Alanah

Bresnehan

Student No. 212210385

ECL310

Part 1: The three sequences (1000 words)

Introduction
The sequences is focussed on grade six students where they will be exposed to a wide variety of curriculum priorities that will affect and
enable them to be knowledgeable in complex environment, social and economic pressures (MCEEYA. 2008, pp. 5). The sequence allows for
students to connect to English, information and communication technology (ICT), critical and creative thinking, and ethical understanding
capabilities. These ethical capabilities can include priorities from civics and citizenships and, Asia and Australias Engagement with Asia strands,
which emphasize students, are part of a world where people, environments, economics and politics are inextricably linked, and where
dislocation and change is accelerating a strong sense of personal identity (VCAA, 2012). With the reoccurring issues of refugees and the use of
diary entries and blog post students will be able to interact with the priorities on a multimodal level. The sequence then works with students
[to] learn about and recognize the diversity within and between the countries of the Asia region (ibid.). These will be used in a variety of skills
throughout frontloading and explicit teaching lessons as students will make inferences, prediction, construct meaning from text and establish
narrative through different text structures. Using multimodal platforms such as books, videos, blogs, iPad applications and debate students will
have a firm understanding of the themes and issues formed throughout the book.

Sequence 1: Frontloading
Teaching Focus/Foci:

Predicting what the text is about and the themes through the use of the front, back and blurb of the text.

Students will determine their prior knowledge of the migrants and refugees in Australia.

Alanah Bresnehan

Student No. 212210385

ECL310

Combining text-to-self and text-to-world inference based on the front, back, blurb and also pages within the book, without having read
it first.

Students to explain the point of view of the book and the reasons of why it may be in a diary form

Lesson Number:

Whole Class Activity:

Follow on activities Either small group

Resources for that lesson:

or independent
1. Inferences about

Teacher will show a picture to the Students will be active in a floorstorming

Whole Class Image (Appendix 1)

images from

class and ask them what do they

exercise where they are asked to look at

Images for each of the groups (Appendix 2)

book and media.

think the image means?. Once

2 images about refugees (refer to

K-W-L Chart (Appendix 3)

students have discussed and have Resources to see the images). Students

Adapted from the MyRead website in

AusVELS links:

some ideas about the image the

frontloading activities (AGDEST, 2002)

ACELY1713

teacher will split the students into state what they know about these

(Appendix 8)

equal groups.

will have to use their prior knowledge to

images in a K-W-L chart.

2. To predict ideas,

As a class students will make a

Students will be working on a concept

K-W-L Chart (Appendix 3)

themes and

large brainstorm with the teacher map on iPads, with the topic being the

Mind Mapping applications on iPad or computer

characters that

guiding the class in thinking of

books title and authors. Students should

maybe evident

aspects of the Home and Away

be looking at the Who, What, When,

can include:

Alanah Bresnehan

Student No. 212210385

within the book

(Marden and Ottley, 2008)

Where and Why inferences with

o Coggle

through cover

Teacher should be helping

constant references back to the K-W-L

o Popplet

features using

students create discussion on

chart.

prior knowledge

expectations of a text based on

and knowledge

cover and title (Winch et al.

learnt from

2012, pp. 101).

previous lesson.

ECL310

AusVELS links:
ACELT1613
(Appendix 8)
3. Looking at the

Students will watch the video

Students work in pairs about come up

media that

Former Child Refugees (ABC

with answers to questions on the board.

YouTube Video:

Former Child Refugees featured on Newsline

publish stories of News for Australia Network,

(Appendix 7)

(ABC News for Australian Network, 2013)

refugees and

2013) on children refugees now

Once the pairs have come up with

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYXR4dZkb5

looking at their

living in Australia. The teacher

answers students will join with another

feelings and

should stop the video at 5

group and share answers. Teacher

inferences about minutes and 50 seconds.

should remind students to think of the

their

text features they have discussed before.

experiences.
AusVELS links:

Alanah Bresnehan

Student No. 212210385

ECL310

ACELY1708
(Appendix 8)

Assessment:

Teacher listening to student discussion by students checking for understanding

K-W-L charts

Digitally made concept maps

Sequence 2: Explicit Instruction
1. Literacy Skill: Constructing meaning from text.
Introduction

Read the book Home and Away by John Marsden and Matt Ottley, examining the images and colours that reflect the
writing in the book. Ask students about their inferences of the book and also connections they have made through the
images and video they would have watched through frontloading lessons. Students are to focus on the images and the
emotions throughout the book by all characters in the point of view of the child. Students will discuss the meaning and
authors intention on creating a book.
AusVELS links:

ACELY1713

Alanah Bresnehan

Student No. 212210385

ECL310

ACELY1709

(Appendix 8)
Elaboration:

Comprehension: Teacher will work in reciting information from the books text, images and any other information
students have encountered while reading the book, through a True or False exercise.
Meaning: The teacher will facilitates the conversations students may have when discussing their beliefs about the
meaning of the book and students will be encouraged to think about the authors message as well.
Supporting Arguments: The teacher will model a true or false statement that is open ended with two opposing side.
This will follow onto the lesson, as students will have to conduct a debate using evidence from the book and knowledge
from prior lessons on refugees.

Practice:

Think: Students divide into the class two opposing side, affirmative and negative. Using the Red Light and Green Light
activity (Appendix 5).

Review:

Share: After students have formed evidence and statements to acknowledge meanings from the book and constructing
valid arguments about these meanings through debate.

Resources:

Thinking Shortcuts Red Light/Green Light (White et al. 2006, pp. 112)

2. Literacy Skill:
Introduction

Teacher works on students on thinking about the point of view and the text structure of the book. Teacher should make
sure students understand that it is a diary form. Teacher should explain the narration used in first person, and the
hortatory exposition used to form emotion and form cause in an issue (Government of South Australia DECS, 2008, pg.

Alanah Bresnehan

Student No. 212210385

ECL310

3).
AusVELS links:

ACELA1518

ACELY1801

ACELT1618

(Appendix 8)
Elaboration:

Narrative: Teacher will get students to examine the key features of writing in diary form, for example:

Past tense

First Person

Narration of past event

Date

Informal or formal writing

These will be documented in on the SmartBoard and also through students note taking in required books. Students will
then use this with their K-W-L chart and the notes taken through the lesson.
Diary Entry: Teacher will begin with a story about a refugee written in third person (Appendix 4) projected on the
SmartBoard. The teacher will model and the information and inferences a student can make when writing their own
versions of other refugee stories provided by the teacher.
Practice:

Read: Students plan a set of diary entries through the development of key points in the text where they will have to add
emotions, feelings and thoughts they may have had coming to an unknown land.
Write: Students will then use the information extracted and created to form their own diary entries on the story of the

Alanah Bresnehan

Student No. 212210385

ECL310

refugee using the elements discussed in the elaboration stage of the lesson. Students may make up their own story and
use the story as an aid to help them.
Review:

Gallery Walk: Students leave their work on their desks and the students walk around the room to look at each others
interpretations of the expert stories. Students can also volunteer to read their work to students and teacher if they
wish.

Resources:

Personal stories by refugees to Australia (Refugee Council of Australia, 2014,

http://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/r/pro-ind.php)

Sequence 3: Developing a multimodal response
Once students have looked at the themes and structure of the text they will be asked to think about ways in which people reflect on the
events of their lives. Students will experience this form of writing further through the use of blogs. All technologies have to be read and
understood [for] the student to function effectively in the technological age (Winch et al. 2012, pp. 429) allowing for the students to work on
another multimodal response while using different text structures. The teacher will explain the ideas around blogs and communicating
experiences and information online. Through the week students will be given a set of tasks each lesson to place on their blog. These tasks will
include:

Collecting information on statistics of refugees and migrants in Australia and putting them into a report.

Creating a character profile of diary entry made in explicit lesson that outlines how the character now lives in Australia

An author biography of John Marsden and his influence in refugee activism

Write diary entries that correspond with the explicit lesson where students wrote a diary entry

Alanah Bresnehan

Student No. 212210385

ECL310

Write a blog post about what they have learnt about through the unit with references to there hard copy of their K-W-L chart

Teacher can set all or some of the tasks but students need to use research and
Assessment:

The blog will be used as a portfolio for the teacher to check for understanding of the themes, topics and writing structures used
throughout the unit.

The completion of the K-W-L chart

Marking rubric (Appendix 6)

Resources:

Kidblog (http://kidblog.org/home/) -Teacher can make an account and add each student with separate login details so the teacher can
see each post after completion in the lesson.

Part 2: Rationale (1000 words)
The aim of the sequence is to inform students of the every growing issue of refugees in Australia and also work through writing and reading
strategies. Through frontloading, explicit lessons and multimodal responses student can be given opportunities to make sense of the learning
by creating purposeful connections between lesson purposes, lesson tasks and texts, and lesson reviews or conclusions (DEST, 2002). Through
the sequence students are encouraged to make meaning of texts. By making meaning the students would form skills that will allow them to be
text participants that are concerned with what the text is saying in context of their own knowledge about the topic (Winch, 2012, pp. 39).

Alanah Bresnehan

Student No. 212210385

ECL310

Throughout the building of the sequence referral had to be constantly made to the teacher/learning cycle (Winch, 2012, pp. 135) where key
questions such as:

What can my students already do?

What do I want them to do next?

How will they learn this?

How will I know when theyve reached the new outcomes?

(ibid.)

Using this model allows teachers to look at assessment at a classroom level rather than a national curriculum level but still be an effective
decision making toolclosely linked to the content of the classroom program (Winch, 2012, pp. 134).
Using prior knowledge teachers delve into a students virtual schoolbags which includes a students knowledges, skills, capacities, language(s),
experiences and interests children already have and [a teachers role is] to think about the ways children might make use of these in learning
new practices (DETE, 2003, pp. 42). Through these lesson the teacher would be able to establish aspects of emergent features of literacy
[which] are its effect on the social organization and the supporting belief systems of the culture in which it develops (Watson & Badenhop,
1992, pp. 1). Through frontloading exercises a teacher can determine the level of understanding student have for a topic and also establish
inferences and prediction about the text. By using images and videos from media and mixing them with images from the book the lesson can
establish students to think about meaning within the text. Students work towards being a meaning maker as the lessons provide discussion
points that children can consider and respond to using evidence from text[s] to support their point of view (Hill, 2012, pp. 87). Using the K-W-L
chart adds to the learning of a topic, as students are able to instantly respond and teachers can use the product as an assessment form. The
lesson shapes up a process [which] builds background for further reading about more sophisticated and specialized topics (DEST, 2002). By

Alanah Bresnehan

Student No. 212210385

ECL310

using it at the beginning of a unit a teacher can measure the amount of prior knowledge their students have of the topic on a diagnostic and
formative assessment. By using the chart it provided diagnostic information about the particular learning of each student so that programs aid
teaching practices... designed to meet individual learning needs (Winch, 2012, pp. 133).

Through explicit teaching students can be exposed to a text and make meaning out of it through discovery of themes, emotions and motives
by the author. It can be used as a strategy instruction [to] embed targeted content planning and instruction to support students in making
connections among ideas in text (Ellery, 2011, pp. 13). Through the explicit lessons the students are to use the text structure and also the
themes within the book to create opportunities for meaningful interaction that motivate learners to engage with their learning (ibid.). These
lessons are designed to be continuous throughout the week as students can constantly refer back to their own writing, the text and also prior
learning through frontloading tasks. The teacher would model how to extract facts, inferences and former knowledge from a piece of text
relating to the subject. Winch explains this inquiry as critical literacy where it gives the language to explain and discuss literary multimodal
texts, their perspectives, ideologies and cultural contexts (2012, pp. 535) Students will plan and execute a piece of work that has been
influenced through educators exposing children to a diversity of texts from a diversity of points of view, and discuss openly any issues that
arise out of them (2012, pp. 656) allowing for a formative assessment that can be used as learning tool for both educator and student. These
tasks with the ideas around Academic Learning Time (Archer & Hughes, 2011, pp. 6) where students are engaged for only a small amount of
time during the day, for about 20% of allocated time or 50 minutes per day (ibid.). The MyRead website states that explicit teaching needs to
establish an element of this time during a lesson as a teacher has to intentionally prepare students for their learning, informs them of the
learning path and enables them to develop metacognitive strategies for knowing that learning has taken place (DEST, 2002) As the students
work through these lessons they need to be engaged and active in their own learning so the lessons should be worked towards this academic
learning time for students to have a fair and sound understanding on what the topics are focusing students on.

Alanah Bresnehan

Student No. 212210385

ECL310

The shift towards multiple, interlinked modes of communication is not very apparent in the archival world of school literacies, (Leung &
Street, 2012, pp. 105) has caused educators to connect with information technology throughout literacy. Throughout the sequence students
are exposed to these multimodal forms through the use of videos, iPad applications, images and websites. Getting students to look at different
elements of diary form structures they work through a response to the unit that is multimodal and also incorporates information technology.
The sequence is conducted by provoking good writing [which] is a recursive process of moving through different stages of composition
(Winch, 2012, pp. 399). The KidsBlog website allows for students to have a multimodal response as the screen may by one dimensional but
may provide interactivity in exciting and interesting ways (Winch, 2012, pp. 400). Students can add elements to the blog such as video, voice
recording, and even their own artwork if they scan it in to the computer. The teacher can use this as an archive of students work to establish a
form of summative assessment at the end of the unit to gage whether the students have completely understood the topic. As multimodality is
a concomitant of human communication (Leung & Street, 2012, pp. 107) students are encouraged to engage in an online journal that also
adds to a sense of creativity with the themes learnt in previous lessons.

References:
Anon, 2013. YouTube - Former Child Refugee Living in Australia.YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYXR4dZkb5k [Accessed
September 18, 2014].

Archer, A.L. & Hughes, C.A., 2011.Explicit Instruction: Effective and Efficient Teaching, New York: The Guilford Press.

Australian Government & Department of Education Science and Training, 2002a. MyRead Guide - Connecting Students To Learning Through Explicit
Teaching.MyRead -Strategies for teaching reading in middle years. Available at: http://www.myread.org/explicit.htm [Accessed September 19, 2014].

Australian Government & Department of Education Science and Training, 2002b. MyRead Guide - Frontloading.MyRead -Strategies for teaching reading in

Alanah Bresnehan

Student No. 212210385

ECL310

middle years. Available at: http://www.myread.org/guide_frontloading.htm [Accessed September 19, 2014].

Australian Government & Department of Education Science and Training, 2002. PowerPointing Narrative Guideposts.MyRead -Strategies for teaching
reading in middle years. Available at: http://www.myread.org/guideposts_powerpointing.htm [Accessed September 21, 2014].

Coggle Beta, Unleash your creativity.Coggle. Available at: http://coggle.it [Accessed September 18, 2014].

Department of Education Training and Employment & University of South Australia., 2003. Virtual school bags.Socio-economically Disadvantaged Students
and the Development of Literacies in School. A Longitudinal Study., 1.

Ellery, V. & Rosenboom, J., 2011.Sustaining Strategic Readers: Techniques For Supporting Content Literacy In Grades 6-12, United States: International
Reading Association.

Fenton, H., 2013. The elephant in the room: its immigration, not asylum seekers!Truth News Australia: going beyond the spin, deception and propaganda of
mainstream media. Available at: http://www.truthnews.com.au/archives/category/katters_australian_party [Accessed September 19, 2014].

Government of South Australia & Department of Education and Child Services, 2008.Common Genres in Senior Secondary Schooling: Structures and Some of
the Important Language Features,

Hels, 2011. ART and ARCHITECTURE, mainly.Blogster. Available at: http://melbourneblogger.blogspot.com.au/2011/03/asylum-seekers-and-refugees-
australias.html [Accessed September 23, 2014].

Hill, S., 2012.Developing Early Literacy: Assessment And Teaching, Australia: Eleanor Curtain Publishing.
Leung & Street, 2012. Multimodal Literacies and Assessment: Uncharted Challenges in the English Classroom. In English A Changing Medium For Education.
United Kingdom: Multilingual Matters Ltd.
Marsden, J. & Ottley, M., 2008.Home And Away, Australia: Lothian Childrens Books.

Ministerial Council on Education, 2008.Melbourne Declaration of Educational Goals for Young Australians,

Alanah Bresnehan

Student No. 212210385

ECL310

Panah, H.Y., 2013. Leave a reply Cancel reply.Law Office of Hamid Yazdan Panah. Available at: http://yazdanlaw.com/global-refugees-asylum-seekers-
numbers-hits-new-high/ [Accessed September 19, 2014].

Popplet, Popplet for School.Popplet. Available at: http://popplet.com [Accessed September 18, 2014].

Refugee Council of Australia, 2014. Personal Stories.Refugee Council of Australia. Available at: http://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/r/pro-ind.php [Accessed
September 18, 2014].

Schinella, N., 2013. Kevin Rudd and Refugees - Pissing People Off With Politics.Spultured. Available at: http://www.spultured.com/immigration-policy-piece/
[Accessed September 19, 2014].
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2012. Civics and Citizenship. AusVELS. Available at: http://ausvels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Civics-and-
Citizenship/Overview/Introduction [Accessed September 20, 2014]. ngIf: showCites

Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2012. Asia and Australias engagement with Asia. AusVELS. Available at:
http://ausvels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/CrossCurriculumPriorities/Asia-and-Australias-engagement-with-Asia [Accessed September 21, 2014].

White, D., White, S. & OBrien, K., 2006.DEEP Thinking: An Essential for Learning -A Handbook of Practical Teaching Strategies for the Thinking Classroom,
New South Wales: K. D. Publications.

Alanah Bresnehan

Student No. 212210385

ECL310