Short and Sweet English Unit

Garran School 2015

Year 3-4
TEACHING STAFF: Stacie Barry, Kristina Delbridge, Gail Lamond, Nada
Ninchich, Chris Nuttall, Kate Simpson and Adrian Wong

Language
Year 3
3. Providing
opinions
How to give opinions
on the qualities or
attributes of things
and to provide
reasons
4. Vocabulary
expansion
Vocabulary choices
can be playful as
well as serious
6. Sentence
grammar
More specific and
detailed ideas can
be
expressed through
the careful choice of
verbs, a range of
adverbials, and the
use of
lengthier noun
phrases
7. Spoken and
written modes
The spontaneous,

Language
Year 4
2. Audience
Language choices
change as we move
between social
groups
3. Types of
questions
Questions,
statements, and
commands can be
positive or negative
4. Adjusting
opinions
The strength of
feelings and opinions
can be adjusted
through the use of
intensifiers or choice
of vocabulary
9. Tense
The tense of a verb
can be used to
locate an action in
time
10. Conjunctions
Words can be

Literature
Year 3
1. Engaging
with texts
Identify issues
and experiences
in literary texts
and compare and
contrast them
with their own
experiences
2. Discussing
and responding
Share enjoyment
of literary
experiences
through
discussing
interests,
favourite
characters and
stories, and
reasons for
personal
selection of texts
3. Features of
texts
Use appropriate
metalanguage to

Literature
Year 4
1. Recognising
and responding
Draw connections
between their own
experiences and
the worlds of
literary texts
2. Meanings of
texts
Identify main ideas
and characters and
make
inferences about
motives and action
and relate them to
the underlying
message of the
text
3. Discussing and
responding
Form and express
an opinion about
aspects of literary
texts and support
the opinion with
evidence from
texts

TERM: 4

Literacy Year 3

Literacy Year
4

1. Oral
communication skills
Use active listening
strategies when
listening for
information and ideas
and participating in
conversation

1. Comprehension
strategies
Listen for
information and
main ideas and
identify support
material, predicting
what will come next,
paraphrasing and
practising
questioning to
achieve clarification

2. Oral
communication skills
Interact with others,
adjusting speech to
suit familiar situations
and adopting a range
of roles in pairs and
groups
3. Oral
communication skills
Speak clearly to an
audience providing
some
key details and
supporting details in
logical sequence
using appropriate
volume and pace and
eye contact as
appropriate

2. Oral
communication
skills
Participate
effectively in a
collaborative
learning group
3. Oral
communication
skills
Develop oral skills
with a particular
focus on
adjusting voice,
facial expression,
stance and

interactive,
exploratory
language of the
spoken mode differs
from the more
reflective, crafted
language of the
written mode

combined by using
Conjunctions

8. Paragraphing
Texts can be divided
into paragraphs,
each paragraph
dealing with a
particular aspect of a
topic

12. Text
organisation
Longer texts can be
divided into
paragraphs,
chapters and other
sections, and include
the use of headings
and subheadings

9. Text stages
Texts are structured
in particular ways to
achieve their
purposes
11. Spelling
Use of sound-symbol
relationships, word
structures, word
meanings and
generalisations to
support spelling
12. Punctuation
Purposes of
punctuation
including
apostrophes to mark
contractions and
commas between
items in lists

11. Text stages

Texts can be both
predictable and
playful (particularly
poems)

14. Spelling
Strategies to spell
and edit topic words
using knowledge
about word families
and spelling patterns
and generalisations

share and discuss

their own and
others'
understanding
and appreciation
of ideas, and the
structures and
features of
literary texts
4. Choices and
techniques
Appreciate how
authors use a
range of devices,
including
alliteration,
onomatopoeia,
repetition, rhyme
and rhythm, to
express ideas and
create images
and particular
effects

5. Features of
texts
Use metalanguage
to share and
discuss their own
and others'
understanding and
appreciation of
ideas, structures
and features
appreciation of
ideas, structures
and features of a
broad range of
literary texts in a
variety of
situations
8. Engaging with
texts
Discuss how writers
use literary
language and
features to engage
readers

4. Reading strategies
Read using word
attack, selfmonitoring and
self-correction
strategies
5. Features of texts
Build understanding
by identifying typical
organisational
structures of texts
and using these to
navigate a range of
texts
6. Comprehension
strategies
Retrieve literal
information from texts
by generating and
answering questions
7. Comprehension
strategies
Make inferences and
draw conclusions by
interpreting and
integrating ideas and
information

gestures and taking

register of language
into
account
4. Reading
strategies
Self-monitor reading
and understanding
using
word attack, self
correction and
comprehension
strategies
5. Vocabulary
Use and understand
idioms and proverbs,
technical and
subject-specific
words and
vocabulary for
expressing feelings
and for
judging human
behaviour and
character
6. Features of
texts
Distinguish between
a range of text types
and relate their
structure and
language features to
context

Language
Year 3

Language
Year 4

Literature
Year 3

Literature
Year 4

Literacy
Year 3
11. Features of
texts
Explore the
influence of
context on text
layout including
the choice and
impact of
illustrations, infographics, captions
and colour
15.
Handwriting/wor
d processing
Handwrite using
joined script in
which letters are
accurately formed
and consistent in
size and use
simple functions of
a word processing
program

Literacy Year 4
7. Comprehension strategies
Make inferences about connections,
motives, causes and consequences
implicit in the text by predicting, drawing
on prior knowledge, self questioning and
making personal connections
8. Comprehension strategies
Interpret and integrate ideas by
visualising, linking ideas including cause
and effect, noting sequence and
investigating how people, places and
events are represented
10. Organising information
Use strategies for processing, organising
and recording information including
answers to questions, note taking,
paraphrasing and the use of graphic
organisers
11. Text structures and features
Evaluate the effectiveness of text design
and layout and how it contributes to
meaning
13. Creating
Develop coherent texts by using
paragraphs with topic sentences, simple
sentences and
punctuation
15. Organising information
Organise ideas before writing and re-read
work to check and improve meaning and
correct spelling of high-frequency words
16. Handwriting/word processing
Develop a fluid handwriting style using

accurately formed joined letters that are

consistently smaller in size

Achievement Standard Year 3

Listening and speaking
By the end of Year 3, students listen attentively to others and respond appropriately. They contribute actively to group discussions, asking relevant questions and building on
others' ideas by contributing ideas and information, and providing useful feedback. They identify and use turn taking patterns in group and pair work. They understand the
interactive nature of spoken language and can explain how this differs from written taking patterns in group and pair work. They understand the interactive nature of spoken
language and can explain how this differs from written language. They speak confidently and clearly to known small audiences about familiar ideas and information, mostly in
informal situations. They speak clearly and expressively, providing details in logical sequence, using eye contact and appropriate volume and pace to enhance meaning. They
initiate and maintain conversations with known adults and peers.

Reading
By the end of Year 3, students read, view, navigate and respond to a range of print and multimodal texts with familiar structures. They read aloud with clarity and expression.
They retell the main ideas in texts in logical sequence, and identify themes and experiences in literary texts. They accurately locate literal information and make informed
inferences about ideas in texts, referring to print and visual information. They use word attack strategies, monitor their own reading, and self-correct to maintain meaning. They
use a range of appropriate strategies to justify their predictions and interpretations of ideas and information. They clarify meaning by making relevant connections between
visual and written elements in texts, and draw conclusions by interpreting and integrating ideas and information. They express relevant ideas and opinions on texts, and refer to
specific evidence and detail to support these opinions. They identify simple literary devices used by authors. They make effective use of organisational features of texts, library
skills, and bookmarked websites to access specific information.
Writing
By the end of Year 3, students create texts to inform, narrate, persuade, and explain their choice of text features. They write about familiar ideas, experiences, events and
information, and develop characters, ideas and events in some detail. They create multimodal texts incorporating written, visual and auditory language and experiment with
digital text creation programs. They organise texts in paragraphs composed of logically grouped sentences dealing with a particular aspect of a topic. Sentences are meaningful
and they choose vocabulary appropriate to the purpose and context of their writing. They understand how specific and detailed ideas can be expressed through the careful choice
of verbs, adverbials and nouns. They use simple punctuation correctly including apostrophes to mark contractions and commas to separate items in lists. They use a variety of
spelling strategies to spell high frequency words correctly. They re-read their own writing to check accuracy and to improve meaning.
They handwrite using joined letters of consistent size, and they use simple word processing functions.

Achievement Standard Year 4

Listening and speaking
By the end of Year 4, students listen attentively to obtain specific information from spoken and multimodal texts. They listen for main ideas, predict what will come next, and use
questions to clarify their understanding. They listen and respond to peers in discussions, speculating on ideas and explanations and extending others' suggestions. They use
structures and features of spoken language appropriately to share and explain ideas and information to different audiences. They participate actively in group discussions, and
collaborate effectively with small groups of peers to develop dramatic presentations based on favourite plots, events and characters. They respond appropriately to different
contexts and audiences, by adjusting voice, facial expression, stance and gestures. They understand differences in spoken language used in informal, personal contexts and more
formal and public situations.
Reading
By the end of Year 4, students read, view, navigate and respond to imaginative, informative and persuasive texts with some unfamiliar ideas and information. They identify the
features and purposes of a range of different text types, including print and multimodal texts. They evaluate the effectiveness of text design and how it contributes to meaning.
They discuss the ways people, places and events are represented in texts, and provide plausible reasons for their opinions. They identify key ideas, characters and events in
texts. They make relevant inferences about motives, actions, causes and consequences. They use strategies such as predicting, drawing on prior knowledge, questioning, and
making connections to interpret ideas and information. They share their own judgments and preferences about texts, and respond to others' viewpoints. They select relevant
evidence from texts to explain cause and effect and suggest alternatives to others' opinions. They locate appropriate texts for different purposes using relevant library and online
search skills.
Writing
By the end of Year 4, students compose coherent texts for imaginative, informative and persuasive purposes and for different audiences. They draw ideas from personal, literary
and researched resources. They compose imaginative texts, experimenting with characters and events from texts read and viewed. They sequence ideas appropriately to achieve
their purposes in writing. They develop coherent texts by using simple sentences, correct tense and headings as appropriate. They use sentence boundary punctuation correctly
and capitalise letters in headings appropriately. They utilise technology for specific effect in the design and creation of multimodal texts. They draw on vocabulary relevant to
various areas of the curriculum and community life, and select words for specific effect. They understand how language choices provide detail about people, things and ideas.
They explain their choice of descriptive words and phrases used in texts they create. They use knowledge about word families and spelling patterns and generalisations to spell
and edit topic words. They plan and organise ideas before writing, and reread work to check and improve meaning.

Pedagogical Approach
The Quality Teaching model has 3 dimensions which represent classroom practices that have been linked to improved
student outcomes. Not all elements from each dimension need to be reflected in a unit of work:
Intellectual Quality
Quality Learning Environment
Significance
1.1 Deep Knowledge
2.1 Explicit Quality Criteria
3.1 Background Knowledge
1.2 Deep Understanding
2.2 Engagement
3.2 Cultural Knowledge
1.3 Problematic Knowledge
2.3 High Expectations
3.3 Knowledge Integration
1.4 Higher Order Thinking
2.4 Social Support
3.4 Inclusivity
1.5 Meta-language
2.5 Students Self Regulation
3.5 Connectedness
1.6 Substantive Communication
2.6 Student Direction
3.6 Narrative

Pedagogical Approach
Select three elements from the quality teaching guide and give an overview of how they will be reflected in the teaching of the unit. Focus
specifically on how they will support the broad knowledge and understandings, values and attitudes and the assessment of the unit.
Problematic Knowledge: Students will also learn about the structure, purpose and language features of narratives. They will have
opportunities to read and write narratives through shared, guided and independent writing activities.
Cultural Knowledge: Students will be exposed to a wide range of stories from different cultures. The settings of stories will be explored,
extending students understanding of the world.
Explicit Quality Criteria: Students will develop their own criteria of what makes an outstanding narrative and use it to evaluate their own
work.
Term Overview

We will be focusing on narrative writing which is designed to entertain, specifically focusing on language features appropriate to the text type,
for example noun phrases, adverbs and pronouns. Myths, short stories and legends will be used as a springboard to discuss narrative structure
and features.
Reading will consist of different types of activities such as cooperative reading/reading groups, comprehension and language activities. The
children will be explicitly taught a range of reading and comprehension strategies to increase their knowledge and understanding of texts.
Explicit teaching of spelling conventions will be implemented throughout the term. This will be supported through fortnightly homework
activities.
Children will be given opportunities to develop their confidence and skills when speaking to audiences in an engaging and clear manner. They
will be required to present a speech to the class during this term. The speech topics will complement the history unit.

Strand
Reading

Core Lesson Focus/activities:

Home Reading Program
Students are encouraged to read at home each night. These
reading sessions are recorded in a reading journal/log and signed
off by a parent.
First Steps and Comprehensive Assessment of Reading Strategies
(CARS) CARS books are used as a reading assessment tool and
the strategies required for success are explicitly taught in class.
Teachers will also assess individual students fluency and
comprehension using PM Benchmarks and the Fountas and Purnell
assessment kits. Information gained from these intensive
assessments inform which strategies are to be taught, and enable
teachers to group students according to need.
Guided reading and cooperative reading will be implemented in
classrooms according to the specific needs of students.
Guided reading utilizes levelled reading books. Teachers work with
small groups to model reading strategies, provide practice and
monitor student progress.

Spelling

Cooperative reading is based on the Glenda Raison program. At its

heart, it develops students abilities to explore language, generate
and answer questions and delve into authors intent. Cooperative
reading aims to encourage students to discuss texts with peers
and develop agency.
Students are regularly assessed using the BEE Spelling assessment
tool and then placed into differentiated groups according to need.
They receive fortnightly word lists based on their spelling errors
and are involved in both explicit teaching of their group spelling
rule/pattern as well as a range of spelling activities.
Spelling Activities include:

Resources
First Steps Reading 2nd
edition Reading
Resource Book
Comprehensive
Assessment of Reading
Strategies, CARS
Series, Hawker
Brownlow Education,
2006
PM Benchmark Kit 1&2
Fountas and Purnell
Benchmark Kit
Glenda Raison,
Cooperative Reading;
Garran cooperative
reading resources (g
drive)

The Complete Phonic

Handbook, RIC, Diana
Hope, 2001
Words Their Way: Word
Study for Phonics,
Vocabulary, and
Spelling Instruction

Open and closed word sorts, in which students discover and

analyse spelling patterns;
Smart Spelling Grid, in which students break words into
orthographic fragments and identify areas of weakness;
Word-Builder, in which students investigate base words,
prefixes and suffixes;
Making words, in which students use the letters of a larger
word to create as many new words as they can;
Spelling tic-tac-toe, a game to encourage students to discern
between spelling patterns;
Dictation, in which students incorporate their spelling words
into sentences dictated by another person (ie. Spell words
based on sound as opposed to sight);
Word cline, in which students use a thesaurus to generate
synonyms and rank them according to effect;
Generative sentence challenge, in which students challenge
their understanding of words by using that word in a
particular position in a sentence.

Students fortnightly spelling also include core words and some

personal/topic words related to their current studies.
During reading and writing sessions, teachers seize opportunities
to analyse and explore vocabulary, modelling spelling strategies at
the time.

(2nd Edition)
Resource file\Spelling
activities.docx

Lesson/Week
Core Lesson Focus/activities:
Writing &
Handwriting & Typing
Grammar
Students will focus on improving their writing style (sizing of
letters, neatness of cursive script or printing of script,
Speaking and Listening
Speaking
be based
on the
history
work.
spacing
of will
letters
and words,
line
usageunit
andofparagraphing)
Students will participate in the NSW Foundation Style
Year 3 students
will be asked to orally tell a story inspired by the
Handwriting
book.
dreamtime
stories
of the firstthroughout
Australians.the unit of work for
There are many opportunities
students to create both draft and published copies of their
Yearpoetry.
4 students
will
be asked to
chooseshould
an explorer
own
Whilst
publishing,
students
focus and
on deliver a
speechtechnique
in that role.
typing
and publishing skills.

Resources

All students will be assessed on their preparation and delivery.

Narratives:
Strategies to discuss are:
TUNING IN:

1. eye contact
2. read
varying
pitch/showing
enthusiasm
Students
a copy
of The Brave
Bird and discuss what
3. expressive voice
makes it a good short story. Students generate success
4. how to read punctuation
criteria from the model text.
5. pace
6. facial expression
Pretest students on narrative understanding- using stimulus
7. hand gestures
picture8.
of using
setting
(Post-test from last year) 90 minute time
props
limit. 9. how to use palm cards

Mark narratives against criterion referenced assessment

Identify areas for further development against criteria and

explicitly address through whole class model writing and
small group work

Resource file\The Brave Bird.pdf

Resource file\CN lesson
plans\Short and Sweet Lesson
Plans\1 - Preparing for the
Pretest.docx

Resource file\Pretest visual

stimulus for narrative.pdf

Developing Activities
Extension Activities

Over
several
lessons,
teacher
models
different
components
Specific Activities to assist students in the developing
Specific
Activities to extend the students
of
narrative
structure
(orientation,
complication
and
stage
that have demonstrated a thorough
resolution).through the use of short stories.
knowledge of the topic (possible IRP)
Provide students with access to additional resources including
Individual Research Project: Students will
Through the use of short stories, teacher will also explicitly
visual supports/scaffolds to develop their narrative skills.
complete an author study to examine style and
identify and explain grammar components and conventions
language features comparing different stories by
of narrative writing e.g adjectives/adverbs
the same author.
EXPLICIT GRAMMAR LESSONS:
Scootle
Super Stories:
Students write a written
comparison
of 5 books
http://www.scootle.edu.au/
Nouns, adjectives, adverbs, verbs: Use the Scootle Super
ec/viewing/L6184/index.ht
Stories to activate students awareness of language choice.
ml

demonstrating this understanding.

Art: students complete a project profiling the life
and works of their chosen illustrator.

Core Assessment Grade Criteria

A
ELA 9 Reads
effectively

CARS 6, 7, 8 by the
end of term 3.
30+ PM
CARS 11-12

Year 3 32+
Writing

Criterion Referenced
Assessment for
narrative

30+ PM-Year 4
28 PM- Year 3
CARS 9-10.9

25+ PM
Year 3
29+ PM
Year 4
CARS 6-8.9

20+ PM
Year 3
25+ PM
Year 4
CARS 5.9 -4

Below 20 PM
Year 3
Below 25 PM
Year 4
CARS Below 4

Year 3 31 28

Year 3 2718

Year 3 1710

Year 3 Below
10

Year 4 -33- 30

Year 4 -29-20

Year 4 -19-11

Year 4 Below
11

Year 4 -34+

* Language used for A B C etc. needs to be aligned with reporting language

Year Level: 4

4NN NARRATIVE UNIT OUTLINE - MODIFIED

Term 4, 2015
Big Ideas

Writers make decisions about what they want to write, why they want to write it and who the audience is. Written language is
valued as a medium for creative expression and for recording and communicating ideas, feelings and understandings.

Essential Questions

How do I make a basic story a great story?

What are the features of a well-structured narrative?
What makes a great character?
Why does a story need a setting?
Which words make a story interesting?
Extended: What are the purpose, language features and structure of a narrative? How are narratives used across different cultures?

What do we want the students to learn?

Power Standards (Essentials Outcomes)
NEED to know
I can write stories based on my own or others experiences.
These power standards are revisited with each text type
I can plan, draft and publish a variety of texts.
I can use a variety of vocabulary to express my opinion.
I can identify the features of different text types.
I can use paragraphs effectively.
IMPORTANT to know
I can identify and discuss the effective use of descriptive adjectives in text
I can explain the influence of settings on the mood and events in the narrative
I can make connections between texts and images

How will we know when they have learned it?

Students can plan, draft and produce an original short story based on their own imagination or experience.
Pretest
Students write their own narrative based on a stimulus assessed against the Garran criterion reference tool
Summative Assessment (SA)
Students write their own narrative based on a stimulus assessed against the Garran criterion reference tool
How will we respond when they dont learn?
(Intervention)
Students who are struggling with concepts will have the opportunity to work in groups with a teacher or other students when
completing work.
In addition a teacher may scribe or have students record their ideas using an iPad.
Students will revisit concepts covered in this unit of work as part of the Garran Scope and Sequence.
How will we respond when they already know it?
(Enrichment)
Student observation and responses are encouraged through open-ended questions, students who show an aptitude or well
developed prior knowledge, will be enriched through additional discussions and activities or questions to broaden and deepen
their understanding of the subject.