Connecting Literacy Student Folio 3 Sample Pages

Connecting
Literacy
‘… splendid and spectacular like I have glimpsed in the movies’
Authored by
Hayley
Harrison
and a team of students, just like you.
sed in the movies’
Student
Folio

Connecting
Literacy
Student
Folio
Authored by
Hayley
Harrison
and a team of students, just like you.
‘… splendid and spectacular like I have glimpsed in the movies’

Connecting Literacy
Student Folio 3
1st edition
Hayley Harrison
Publisher: Catherine Charles-Brown
Project editor: Naomi Saligari
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Publication data
Author: Hayley Harrison
Title: Connecting Literacy Student Folio 3
ISBN: 9780655091431
A catalogue record for this
book is available from the
National Library of Australia
Printed in Malaysia by Vivar Printing
Oct-2022

Connecting
Literacy
Contents
Introduction to literacy .........................
iv
Unit 1: Persuasive literacy ..................... 2
Unit 2: Procedural literacy ..................... 24
Unit 3: Imaginative literacy .................... 48
Unit 4: Informative literacy .................... 70
Unit 5: Analytical literacy ...................... 94
Unit 6: Reflective literacy ...................... 118
Unit 7: Comparative literacy .................. 140
Literacy How-to .................................. 164
Comprehension ............................... 164
Planning and writing ......................... 167
Structures and features ...................... 174
Vocabulary ..................................... 181
Syntax ........................................... 183
Punctuation .................................... 188
Spelling ......................................... 191
Speaking and listening ....................... 200
Introduction to literacy
iii

Introduction to literacy
Literacy is a complex amalgamation of skills that interweave and are applied when
reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The goal of systematically and explicitly
teaching individual literacy skills is to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of
students’ communication. Mastering literacy skills requires a person to understand,
consolidate, and build automaticity in individual skills and then combine these skills
to develop as a critical reader, coherent writer, and confident speaker.
The literacy skills and strategies presented in this book are designed to be individually
taught, explored, consolidated, and built upon. This learning is then explicitly transferred
beyond the classroom to help students in every part of their school and everyday
lives. Teaching is supported by an instructional model that consists of prior knowledge
activation, explicit teaching, collaboration, independent practise, and reflection. There
are layers of teaching and learning support, including links to comprehension strategies,
writing organisers, and formative assessment opportunities at a lesson and unit level.
How to use Connecting Literacy: Model, practise, apply
This book is divided into seven units – which are based on the different text types that students
will encounter during school and beyond – and one Literacy How-to section, which is a complete
reference guide that can be referred to throughout the book:
• Unit 1: Persuasive literacy
• Unit 2: Procedural literacy
• Unit 3: Imaginative literacy
• Unit 4: Informative literacy
• Unit 5: Analytical literacy
• Unit 6: Reflective literacy
• Unit 7: Comparative literacy
• Literacy How-to section.
In each unit, the students model, practise, and apply specific literacy skills to a different text type.
Model
Each of the seven units begins with an anchor text. Each anchor text is a model that is
designed to ‘anchor’ the students’ learning as they complete the activities in the unit.
The anchor texts in this series were all written by students in years 7–10, from schools
across Australia.
Practise
Each unit has eight lessons that focus on core literacy skills and strategies:
1 comprehension
5 syntax
2 planning and writing
6 punctuation
3 structures and features
7 spelling
4 vocabulary
8 speaking and listening.
At the end of the book, there is a Literacy How-to section. This is a comprehensive
literacy reference guide that is designed to support teachers and students by providing
content, skills, and strategies that can be applied across the units. This section is
designed to connect with prior knowledge activation, and to provide opportunities
for clarification and extension of understanding and skill development.
iv Connecting Literacy • Book 3

Apply
In each lesson, comprehension strategies are suggested to help the students to complete the
activities successfully. Each unit includes writing pages for students to use to draft and edit their
own original texts. By containing their learning and application in the same book, students can
build a comprehensive learning folio.
STRATEGY
Pause to
wonder and
connect.
Connecting Literacy
Model, practise, apply
Comparative texts
SPEAKING &
LISTENING
3 Apply
MY WRITING PAGES
2 Practise
COMPREHENSION
Persuasive texts
Refllective texts
SPELLING
PUNCTUATION
1 Model
ANCHOR TEXT
A model text written
by a student,
just like you
PLANNING &
WRITING
STRUCTURES &
FEATURES
Procedural texts
Analytical texts
SYNTAX
VOCABULARY
Imaginative texts
Informative texts
LITERACY HOW-TO
Your go-to literacy reference guide, to support your every step
Reflect
Unit confidence scores: At the start of each unit, students are invited to rate their confidence about
reading, writing, speaking, and listening to the particular text type. The intention is that students will
return at the end of the unit to score their learning confidence again and to celebrate their success.
Lesson confidence scores: Every lesson in the Connecting Literacy series culminates in students
giving themselves a score out of five: this self-assessment promotes students’ awareness of their
learning and understanding. This self-assessment also provides an opportunity for teachers to note
any areas that require further class time or clarification.
The students’ learning in each unit is brought together with a learning ladder. Using this chart,
the students can self-assess their final writing and speaking and listening task (these tasks have
a speaking and listening icon in the margin) and reflect on their learning throughout the unit.
Introduction to literacy
v

Persuasive literacy
http://mea.
digital/CL3_1_0
Persuasive writing is opinion writing that attempts to convince a reader of a particular
point of view. It is non-fiction writing that intends to influence how the reader thinks, feels,
acts, or makes decisions about a particular idea, issue, or proposal. These texts use various
persuasive writing techniques to achieve their purpose; the techniques used are selected
to have the most impact on the text’s particular audience. Many different text types can
be persuasive, including speeches, advertisements, debates, essays, letters, reviews, flyers,
and articles.
Why do we create persuasive texts?
The most important element of a persuasive text is that it is created to convince someone of the
writer’s point of view. The text expresses how the writer thinks and feels about a topic, but its goal
is to make the audience think and feel the same way as the author. People are inspired to write
persuasive texts when they feel strongly about a topic, which is why persuasive writing is usually
highly emotional. Authors of persuasive texts change the type of language and devices they use
to persuade, depending on who they are addressing. This is why a persuasive text written for
an organisation sounds very different from a persuasive text written for a friend.
1 In your own words, explain why having good persuasive skills is important.
2 Where might you be asked to write persuasively in the future?
Page 3
3 Read the anchor text. This text is a model that will help you to ‘anchor’ your learning as you
complete the activities in this unit. It will also assist you to draft your own persuasive speech.
The anchor text was written by a student, just like you.
Rate my
confidence
At the end of each lesson, you will rate how confident you are about your
progress through the unit. Be as honest as you can; it’s your learning!
4 How confident do you currently feel about reading, writing, speaking, and listening to persuasive
texts? Give yourself a confidence score out of five. Come back at the end of the unit to score your
learning confidence again.
Start of the unit: DD \ MM \ YYYY
End of the unit: DD \ MM \ YYYY
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
Not very
confident
Somewhat
confident
Confident
Highly
confident
Super
confident
Not very
confident
Somewhat
confident
Confident
Highly
confident
Super
confident
2 Connecting Literacy • Book 3

Anchor text
Persuasive speech
Defend yourself 101
I’m hoping you all feel very safe, sitting here together today. But I’m sure you have all felt
unsafe at some time in your life and I feel our school has a responsibility to help protect
us, however possible. Hello, my fellow peers, you all know my name is Angela and I’m
speaking with you today to try and protect you by explaining why I believe our school
should offer self-defence classes. We need to know how to defend ourselves in school,
on the streets, and at work – whether it be from physical, sexual, or other assault. So many
people (especially us young people) feel hopeless when fighting against someone stronger,
but we can change that feeling of hopelessness if only our school had self-defence classes.
Let me start by acknowledging that most people don’t feel like they have the strength or
power to defend themselves properly. But the effect of self-defence classes is to give people
the skills and confidence to protect themselves whenever necessary. Throughout history,
sexual harassment rates have always been too high. In 2017, high schools in New South
Wales collected survey results to discover that 30 per cent of boys and 32 per cent of girls
experienced sexual harassment on school grounds! If we don’t start learning self-defence
at a young age, how are we meant to defend ourselves in the very near and real future?
But these vital classes are not just to protect the vulnerable victim. Dr Milkovic, head of
psychology at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, explains how many concerned bystanders
think of themselves as someone too weak and too powerless to make a change.
Through participating in a life-changing self-defence class though, the next time we
witness an innocent person being harassed, we will have the critical knowledge and
confidence to step in. How can our school possibly say no to something that would
benefit our life and the innumerable lives of those around us?
I understand that some of you may fear you could get injured in this class. However,
even in a normal PE class, there are chances of getting injured. In a PE class, our teachers
support us in how to avoid getting injured, don’t they? Well, self-defence classes are
literally a class about how NOT to get injured! Surely your parents would like you to be
able to pre-empt and prevent an attack. They want you to be safe, don’t they?
So, there seems no logical reason why our school shouldn’t start self-defence classes as
soon as possible! Not only will these classes help students defend themselves against
predators, but they will give us confidence to stop being bystanders and look after our
friends in a safe and responsible way. At the end of the class, I encourage you to step up
and sign the petition paper to bring self-defence classes on campus. With little effort,
it can be your first step in knowing how to protect yourself properly.
Student author: Angela (Wren) Truong
Audience: Angela’s class
http://mea.digital/
CL3_1_A
Persuasive literacy ~ Unit  1 3

1.1
L E A R N I N G
I N T E N T I O N :
Persuasive comprehension
To understand the overall
purpose of a persuasive text
Part A: Question the text
http://mea.digital/
CL3_1_1
A great strategy to use with any text that you need to understand is to question the text: What is the
text saying? How and why is this being said?
Read the anchor text and then answer the following questions.
1 How does Angela want to change her school?
Page 3
STRATEGY
Ask questions
to find answers.
2 What are self-defence classes designed to do?
3 Why does Angela think that sexual harassment rates ‘have always been too high’?
4 What does Angela mean when she says, ‘… defend ourselves in the very near and real future’?
5 Why does Angela acknowledge ‘some’ people might not agree with her proposal?
6 Why would some people fear getting injured in the self-defence class?
7 How can signing a petition be the first step in the students being able to protect themselves?
8 a Answer the two questions in the table below.
Questions
Factual questions:
The answers to factual questions
are explicitly stated in the text.
1 How does answering a factual question about a text help
you understand that text?
Interpretive questions:
Interpretive questions can have
more than one correct answer.
To find the answer/s to an
interpretive question, you need
to ‘read between the lines’
of the text.
1 How does answering an interpretive question about
a text help you understand that text?
4 Connecting Literacy • Book 3

Re-read Questions 1 to 7 opposite. Which questions are factual questions (F)? Which questions
are interpretive questions (I)? Write the letter ‘F’ or ‘I’ next to each question.
Part B: Contention and intention
To fully understand a persuasive text, you need to consider the text’s overall purpose: Why was it
written? What does the author want you to think after reading the text (the contention or main idea)?
What does the author want you to do after reading the text (the intention or call to action)?
Page 164
Comprehension
strategies
9 Annotate the anchor text by numbering the paragraphs and labelling the three main arguments.
10 In the table below:
a write the three arguments you identified in the anchor text in Question 9.
b summarise the evidence the author used to support each argument.
c identify what type of evidence the author used (anecdote, statistics, expert opinion, etc.).
Page 3
STRATEGY
Identify and
understand
the pieces
of the text.
Argument Evidence Type of evidence
Argument one:
Argument two:
Argument three:
11 These three arguments work together to build one overall argument or main idea. What is the
anchor text’s contention?
Page 3
12 What is the anchor text asking the audience to do? What is the text’s intention?
I understand the overall purpose of a persuasive text: / 5
Next time you work with a long text in any subject, number and label the paragraphs.
Challenge yourself to question the text and question your interpretation of the text.
TAKE IT
WITH YOU
1.1 Persuasive comprehension 5

1.2
L E A R N I N G
I N T E N T I O N :
Persuasive planning and writing
To understand how to
plan and develop my
persuasive speech
Part A: Develop your arguments
http://mea.digital/
CL3_1_2
Page 20
Writing a persuasive text is more than expressing how strongly you feel about a topic. You need to
spend some time thinking about why the topic is important, what other people might think about
the topic, and how you can be as convincing as possible in the time you have allocated.
Your writing task for this unit is to write a speech, which will be similar to the anchor text
in purpose, audience and length. In this speech, you will try to convince your classmates to
sign a petition about making a particular change at your school.
1 Use the concept map in Figure 1.1 below to brainstorm all the things you think should be changed
at your school.
Curriculum or classes or learning
Resources or facilities
Other
Things that
could be
changed in
my school
Figure 1.1
Activities or events
2 Using the ideas you came up with in your brainstorm, decide which change you feel most passionate
about. Next, write down three arguments or reasons why this change should happen.
3 What could be a counter argument to your idea for a change at your school? Which of your
arguments proves why the counter argument is invalid?
4 Taking into consideration all your points, what are you arguing overall? What is the contention of
your speech?
6 Connecting Literacy • Book 3

Part B: Revise your text for your audience and purpose
Keep in mind that your speech will be presented to your class; this will change the way you approach
drafting your speech. The more clearly you can predict how your speech will make your classmates
think and feel, the better you will be able to specifically and purposefully write your speech to
achieve your intention.
5 After listening to your speech, what do you want your audience to do? What is the intention
of your speech?
STRATEGY
Understand
the purpose
of the text
or feature.
6 How does your audience currently feel about your topic?
7 What else interests your audience? What do they care about? How can you use your audience’s
interests in your speech?
8 Using the information from Questions 5, 6, and 7, decide what evidence will connect to your
audience most successfully, while supporting your arguments.
Arguments
Argument one:
Argument two:
Evidence
Page 172
Finding
appropriate
evidence
Argument three:
Page 3
9 Using the anchor text as a model and the arguments and evidence you identified in Question 8,
write a draft of your speech. You can write your draft in the writing pages at the end of this unit.
We will continue to revise your speech throughout the unit, so for now, write the first draft, knowing
it doesn’t have to be perfect, but it is enough to start experimenting with.
Page 20
Page 172
Turning a plan
into a draft
I understand how to plan and develop my persuasive speech: / 5
Next time you are asked to write a specific text type in another class, first consider the
text’s audience and purpose. Then, directly match your writing to the audience and
purpose you have identified. This is particularly useful in assessments and exams.
TAKE IT
WITH YOU
1.2 Persuasive planning and writing 7

1.3
Persuasive structures
and features
L E A R N I N G
I N T E N T I O N :
To understand the key structural
elements and language features
of persuasive speeches
Part A: Persuasive speeches
http://mea.digital/
CL3_1_3
Page 3
STRATEGY
Identify and
understand
the pieces of
the text.
The structural elements and language features of a persuasive speech require the speech to be
planned in a similar way to an essay but written quite differently. This is because the text is being
written to be spoken and this is not a common way to write.
1 In the table below, using the anchor text as a guide, identify the key structural elements and
language features of the different parts of a persuasive speech.
The structural elements of a persuasive speech
Introduction Body paragraphs Conclusion
The language features of a persuasive speech
2 Considering the structural elements and the language features you identified in Question 1, what
are the similarities and differences between a persuasive speech and a persuasive essay?
Page 174
Text forms
Similarities
• They both have paragraphs.
Differences
• Speeches use personal pronouns (I, you, me);
essays do not.
Part B: Persuasive devices
Persuasive devices are essentially rhetoric, which is the use and manipulation of language to
convey a message. Strong persuasive texts use of a variety of rhetorical devices to sway or convince
the audience or reader. Combined, these persuasive devices can make a text very convincing.
8 Connecting Literacy • Book 3

One of the most powerful, yet subtle, uses of rhetoric is the appeal. Appeals use a variety of other
persuasive devices to help achieve their goal: to connect to the intellectual, moral, or emotional
responses of the audience. A persuasive text can appeal to anything. Aristotle categorised appeals
into three main categories: ethos, pathos, and logos.
Type of appeal
Ethos: appeal to ethics
Pathos: appeal to emotions
Logos: appeal to logic
What the appeal does
The author builds credibility, so the audience trusts what they
are saying.
The author makes the audience feel certain emotions about specific
people and things.
The author uses reason and logic, facts, and experts to validate
the arguments they are presenting.
3 Match each example from the anchor text below to the type of appeal it is using.
Example from the anchor text
‘Hello, my fellow peers, you all know my name is Angela and
I’m speaking with you today to try and protect you’
‘… most people don’t feel like they have the strength or power
to defend themselves properly’
‘How can our school possibly say no to something that would benefit
our life and the innumerable lives of those around us?’
Type of appeal
(ethos, pathos, or logos)
Page 3
4 In the anchor text, highlight and label one example of each of the following persuasive devices:
rule of three, statistics, generalisation, rhetorical question, emotive language, and alliteration.
5 What other persuasive devices can you find in the anchor text? Highlight and label these devices.
6 Persuasive devices rarely work in isolation, as shown by this sentence from the anchor text:
‘How can our school possibly say no to something that would benefit our life and the innumerable
lives of those around us?’
Page 178
Literary and
persuasive
devices
STRATEGY
Pause to
wonder and
connect.
a How many devices can you identify in this sentence?
b Describe the effect of the persuasive devices working together in this sentence.
7 Identify the structural elements and language features in your speech. What persuasive devices have
you used in your speech? How could you make your speech more persuasive? Revise your draft.
Page 20
I understand the key structural elements and language features of persuasive speeches: / 5
Persuasive devices are not just for persuasive texts. Can you use the ‘rule of three’ or
emotive language in another piece of writing this week?
TAKE IT
WITH YOU
1.3 Persuasive structures and features 9

1.4
http://mea.digital/
CL3_1_4
Persuasive vocabulary
Part A: Emotive language
L E A R N I N G
A text that makes someone feel something is far more likely to convince its reader or audience to
think something or to do something. By using language that evokes emotion, writers connect to
their readers in a way that is memorable and persuasive.
I N T E N T I O N :
To understand emotive
language, denotation, and
connotation in persuasive
writing
1 In the following sentences, highlight the emotive words and identify what emotion is being
expressed by these words.
a The innocent bystander stood frozen, unable to tear his eyes away.
b The vicious thug saw red and snapped as she lunged closer.
c The underestimated victim took a deep breath and concentrated on what they had learnt.
2 Consider the three people in Question 1. What judgements did you make about these people?
How did you interpret their situations? How are they feeling?
a The bystander The bystander is too scared to do anything.
b The thug
c The victim
3 Underline the emotive words in paragraph three of the anchor text.
Page 3
4 The text below claims that selling junk food in a cafeteria is a terrible thing. Change the bolded
emotive words so the text claims that selling junk food in a cafeteria is a great thing.
I walk into the cafeteria and the stench of deep-fried oil slams into my face. I look across the bainmarie
and all I can see are the greasy towers of processed food. It all looks like an oil factory ready
to explode. I can’t understand why, in this day and age, we are still putting the lives of vulnerable
children at risk by normalising such rubbish as ‘food’ that is fit for consumption.
Part B: Denotation and connotation
Every word has a standard definition or a literal meaning, which is called a word’s denotation.
Many words also have a connotation, which is the feeling evoked by the word; a connotation
is a suggested or implied meaning.
For example: The sandpaper is gritty. That side of town is gritty.
(Denotation: having (Connotation: that side of town is rough; it’s a tough
a rough texture)
neighbourhood with high incidences of crime)
10 Connecting Literacy • Book 3

A word’s connotation can be further classified as being either negative or positive.
5 From the anchor text, choose a word with a negative connotation and a word with a positive
connotation, then complete the following table.
Word
from the
anchor text
Positive or
negative
connotation
Denotation (definition
or literal meaning)
Connotation (implied meaning)
Page 3
Vital Positive Something that is
necessary
Most important thing that will help
your life
6 For each of the words in the table below, identify a synonym that has a different connotation.
Positive connotation Neutral connotation Negative connotation
Infatuated Highly interested Obsessed
Page 181
Word meanings
Assertive
Timid
Mature
Pushy
Giving
7 Decide whether each of the following words shows someone is not very determined, or determined,
or very determined.
wavering, adamant, headstrong, faltering, inflexible, persistent,
rigid, stubborn, tenacious, hesitant, unrelenting
Not very determined:
Determined:
Very determined:
8 How do you want your audience to feel during your speech?
Page 20
9 Revise your speech to appeal to your audience’s feelings. Experiment with your language choices
to make them more emotive. Include more descriptive words so your audience knows how to feel
about what you are talking about.
I understand emotive language, denotation, and connotation in persuasive writing: / 5
Challenge yourself to find and use emotive language, with both positive and negative
connotations, in other subjects.
TAKE IT
WITH YOU
1.4 Persuasive vocabulary 11

1.5
Persuasive syntax
L E A R N I N G
I N T E N T I O N :
To understand the differences between
spoken and written language, including
maintaining the subject–verb agreement
Part A: Spoken versus written language
http://mea.digital/
CL3_1_5
Page 202
Spoken versus
written language
The differences between spoken and written language go beyond the different words and syntax
(sentence structure) used in these two types of language. In written texts, we use punctuation to help
convey the meaning of the words; whereas, in spoken texts, we use our voice and body language to
assist us to convey our meaning to our audience. However, these differences become blurred when
we write a text that is going to be spoken.
1 What are the key similarities and differences between spoken language and written language?
Page 3
2 How have the following sentences in the anchor text been written to make them sound more
like the way a person speaks?
a ‘I’m hoping you all feel very safe, sitting here together today.’
b ‘So many people (especially us young people) feel hopeless when fighting against someone …’
STRATEGY
Connect with
the language
choices.
3 a Record yourself speaking naturally about aliens for 10 seconds. Transcribe what you said exactly,
and then revise it to fix the grammatical errors, repetitions, etc.
b Reflect on your spoken and written texts about aliens. What are the differences between your
spoken and written syntax?
A spoken text is not always informal. Although the structural elements and language features of
a formal speech are similar to those used in a formal written text, there are still key differences
between these two text types.
4 What are the differences between a formal speech and a formal written text?
Formal speech
Formal written text
A formal written text:
• has long, complex sentences
• repeats phrases and ideas less frequently
than spoken texts
• uses simple transitions and paragraphing
to break up ideas
12 Connecting Literacy • Book 3

Formal speech (cont.)
Formal written text (cont.)
• uses punctuation to control the tone of
the text and to present ideas clearly
• is more likely to use nominalisation than
a speech
• is less likely to use pictures and graphics
to support the ideas in the text
• uses specific devices (expert opinion, logic
and reason, statistics, etc.) to present ideas.
Part B: Subject–verb agreement
Every sentence needs a subject (someone or something doing something) and a predicate
(which includes a main verb to show what the subject is doing). In English sentences, the subject
and the verb must ‘agree’ with each other. What this means is:
• if a subject is singular (one), the verb must also be singular For example: He suggests
• if a subject is plural (more than one), the verb must also be plural. For example: They suggest
Page 186
Subject and
predicate
The exception is the first-person pronoun ‘I’, which uses a plural verb. For example: I suggest
In the past tense, the subject–verb agreement stays the same regardless of whether the subject
is singular or plural. For example: The teacher suggested we should sign the petition.
The teachers suggested we should sign the petition.
The further apart the subject is to the verb, the more difficult it can be to make sure they agree.
Watch out for prepositional phrases, brackets, and appositives trying to distract you!
Page 187
Tense
When there are multiple subjects in a sentence, you need to concentrate very specifically on the
subject–verb agreement. To make sure the subjects and verbs agree, look at the subjects in the
sentence and consider: Are the subjects all singular? Are the subjects joined with a conjunction
(for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)?
5 In each sentence, underline the subject/s and circle the verb. Do the subjects and verbs agree?
a The room of empty chairs waits for the bell to ring.
b The instructor, a specialist in self-defence, speak from experience.
STRATEGY
Connect the
subject and
the predicate.
c Either Elijah or Emilia is the class assistant today.
d The task and the resources is waiting for submission.
6 Does your speech read like a text that is intended to be spoken? How can you find the balance
between writing formally and writing a text that is intended to be spoken to your class?
Make sure your subjects and verbs all agree!
Page 20
I understand the differences between spoken and written language,
including maintaining the subject–verb agreement: / 5
Hearing and seeing the differences between formal spoken and written texts can help
you build sophistication in your writing. Be courageous and experiment with writing in
a way that is very different to the way you speak. And, as your sentences become more
complex, don’t forget to check that your subjects and verbs still agree!
TAKE IT
WITH YOU
1.5 Persuasive syntax 13

1.6
L E A R N I N G
Persuasive punctuation
I N T E N T I O N :
To understand the impact
exclamation and question
marks have on a written text
Part A: Exclamation marks!
http://mea.digital/
CL3_1_6
Exclamation marks show emphasis and emotion in writing. They are powerful punctuation marks –
particularly in persuasive texts – but they need to be controlled to ensure the exclamation marks
used have the greatest impact. The exclamation mark is often considered to be an informal
punctuation mark, particularly when it is used repeatedly in a text.
Page 188
Types of
punctuation
1 Consider the following sentences from the anchor text that use exclamation marks. What impact
does each exclamation mark have on the sentence?
a ‘… high schools in New South Wales collected survey results to discover that 30 per cent of boys
and 32 per cent of girls experienced sexual harassment on school grounds!’
Page 3
b ‘Well, self-defence classes are literally a class about how NOT to get injured!’
2 Write a sentence, using an exclamation mark, to show each of the following emotions.
a Frustration
b Passion
c Determination
3 Why is it beneficial to use exclamation marks in a written speech, considering that the audience
will hear the speech and not read it (that is, the audience won’t ‘see’ the exclamation marks)?
Part B: Question marks?
Questions in speeches are called rhetorical questions because the question is a statement; the
answer is implied, and the speaker is not expecting an answer from the audience. Asking a rhetorical
question is a powerful persuasive device that can be used in both written and spoken persuasive
writing. However, they have to be controlled: asking a few rhetorical questions can be persuasive;
asking too many can be overwhelming!
4 In the anchor text, why did Angela choose to finish each body paragraph with a rhetorical question?
Page 3
STRATEGY
Connect the
punctuation
to what is
being said.
14 Connecting Literacy • Book 3

When using question marks alongside quotation marks:
• if the question relates to the quote, then the question mark stays inside the quotation marks
• if the question is part of the sentence, then the question mark goes outside the quotation marks.
For example: Then he asked, ‘Why are we doing this?’ Why did he say, ‘This has been done’?
5 In the following sentences, decide whether the question mark should go inside or outside
the quotation marks.
a Has anyone ever asked, ‘Why haven’t we done this already’
b What do you do when someone says, ‘I can’t help you right now’
c We need to ask each other, ‘Do you feel safe today’
Part C: The interrobang?!
The interrobang is the combination of an exclamation mark with a question mark (for example,
?! or !?! or any other combination). This punctuation mark is used to show that a question is being
asked with significant emphasis or emotion. The interrobang is a non-standard form of punctuation
that is becoming more acceptable in informal texts.
6 List the different types of text where it would be appropriate to use an interrobang.
7 The following sentences do not use an interrobang correctly. Explain why.
a I think self-defence classes are a great idea!?!
b Dear Principal Le, why don’t we have self-defence classes already!?!
8 a Revise your speech to use at least one exclamation mark for effect. Although the audience won’t
see the exclamation mark, it will help you use the right tone when you deliver your speech.
b Rhetorical questions are compelling in persuasive writing. Have you used any rhetorical questions
in your speech? Revise your speech to include at least one.
Page 20
c Check you have used punctuation accurately in your speech. While the audience won’t see
your punctuation, it will help you find the right pace, tone, and when to pause as you deliver
your speech.
I understand the impact exclamation and question marks have on a written text: / 5
It is easy to overlook punctuation. Challenge yourself to notice punctuation such as
exclamation and question marks in other subjects, and to observe how they are used.
TAKE IT
WITH YOU
1.6 Persuasive punctuation 15

1.7
Persuasive spelling
L E A R N I N G
I N T E N T I O N :
To understand how prefixes
and suffixes impact words
Part A: Prefixes
http://mea.digital/
CL3_1_7
A prefix is a group of letters that is added to the beginning of a word. Each prefix has its own
meaning; this meaning does not change, regardless of what word the prefix is attached to.
Adding a prefix to a word can make the word opposite (nonfiction) or negative (uncooked).
Prefixes can be used to show time (preservice), manner (overpopulated), or an amount (biannual).
1 Complete the following table and note the impact of adding prefixes to different words.
Page 195
Bases and affixes
Prefix Prefix meaning Base
word
New word
created
Other words that use
the prefix
STRATEGY
Consider the
meaning and
pronunciation
of familiar
parts of
the word.
pre
e
ex
ec
ef
(These are all
assimilated
prefixes.)
before
(for example:
‘preview’ means
‘before viewing’)
out of, from within,
beyond
(for example: ‘exit’
means ‘out of it’)
arrange
fabricated
destined
motion
change
centric
fort
Page 3
2 Consider the following words from the anchor text. Explain how the prefix in each word impacts
the overall meaning of the word.
a Prevent:
b Effect:
c Pre-empt:
3 ‘Predator’ starts with ‘pre’ but does not mean ‘before’. Why does predator start with ‘pre’?
4 The assimilated prefix ‘ob, op, of, oc’ means ‘against, in the way’. Decide which prefix is used
to spell the following words.
Note that we use ‘op’ before p, ‘of’ before f, ‘oc’ before c, and ‘ob’ before all other letters.
e, ex, ec, ef ob, op, of, oc
____tend
____ject
____static
____fective
____ist
____cur
____ject
____pose
____fend
____casion
16 Connecting Literacy • Book 3

Part B: Suffixes
A suffix is a letter or group of letters added to the end of a word to create a new word. Rather than
changing a word’s meaning, a suffix changes the word’s function in a sentence. Just by noticing
a word’s suffix, we know what the word is doing in the sentence.
Suffixes can create a plural, or change the tense:
For example: persuade + s = persuades; persuade + ed = persuaded; persuade + ing = persuading
Suffixes can also completely change how the word can grammatically be used.
For example: persuade + er = persuader (changes to a noun: a person)
persuade + sion = persuasion (changes to a noun: a process)
persuade + ive = persuasive (changes to an adjective: describing a noun)
5 Change the verb ‘offend’ by adding appropriate suffixes.
Original word Change to … New word
offend
past tense
offend
adjective
offend
noun
Over 95 per cent of all suffixes used are ‘ed’ (past-tense verb), ‘ing’ (present-participle verb),
‘ly’ (adverb), or ‘s/es’ (plural).
STRATEGY
Connect
the word to
its function.
Page 195
Bases and
affixes
6 Categorise these suffixes into the part of speech they indicate.
age, ify, ful, dom, ise, al, ous, ate, ance/ence, y, ic, en, er, ment, ist, ion, ing, ish
Noun Verb Adjective
7 In the anchor text, circle one noun suffix, one verb suffix, and one adjective suffix.
8 Using the spelling rules outlined in the Literacy How-to section (page 191), work out the correct
spelling for the following words and their suffixes. Explain why each word is spelled this way.
a Control + er
b State + ing
Page 3
Page 197
Spelling
generalisations
c Testify + ed
9 Check the spelling in your speech. Have you accurately used prefixes and suffixes? How many have
you used? Are they positive or negative? Consider some synonyms and experiment with alliteration,
puns, rhyme, or repetition in your speech.
Page 20
I understand how prefixes and suffixes impact words: / 5
By changing a word’s suffix, you can use the word in a different context. You can
change a word’s meaning by adding a prefix. See how powerful word choice can
be by experimenting with different words in different subjects.
TAKE IT
WITH YOU
1.7 Persuasive spelling 17

1.8
Persuasive speaking and listening
Part A: Voice and body language
L E A R N I N G
I N T E N T I O N :
To understand
how people speak
persuasively for
different audiences
and purposes
http://mea.digital/
CL3_1_8
Page 200
Voice and body
language
There are two main things to focus on when giving a speech: your voice and your body language.
This expression of your text can be supported with multimedia or images.
1 Watch the video of the anchor text by scanning the QR code on page 3.
2 Complete the following table by identifying how the speaker used her voice and body to
be persuasive.
Voice
Body
Page 3
STRATEGY
Identify and
understand
the pieces of
the text.
3 a Practise reading the first paragraph of your speech out loud. Each time you read the paragraph,
focus on a different element of your voice or body:
• Pace: How slow do you need to speak so your audience can follow what you’re saying?
• Expression: Try speaking as if you are really happy or really frustrated.
• Gestures: Put down your speech and experiment with what you can do with your hands.
• Emphasis: Experiment with putting different levels of emphasis on different words.
• Facial expressions: What happens if you smile as you speak? Or if you frown?
• Volume: Try speaking quietly, and then loudly. Where do you project from?
• Body positions: What does it feel like to cross your legs or lean against something?
What position makes you feel the most confident?
b How did the meaning of the paragraph change depending on how you spoke or moved your body?
Part B: The active audience
Our lives are filled with persuasive texts. We are constantly being told we should buy something,
do something, think something, or feel a certain way about something. In some situations, it is
obvious that someone is being persuasive (for example, if they are trying to sell us something);
however, in other situations, it may not be so clear (for example, if someone is presenting an idea
or belief). It is in these situations that we need to be not just an active listener, but a critical one.
4 For each audience response in the table, identify a situation where the response is appropriate.
Situation
Appropriate audience response
Listening quietly, eyes focused on the speaker, clapping at the end
Yelling, singing, talking, dancing, and clapping
Laughing at appropriate sections, cheering at the end
Talking, chanting, and clapping
Being quiet during play, and then clapping and yelling after a shot
18 Connecting Literacy • Book 3

5 How can you be an active listener during your classmates’ presentations? What is an appropriate
audience in this situation?
6 Imagine one of your classmates is giving their speech. You notice they are shaking, sweating,
and losing control of their voice. As an audience member, how can you be even more supportive
of a particularly nervous speaker?
STRATEGY
Pause to
wonder and
connect.
7 You have spent this unit revising your speech into a quality piece of writing. Now you need to
rehearse your speech so it is ready to be presented to your class. You should rehearse or practise
your speech until you know it well enough so you don’t have to read every word and you can make
eye contact with members of your audience. Rehearsing your speech will also help you to find a
good pace, know where the pauses are, what words need emphasis, and what tone of voice works
best in which parts.
Page 20
8 Think about presenting your speech. What are you feeling most confident about?
9 Think about presenting your speech. What are you most nervous about? How might you overcome
these nerves?
I understand how people speak persuasively for different audiences and purposes: / 5
Consider how you can use general class discussions and group work to improve both
your speaking and listening skills. These are vital life skills, and you can use them in
every subject, so noticing what someone is doing when they are speaking or listening
really well (or badly!) can help reinforce your own speaking and listening development.
TAKE IT
WITH YOU
1.8 Persuasive speaking and listening 19

1.9
My persuasive speech draft
20 Connecting Literacy • Book 3

M Y P E R S U A S I V E S P E E C H D R A F T
1.9 My persuasive speech draft 21

1.9
My persuasive speech draft
22 Connecting Literacy • Book 3

Persuasive literacy learning ladder
Writing task: Write a persuasive speech in which you try to convince your classmates
to sign a petition about making a particular change at your school.
1.5 I am confident
I can effectively
question a
persuasive text
to identify the
main contention,
intention, and key
arguments.
2.5 I am confident
I can develop
arguments to
build towards
a contention and
to use evidence
to support these
ideas when writing
persuasive texts.
3.5 I am confident
I can use appropriate
structural elements
and features
(including a variety of
persuasive devices)
when writing
persuasive texts.
4.5 I am confident
I can control my
use of language
to evoke specific
feelings in my
audience when
writing persuasive
texts.
5.5 I am
confident I can
control a variety
of appropriate
language features
(including subject–
verb agreement)
when writing
persuasive texts.
6.5 I am
confident I can
make informed
and conscious
decisions when
using punctuation
for effect when
writing persuasive
texts.
7.5 I am confident
I can use different
strategies to spell
unfamiliar words
(particularly those
using prefixes and
suffixes) when
writing persuasive
texts.
8.5 I am confident
I can rehearse and
present persuasive
texts that show my
understanding of a
variety of persuasive
and presentation
techniques.
1.4 I have
questioned my
speech to ensure
my contention,
intention, and
arguments
are clear.
2.4 I have
effectively
connected my
arguments with
my contention and
used evidence with
purpose to support
these ideas.
3.4 I have effectively
used appropriate
structural elements
and features
(including a variety of
persuasive devices)
for persuasive effect.
4.4 I have
effectively used
language to
evoke specific and
desired feelings in
my audience.
5.4 I have
effectively used
appropriate
language features
to write a text that
will be spoken.
6.4 I have
effectively used
punctuation to
improve the tone
of my speech
and add to its
persuasiveness.
7.4 I have used
different spelling
strategies to
accurately spell
unfamiliar words,
including those
with prefixes
and suffixes.
8.4 I have presented
a well-rehearsed
speech that showed
my understanding
and application
of persuasive
and presentation
techniques.
1.3 I have
experimented
with different
ways to make
my contention,
intention, and
arguments clear
in my speech.
2.3 I have
experimented –
during my
revisions – with
ways to connect
my evidence to my
arguments, and
my arguments to
my contention.
3.3 I have
experimented –
during my revisions –
with how best to
use the structural
elements and
language features of
persuasive writing
for effect.
4.3 I have
experimented –
during my
revisions – with
different ways to
use language for
emotional effect.
5.3 I have
experimented –
during my
revisions – with
ways to use
language features
to create a
spoken text.
6.3 I have
experimented –
during my
revisions – with
ways to use
punctuation to
enhance my
writing.
7.3 I have tried
spelling unfamiliar
words that use
prefixes and
suffixes.
8.3 I have
experimented –
during my
rehearsals – with
different ways
to present my
speech so it could
be as persuasive
as possible.
1.2 I have
explained my
contention,
intention, and
arguments
throughout
my speech.
2.2 I have used
appropriate
arguments
and evidence
to support my
contention overall.
3.2 I have followed
the structural
elements of a
persuasive speech
and included several
persuasive devices.
4.2 I have included
some words that
show a positive or
negative feeling
towards my topic.
5.2 I have shown
an understanding
of the difference
between written
and spoken texts
when creating
my speech.
6.2 I have
accurately used
a variety of
punctuation
independently.
7.2 I have
independently
edited my
spelling errors.
8.2 I have presented
my speech using
different voice and
body language
strategies.
1.1 I have
directly stated
my contention,
intention, and
arguments.
2.1 I have included
arguments and
evidence in
my speech.
3.1 I have followed
the structural
elements of a
persuasive speech
with support and
included a few
persuasive devices.
4.1 I have included
some emotive
words with
support.
5.1 I have written
a text that is
intended to
be spoken.
6.1 I have
accurately used
punctuation with
support.
7.1 I have edited
my spelling errors
with support.
8.1 I have presented
my persuasive
speech.
1.0 Not shown 2.0 Not shown 3.0 Not shown 4.0 Not shown 5.0 Not shown 6.0 Not shown 7.0 Not shown 8.0 Not shown
1 Comprehension 2 Planning and
writing
3 Structures and
features
4 Vocabulary 5 Syntax 6 Punctuation 7 Spelling 8 Speaking and
listening
Persuasive literacy learning ladder 23