The Oasis - Taking Action

Australian Curriculum content descriptions:

Year 9 English:

• Understand that roles and relationships are developed and challenged through language and interpersonal skills (ACELA1551)
• Identify how vocabulary choices contribute to specificity, abstraction and stylistic effectiveness (ACELA1561)
• Use interaction skills to present and discuss an idea and to influence and engage an audience by selecting persuasive language, varying voice tone, pitch, and pace, and using elements such as music and sound effects (ACELY1811)
• Plan, rehearse and deliver presentations, selecting and sequencing appropriate content and multimodal elements for aesthetic and playful purposes (ACELY1741)
• Create imaginative, informative and persuasive texts that present a point of view and advance or illustrate arguments, including texts that integrate visual, print and/or audio features (ACELY1746)
• Use a range of software, including word processing programs, flexibly and imaginatively to publish texts (ACELY1748)

Year 10 English:

• Refine vocabulary choices to discriminate between shades of meaning, with deliberate attention to the effect on audiences (ACELA1571)
• Use organisation patterns, voice and language conventions to present a point of view on a subject, speaking clearly, coherently and with effect, using logic, imagery and rhetorical devices to engage audiences (ACELY1813)
• Plan, rehearse and deliver presentations, selecting and sequencing appropriate content and multimodal elements to influence a course of action (ACELY1751)
• Create sustained texts, including texts that combine specific digital or media content, for imaginative, informative, or persuasive purposes that reflect upon challenging and complex issues (ACELY1756)
• Use a range of software, including word processing programs, confidently, flexibly and imaginatively to create, edit and publish texts, considering the identified purpose and the characteristics of the user (ACELY1776)

Year 11 English:

Unit 1

• using appropriate form, content, style and tone for different purposes and audiences in real and imagined contexts (ACEEN011)
• drawing on a range of technologies in, for example, research, communication and representation of ideas (ACEEN012)
• combining visual, spoken and written elements where appropriate (ACEEN013)
• using strategies for planning, drafting, editing and proofreading (ACEEN016)

Unit 2

• using imaginative, interpretive and persuasive elements for different purposes, contexts and audiences (ACEEN032)
• experimenting with text structures, language features and multimodal devices (ACEEN033)
• developing and sustaining voice, tone and style (ACEEN034)
• selecting and applying appropriate textual evidence to support arguments (ACEEN035)
• using strategies for planning, drafting, editing and proofreading (ACEEN036) 

Year 12 English:

Unit 3

• transforming and adapting texts for different purposes, contexts and audiences (ACEEN050)
• making innovative and imaginative use of language features (ACEEN051)
• sustaining analysis and argument (ACEEN053)
• using strategies for planning, drafting, editing and proofreading (ACEEN055)

Unit 4

• using appropriate language and stylistic features to sustain a personal voice and point of view (ACEEN069)
• using nuanced language (ACEEN070)
• synthesising ideas and opinions to develop complex argument (ACEEN071)
• substantiating and justifying their own responses using textual evidence (ACEEN072)
• using appropriate referencing, for example, footnotes, in-line citations and reference lists (ACEEN073)
• using strategies for planning, drafting, editing and proofreading (ACEEN074)

Syllabus Outcomes: EN5-3B, EN5-1A, EN5-2A, EN5-5C. 

General capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking, Ethical Understanding, Literacy.

Unit of work: THE OASIS – English

Time required: 120 minutes (plus time required to carry out each project)

Level of teacher scaffolding: High – facilitate discussion, oversee student projects and the coordination of student’s project exhibition.

• Student Worksheet – one copy per student OR computers/tablets to access the online worksheet
• Device capable of presenting a website to the class and access to THE OASIS documentary on Vimeo

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.