Theme: Life in Asia
Stage 1
Time Frame: 8-10 Weeks
Key Concept: Figurative Language,
Stereotypes, Importance of Science Knowledge,
Visual Representation
Focus for this unit - learning intention
During this unit students will be summarising, visualising, making connections and visual representations and predicting through the study of texts related to Asian
Experiences along with the study of the narrative text type and its conventions.
Text Set
Digging to China by Donna Rawlins
Mulan
*(Powerpoint retold by Lin Donn)
*Disney DVD
The Special Present by Sally Cole (Level20)
Reading Bug book
Variety of images of Ancient Chinese life from other texts or internet
Film
Speeches (youtube)
Images
Objective A
Objective B
Use language to shape and
make meaning according to
purpose, audience and
context.
Objective C
Think in ways that are
imaginative, creative,
interpretive and critical.
Speaking and Listening 1
Speaking and Listening 2
EN1-1A Communicates with a range of
people in informal & guided activities
demonstrating interaction skills and
considers how own communication is
adjusted in different situations.
 Develop & apply contextual
knowledge
Listen for specific purposes and
information, including instructions, and
extend students own and others ideas in
discussions.
 Understand & apply knowledge of
language forms and features
 Respond to & compose texts
EN1-6B Recognises a range of
purposes & audiences for spoken
language & recognises organisational
patterns & features of predictable
spoken texts
 Develop & apply contextual
knowledge
-Recognise different oral texts eg:
conversations at home, in the
classroom and the playground.
 Understand & apply knowledge of
language forms and features
-Identify organisational patterns and
features of predictable spoken texts.
 Respond to & compose texts
-
Thinking Imaginatively & Creatively
EN1-10C Thinks imaginatively and
creatively about familiar topics, ideas
and texts when responding to and
composing texts.
 Engage personally with texts
 Develop and apply contextual
knowledge
 Understand and apply knowledge
of language forms and features
 Respond to and compose texts
Communicate through
speaking, listening, reading,
writing, viewing and
representing.
Writing & Representing 1
EN1-2A Plans, composes and reviews
a small range of simple texts for a
variety of purposes on familiar topics
for known readers and viewers.
 Develop & apply contextual
knowledge
 Understand & apply knowledge of
language forms and features
 Respond to & compose texts
Compose a range of written
forms of communication,
including emails, greeting
cards and letters.
-
Writing & Representing 2
EN1-7B Identifies how language use in
their own writing differs according to
their purpose, audience and subject
matter.
 Develop & apply contextual
knowledge
 Understand & apply knowledge of
language forms and features
 Respond to & compose texts
-Make inferences about character
motives, actions , qualities and
characteristics when responding to texts.
H’writing & Digital Technologies
Reading & Viewing 2
EN1-3A Composes texts using letters
of consistent size & slope & uses digital
technologies.
 Develop & apply contextual
knowledge
-Understand that handwriting and
presentation of work need to reflect
audience and purpose in order to
communicate effectively.
 Understand & apply knowledge of
language forms and features
 Respond to & compose texts
-Construct texts featuring print, visual
and audio elements using software,
including Word Processing programs.
EN1-8B recognises that there are
different kinds of texts when reading
and viewing and shows an awareness
of purpose, audience and subject
matter.
 Develop & apply contextual
knowledge
 Understand & apply knowledge of
language forms and features
 Respond to, read & view texts
-
-Recreate texts imaginatively using
drawing, writing, performance and digital
forms of communiation.
Objective D
Express themselves and their
relationships with others and
their world.
Objective E
Learn and reflect on their
learning through their study of
English.
Expressing Themselves
Reflecting on Learning
EN1-11D Responds to and composes a
range of texts about familiar aspects of
the world and their own experiences.
EN1-12E Identifies and discusses
aspects of their own and others’
learning.
 Engage personally with texts
 Develop and apply contextual
knowledge
-Respond to texts drawn from a range of
cultures and experiences.
 Understand and apply knowledge of
language forms and features
 Respond to and compose texts
 Develop and apply contextual
knowledge
-Develop an understanding of how a
rich text environment underpins
learning.
 Understand and apply knowledge
of language forms and features
 Respond to and compose texts
-
assessing their own and other
peoples presentation/compositions.
-Jointly develop criteria for
Grammar, Punctuation & Vocab
Reading & Viewing1
EN1-4A draws on an increasing range
of skills and strategies to fluently read,
view and comprehend a range of texts
on less familiar topics in different media
and technologies.
 Develop & apply contextual
knowledge
 Understand & apply knowledge of
language forms and features
-Understand how sentence
punctuation is used to enhance
meaning and fluency.
 Develop and apply graphological,
phonological, syntactic & semantic
knowledge.
 Respond to, read & view texts
-
Spelling
EN1-5A Uses a variety of strategies,
including knowledge of sight words
and letter–sound correspondences, to
spell familiar words.
 Develop & apply contextual
knowledge
 Understand & apply knowledge of
language forms and features
 Respond to & compose texts
-Isolate and write the initial, medial
sound of a word.
-Begin to use a dictionary for
spelling activities and word
meaning
EN1-9B Uses
basic
grammatical
features, punctuation conventions and
vocabulary appropriate to the type of
text
when
responding
to
and
composing texts.
 Develop & apply contextual
knowledge
-Understand that ideas in texts can be
organised using sentences and
paragraphs.
 Understand & apply knowledge of
language forms and features
-Explore differences in words that
represent people, places and things
(nouns incl. pronouns), happenings and
states (verbs), qualities (adjectives) and
details such as when, where and how
(adverbs)
 Understanding & apply knowledge of
vocabulary
-Recognise that capital letters signal
proper nouns.
- Experiment with quoted (direct) and
reported (indirect) speech.
 Respond to & compose texts
-
DIGGING TO CHINA
Objective A
Communicate through
speaking, listening,
reading, writing, viewing
and representing.
Objective B
Use language to shape and
make meaning according
to purpose, audience and
context.
Teaching/Learning Activities
Speaking and Listening 1
 Model ideal conversation – turn taking, eye contact, active listening, asking questions for more
information.
 Students have a conversation with each other about a topic related to the text – grandparents.
Focus on turn taking and active listening to each other. Report back to group three things their
partner said about grandparents..
Writing & Representing 1
 Birthday card (draft)
 Postcard (draft)
H’writing & Digital Technologies
 Publish birthday card or postcard on the computer.
 Paint Chinese letters
Reading & Viewing1
 Proof read page from the text that has no punctuation. Student to suggest punctuation.
Spelling
 Using Elkonan Boxes students sound out initial, medial and final sounds of selected words in the
book.
 Teacher models use of personal dictionary. (Think Aloud). Students use personal dictionary in
their writing.

Speaking and Listening 2
 Role play conversation between two people in various locations (playground, home, classroom,
assembly) indicating a request. (eg: asking for a drink, to go to the toilet.)
 Examine a page from the text, looking at where the word said is in the sentence and finding
words that replace said.
 Examine a page from the text looking at contractions.
Writing & Representing 2
 Matrix of main characters comparing motives, actions, qualities and characteristics.
Grammar, Punctuation & Vocab
Using a selected page students highlight nouns, verbs, adjectives and verbs.
Sequence paragraphs from an extract of the story. Using highlighters match characters to their speech.
Students highlight words with capital letters. Identify whether they are names of places or proper nouns.
(people)
Examine the difference between direct and indirect speech using examples from book. Note difference in
punctuation needed. Students attempt own examples of direct and indirect speech on the same topic.
Resources
Copies of
DIGGING TO CHINA by Donna Rawlin
Prompts for conversation
Samples of postcards and birthday
invitations
Map of the world showing China
Personal dictionaries for writing
Printed page from the book
Contraction game
Highlighter pens
Objective C
Think in ways that are
imaginative, creative,
interpretive and critical.
Objective D
Express themselves and
their relationships with
others and their world.
Objective E
Learn and reflect on their
learning through their
study of English.
Thinking Imaginatively & Creatively
 In groups, students retell part of or the whole story in a self-selected form. (eg: drawings,
visualising, role play, movement to music, digital
Expressing Themselves
 In groups, students retell part of or the whole story in a self-selected form. (eg: drawings,
visualising, role play, movement to music, digital
Reflecting on Learning
 KWL on China before and after the unit.
 Develop criteria for assessing a birthday invitation.
 Students assess Brithday invitations based on criteria developed.
Drawings from visualisation activity
Props that can be used for scenes and
characters
Class set of birthday cards or postcards
Assessment / Collecting Evidence
Observation
Anecdotal Records
Checklist / Matrix
Rubric (CTJ)
Self-Assessment
Peer Assessment
Student Teacher Conference
Journals
Assessment task
Pre and post reading of selected text
Examination of birthday cards or postcards
Students use their drawings or visualisations to retell main points of the story
NEW TEXT - MULAN
MULAN
Teaching/Learning Activities
Resources
Speaking and Listening 1
Objective A
Communicate through
speaking, listening,
reading, writing, viewing
and representing.

Brainstorm background information about China and Asia eg. Maps, culture etc.
Record on a Mind Map.
Writing & Representing 1


The True Story of Mulan (PowerPoint)
Other images of Ancient Chinese
Culture (books, internet etc)

The True Story of Mulan (PowerPoint)
 Look at structure of text eg. Paragraphs, sentences and text type.
Reading & Viewing1

View the PowerPoint Presentation with a focus on aspects of the illustrationsdiscuss dress, hairstyles, buildings etc. Make predictions about what text will be
about. Make connections to own experiences.
 Review other images related to Ancient Chinese culture to continue to build
background knowledge.
 Read the text.
Spelling

Looking at high-frequency words within the text and unusual spelling (eg.
American spelling).
Speaking and Listening
Objective B
Use language to shape and
make meaning according
to purpose, audience and
context.

Overview Chinese languages eg. Mandarin, Cantonese
Writing & Representing 2


Discussions about character’s actions and motives in various parts of the story.
Discuss reasons behind why things were a certain way on Ancient Chinese
Culture.
Reading & Viewing 2
Prompts about adverbs, adjectives, verbs
Grammar games , website

Discuss grammar and the use of adjectives, adverbs and verbs and how they add
interest to the story.
Interactive activities
 Text structure; why the author has used specific words.
Grammar, Punctuation & Vocab

Review vocabulary used in the story.

Identify grammatical features and punctuation.
Thinking Imaginatively & Creatively
Objective C
Think in ways that are
imaginative, creative,
interpretive and critical.


Express feelings about the text through discussion and questioning. Eg. How did
Mulan feel about being dressed as a boy? How did she keep this secret for ten
years?
Role play a scene from the story.
Expressing Themselves
Objective D
Express themselves and
their relationships with
others and their world.


Re-write story based on a similar theme in groups.
View ‘Brave’ DVD to compare and contrast the same story in two cultures in.
Reflecting on Learning
Objective E
Learn and reflect on their
learning through their
study of English.



Present writing to an audience.
Peer assessment- kind and constructive peer comments on presentations.
Watch ‘Mulan’ DVD to compare and contrast on similarities and differences
between this and the PowerPoint.

The True Story of Mulan (PowerPoint)
Study of Chinese lettering
Invite teacher to demonstrate the art form
 Brave DVD
• Printed copies of The True Story of
Mulan (PowerPoint).


Mulan DVD
Printed copies of The True Story of
Mulan (PowerPoint).
Assessment / Collecting Evidence
Observation
Anecdotal Records
Checklist / Matrix
Rubric (CTJ)
Self-Assessment
Peer Assessment
Student Teacher Conference
Journals
Assessment task
Pre and post reading of selected text
Examination of Chinese letters
Students use their drawings or visualisations to retell main points of the story
Possible Links to Other KLA’s
Mathematics
History
Ancient
Chinese
Culture
Science & Technology
Possible Links to Other KLA’s
Mathematics
CAPA
Painting chinese
letters
History
Science &
Technology