VCE: English: Units 1 & 2
Overview
Topics Studied
In Units 1 & 2 English students read a
Prescribed texts:
UNIT ONE
range of texts with comprehension,
 Minimum of Two (short
enjoyment and discernment,
stories) - Tim Winton
developing confidence and

The Crucible (play) competence in responding and writing
Arthur Miller
about what they read and view
(including sustained and timed
responses).
UNIT TWO
Students will:
 Night (novel) - Eli Weisel
 develop their understanding of
 Look Both Ways (film
oral language in different
text)
contexts
 discuss and analyse the themes,
ideas and issues in a range of
texts and construct different
responses
 Study a Context Area:
'Encountering Conflict' and
'Identity and Belonging' and
write creatively in response to
this, taking into account
audience, purpose and context.
Learning Activities
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Reading and responding
to texts
Close analysis of literary
features of texts
Creative writing linked to
the Contexts of study
Issues analysis and oral
point of view
Examination techniques
and essay writing
Assessment
Unit 1
 Outcome 1 - Text response
essay
 Outcome 2 - Context Area:
creative writing
 Outcome 3 -Issues Analysis oral presentations/written
responses
 Coursework: a range of class
and homework tasks
 Semester Examination
Unit 2
 Outcome 1 - Text response
essay
 Outcome 2 - Comparative Text
Response
 Outcome 3 - Issue Analysis
 Coursework: a range of class
and homework tasks
 Semester examination
There are no re-requisites for entry
into VCE English Units 1&2 as outlined
by the VCAA.
VCAA Study Design English
English Pre-requisites/Pathways
Link to VTAC Courselink
Return to Subject List
Course Outline
Week/Lesson
Topic
1A
TEXT FOR STUDY MINIMUM OF TWO
BY TIM WINTON
How the author
constructs meaning
1B
How Author's Construct
Meaning
1C
2A
Setting/Historical
Teaching Strategies to
move students towards
the relevant outcome:
 Gauge prior
knowledge of the
book/author/context
 Intro literary
techniques
 narrative structure linear/non-linear
 Instruction on notetaking skills
 Know your narrator
task - writing in the
third person/first
person
 Re-write from third
to first person task
 Relate to a visual text
- how does this link
to the text for study visualisation
 Author interview focus on
characterisation/liter
ary techniques
 Setting/historical
Resources (digital,
texts, handouts,
website
references)
Assessment (As, Of,
For) and Evidence of
Success (Make, See,
Write, Do)
 Pre-testing of
students - writing
sample
moderation AND
Reading Test
 Grouping of
students for
target teaching
 Commence
individual
conferencing with
students
 Creation of
student's Digital
Portfolios
 Small group
Context
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2B
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3A
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3B
Themes

context - what can we
tell about the
attitudes at the time?
Geography - mapping
task
Small group research
task on the history of
the time
Character analysis choose two major
and two minor
characters summaries and
practice using quotes
Techniques used to
describe characters
Protagonist and
antagonist
Hot seating the
characters - role play
activity
Create a semantic
map of the characters
How is identity
shaped? - digital
collage activity
Self- description task
- compare techniques
that you use to the
ones of the author
Class discussion and
research task oral presentation
skills anecdotal
records/feedback
 Hot seating continue
anecdotal records
of oral
presentation
skills
 Written task - self
identity
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3C
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4A

4B

5A
5B
Values and morals
conveyed
agreement of themes
(prior to
commencement
online)
Focus on one theme image stimulus
Intro theme two coming of age
Concept map of the
books themes (digital
task)
Plot diagram - rise
and fall of tension in
the novel - group
activity (share with
another group) jigsaw
Presentations of
above
 Compare values and
morals to own
society
 What shapes our
values - look at values
and morals of other
cultures
 Author's values as
transmitted through
 Presentations anecdotal records
of oral
presentation
skills
 Planning feedback on
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5C
Reviewing the text and
SAC preparation
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6A
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6B
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7A
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the characters
Read interviews with
the author
Juxtapose two
characters that reveal
different values
Overall world view graphic organiser
task
Quiz on the text and
short writing
response assessment
Dualities in the text functions and
examples
SAC preparation shared anlysis of
essay question
Planning task
Assessment criteria
analysis
Introductions - what
makes a good intro
Analysis
Peer feedback on
intros
Go over TEEL
structure
Peer assessments of
TEEL example
Conclusions
ability to plan and
use graphic
organisers
 Short writing
response
 Feedback given in
individual
conferences
 Planning task
 Peer feedback on
introductions
 Peer assessments
- TEEL samples
7B
7C
8A
8B
Revision
8C
SAC
9A
ISSUES ANALYSIS ISSUE TBD
Intro Language Analysis
Area of Study
9B
Annotations and
Metalanguage
 Peer and teacher
feedback and class
time to practice essay
writing and revise
 PRACTICE SAC
 Feedback and selfassessments and
reflections on
Practice SAC
 Peer assessment
 One on one
conferences with
teacher as others
work independently
 Themes and motifs in
the novel
 Small group task and
presentation to the
class
 SAC - exam
conditions in class
100 minutes
 Glossary of terms and
overview of the area
of study
 5ws task
 Letters to the Editor
task - identify
contention, tone,
target audience and
metalanguage used
 Feedback on
Practice SACS individual
conferences
10A
10B
10C
Structuring Oral
Responses
 Annotations - show
example
 Scrapbooks handed
out/evernote
workshops
 Matching task - terms
to definitions
 Shared analysis of
article
 Two articles - one
against and one for identify the main
arguments as
annotation task
 Structure of a
debate/oral
presentation
 Watch Comedy
Debate egs and
feedback/assess
presenters
 One minute speech
task - record and
place onto shared
online space
 Revision of
persuasive
techniques
 Time to gather own
articles on issue of
choice
 SACS returned
and individual
conferences
 One minute
speech assessment
rubric and
anecdotal records
11A
11B
Planning and SAC
preparation
12A
12B
SAC
12C
Intro to Context Study
 Intro to current issue
- give balanced
articles from
different sources
 Watch an example
debate
 Watch Oberon
debating tips video
 Small group task create a video
showing the
persuasive
techniques in use
 Viewing of videos and
feedback
 Subjective VS
objective
 Planning of own oral
presentations - one
on one conferences
during this time
 Practice oral
presentations and
peer feedback
 Refinement of oral
presentations
 Conduct SAC Oral
presentations
 Introduce Context
 Small group task video
 Peer feedback on
planning
 Oral SAC
feedback teacher and peer
and mentor
TEXT FOR STUDY THE CRUCIBLE BY
ARTHUR MILLER
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13A
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13B
Themes and Conflict
Identification
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14A
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14B
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Study - Encountering
Conflict
Why this context?
Task on personal
conflicts/experiences
- how have they
defined
you/challenged you?
Context responses options for ways to
respond
Review due dates and
expectations
Reading of the play shared identification
of what conflicts are
present - concept
map
Short Writing Task
1
Themes in the text
Review 'I, me, my'
use in essays
Reading of short
story - shared
Focus on two
conflicts
Elizabeth and Abigail
Proctor and Abigail
Images to define the
characters/conflicts
 Short Writing
Task 1
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14C
Character
Development/Mapping
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15A
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15B
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16A
Analysis of responses
and Grading Criteria
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
16B
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in each story
Conflicts to compare
to (another era)
Charades
(characters)
Character map - how
they change over
time (small
group/paired work)
Short Writing Task
2
How opinions of
others affect how you
see yourself
Actions VS words of
characters
Conflict resolution how do we solve
conflicts in our lives?
Collaborative
planning for different
responses
Quotation and
example finding
Evaluation of C and A
grade responses to
the context
Thematic response
exploration
Exploration in small
groups of the short
 Character map
 Short Writing
Task 2
 Short Writing
Task 3
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16C

17A

17B
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18A
18B
18C
19A
19B
20A
20B
20C
BEGIN UNIT TWO
responses in various
forms
Sharing and peer
feedback
Short Writing Task
3 Due
Students select which
form will respond in
for SAC and present
plan (pitch to the
group)
Independent SAC
preparation and
Exam preparation
SAC Context Study
 SAC feedback individual
conferences and
also student led
conferences to set
goals for Unit
Two