Activity Introduction
Subjects: English
Year Levels: 7 & 8
Topics: Leadership, resilience, hazard, disaster, Australia.
Teaching Time: 60 minutes+ (optional additional research task – at teacher discretion).
Quick summary: In this English lesson, students will commence by discussing the language (adjectives) used to describe specific traits, attributes and values that make a ‘good leader’. Through watching a documentary about Shane Fitzsimmons, NSW RSF Commissioner from 2007-2020, students will examine the importance of resilience and hope. Students will then have the option to focus on their local communities, identify local leaders, and craft an oral presentation explaining what makes their nominated person a ‘good leader’.
Learning intentions:
- Students will investigate various traits and values that make a good leader/s
- Students will appreciate the strength and resilience required to be a leader in a time of disaster
- Students will watch and analyse an episode of Australian Story and a clip from a documentary for leadership qualities
- Students will identify and explain the attributes of good leadership in their local community
- Students will understand their capacity as leaders in their communities.
21st-century skills:
Australian Curriculum Mapping
Content descriptions:
Year 7 English
- Reflect on ideas and opinions about characters, settings and events in literary texts, identifying areas of agreement and difference with others and justifying a point of view (ACELT1620)
- Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts, selecting aspects of subject matter and particular language, visual, and audio features to convey information and ideas (ACELY1725).
Year 8 English
- Explore the ways that ideas and viewpoints in literary texts drawn from different historical, social and cultural contexts may reflect or challenge the values of individuals and groups (ACELT1626)
- Create imaginative, informative and persuasive texts that raise issues, report events and advance opinions, using deliberate language and textual choices, and including digital elements as appropriate (ACELY1736).
Syllabus outcomes: EN4-8D, EN4-4B, EN4-8D, EN4-4B.
General capabilities: Literacy.
Relevant parts of Year 7 achievement standards:
Students explain issues and ideas from a variety of sources, analysing supporting evidence and implied meaning. They select specific details from texts to develop their own response, recognising that texts reflect different viewpoints. They listen for and explain different perspectives in texts.
Students create structured and coherent texts for a range of purposes and audiences. They make presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, using language features to engage the audience. When creating and editing texts they demonstrate understanding of grammar, use a variety of more specialised vocabulary and accurate spelling and punctuation.
Relevant parts of Year 8 achievement standards:
Students interpret texts, questioning the reliability of sources of ideas and information. They select evidence from the text to show how events, situations and people can be represented from different viewpoints. They listen for and identify different emphases in texts, using that understanding to elaborate on discussions.
Students interpret texts, questioning the reliability of sources of ideas and information. They select evidence from the text to show how events, situations and people can be represented from different viewpoints. They listen for and identify different emphases in texts, using that understanding to elaborate on discussions.
Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium – the teacher is required to facilitate discussion and encourage students to reflect on particular ideas outlined.
Resources required:
- A device capable of presenting a video to the class OR devices and headphones to watch a video independently
- Student Worksheets – one copy per student.
Keywords: Leadership, Black Summer, Shane Fitzsimmons, oral presentation, resilience, strength, bravery, bushfires, character traits, community, attributes.
Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.
