Life After The Oasis - Homelessness in the Media

Australian curriculum content descriptions: 

Year 9 English:

• Analyse how the construction and interpretation of texts, including media texts, can be influenced by cultural perspectives and other texts (ACELY1739)
• Interpret, analyse and evaluate how different perspectives of issue, event, situation, individuals or groups are constructed to serve specific purposes in texts (ACELY1742)
• Use comprehension strategies to interpret and analyse texts, comparing and evaluating representations of an event, issue, situation or character in different texts (ACELY1744)

Year 10 English:

• 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)
• Identify and analyse implicit or explicit values, beliefs and assumptions in texts and how these are influenced by purposes and likely audiences (ACELY1752)
• Use comprehension strategies to compare and contrast information within and between texts, identifying and analysing embedded perspectives, and evaluating supporting evidence (ACELY1754)

Syllabus outcomes: EN5-8D, EN5-2A

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

Relevant parts of Year 9 achievement standards: Students analyse the ways that text structures can be manipulated for effect. They evaluate and integrate ideas and information from texts to form their own interpretations. They select evidence from texts to analyse and explain how language choices and conventions are used to influence an audience. 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.

Relevant parts of Year 10 achievement standards: Students develop and justify their own interpretations of texts. They evaluate other interpretations, analysing the evidence used to support them. Students create a wide range of texts to articulate complex ideas. They contribute actively to class and group discussions, building on others’ ideas, solving problems, justifying opinions and developing and expanding arguments.

Unit of work: Life After The Oasis – English

Time required:  90 mins

Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium – facilitate class discussion

• Student Worksheets – one copy per student
• Device capable of presenting a video to the class
• Handling Sensitive Topics And Controversial Issues Factsheet (Optional)
• Web-enabled devices (one per student) OR printed copies of articles linked in the lesson
• Chalk-Talk Prompts (printed, one set per group)
• Article: “A Mixed Bag Of Media On Homelessness” (one per student)

• Communication
• Critical thinking
• Empathy
• Social skills

This resource has been adapted from ‘Teaching Social Issues Through English’ developed with the English Teachers Association NSW and the ‘Youth Homelessness Matters Resource’ developed by Janice Atkin. You can find these resources here.