Curriculum into the Classroom
English
Year 9
Unit 1
Assessment task — Panel Discussion
MODE
Spoken Task
TYPE
Persuasive
TASK
To participate and interact in a panel discussion about language and visual features
suitable for inclusion in a promotional brochure that represents Australia’s peoples,
histories and cultures.
CONDITIONS




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Persuasive speech of 250 to 300 words must be prepared BEFORE participating in the panel
discussion.
Multimodal elements to support presentation of persuasive speech must be prepared BEFORE
the panel discussion.
Panels are made up of 3 to 4 students.
Time requirements:
- 1 minute for each person to share their persuasive speech;
- 5 to 10 minutes to interact in the panel discussion and make decisions about how to
represent Australia’s peoples, histories and cultures in a promotional brochure.
Task A. Gather Ideas
Representation Ideas
1. Brainstorm key words, phrases and images that represent your personal understanding of
Australia’s peoples, histories and cultures. Record your ideas on the Y-Chart below.
2. Choose two texts that convey ideas about Australia’s peoples, histories and/or cultures:
Literary text: ______________________
Non-literary text: ___________________
3. Read and analyse each of the texts to complete the Representation Ideas Chart:
a. Identify and record key words and phrases that convey ideas about Australia’s peoples,
histories and/or cultures. Look for the use of evocative language, allusions, metaphors,
extended metaphors, metonymy, icons and/or symbolism.
b. Identify and record images that convey ideas about Australia’s peoples, histories and/or
cultures. Look for the use of symbols and/or icons.
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Task B. Prepare for the panel discussion
Panel discussion: Step 1
4. Write a persuasive speech of 250-300 words outlining your opinion about language and visual
features that represent Australia’s peoples, histories and cultures. Use the template below to
guide your writing:
Representing Australia – My Opinion
HOOK
Make an engaging
statement that
encapsulates your opinion
about what it means to be
Australian.
This could be:

a quote

a definition

statistics

a short anecdote

other?
INTRODUCTION
Summarise the key
language and visual
features you believe best
represent Australia’s
peoples, histories and
cultures.
For example:

evocative vocabulary

metaphors

allusions

icons

symbols

other?
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Interaction skills to
enhance delivery
Representing Australia – My Opinion
PARAGRAPH 1
Identify, analyse and
explain examples of
language features that
represent Australia’s
peoples, histories and
cultures.
Justify choices by:

integrating personal
ideas and ideas
from other texts

emphasising how
they will work
directly and
indirectly to express
ideas and create
representations that
are inclusive,
positive and suitable
for inclusion in a
promotional
brochure.
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Interaction skills to
enhance delivery
Representing Australia – My Opinion
PARAGRAPH 2
Identify, analyse and
explain examples of visual
features that represent
Australia’s peoples,
histories and cultures
Justify choices by:

integrating personal
ideas and ideas
from other texts

emphasising how
they will work
directly and
indirectly to express
ideas and create
representations that
are inclusive,
positive and suitable
for inclusion in a
promotional
brochure

explaining how they
will work in
combination with
language features to
express ideas and
augment meanings.
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Interaction skills to
enhance delivery
Representing Australia – My Opinion
CONCLUSION
Review the combination of
language and visual
features that represent
Australia’s peoples,
histories and cultures.
Make a link to your initial
hook.
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Interaction skills to
enhance delivery
Panel discussion: Multimodal elements
5. Plan and prepare multimodal elements that will support and enhance your persuasive
presentation.
For example:

a poster with key quotes from your speech,

examples of images to support your explanation of icons and symbols
6. Indicate how and when the multimodal elements will be used by recording ideas in the
‘Interaction skills to enhance delivery’ column on the Panel discussion: Step 1 template.
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Task C. Participate and interact in the panel discussion
Panel discussion: Step 2
7. Participate and interact in a panel discussion:
a. Share your persuasive speech, using multimodal elements to support and enhance
your delivery.
b. Listen to other panel members’ persuasive speech and record notes about their
understanding of Australia’s peoples, histories and cultures in the ‘Other panel
members’ ideas’ columns below.
c. While listening and recording notes, indicate what you think about other panel
members’ ideas in the final column below.
Other panel members’ ideas
My opinion
about
about
language features
Similar ideas
about features that
represent Australia’s
peoples, histories and
cultures
Different ideas
about features that
represent Australia’s
peoples, histories and
cultures
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visual features
other panel members’
ideas
Representing Australia
7. Participate and interact in a panel discussion (continued):
d. After listening to all panel members, use notes recorded on the Panel discussion:
Step 2 template to participate actively in a discussion and to compare, contrast and
evaluate representations of Australia’s peoples, histories and cultures.
e. Make decisions as a member of the panel about how to represent Australia’s people,
histories and cultures in a promotional brochure.
f.
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Record the panel’s decisions about words, phrases and images that represent
Australia’s peoples, histories and cultures on the Representing Australia chart below.
English — Year 9 Unit 1: Examining representations of Australia’s peoples, histories and cultures
Guide to making judgments
Purpose of assessment: To participate and interact in a panel discussion about language and visual features suitable for inclusion in a promotional brochure
that represent Australia’s peoples, histories and cultures.
Comprehending texts
Knowledge and understanding
(Productive)
Creating texts
Select, evaluate and integrates ideas from texts about language
and visual features that create representations (TASK A)
Uses understanding of language and visual features to develop
representations of Australia’s peoples, histories and cultures
(TASK B)
Creates a spoken text to present and discuss ideas about
representations of Australia’s peoples, histories and cultures
(TASK C)

investigates how the combination of language and visual
features create representations indirectly and augment
meanings

combines language and visual features in purposeful ways to
create representations of Australia’s peoples, histories and
cultures that express ideas indirectly and augment meanings

makes decisions about combinations of language and visual
features suitable for inclusion in a promotional brochure that
represent Australia’s peoples, histories and cultures

draws conclusions about representations of Australia’s
peoples, histories and cultures in texts by making connections
with a personal understanding of the world and significant
human experiences


integrates a personal understanding of Australia’s peoples,
histories and cultures with ideas from other texts to create
representations
engages and influences panel members, selecting persuasive
language and varying voice tone, pitch and pace

enhances credibility and persuasive effect of delivery through
the selection and sequencing of content and use of multimodal
elements (e.g. images) for aesthetic purposes

makes a presentation about language and visual features that
represent Australia’s peoples, histories and cultures

compares personal interpretations about representations to
various responses of others

contributes actively to a panel discussion evaluating ideas
about representations
A
B

selects evidence from texts to analyse and explain how
language and visual features create representations and
influence an audience

understands how to use a variety of language features to
create different levels of meaning about representations of
Australia’s peoples, histories and cultures

evaluates and integrate ideas and information from texts to
form personal interpretations about representations of
Australia’s peoples, histories and cultures

manipulates language features and images to interpret and
integrate ideas from texts that represent Australia’s peoples,
histories and cultures

identifies language and/or visual features that convey ideas
about peoples, histories or cultures in texts

selects language and/or visual features to convey ideas about
peoples, histories or cultures

presents information about language and/or visual features that
convey ideas about peoples, histories or cultures
D

identifies ideas about peoples, histories or cultures in texts

uses language and/or visual features to convey ideas about
peoples, histories or cultures

presents information about peoples, histories or cultures
E
Feedback:
1/9
C