Quality Teaching and Short Stories

Quality teaching and Short stories

Stages: 4 and 5 Outcomes: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10

Students have the opportunity to learn to:

·  respond to and compose texts for understanding, interpretation, critical analysis and pleasure

·  select and use language forms and features and structures of texts according to different purposes and contexts

·  describe and explain the effect of different structures and language features on meaning

·  think critically and interpretively using information, ideas and increasingly complex arguments to respond to and compose texts

·  investigate connections between and among texts, and the way they represent the world

·  demonstrate understanding of the ways texts reflect personal and public worlds

·  identify and describe cultural expression and perspectives in texts.

The way the resource supports Quality teaching

Intellectual quality / Quality learning environment / Significance

Deep knowledge

Key concepts and ideas are explored through the short story structure /

Explicit quality criteria

Detailed criteria are available for exercises.
Students are encouraged to construct their understanding through scaffolded activities. /

Background knowledge

Connections are made to students’ own lives through interpretation of the texts.

Deep understanding

Information, arguments and reasoning are evident in answers to activities and exercises. /

Engagement

Clear instructional design helps students stay on task.
Interactive multimedia activities involve students in making choices.
Stories reflect issues relevant to young people and contemporary Australia /

Cultural knowledge

Students develop an understanding of the way context and socio-cultural influences shape meaning.

Problematic knowledge

Different perspectives are provided and opinions sought.
Multiple and conflicting interpretations are provided. /

High expectations

A number of tasks are open-ended with scaffolding, for example, extended structured responses.
Optional activities extend learning. /

Knowledge integration

Students make meaningful connections, for example, how a person’s values and perspective affect their interpretation.

Higher-order thinking

There are clear steps for analysis of language features and structures and how they convey meaning /

Social support

/

Inclusivity

Students examine gender and cultural issues, roles for men and women of different ages and representations of culture.

Metalanguage

The language and style of the texts are key features. /

Students’ self-regulation

There is support for students to choose, negotiate and plan learning. /

Connectedness

Students explore links to the outside world, for example, social contexts and current values and attitudes.
Substantive communication
There are opportunities for student collaboration and interaction. /

Student direction

Choice and options for exercises are provided. /

Narrative

The resource builds a sense of the way in which composers create texts.

Short stories: Quality teaching