Activity Introduction
Quick Summary: This lesson incorporates clips from Blue The Film as learning inspiration. This lesson builds on the work from the previous lessons in the Blue: English – Year 9 unit, and acts as a capstone lesson for students to demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and skills in persuasion. Students will choose an issue from Blue The Film and synthesise their understanding of the written and spoken techniques of rhetoric and persuasion by researching, planning and drafting a short persuasive speech about an issue related to ocean change. Students will apply their knowledge and understanding by practising persuasive techniques and language choices, then provide each other with feedback for improvement.
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 will apply their understanding and skills in persuasion, with a focus on rhetorical devices, written language and verbal and non-verbal presentation.
- Students will learn that speaking and presenting persuasively requires the incorporation of language skills to ensure their communication is effective and engaging.
- Students will learn how persuasive writing and speaking is a useful way to communicate and inspire people to take action around important issues.
21st century skills:
Australian Curriculum Mapping
Content descriptions:
Year 9 English
- Use interaction skills to present and discuss an idea and to influence and engage an audience by selecting persuasive language, varying voice tone, pitch, and pace, and using elements such as music and sound effects (ACELY1811)
- Create imaginative, informative and persuasive texts that present a point of view and advance or illustrate arguments, including texts that integrate visual, print and/or audio features (ACELY1746)
- Review and edit students’ own and others’ texts to improve clarity and control over content, organisation, paragraphing, sentence structure, vocabulary and audio/visual features (ACELY1747)
- Plan, rehearse and deliver presentations, selecting and sequencing appropriate content and multimodal elements for aesthetic and playful purposes (ACELY1741)
Syllabus outcomes: EN5-1A, EN5-2A, EN5-3B.
General capabilities: Literacy, Critical and Creative Thinking.
Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability.
Relevant parts of Year 9 English achievement standards: Students analyse the ways that text structures can be manipulated for effect. They analyse and explain how images, vocabulary choices and language features distinguish the work of individual authors. Students select evidence from texts to analyse and explain how language choices and conventions are used to influence an audience. They listen for ways texts position an audience. Students understand how to use a variety of language features to create different levels of meaning. They demonstrate how manipulating language features and images can create innovative texts. Students create texts that respond to issues, interpreting and integrating ideas from other texts. They make presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, comparing and evaluating responses to ideas and issues. Students edit for effect, selecting vocabulary and grammar that contribute to the precision and persuasiveness of texts and using accurate spelling and punctuation.
Topic: Blue The Film, Ocean Conservation, Water, Sustainability.
Unit of work: Blue The Film – English – Year 9&10.
Time required: 120 mins.
Level of teacher scaffolding: High – facilitate class discussion and assess student work.
Resources required: Student Worksheet – one per student. Device capable of presenting a website to the class. Persuasive Language Factsheet. Rhetorical Devices Factsheet. Brace Map Template.
Keywords: Blue The Film, ocean conservation, marine ecosystems, rhetoric, plastic pollution, persuasive writing.
Cool Australia and Northern Pictures would like to acknowledge the generous contributions of GoodPitch, Documentary Australia Foundation, Screen Australia and The Caledonia Foundation 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.
Teacher preparation
