Life After The Oasis - Tuning In to Homelessness

Australian curriculum content descriptions: 

Year 9 English:

• Listen to spoken texts constructed for different purposes, for example, to entertain and to persuade, and analyse how the language features of these texts position listeners to respond in particular ways (ACELY1740)
• Apply an expanding vocabulary to read increasingly complex texts with fluency and comprehension (ACELY1743)
• 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:

• Identify and analyse implicit or explicit values, beliefs and assumptions in texts and how these are influenced by purposes and likely audiences (ACELY1752)
• Choose a reading technique and reading path appropriate for the type of text, to retrieve and connect ideas within and between texts (ACELY1753)
• Use comprehension strategies to compare and contrast information within and between texts, identifying and analysing embedded perspectives, and evaluating supporting evidence (ACELY1754)

Syllabus outcomes: EN5-1A, EN5-2A, EN5-8D, EN5-6C.

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

Relevant parts of Year 9 achievement standards: Students evaluate and integrate ideas and information from texts to form their own interpretations. They listen for ways texts position an audience. Students create texts that respond to issues, interpreting and integrating ideas from other texts. They contribute actively to class and group discussions, comparing and evaluating responses to ideas and issues.

Relevant parts of Year 10 achievement standards: They develop and justify their own interpretations of texts. They evaluate other interpretations, analysing the evidence used to support them. They listen for ways features within texts can be manipulated to achieve particular effects. 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:  60 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)
• Agree/Disagree Posters
• Homelessness Australia’s “Homelessness In Australia” Factsheet, A National Report Card On Youth Homelessness (For extension only)

• Communication
• Critical thinking
• Empathy
• Ethical understanding
• 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.