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Connections and Cultural experiences (What is quality literature?)

Kath Lathouras, Kath Lathouras,

TARA Anglican School for Girls ParramattaTARA Anglican School for Girls Parramatta

k.lathouras@staff.tara.nsw.edu.auk.lathouras@staff.tara.nsw.edu.au

This presentation will focus on how to develop the complexity of ideas and arguments when thinking imaginatively, creatively, interpretively and critically about literature. This presentation is based on a reading enrichment (wide reading) unit focusing on self-selected reading across a wide range of texts. As a part of the unit, students spend time choosing books and read, so to determine if the book has enduring qualities. Students are asked to reflect if the book read could be considered for the new canon literature. In order to do this evaluation, they will have to make connection to prior knowledge of literature to identify the necessary characteristics of quality literature.

SynopsisSynopsis

In this unit of work, students are to spend time choosing books and read, so to determine if the book has enduring qualities. Students are asked to reflect if the book read could be considered for the new canon literature. In order to do this evaluation, they will have to make connection to prior knowledge of literature to identify the necessary characteristics and match books to these characteristics.

Current unit rubricCurrent unit rubric

StimulusStimulus

Students will be required to reflect on the following quote (as their point of synthesis):

Quote from Alberto Manguel: A History of Reading

Ancient Egypt 1300BCBe a scribe! Engrave this in your heartSo that your name might live on like theirs!The scroll is better than the carved stone.

A man has died: his corpse is dust,And his people have passed from the land.It is a book that makes him be rememberedIn the mouth of the speaker who reads him.

SignificanSignificancece

In this unit of work, students can use their recreational reading time to develop their skills and understandings in preparation for the demands of the reading level required in Stage 6. The ‘metareading’ focus, ‘The Immortal Witness’, has been chosen to provide a broad framework by which to develop an understanding of the enduring qualities of literature, it purpose and function, and to link this with the oral tradition – the origins of storytelling and reading.

Students will compare and contrast texts and/or different perspective of a similar subject matter or event or themes. Students will explore how texts reflect different cultural experiences, beliefs and values.

Key Learning Question/s:

How do texts still share the traditions of narratives; from verbal to written?

What texts are valued for their importance to the world of literature?

What is the ‘new’ canon?

1. responds to and composes texts for understanding, interpretation, critical analysis and pleasure2. uses a range of processes for responding to and composing texts4. selects and uses language forms and features, and structures of texts according to different purposes, audiences and contexts, and describes and explains their effects on meaning8. investigates the relationships between and among texts9. demonstrates understanding of the ways texts reflect personal and public worlds10. questions, challenges and evaluates cultural assumptions in texts and their effects on meaning11. uses, reflects on, assesses and adapts their individual and collaborative skills for learning with increasing independence and effectiveness.

OutcomesOutcomes

SkillsSkills

Skills (core)Ask perceptive and relevant questions, make logical predictions, draw analogies and challenge ideas and information in and across texts.Respond to a range of imaginative, factual and critical texts which are increasingly demanding in terms of their linguistic, structural, cognitive, emotional and moral/ethical complexity.

ICT skills

Effectively crafts a sustained text in a form appropriate to audience, purpose and context; to inform, to persuade or entertain.Engage with ICT as a way of representing their ideas.Utilise the ways that modern technologies of communication are used to shape, adapt and re-present past and present cultures, including pop culture and youth cultures, for particular audiences.

OUTCOME 1 (OBJECTIVE A)OUTCOME 1 (OBJECTIVE A)

A student:A student:› › responds to and composes increasingly sophisticated and sustained texts forresponds to and composes increasingly sophisticated and sustained texts forunderstanding, interpretation, critical analysis, imaginative expression and pleasure understanding, interpretation, critical analysis, imaginative expression and pleasure EN5-1AEN5-1A

CONTENTCONTENTStudents:Students:Engage personally with textsEngage personally with texts• • appreciate, explain and respond to the aesthetic qualities and the power of language in appreciate, explain and respond to the aesthetic qualities and the power of language in ananincreasingly sophisticated range of textsincreasingly sophisticated range of texts

Develop and apply contextual knowledgeDevelop and apply contextual knowledge• • analyse and explain the ways language forms and features, ideas, perspectives andanalyse and explain the ways language forms and features, ideas, perspectives andoriginality are used to shape meaningoriginality are used to shape meaning• • analyse ideas, information, perspectives, contexts and ideologies and the ways they areanalyse ideas, information, perspectives, contexts and ideologies and the ways they arepresented in increasingly demanding, sustained imaginative, informative and persuasivepresented in increasingly demanding, sustained imaginative, informative and persuasivetextstexts• • explore real and imagined (including virtual) worlds through close and wide reading explore real and imagined (including virtual) worlds through close and wide reading andandviewing of increasingly demanding textsviewing of increasingly demanding textsLinks to new Links to new curriculumcurriculum

OUTCOME 5 OBJECTIVE AOUTCOME 5 OBJECTIVE AA student:A student:› › thinks imaginatively, creatively, interpretively and critically about information and thinks imaginatively, creatively, interpretively and critically about information and increasingly complex ideas and arguments to respond to and compose texts in a range increasingly complex ideas and arguments to respond to and compose texts in a range of contexts EN5-5Cof contexts EN5-5C

CONTENTCONTENTStudents:Students:Engage personally with textsEngage personally with texts• • investigate the ways different modes, subject areas, media and cultural investigate the ways different modes, subject areas, media and cultural representation affect their personal and critical responses to textsrepresentation affect their personal and critical responses to texts• • engage in wide reading of self-selected imaginative, factual and critical texts for engage in wide reading of self-selected imaginative, factual and critical texts for enjoyment and analysis and share responses in a variety of relevant contexts, enjoyment and analysis and share responses in a variety of relevant contexts, including digital and face-to-face contextsincluding digital and face-to-face contexts• • create literary texts that reflect an emerging sense of personal style and evaluate create literary texts that reflect an emerging sense of personal style and evaluate the effectiveness of these texts (ACELT1814)the effectiveness of these texts (ACELT1814)• • reflect on, extend, endorse or refute others' interpretations of and responses to reflect on, extend, endorse or refute others' interpretations of and responses to literature (ACELT1634, ACELT1640)literature (ACELT1634, ACELT1640)

Develop and apply contextual knowledgeDevelop and apply contextual knowledge• • compare ways in which spoken, written, visual, multimodal and digital texts are compare ways in which spoken, written, visual, multimodal and digital texts are shaped according to personal, historical, cultural, social, technological and workplace shaped according to personal, historical, cultural, social, technological and workplace contextscontexts• • critically respond to texts by drawing on knowledge of the historical context in critically respond to texts by drawing on knowledge of the historical context in which texts were composed through a program of wide reading and viewingwhich texts were composed through a program of wide reading and viewing• • understand how language use can have inclusive and exclusive social effects, and understand how language use can have inclusive and exclusive social effects, and can empower or disempower people (ACELA1551, ACELA1564)can empower or disempower people (ACELA1551, ACELA1564)

k.lathouras@staff.tara.nsw.edu.auk.lathouras@staff.tara.nsw.edu.au