Unit Plan Template

Unit Title:
Comparing texts: Arguing a point of view
Curriculum focus: Year level:
English 4/5/6
Australian Curriculum Descriptors:
Language
Text Structure and Organisation
• Understand how authors often innovate on text structures and play with language
features to achieve particular aesthetic, humorous and persuasive purposes and
effects (ACELA1518)
• Understand that cohesive links can be made in texts by omitting or replacing
words (ACELA1520)
• Investigate how vocabulary choices, including evaluative language can express shades of
meaning, feeling and opinion (ACELA1525)

Literature
Responding to literature
• Analyse and evaluate similarities and differences in texts on similar topics, themes or
plots (ACELT1614)
• Identify and explain how choices in language, for example modality,
emphasis, repetition and metaphor, influence personal response to different
texts (ACELT1615)

Literacy
Interpreting, analysing, evaluating
• Analyse how text structures and language features work together to meet the purpose of
a text (ACELY1711)
• Analyse strategies authors use to influence readers (ACELY1801)
Creating Texts
• Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts, choosing and
experimenting with text structures, language features, images and digital resources
appropriate to purpose and audience (ACELY1714)
• Re-read and edit students’ own and others’ work using agreed criteria and explaining
editing choices (ACELY1715

General Capabilities this unit includes:

• Ethical Understanding
• Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
Achievement Standards

Receptive modes (listening, reading and viewing)

By the end of Year 6, students understand how the use of text structures can achieve
particular effects. They analyse and explain how language features, images and vocabulary
are used by different authors to represent ideas, characters and events.
Students compare and analyse information in different and complex texts, explaining literal
and implied meaning. They select and use evidence from a text to explain their response to
it. They listen to discussions, clarifying content and challenging others’ ideas.

Productive modes (speaking, writing and creating)

Students understand how language features and language patterns can be used for
emphasis. They show how specific details can be used to support a point of view. They
explain how their choices of language features and images are used.
Students create detailed texts elaborating on key ideas for a range of purposes and
audiences. They make presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions,
using a variety of strategies for effect. They demonstrate an understanding of grammar,
and make considered vocabulary choices to enhance cohesion and structure in their
writing. They use accurate spelling and punctuation for clarity and make and explain
editorial choices based on criteria.

Unit Objectives (knowledge and skills to be learnt):

The learners will know: The learners will be able to:

® The difference between a literary text
and an informative text.
® Language features are the features of
language that support meaning (for
example, sentence structure, noun
group/phrase, vocabulary,
punctuation, figurative language,
framing, camera angles). Choices in
language features and text structures
together define a type of text and
shape its meaning. These choices vary
according to the purpose of a text, its
subject matter, audience, and mode or
medium of production.
® Text structures can achieve particular
effects.
® Modality or emphasis is used to
influence reader response regarding a
text’s ability to communicate a
message about a topic of importance
® Identify and describes the main ideas in a
text
® Identifies language features
® Analysis and explain how language
features, images and vocabulary are
used by different authors to represent
ideas
® Compare and analysis information in
different and complex texts
® Selects and uses evidence from a text to
explain response to it
® Explain key similarities and differences
between different texts’ uses of text
structure, language and visual features
on similar topics and themes
® Writes a response
® Show how specific details can be used to
support a point of view
® Creates detailed texts elaborating on key
ideas for a purpose and audience.
® Demonstrates an understanding of
grammar, and makes considered
vocabulary choices to enhance cohesion
and structure in writing
® Uses accurate spelling and punctuation
for clarity and makes editorial choices
based on criteria
 ® Writes a coherent and well-structured
formal text that argues a point of view
within and across paragraphs
® Includes relevant information at the
starting points of sentences to
emphasise key points and ideas and
influence the reader
® Makes discerning choices in use of
subjective and evaluative language to
express opinion and convey a point of
view appropriate for purpose and
audience
Summative Assessment task:
To argue a point of view about the effectiveness of literary and informative texts in
conveying their message

Introductory:
Introduce summative assessment task.
Read literary text ‘Moon Bear Rescue’.
Lesson Analyse language features and text structure of ‘Moon Bear’.
sequence Use comparison template.
(Provide a
brief
summary 1.
of the Read informative text ‘Rescuing the Moon Bears’.
focus of Analyse language features and text structure.
each Use comparison template.
lesson)
2.
Analyse language features and text structure of Animals Asia website.
Identify the differences between the website and brochure.
Compare both informative texts with the Moon Bear narrative.

3.
Read and analyse literary text ‘The Lorax’.
Identify language features and text structure.
Students to fill in comparison template.

4.
Read and analyse informative text ‘Deforestation’
Identify language features and text structure.
Students to fill in comparison template.

5.
Language features of a persuasive text.
Shows how specific features support a point of view
Includes relevant information at the starting points of sentences to
emphasise key points and ideas and influence the reader
Makes discerning choices in use of subjective and evaluative language to
express opinion and convey a point of view appropriate for purpose and
audience
6.
Analyse the structure of a persuasive text.
Focus on TEEL.

7.
Students practice writing persuasive texts using TEEL

8.
Modal persuasive text based on The Lorax
Selects and uses evidence from the text to explain response to it.
Identify and explain key similarities and difference between texts.

9.
Plan, draft and edit

10.
Final copy