Year 8 Continuous Learning Program - Day 11 Period 6

Rationale
The aim of the Year 8 Continuous Learning Program is to equip students with the skills to be able to engage effectively in the
learning experiences and assessment tasks across the range of subjects offered in Middle and Senior School. Its focus is on
common learning attributes and skills that are transferable across all curriculum areas. This focus serves to not only establish
effective practices, but also to emphasise that the skills are not limited to one subject and are common across all learning.

Key Skills
Through engaging in this program, students will
Understand That:
Learning skills are transferable across the full range of
subjects.
Each individual has different character strengths and
ways of learning.
Knowledge and skills are not just specific to school
contexts, they transfer into the real world.
Successful responses to assessment involves
understanding the task, effectively planning and
research, skilful understanding and use of
communication methods, and the positive use of
feedback.

Be Able To:
Select and use appropriate skills to effective learn and
complete assessment.
Use their understanding of their own character
strengths and ways of learning to maximise their
learning and make effective changes to their learning
habits.
Deconstruct assessment tasks to gain a clearer
understanding of its requirements.
Interpret a range of text and visual sources to
understand their intent and meaning.
Use a range of research skills and sources to inquire
for assessment.
Communicate effectively using written and visual
techniques
Use feedback to make effective changes to work.

Lesson Overviews
Term 1
Lesson 1: Tuesday 9 February

Lesson 2: Monday 29 February

Lesson 3: Tuesday 17 March

FOCUS: How Do I Learn Best?

FOCUS: Breaking Down Assessment

FOCUS: Notetaking

Responsibility: CUA, SCR

Responsibility: SCR, GIM, HAB

Responsibility: BLA, HAB

Lesson 4: Wednesday 20 April

Lesson 5: Friday 13 May

Lesson 6: Wednesday 1 June

FOCUS: Referencing and Library Use

FOCUS: Using Sources and Making

Decisions

FOCUS: Study Workshop

Term 2

Responsibility: LAS, FRY, HAB

Responsibility: All

Responsibility: SCR, HAB

Term 3
Lesson 7: Tuesday 12 July

Lesson 8: Friday 29 July

FOCUS: Understanding Text

Sources

FOCUS: Creating Text

Responses

Responsibility: CUA, HAB

Responsibility: CUA, HAB

Lesson 9: Monday 22
August

Lesson 10: Tuesday 8

September

FOCUS: Creating Text

Responses

FOCUS: Effectively Using

Feedback

Responsibility: CUA, HAB

Responsibility: RIT, HAB

Term 4
Lesson 11: Wednesday 12 October

Lesson 12: Tuesday 1 November

Lesson 13: Friday 18 November

FOCUS: Understanding Visual Sources

FOCUS: Creating a Visual Response

FOCUS: Reflecting On Learning

Responsibility: SCR, HAB

Responsibility: SCR, HAB

Responsibility: All

Lesson Details
Lesson 1: Tuesday 9 February

Learn How
Best? Do I

FOCUS

GOALS
To develop an understanding of
multiple intelligences and character
strengths and how this can impact on
their academic and personal goals.

SUGGESTED LEARNING EXPERIENCES

Presentation about Multiple Intelligences and Character strengths
What are they? How do they impact on our learning?
Create own learner profile using Multiple Intelligences survey and
Character Strengths survey

Lesson 2: Monday 29 February

Down Break
ing

FOCUS

GOALS
To understand and break apart the
meaning of key assessment terms
(CCEs), unit concepts and assessment
tasks to facilitate improved academic

SUGGESTED LEARNING EXPERIENCES

Literacy / Numeracy Anticipatory Activity (Brad)
Mix and match CCE terms with their definitions (kinaesthetic card
game)
Demonstrate breaking down a common Year 8 assessment task or a

Lesson 3: Tuesday 17 March

Notet
aking

FOCUS

GOALS
To know how to effectively read and
take notes from sources to enhance
academic responses to tasks.

SUGGESTED LEARNING EXPERIENCES

Literacy / Numeracy Anticipatory Activity (Brad)
Explore and practice reading efficiently
o Surveying
o Skimming

Lesson 4: Wednesday 20 April

encin Refer
g and

FOCUS

GOALS
To know how to efficiently navigate the
JPC library and databases and ethically
use sources.

SUGGESTED LEARNING EXPERIENCES

Literacy / Numeracy Anticipatory Activity (Brad)
Explore the different ways information can be accessed through the
JPC library and databases.
Discuss the ethical implications of referencing / not-referencing.

Lesson 5: Friday 13 May

Work Study Sourc Using

shop
es

FOCUS

GOALS
To be able to use and interpret sources
to support and justify responses to
assessment.

SUGGESTED LEARNING EXPERIENCES

Literacy / Numeracy Anticipatory Activity (Brad)
Discuss the concept of a source Y chart / brainstorm
In groups, students are to create a source that depicts something
about 2016 (Can be created through drawing, playdough, craft

Lesson 6: Wednesday 1 June

FOCUS

GOALS
To use study strategies effectively for
learning and assessment.
Understand That:

SUGGESTED LEARNING EXPERIENCES

Literacy / Numeracy Anticipatory Activity (Brad)
Explore different strategies for exam preparation (Could be linked with
an upcoming assessment item) - Revision strategies, organising
information, study blocks, etc

Lesson 7: Tuesday 12 July

stand Under
ing

FOCUS

GOALS
To effectively interpret and critically
use text sources.
Understand That:

SUGGESTED LEARNING EXPERIENCES

Literacy / Numeracy Anticipatory Activity (Brad)
Detectives Activity: Read a short passage then respond true, false or
questionable to a statements about the story. Activity is done 3 times,
first individually, then as a pair, then as a class (Encourages literal

Lesson 8: Friday 29 July

Creating Text Responses

FOCUS

GOALS
To plan for an effective written
response.
Understand That:
Written responses require
adequate planning to ensure they
are appropriately structured and
clearly communicated.
Use of relevant and diverse
vocabulary can enhance a written
response.

SUGGESTED LEARNING EXPERIENCES

Literacy / Numeracy Anticipatory Activity (Brad)
Planning a response mind map, essay plans
Explore useful vocabulary - sentence starters, linking works,
concluding words, etc.
Structuring an effective paragraph

Lesson Format:
Start as a whole cohort in Wesley then separate into individual classes

Be Able To
Structure a clear, effective written
paragraph
Appropriate use a range of
vocabulary in a written response

Lesson 9: Monday 22 August

Text Creati
ng

FOCUS

GOALS
To clearly communicate a written
response.
Understand That:

SUGGESTED LEARNING EXPERIENCES

Literacy / Numeracy Anticipatory Activity (Brad)
Structuring an effective response
Review of responses from different faculties. Annotate sample
response focus on topic sentence, concluding sentence, evidence,

GOALS

SUGGESTED LEARNING EXPERIENCES

Lesson 10: Tuesday 8 September

FOCUS

Using Efect
ively

To positively view and effectively use

feedback to improve learning and
responses to assessment.

Literacy / Numeracy Anticipatory Activity (Brad)

Explore different methods of providing feedback
Annotate sample responses to provide feedback to others.
Review / provide feedback on different types of responses (written,

Lesson 11: Wednesday 12 October

on Refe Visua Creati stand Under

cting
l
ng
ing

FOCUS

GOALS
To be able to interpret the meaning
and motivation of visual sources.
Understand That:

SUGGESTED LEARNING EXPERIENCES

Literacy / Numeracy Anticipatory Activity (Brad)
Explore cartoons and artworks to gain an understanding of artist bias
and perspective.
Deconstruct and annotate an image as a class

Lesson 12: Tuesday 1 November

FOCUS

GOALS
To effectively communicate through
visual representation.
Understand That:

SUGGESTED LEARNING EXPERIENCES

Literacy / Numeracy Anticipatory Activity (Brad)
Explore different ways to communicate meaning visually (poster,
infographic, cartoon, etc)
Create an image to represent an opinion / point of view on a common

Lesson 13: Friday 18 November

FOCUS

GOALS
To review the successes and
challenges in learning this year and
make plans / goals for improvements
in Year 9.

SUGGESTED LEARNING EXPERIENCES

Literacy / Numeracy Anticipatory Activity (Brad)
Use multimodal tools to create a multimodal response about the
students own learning throughout 2016.