Blue - Communicating to Change Minds

Australian Curriculum content descriptions:

Year 9 English:

• Investigate how evaluation can be expressed directly and indirectly using devices, for example allusion, evocative vocabulary and metaphor (ACELA1552)
• Listen to spoken texts constructed for different purposes, for example to entertain and to persuade, and analyse how language features of these texts position listeners to respond in particular ways (ACELY1740)
• Plan, rehearse and deliver presentations, selecting and sequencing appropriate content and multimodal elements for aesthetic and playful purposes (ACELY1741)

General capabilities: Literacy, Personal and Social Capability, Ethical Understanding.

Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability.

Syllabus outcomes: EN5-1A, EN5-2A

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.

Unit of work: Blue The Film – English – Year 9&10.

Time required: 90 mins.

Level of teacher scaffolding: High – facilitate class discussion and assess student work.

• Student Worksheet – one per student
• Device capable of presenting a website to the class
• Persuasive Language Factsheet (one per student). Rhetorical Devices Factsheet (optional)
• Corporate Responsibility – Transcript
• How Do We Combat Our Plastic Addiction – Transcript

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

• Communication
• Empathy
• Social skills

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.