20895 ACE Language (Yr 6) Structures and Language Features

Format of the book
This teacher resource book includes supporting materials for teaching and learning in the sub-strand of Text structure
and organisation within the strand of Language in Australian Curriculum English. All content descriptions in the substrand
have been included, as well as teaching points based on the Curriculum’s elaborations.
While the book focuses on the sub-strand of Text structure and organisation, activities and interrelated links to other
strands and sub-strands have been incorporated.
Each section supports a specific content description and follows a consistent format, containing the following
information over several pages:
• activites to develop the content descriptions • student blackline masters • resource sheets
• interrelated English links
• assessment checklist
Answers relating to student blackline masters have been included at the back of the book.
The length of each content description section varies.
Teacher information includes background information relating to the content description, as well as
related terms and desirable student vocabulary and other useful details which may assist the teacher.
Related terms includes vocabulary
associated with the content description.
Many of these relate to the glossary
in the back of the official Australian
Curriculum English document;
additional related terms may also have
been added.
Student vocabulary includes words
which the teacher would use—
and expect the students to learn,
understand and use—during English
lessons.
Further resources by R.I.C.
Publications ® or other publishers
or authors are included where
appropriate.
Text structure
and organisation
Understand how authors often innovate on text structures and play Activities to
with language features to achieve particular aesthetic, humorous and
persuasive purposes and effects (ACELA1518)
develop the
© Australian Curriculum: Assessment and Reporting Authority 2012 content description
?
?
What this means
provides a general
explanation of the
content description.
Teaching points
provides a list of
the main teaching
points relating to the
content description.
Elaborations are a
list of elaborations
based on those
in the content
description.
E1. Analyse and compare some elements of the text structure and language features of a range of texts,
to identify the reasons for the writers’ choices.
• Text types resource pages (pages 6 to 9)
Some elements of the purpose, structure and language features of the following text types are summarised in tables on these four resource pages.
• Narratives • Procedures • Recounts • Expositions
• Explanations • Reports • Discussions • Descriptions
Students at this stage should be expected to be familiar with some of the elements of different text types. But they also need to realise that few texts
would exactly ’fit’ one of these.
However, this type of information should be a helpful reference for students when they are looking at texts in order to identify and understand some
of the different choices a writer has made and why. They need to realise how much influence the intended audience and the purpose for writing a text
influence writers’ choices and the text structure and language features they use.
• Young cyclist remains in coma (Page 10) and Glen Wallace Primary School newsletter (page 11)
The texts on these two resource sheets refer to the same incident. There are two activity pages based on these texts in which students are required to
analyse, compare and contrast them and to identify the purpose for which they were written, some of the choices made by the writers and why they
made them. (See pages 12 and 13.)
The fi rst text is a newspaper report written to provide detailed information about an accident and to attract a reader’s interest with an attentiongrabbing
headline. The text is written in the past tense, in the third person and there is some quoted speech from a witness and reported speech from
the victim. Its purpose is to report to a wide audience and this is reflected in the language used. However, it could be argued that this text is in fact
persuasive, because after reading it, many people may be more concerned and vigilant about their family members wearing bike helmets.
By contrast, the second text is the victim’s personal account of the accident and what followed. It describes its impact on the victim, his family and
friends and was written to be included in a school newsletter for other students to read. It is an example of persuasive text in the form of a recount. Its
purpose is to persuade others to always wear their bike helmets, but the writer’s position isn’t stated at the beginning of the text, as is usually the case.
In the form of a recount, it is written in the past tense and in the first person. In common with other persuasive texts, it uses emotive language and
modal verbs of obligation and advice.
• How hovercraft work (page 14) and Dance of the hovercraft (page 15)
These two texts both refer to hovercraft. The two activities pages in which students analyse, compare and contrast them are on pages 16 and 17.
The fi rst text is an explanation about how a hovercraft works. Its purpose is to explain something as clearly and as concisely as possible. As is usual with
many explanations, it starts with a definition, includes technical vocabulary, provides clear, concise information in a logical sequence, is written in the
third person in the present tense, links cause and effect and includes an evaluative comment and a diagram. The information is presented in paragraphs
organised in a logical order.
By contrast the second text is a descriptive recount. It provides relevant background information to orient the reader, describes signifi cant events in
chronological order, is written in the first person in the past tense, uses descriptive, imaginative and metaphorical language and similes, encourages
visual imagery, is organised in paragraphs and concludes with an evaluative comment.
• Coyote (Canis latrans) (page 18) and Dogs’ tails - A traditional tale (page 19)
These two texts are about coyotes and there are two related activity pages. (pages 20 and 21)
The fi rst text is a report on the species. It is set out similarly to many reports starting with an introduction with a defi nition, followed by relevant
information, organised in a logical manner under appropriate subheadings. Students should understand that the purpose of organising text in this
way is to make it easier for a reader to locate specific information. This is because readers may not require all the information presented in the report
and they often have to find what they do need in the most efficient way possible. The report is written in the present tense and has subject-specific
vocabulary, one word of which has been defined within the text.
The second text is a narrative. It provides orienting information about the time, place and characters. The complication is explained and fi nally the
resolution is described. The vocabulary may challenge some students, but it is generally supported by the context within the story. A narrative is often
written to entertain and amuse, and unlike a report, it is not always necessary for a reader of narrative to understand every word. Readers will often
be able to continue to read and to maintain some level of interest and understanding of narrative text with a good idea of the gist of the story. Time
connectives make the text more cohesive. It is made more descriptive by the choice of action verbs in the past tense, many with adverbs to further
enhance their meaning. Some readers may find the visual image evoked by the concluding statement humorous. This was the intention of the writer.
Activities to develop the content
description includes descriptions or
instructions for activities or games
relating to the content descriptions
or elaborations. Some activities are
supported by blackline masters or
resource sheets. Where applicable,
these will be stated for easy reference.
R.I.C. Publications® www.ricpublications.com.au Australian Curriculum English – Language: Text structure and organisation (Year 6)
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Australian Curriculum English – Language: Text structure and organisation (Year 6) www.ricpublications.com.au R.I.C. Publications ®
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