Dying To Live - What is Rhetoric?

Australian curriculum content descriptions: 

Year 7 English:

• Analyse and explain the ways text structures and language features shape meaning and vary according to audience and purpose (ACELY1721)
• Use comprehension strategies to interpret, analyse and synthesise ideas and information, critiquing ideas and issues from a variety of textual sources (ACELY1723) 

Year 8 English:

• Analyse and evaluate the ways that text structures and language features vary according to the purpose of the text and the ways that referenced sources add authority to a text (ACELY1732)
• Use comprehension strategies to interpret and evaluate texts by reflecting on the validity of content and the credibility of sources, including finding evidence in the text for the author’s point of view (ACELY1734) 

Syllabus outcomes: EN4-3B, ENLS-10B, EN4-2A, ENLS-5A, ENLS-6A, ENLS-7A

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. They 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.

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. 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.

Unit of work: Dying to Live – English – Year 7 & 8

Time required: 90 mins

Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium – facilitate class discussion

• Student Worksheets – one copy per student
• Web-enabled devices – at least one per pair
• Device capable of presenting a video with sound to the class
• Seed Discussion Organiser – printed, one per student
• Rhetorical Devices Factsheet – printed, one per student
• Article: Organ Donation ‘Opt Out’ Petition

• Communication
• Creativity
• Critical thinking
• Ethical understanding
• Social skills

Dying To Live is a documentary feature film that examines organ and tissue donation and transplantation in Australia through seven different stories that highlight the social, physical and emotional effects of being on the organ donor waiting list. The film also aims to dispel myths about organ and tissue donation while encouraging family conversations so that family members are aware of their loved ones’ donation intentions. Find out how to screen or view the film here.