The suburban gothic: an exploration of Edward Scissorhands—design of a unit of work for Year 8
Monica Caillard
Candidate for the Master of Teaching at the University of Melbourne. This unit of work is based on assessment task completed in Semester 1
this year
Rationale
The school in which this unit will be taught is a co-educational government school in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. It is a middle-of-therange socio-economic status school, but has approximately 60 per cent English as an Additional Language (EAL) student population (ACARA,
2013b). This has been kept in mind during the development of this unit, and the use of ICTs and visual aids have been included in the planning
process to enable students who do not understand English well to participate in the class.
This unit of work is informed by the AusVELS (VCAA, 2013) curriculum requirements for Year 8 English studies. The description of the year
8 English requirements state that students should be developing skills in ‘listening, reading, viewing, speaking, writing and creating’, as well as
incorporating texts that are designed to appeal to the students on an aesthetic level. This unit will incorporate all of these elements through a
variety of learning activities such as viewing and verbally analysing the film Edward Scissorhands (Burton, 1990). Students will also construct
an extended written response to the film and create a collection of visual resources to assist the students in understanding the themes and content
of the film (VCAA, 2013). Additionally, AusVELS (VCAA, 2013) states that students should be developing their understanding of how texts are
‘influenced by context, purpose and audience’. This will be a focus of this unit of work, and will form the majority of the teaching and learning
activities that the students will be completing in this unit.
AusVELS (VCAA, 2013) states that students should also be working with texts that ‘involve some challenging and unpredictable plot sequences
and a range of non-stereotypical characters’. This applies to the film Edward Scissorhands (Burton, 1990) which the Year 8 students will be
studying in this unit of work through Burton’s unconventional characters and settings (VCAA, 2013). Embedded in this unit of work, the
students will be working on improving their use of language features, including ‘successive complex sentences with embedded clauses, …
figurative and rhetorical language,… and information supported by various types of graphics presented in visual form’ through a variety of
written pieces and a creative visual task (VCAA, 2013).
The following AusVELS achievement standards will be worked towards during this unit: AusVELS (VCAA, 2013) states that students should
be able to ‘select evidence from the text to show how events, situations and people can be represented from different viewpoints’. This will be
addressed in this unit through the use of quote sheets and character maps, as well as in the final summative assessment for the unit which will be
an analytical essay. The final assessment will also incorporate a number of the AusVELS (VCAA, 2013) achievement standards for writing
which state that students should ‘demonstrate understanding of grammar, select vocabulary for effect and use accurate spelling and punctuation’
in their written work.
Lesson
Lesson focus and
achievement
standards
Theoretical and
Pedagogical
Frameworks
Learning Outcomes and
corresponding AusVELS
content descriptors
Links to learning activities
Assessment formative (F) or
summative (S)
1
Edward Scissorhands
Bloom’s Revised
Taxonomy—
Lower order thinking
required (remembering)
(Krathwohl, 2002, p.
214).
Understand how metaphor and
symbolism have been used in the
text to construct meaning.
(ACELA1542)
(ACELA1548)
Students watch the film in class
time. They will be instructed to
take notes about the character
and the settings.
Teacher observation (F).
Bloom’s Revised
Taxonomy—
Lower order thinking
required (remembering
and understanding).
Students should be working
towards an understanding of how
quotes can be used as evidence to
support the ideas in their writing.
(ACELY1732) (ACELY1730) OI.1 (Reading and Viewing)
2
Analysis of Characters
using evidence from the
film.
(writing, speaking and
listening)
Students move towards
the higher levels of
thinking (analysing)
when discussing
identity formation
(Krathwohl, 2002, p.
215).
The students will also be asked
to think about the shapes and
colours used in the film and
what these might symbolise.
The teacher discusses the
importance of dialogue in film.
The students will produce
character map posters in groups
of three or four.
The maps include five
character traits for each of main
characters in the film. Each of
the character traits must be
supported with three quotes to
be used as evidence.
Resources:
iPads and stationary
included in every
lesson
Edward Scissorhands
(1990).
Projector or television.
Students’ posters (F).
Poster paper.
Coloured pencils and
pens.
Student access to
ClickView (a film
application for iPads).
Students then discuss identity
formation, and how Edwards
lack of identity informs the way
he acts and is perceived as a
character.
3
Using dialogue to
understand setting and
character.
(Writing, speaking and
listening)
4
Using dialogue to
understand setting.
(Writing)
5
The basics of film
techniques.
(Reading and viewing,
writing)
Bloom’s Revised
Taxonomy—
Students should be
moving up the
taxonomy towards
higher order thinking in
this activity (Applying
and understanding)
(Krathwohl, 2002, p.
214).
Bloom’s Taxonomy.
Students are moving
through to the higher
order thinking skills in
this lesson by analyzing
the text and creating
their own responses
(Krathwohl, 2002, p.
215).
Bloom’s Revised
Taxonomy—
Students are using the
lower order thinking
skills in this lesson
(remembering) as they
Students should have an
understanding of how language
choices can alter the meaning of a
text.
(ACELT1767) (ACELY1730)
Understand how to compare and
contrast ideas from texts.
Be able to use evidence from the
text to support their arguments.
(ACELT1767) (ACELY1730) OI.3
Students should understand that
rhetorical devices such as
metaphor, irony and parody can
be used in films through the use
of film techniques.
The students use ClickView on
their iPads to find dialog that
tell the viewer about a specific
character.
Teacher observations (F)
Access to ClickView.
They then write this dialog up
as a script and practice
performing the dialogue in
different ways (i.e. whispering,
shouting etc.).
This activity demonstrates the
importance of tone when
analysing dialogue in filmic
texts.
Students construct a Venn
Diagram of similarities and
differences between Edward’s
Mansion and Suburbia in the
film.
The students use this
information to construct a short
essay for the prompt: In the film
Edward Scissorhands there are
a number of similarities and
differences between Edward’s
mansion and the suburbia. What
do these things tell us about the
people living in them?
Students will have one week to
finish this task.
The teacher goes through
lighting, sound and camera
techniques with the class.
Students are given an A3 table
to fill in whilst watching clips
Students’ completes essay (S)
The essay will inform the
teacher what they need to
teach their class in
preparation for the final
assessment which is a text
response essay (S)
Compare and contrast essays
(S)
Appendix 1 for each
student.
The learning activity done in
this lesson will contribute to
the students’ final assessment
are learning about film
techniques for the first
time (Krathwohl, 2002,
p. 214).
6
Using film techniques to
understand setting and
character.
(Writing, Reading and
viewing)
7
How to use evidence
from a film in an
academic essay.
(Writing)
Bloom’s Revised
TaxonomyStudents are using
higher order thinking in
this lesson to evaluate
what they have learnt
about film techniques,
setting and character to
create movie posters
(Krathwohl, 2002, p.
216).
Students should be able to analyse
the film techniques used in the
text and interpret what they mean.
(ACELA1542)
(ACELT1630)
(ACELY1734)
Students should understand how
the setting in the film can be used
to tell the audience something
about the characters.
Students should also be able to
use the appropriate film
terminology to describe the text.
(ACELA1542)
(ACELT1630)
(ACELY1734)
Students should be using
appropriate grammar and
vocabulary to articulate how
quotes and film techniques can
support their arguments.
from the film (Appendix 1).
The teacher will show a
selection of scenes from the
film. Students should be taking
notes during this time.
The students will have one
double period to complete the
table.
Students will be given two
options for activities this lesson.
1. Create a character that
could exist in the
world of Edward
Scissorhands. Make a
poster that shows why
this character belongs
in the setting.
2. Make a poster that
advertises the film
Edward Scissorhands.
You must include a
camera angle and
appropriate lighting
(shading and colours)
for the meaning that
you want to get across
for the film.
Students may use their iPads to
find images and scenes from the
film that they would like to use
in their posters.
The students are given a booklet
to work on in class (Appendix
2).
for the unit. The evidence
they collate during the
activity can be used when
writing the final assessment
(S)
.
Students’ posters (F)
Poster paper.
Coloured pens, pencils
and textas.
Evidence booklets (F)
Teacher observations (F)
ClickView.
Appendix 2 for each
student.
They can use ClickView to find
8
How to structure an
academic essay.
(Writing)
9
Students begin working
on their analytical
essays.
(Writing)
Bloom’s Revised
TaxonomyStudents are using
middle order thinking in
this lesson to analyse
and apply their
knowledge of essay
writing (
Krathwohl, 2002, p.
215).
Bloom’s Revised
TaxonomyThis lesson incorporates
both middle and higher
order thinking, as
students are required to
analyse and apply their
knowledge of the text,
as well as create a piece
of original work
(Krathwohl, 2002, p.
215).
(ACELT1632)
(ACELY1810)
(ACELY1809)
(ACELY1730)
Students should understand the
importance of using evidence in
their essays.
Students should gain an
understanding of how each
sentence in a paragraph plays a
specific role.
(ACELA1766)
(ACELA1547)
(ACELT1632)
Students should gain an
understanding of how to read and
interpret essay questions in order
to answer them properly.
(ACELA1547) (ACELT1632)
(ACELY1730)
the evidence that they require to
complete the assignment.
The teacher explains the TEEL
paragraph structure and writes
the prompt: The real monsters
in Edward Scissorhands are the
towns people. Discuss.
Collaborative essays (F)
Loose leaf paper.
This lesson prepares students
to complete the summative
assessment in the following
lesson (S)
Poster paper.
Students are given a sheet of
loose leaf paper. They write the
first sentence of the
introduction and pass the sheet
on. They repeat this for 3
paragraphs (using TEEL).
Students should think about
what each sentence is adding to
the essay.
This class will focus on how to
plan students’ essays.
The assessment questions and
the rubric for the assessment
will be handed out to the
students.
Teacher observations (F)
The teacher will model how to
break down an essay question.
The students will then be
designated into groups in which
they will be given an essay
question to plan.
These plans will be shared with
the class to help the students
determine which essay they will
write for the assessment.
10
Students complete their
text responses
(Writing)
Bloom’s Revised
TaxonomyThis lesson utilizes the
students’ higher order
thinking, as they are
required to evaluate the
information they have
learnt during the unit to
create an original piece
of work.
This lesson incorporates
the processes of
generating, planning
and producing which
are related to the create
stage of higher order
thinking (Krathwohl,
2002, p. 215).
Students should demonstrate their
understanding of the construction
of characters and settings in the
text.
Students should demonstrate their
ability to use appropriate
language, and to strengthen the
cohesion of their texts through the
use of grammar.
(ACELA1766) (ACELA1547) (ACELT1632)
(ACELY1730)
For homework, the students
will finish off their individual
plans.
Using the students’ plans and
any other resources they have
accumulated throughout the
unit, students will be required to
construct a text response essay
for one of the assessment
questions.
Text response essays (S)
This lesson will be held under
test conditions.
Description of lesson sequence:
Overview
The sequence of lessons that will be examined in close detail occur in lessons 5–7. The lessons introduce film techniques, develop the students
understanding of how film techniques are used to develop characters and setting, and cultivate the students’ ability to use evidence such as film
techniques and quotes in academic essays. The unit is based on Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy and incorporates learning activities that conform to
the different orders of thinking within the taxonomy.
Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy places importance on content knowledge, as well as the process of learning, as a result this unit focuses on both
skill (or process) and content (Anderson, 1999, p.4). Throughout the unit the students are encouraged to develop their writing skills, specifically
the ability to compare and contrast ideas from the text to produce a written response, as well as their knowledge of key terms and phrases used in
writing academic essays. These skills and this knowledge will be assessed in Week 10 of the unit, when the students are required to write a text
response essay relating to the characters and settings in the film.
In Lesson 5 the students continue to develop the skills necessary to complete the final task through evidence in essays on how to incorporate film
techniques. The students go on to develop this skill further in the following two lessons, in which students are explicitly taught to use film
techniques as evidence in their essays to describe characters and settings. These learning outcomes relate specifically to AusVELS content
descriptor ACELT1632 which states that students should ‘[c]reate literary texts that draw upon text structures and language features of other
texts for particular purposes and effects’, which is a focus for this unit. Lesson 5: Rationale This lesson fits within the ‘building-knowledge’ stage of the learning and teaching cycle, students should be developing their understanding of
film techniques and how they are used by directors to construct meaning in a film (Love, Baker & Quinn, 2008). The lesson is also designed to
stimulate lower order thinking (remembering and understanding) as it is the first lesson in which the students will be studying film techniques
this year. Additionally, as the students have studied film techniques in Year 7, it is important for the teacher to assess how much the students
know about the topic by asking open ended questions so that the class does not spend too much time going over information the students already
have. This task is also designed so that the worksheet can be used as a resource for the students when they are writing their summative
assessment for the unit. References
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2013a). AusVELS English Domain Level 8,retrieved from:
<http://ausvels.vcaa.edu.au/English/Curriculum/F-10?y=8&s=R&s=W&s=SL&layout=2>.
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2013b). MySchool. Retrieved from: http://www.myschool.edu.au/
Burton, T Dir. 1990, Edward Scissorhands [DVD], Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, USA.
Love, Baker & Quinn, 2008, Bloom, Anderson, Krathwohl (2002) etc
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority VCAA, 2013, ‘The AusVELS Curriculum: English’, retrieved from
<http://ausvels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/English/Curriculum/F-10>.
Appendix 1: Using evidence in essays
Scene summary:
Film Techniques used:
What do the film techniques tell us about the characters?
What do the film techniques tell us about the setting?
Appendix 2: Questions for exploration Name: ________________
Class: _________________
What do we know about the character Peg?
Quotes (use at least 5)
Film techniques
Camera:
Sounds:_________________________________________________________
Lighting:
Describe the character Jim using three examples from the film (either quotes or film techniques).
Describe how Kim’s feelings for Edward change throughout the film using at least two quotes and one film technique (use a camera
angle or use of music).
Describe why you think Tim Burton chose to use a low shot of the mansion.
Describe why you think Tim Burton chose to use the same music at the start of the film, when Kim was dancing in the snow and at the
end of the film.
You’re nearly done! Now you need to think about how these things can be used to support your arguments (ideas in your paragraphs) in
your essays. Write a skeleton plan on the back of your booklet for the following prompt using the evidence you have collected in this
booklet.
Topic:
Over the course of the film the townspeople in Edward Scissorhands change from being self-centred people to characters who care about others.
Discuss.
Appendix 3
Curriculum
descriptor:
(ACELY1730) (ACELY1810) (ACELY1732) (ACELA1809) (ACELY1734) Detail:
Interpret the stated and implied meanings in spoken texts, and use evidence to support or challenge different. (Literacy)
Experiment with text structures and language features to refine and clarify ideas to improve the effectiveness of students’
own texts. (Literacy)
Analyse and evaluate the ways that text structures and language features vary according to the purpose of the text and the
ways that referenced sources add authority to a text. (Literacy)
Understand how coherence is created in complex texts through devices like lexical cohesion, ellipsis,
grammatical theme and text connectives. (Literacy)
Use comprehension strategies to interpret and evaluate texts by reflecting on the validity of content and the credibility of
(ACELT1630) sources, including finding evidence in the text for the author’s point of view. (Literacy)
Identify and evaluate devices that create tone, for example humour, wordplay, innuendo and parody in poetry, humorous
prose, drama or visual texts. (Literature)
(ACELT1632)
Create literary texts that draw upon text structures and language features of other texts for particular purposes and effects.
(Literature)
(ACELT1767) Interpret and analyse language choices, including sentence patterns, dialogue, imagery and other language features, in short
stories, literary essays and plays. (Literature)
Investigate how visual and multimodal texts allude to or draw on other texts or images to enhance and layer meaning.
(Language)
Understand how rhetorical devices are used to persuade and how different layers of meaning are developed through the use
of metaphor, irony and parody. (Language)
Understand how cohesion in texts is improved by strengthening the internal structure of paragraphs through the use of
examples, quotations and substantiation of claims. (Language)
The peoples and countries of Asia are diverse in ethnic background, traditions, cultures, belief systems and religions.
(Cross Curriculum Priority)
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have unique belief systems and are spiritually connected to the land, sea, sky
and waterways. (Cross Curriculum Priority)
(ACELA1548) (ACELA1542) (ACELA1766) OI.1
OI.3