Activity Introduction
Quick summary: In this lesson, students will explore the concepts of denotation and connotation. They will read about the coward punches that sparked the campaign to rename the formerly known ‘king hit’ and reflect on the importance of language choice in how we view a person, event and situation.
The STOP the Coward Punch education package aims to spread awareness about the devastating effects of the coward punch on our community. This education package was developed by a team of experts, including a youth worker, education specialist and specialist teachers and references the latest research and laws on coward punches.
Learning intentions:
- Students understand the concepts of denotation and connotation
- Students understand the difference between a ‘king hit’ and a ‘coward punch’
- Students understand the importance of language choice on perception.
21st century skills:
Australian Curriculum Mapping
Content descriptions:
Year 7 English:
- Understand the way language evolves to reflect a changing world, particularly in response to the use of new technology for presenting texts and communicating (ACELA1528)
Year 8 English:
- Understand how conventions of speech adopted by communities influence the identities of people in those communities (ACELA1541)
Syllabus outcomes: EN4-2A, EN4-8D
General capabilities: Literacy, Ethical Understanding
Relevant parts of Year 7 achievement standards:
Students demonstrate understanding of how the choice of language features, images and vocabulary affects meaning.
Relevant parts of Year 8 achievement standards:
Students explain how language features, images and vocabulary are used to represent different ideas and issues in texts.
Topic: Social Issues
This lesson is part of the wider unit of work STOP the Coward Punch: English – Years 7 to 10.
Time required: 60 mins.
Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium – facilitate class discussion and explain background context to Coward Punch Campaign.
Resources required:
- ABC News Excerpt
- Device capable of presenting a video to the class
- Student Worksheets – one copy per student.
Related professional development: Strategies for Dealing with Aggressive and Violent Behaviours
Keywords: connotation, denotation, coward punch, king hit, power of words
Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.
