A, EN4-4B
General capabilities: Literacy, Critical and Creative Thinking.
Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability.
Relevant parts of Year 7 English achievement standards: Students demonstrate understanding of how the choice of language features, images and vocabulary affects meaning. They understand how the selection of a variety of language features can influence an audience. Students create texts showing how language features and images from other texts can be combined for effect. They make presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, using language features to engage the audience.
Topic: Blue The Film, Ocean Conservation, Water, Sustainability.
Unit of work: Blue The Film – English – Year 7 & 8.
Time required: 90 mins.
Level of teacher scaffolding: Low – lead students in discussion.
Resources required: Student Worksheet – one per student. Device capable of presenting a clip to the class. Lesson Presentation, Seabirds Stimulus Images sheet, Poetic Devices Glossary, Ode to Seabirds Poem, Marine Debris Factsheet, Found Poem Example, Found Poem Instructions, Shorebirds Factsheet.
Keywords: Blue The Film, ocean conservation, marine ecosystems, shorebirds, sea birds, plastic, poetic devices.
Cool Australia and Northern Pictures would like to acknowledge the generous contributions of GoodPitch² Australia, Shark Island Institute, Documentary Australia Foundation, The Caledonia Foundation and Screen Australia in the development of these teaching resources.
Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.
© 2017 Northern Pictures and Cool Australia
Teacher preparation
