Lesson Plan Prac 1

Day: Thursday
Date: 12/2/15
Time: Period 4
Year: 11
Learning Area: English
Topic: Narrative Techniques and Context in Up In
Smoke

Curriculum Content Area:

1. Personal, social and cultural context (ACEEN009).
2. Explaining the ways text structures, language features and stylistic choices are
used in different types of texts (ACEEN005).

Students Prior Knowledge and Experience:

Students have had explicit instruction defining context and developing interpretations
of texts according to contextual factors. They have had experience reading other short
texts and identifying personal responses as well as writing techniques.

Learning Purpose:
Students will be exposed to a variety of short texts in order to develop their ability to
identify writing techniques, narrative conventions and contextual factors. They will be
able to apply this to developing an understanding of how context influenced the
creation of the text and their response to it.

Learning Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, students will
be able to:
1. Identify writing techniques and
narrative conventions in Up In
Smoke.
2. Discuss how the context of Up In
Smoke and their own context
impacts their understanding of
gender roles in the text.

Evaluation:
Leading a class discussion will
allow for informal assessment of
the students ability to respond to
narratives and identify techniques.
Students are to complete a short
written response of how they
perceive the operation of gender
roles in the text, using evidence.

Resources and Preparation:

Up In Smoke Reading
IPads
Whiteboard
Marker
Computer set up to output video
Note paper
Simpsons video clip (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEKZzsOcup0)

Catering for Diversity:

This lesson will be responsive to the respective needs of young men and women by
allowing them to reflect on issues pertaining to gender roles and constructions. The
lesson will aim to scaffold weaker students by providing a structured discussion of the

text aimed at ensuring comprehension.

Timing:

Learning Sequence:

5 mins

1. Introduction:
Play a short clip from the Simpsons, asking students to keep in
mind feelings and expectations concerning the father figure.
Explain the objectives of the lesson. Emphasise that the reading is a
bit more mature and dangerous, in order to spark student interest.

10 mins

2. Reading Activity:
Read Up In Smoke to the class. Ask the students what they
associate with the title, what do they think it means? After the first
two paragraphs, have students jot down their expectations for how
the text will proceed.

15-20 minutes

Class Discussion:
Ask students to summarise the plot, checking for understanding.
Discuss instances of literary techniques, in particular
characterisation, repetition/motifs, symbolism. What does the story
make you feel, how would you describe the tone? How is the Dad
characterised, how do you feel about him? From whose perspective
is the story written, and what are they feeling? Is anything repeated
in the text, how would you interpret those instances of repetition?
Write on the whiteboard techniques the class identifies.

10 minutes

Pair share activity:

Using the techniques we have discussed as evidence, discuss with a
partner your thoughts about gender roles in Up In Smoke. Write a
couple of paragraphs interpreting how gender functions in the text,
the context in which it takes place and how you relate it to the
present-day Australian context. If this task is not completed in class,
it is to be done as homework.

3 minutes

3. Conclusion:
Review the objectives and how the learning activities tied in with
them. Ask students for feedback, did they feel the objectives were
met?

Evaluation:
The introduction laid out the topic effectively; however, I did not have enough intensity
or volume in the voice in order to grab and sustain student interest. I will need to work
more on my voice and perhaps non-verbal techniques to signal the class that I want their
attention. The brainstorming activity wasnt active enough and didnt quite link in to the

rest of the lesson.

The reading activity was quite problematic. Unfortunately, my reading lack enough
pacing and changes in volume/tone, the class was bored and thus were less interested by
the text than they could have been otherwise.
However, the class discussion went pretty well. I got input from the majority of the class.
They were eager to contribute. I will need to improve my questioning techniques and
feedback however, in order to be more supportive, especially to more shy students, as
well as to scaffold students learning. Moreover, it would have been helpful to chart
student responses on the board as a reference point. Nevertheless, the students did well in
this activity.
The writing topic at the end was too general and too much of a leap. Students struggled to
talk about gender roles/context and seemed confused. It would have helped them to have
a more specific writing task.