Teaching sequence

20 minutes

Part A: Watch, Read and Discuss

20 minutes

Part B: Synthesis of Information

50 minutes

Part C: Writing Task

Part A: Watch, Read and Discuss

Step 1

As a class, watch the following video. It includes details about the process of manufacturing Australian-made recycled paper. The video is also on the Student Worksheet and can be watched individually.

GOING BUSH SPECIAL EDITION The Recycled Paper Journey: Closing the Loop (https://vimeo.com/245474142)

Step 2

After watching the video, use the diagram below to guide a class discussion to help students understand the steps of the paper recycling loop.

Use these questions to start a class discussion:

What does “closing the paper recycling loop” mean?
If people don’t use recycled paper could the loop still be closed?

Part B: Synthesis of Information

Step 1

Guide students to extend their understanding of the immediate, middle and long-term effects of closing the recycling loop. They can illustrate their understanding using the Ripple Effects diagram (below). Students should aim to note down four immediate effects of closing the paper recycling loop, then the flow-on (or ripple) effects of each.

Prompt students to extend their thinking beyond the diagram. This requires students to be aware of trees as the traditional source for the pulp used in paper manufacturing. You could refer to the Closing the Recycled Paper Loop - Factsheet to extend students' understanding of the environmental implications of traditionally manufactured paper.

Step 2

Once students have completed their Ripple Effects diagram, ask them to share their thoughts with a partner. Extend this initial sharing to a class discussion so that students can connect ideas and add to their own diagrams.

Part C: Writing Task

Step 1

Assign 40 minutes for students to complete the NAPLAN-style narrative writing task (details provided on the Student Worksheet).

Step 2

Once complete, ask students to exchange their writing with a partner (more than once if time allows) and read for 10 minutes. Guide students to provide feedback in a positive way. Encourage students to structure their feedback according to the table on the Student Worksheet.

Alternatively, use your preferred method to share students’ work.

*This lesson plan is not an officially endorsed publication of NAPLAN’s creators and administrators – the ACARA body – but is designed to provide practise for the Australian Curriculum’s compulsory NAPLAN testing scheme.

Additional teacher information about NAPLAN

The following information about narrative writing has been extracted from the National Assessment Program website which is designed to support the teaching of literacy in schools. To view this text in its original form, please click here.

“Narrative writing tells a story. Narrative text types include, for example, short stories, fairy-tales, fables and myths. They can take a variety of styles including adventure stories or mysteries. Stories can be realistic or imaginative. Many story writers base their stories on real life events. The main purpose of a narrative is to entertain a reader, but stories can also contain a universal theme or moral, or teach the reader a lesson.
A NAPLAN narrative writing test requires students to write a complete story that has an orientation, a complication and a resolution. These are sometimes called the beginning, middle and ending. Each of these structural components serve a function.
An orientation (or beginning) sets the scene and introduces the characters in the story. It lets the reader know what the story is going to be about.
The building up of a complication (or middle) is usually the largest part of the story. It is made up of a series of events that presents a problem or conflict that needs to be solved. The problem, often in the form of an obstacle that needs to be overcome, introduces tension or excitement into the story. The problem or complication needs a response from the main character in the story that leads to the resolution.
The resolution (or ending) brings the story to an end. It lets the reader know how the problem was solved or sometimes, in more sophisticated stories, how it couldn’t be solved and how the main characters deal with this.
Unlike other text types that have a definite order to their structure, the structure of a narrative can be very flexible. For example, a beginning writer is likely to use the beginning, middle and ending structure, in that order. However, some very experienced story writers may choose to begin with the resolution or ending and then tell the reader how this ending was arrived at by building the complication, and in the process of doing so will reveal the scene, characters and purpose of the story - the orientation.”

The table below summarises how marks are allocated in the narrative writing task:

Marking criterion	Description of narrative writing marking criterion
Audience	The writer’s capacity to orient, engage and affect the reader
Text structure	The organisation of narrative features including orientation, complication and resolution into an appropriate and effective text structure
Ideas	The creation, selection and crafting of ideas for a narrative
Character	The portrayal and development of character
Setting	The development of a sense of place, time and atmosphere
Vocabulary	The range and precision of contextually appropriate language choices
Cohesion	The control of multiple threads and relationships across the text, achieved through the use of grammatical elements (referring words, text connectives, conjunctions) and lexical elements (substitutions, repetitions, word associations)
Paragraphing	The segmenting of text into paragraphs that assists the reader to negotiate the narrative
Sentence structure	The production of grammatically correct, structurally sound and meaningful sentences
Punctuation	The use of correct and appropriate punctuation to aid the reading of the text
Spelling	The accuracy of spelling and the difficulty of the words used

For further information about how narrative writing is assessed in NAPLAN, please refer to the Narrative writing marking guide.

Differentiated activities

Provisions for learning support:

Students may require a reader/writer to assist them. They may also find it easier to write in a more specific style: e.g. diary entry or letter.

Extension activity:

Invite advanced students to construct a more complex text that develops the story's setting, which in turn influences the experiences of the protagonist.

Homework

Students could take their story home to share with their family, and use it as a starting point to discuss how to close the paper recycling loop.

National Recycling Week - Narrative Writing (NAPLAN)

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