Anna De Corrado S00112894 1

UNIT OVERVIEW: COMPONENTS, EXPLANATION/DETAILS AND LEARNING

EXPERIENCES

COMPONENTS EXPLANATION/DETAILS LEARNING
EXPERIENCES
(provide the number)
Unit Orientation The unit begins with a journey of the
imagination, traveling to the Australian
desert. Students activate prior knowledge
through brainstorming, and are introduced
to the concept of adaptations through a
real-life observation of adaptations at
work!
1 - 2

Building knowledge of the
field
Throughout the unit students access a
range of texts, including print, websites,
and videos, to learn more about Australias
unique desert plants and animals and how
the have adapted to survive and thrive in a
harsh environment. In lessons 10-15,
students research a plant or animal of their
choice, and continue building knowledge
through this.
1-5, 9, 10-14

Utilising the non-fiction
focus text
Pyers, G. (2003). How animals and plants
survive in Australia's deserts. Port
Melbourne, VIC: Heinemann Library.

The focus text is used throughout the unit
in a number of ways. First, is used to build
students knowledge of the field by
providing information about a variety of
desert plants and animals. Second, it is
used as an excellent example of a non-
fiction informational text, showing such
features as headings, subheadings, and
text boxes, among others. Third, sections
and sentences of the book are used as
examples to develop students literacy
skills.

1, 2, 3, 6

Responding to texts Throughout class and group
discussions about the layout of text
and websites, and choice of
headings, fonts, pictures, etc.,
students use metalanguage to
describe the effects of ideas, text
structures and language features
on a particular audience
(ACELT1795).



2, 7

Exploring texts As they conduct research,
students navigate and read texts
7 - 14
Anna De Corrado S00112894 2
COMPONENTS EXPLANATION/DETAILS LEARNING
EXPERIENCES
(provide the number)
for specific purposes applying
appropriate text processing
strategies, for example predicting
and confirming, monitoring
meaning, skimming and scanning
(ACELY1702)




Examining texts including:


Text structure and
organisation
As they view a range of
informational texts, students
understand how texts vary in
purpose, structure and topic
(ACELA1504).
Through observing, organising and
creating texts, and through use of
graphic organisers, students learn
about sentence order within
paragraphs, and gain an
understanding that the starting
point of a sentence gives
prominence to the message in the
text and allows for prediction of
how the text will unfold
(ACELA1505).
As students explore a variety of
print and website informational
texts, they investigate how the
organisation of texts into chapters,
headings, subheadings, home
pages and sub pages for online
texts and according to chronology
or topic can be used to predict
content and assist navigation
(ACELA1797)

4, 5, 7
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COMPONENTS EXPLANATION/DETAILS LEARNING
EXPERIENCES
(provide the number)
Expressing and
developing ideas
Students study and compose
complex sentences, and they
understand the difference between
main and subordinate clauses and
that a complex sentence involves
at least one subordinate clause
(ACELA1507)
As they learn and apply their
growing knowledge of specific and
technical language, students
understand the use of vocabulary
to express greater precision of
meaning, and know that words can
have different meaning in different
contexts (ACELA1512).
3, 4, 11
Extending beyond the
focus text including:

Creating texts
utilising print and
multimodal texts
Through the task of creating a website,
students plan, draft and publish
informative multimodal texts, choosing text
structures, language features, images and
sound appropriate to purpose and
audience (ACELY1704).
7 10, 14

Assessment
Formative (one
strategy and
instrument)
During learning experience 8, the teacher
will observe students participation and
work sample.

Assessment instrument: Checklist with
space for notes
8

Summative (one
strategy and
instrument)
The summative assessment of this unit will
come from observing the finished product
of the significant demonstration of
learning.

Students will work as part of a small group
and individually to research an Australian
desert plant or animal and create a
webpage about that animal.


Assessment instrument: Rubric see
Assessment page for full rubric.








Post 14
Anna De Corrado S00112894 4
COMPONENTS EXPLANATION/DETAILS LEARNING
EXPERIENCES
(provide the number)

Significant demonstration
of learning.
Receptive:

As they research their topic, students are
required to navigate various texts, identify
relevant information, and organize their
ideas. Through this, students show their
understanding of how informational text
structures assist in understanding the text.
They are also required to analyse literal
and implied information from a variety of
texts.


Productive:
Students will also demonstrate their ability
to create a sequenced text for a specific
purpose and audience. During group work,
they contribute actively to discussion,
taking into account other perspectives.
When writing their text, they will
demonstrate understanding of grammar,
select specific vocabulary and use
accurate spelling and punctuation, editing
their work to provide structure and
meaning.

10 - 14