The Pursuit of a Dream - NAPLAN Style Persuasive Writing

Australian curriculum content descriptions:

Year 9 English:

• Interpret and compare how representations of people and culture in literary texts are drawn from different historical, social and cultural contexts (ACELT1633)
• 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)

Year 10 English:

• Make connections between students’ own experiences and those of characters and events represented in texts drawn from different historical, social and cultural contexts (ACELT1613)
• Analyse and evaluate how people, cultures, places, events, objects and concepts are represented in texts, including media texts, through language, structural and/or visual choices (ACELY1749)
• Create sustained texts, including texts that combine specific digital or media content, for imaginative, informative, or persuasive purposes that reflect upon challenging and complex issues (ACELY1756)

Syllabus outcomes: EN3-8D, EN5-1A, EN5-3B, EN5-8D

General capabilities: Literacy, Critical and Creative Thinking, Personal and Social Capability, Ethical Understanding

Relevant parts of Year 9 achievement standards: In creating texts, students 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 edit for effect, selecting vocabulary and grammar that contribute to the precision and persuasiveness of texts and using accurate spelling and punctuation.

Relevant parts of Year 10 achievement standards: Students show how the selection of language features can achieve precision and stylistic effect. They explain different viewpoints, attitudes and perspectives through the development of cohesive and logical arguments. They develop their own style by experimenting with language features, stylistic devices, text structures and images.

Unit of work: AFLW – NAPLAN preparation.

Time required: 90 mins.

Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium – some students will require support developing writing ideas.

• Student Worksheet – printed, one per student
• Device capable of presenting a video to the class
• Learning intentions and success criteria display
• Persuasive Language handout, printed, one per student

This lesson is designed to build students’ competencies in the following skills:

• Communication
• Community engagement
• Critical thinking
• Cultural understanding
• Empathy
• Ethical understanding

This lesson has been developed in conjunction with the AFLW in celebration of the advancement of women in sport and the promotion of equal opportunity for all people in all facets of life.