Writing Course
Years 11 and 12

Words are the building blocks of literacy. Without the right words, students cannot think or articulate their ideas. Therefore the lesson sequence in Unit 1 is:

1. What is a literary device? Understand that literary devices in writing are like the special effects in movies. They are devices - things - that do something.
2. Access the TeacherTalk Senior Syllabus-aligned Glossary Of Literary Devices with definitions, examples, and simple English codes we call Eng-Codes®.
3. Learn to Eng-Code® classroom texts with literary devices to make learning visible.
4. Extract language from classroom texts, create a topic-specific language journal, and develop vocabulary.
5. Transform published language to make it your own.

Students gather vocabulary from their classroom texts and learn how to use this language to excel in academic writing. These skills transfer to life beyond the classroom, preparing students to communicate with confidence in any situation.

In Unit 2, we apply the skills learned in Unit 1 to comprehend texts, to hear an author's message, and craft a narrative response that excels with senior syllabus achievement standards.

The Australian curriculum is clear: a narrative is a story about a character who experiences a problem and resolves it in a way that makes a point and stimulates a response from the reader. In a narrative, the author's message (or student's point) is heard at the end. Therefore, the teaching sequence in Unit 2 is:

1. What is a narrative?
2. Gather plot ideas from literature and life.
3. Plan a powerful narrative using our curriculum-aligned scaffold that focuses students on the resolution - because that's where writers make their point.
4. Cast compelling characters and portray them using literary devices.
5. Scout for symbolic settings and portray them using literary devices.
6. Draft, mark & edit for success using the TeacherTalk student-friendly marking guide.

Each of these include a short sequence of lessons, tips to overcome common challenges, examples of successful student work, and plenty of practice, extension and analysis activities.