Saint Ignatius’ College, Riverview - English Programme
Unit Name / Focus: Displacement-Tales From a Suitcase
Stage: 5
Year: 10
Duration: 5 weeks
Outcomes Covered: 2 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
2
uses and critically assesses a range of processes for responding and composing.
4
selects and uses language forms and features, and structures of texts according to different purposes, audiences and contexts, and describes and
explains their effects on meaning,
5
transfers understanding of language concepts into new and different contexts
6
experiments with different ways of imaginatively and interpretively transforming experience, information and ideas into texts
7
thinks critically and interpretively using information, ideas and increasingly complex arguments to respond to and compose texts in a
range of contexts
8
investigates the relationships between and among texts
9
demonstrates understanding of the ways texts reflect personal and public worlds
10
questions, challenges and evaluates cultural assumptions in texts and their effects on meaning
11
uses, reflects on, assesses and adapts their individual and collaborative skills for learning with increasing independence and
effectiveness.
Rationale: This unit allows students to deepen their understanding of Non-Fiction through the telling of personal experiences of being an Afghan
Refugee and their journey as told in Tales From a Suitcase.
Objectives: Students will:
 experience and respond sensitively to the personal experience of refugees through autobiographical accounts.
 develop an appreciation for displaced people in other contexts.
 Question and challenge prevailing opinions of refugees in our society.
 Reflect on their learning.
OUTCOMES
CONTENT
9 demonstrates
understanding of
the ways texts
reflect personal
and public
worlds
Students learn to /
about:
9.2
relate the content
and ideas in texts to the
world beyond the texts
9.7
the ways
personal perspective is
shaped by social,
cultural and historical
influences
2
uses and
critically
assesses a
range of
processes for
responding
and
composing.
2.8
the ways that the
processes of planning
including investigating,
interviewing, selecting,
recording and organising
ideas, images and
information can and
should be modified
according to specific
purposes and texts
TEACHING STRATEGIES &
LEARNING EXPERIENCES
EVIDENCE OF LEARNING
Introducing the Text
Teachers can use numerous
ways to introduce the
historical, cultural and social
aspects of the Afghan people.
Students
 Study a contemporary map
of Afghanistan noting
specifically the borders
with Pakistan (Taliban) and
Russia (Invasion).
 Utilise the Glossary of
terms provided.
Students recognise
Afghanistan’s situation
between 2 countries, its
geography, climate and
tribal borders. Student
explain why it is often
invaded but never
conquered.
ASSESSMENT
RESOURCES
Visuals:
Map of
Afghanistan
Taken from the
novel “An
Unexpected
Light” Jason
Elliot
Glossary
OUTCOMES
CONTENT
TEACHING STRATEGIES &
LEARNING EXPERIENCES
10
questions, Students learn to /
challenges and
about:
evaluates cultural 10.11 the beliefs and
assumptions in
value systems
texts and their
underpinning
effects on
texts from
meaning.
different cultures
10.8 the effects of
personal, social,
historical and
technological
perspectives on
language and
communication
11uses, reflects
on, assesses and 11.12 their own
adapts their
learning strengths and
individual and
learning needs including
collaborative
their preferred ways of
skills for learning gathering, processing
with increasing
and representing
independence & information
effectiveness.
Teachers:
Familiarise students with the
historical, geographical, social
& cultural background of
C20th Afghanistan.
8 investigates the
relationships
between and
among texts

Written response to the
article: “The Burqa hid a
culture of abuse of
women…”

Students write first entry in
Learning Log Assessment.
8.1
identify and
describe the similarities
and differences between
and among more
demanding texts
Students:
 Read ‘Introduction’ from
text pp1-14
 Identify First –person
perspective in this chapter.
Why has the writer written
in the first person?
Complete page 1 of handout.
a) Preliminary discussion
questions to consider (113) &
b) Background Research a)-f)
EVIDENCE OF LEARNING
ASSESSMENT
Learning Log:
Student reflections show
understanding of the
impact of various factors
affecting how we view
Afghanistan.
Tales from a
Suitcase:
‘Introduction’
pp1-14
Students link composer’s
purpose to evoke
sympathy with use of first
person.
Handout
“Displacement”
Article: “The
Silent Sufferers”
Daily Telegraph
20/2/03

Analyse visual stimulus:
“The Silent Sufferers”
Discuss elements of
composition, point-of-view etc
RESOURCES
Learning Log:
Entry 1
Focus question.
What have you
learnt about
displacement so
far?
OUTCOMES
4 selects and
uses language
forms and
features, and
structures of
texts according
to different
purposes,
audiences and
contexts, and
describes and
explains their
effects on
meaning
6 experiments
with different
ways of
imaginatively
and interpretively
transforming
experience,
information and
ideas into text
CONTENT
Students learn to /
about:
4.12 the significance
of the relationship
between purpose,
audience and context
TEACHING STRATEGIES &
LEARNING EXPERIENCES
Introducing the Text:
Teacher:
Familiarise students with the
structure of the text (10 short
autobiographical stories from
refugees) and the connection with the
7 episodes in the SBS Series.
Students:
Read and complete various exercises
from the Displacement handout based
on the stories in the text. Some
stories can be covered by viewing
relevant episodes from the SBS
series.
6.7
ways in which
literary and non-literary
composers transform
ideas and experience
into texts, including
consideration of their
insight, imaginative
powers and verbal
ingenuity
Discuss the refugee experience and
how it is influenced by the various
perspectives of the composers and
their different contexts.
e.g. Boat refugees persecuted by the
Taliban, Medical Doctor fighting for
the Mujihadeen against the Russians,
Women’s experiences under the
Taliban.

Learning Log Entry – possible
focus questions:
a) What was our opinion on Refugees
beforehand?
b) How have they changed from your
reading of the text?
c) How were your views formed
previously and how informed were
you?
EVIDENCE OF LEARNING
ASSESSMENT
RESOURCES
Supplementary
Video“Marking
Time” A country
boy falls in love
with an Afghan
refugee.
Documentary
Video:
Tales From a
Suitcase SBS
N.B.
Episodes 1-7
cover the stories
in the set text of
the same name.
Students’ responses show
awareness of how our
perspective on Displaced
peoples can be influenced
by the information we
receive and who presents
it.
Learning Log:
Entry 2
Focus question
(Teacher
generated based
on class work.)
'Fearless Stories
From Asian
Women and this
one is about
Taslima Nasrin, a
poet, from
Bangladesh who
wrote about her
thoughts on how
religious
fundalism has
consigned women
to a secondary
role in modern
society'.
OUTCOMES
CONTENT
TEACHING STRATEGIES &
LEARNING EXPERIENCES
EVIDENCE OF LEARNING
11 uses, reflects
on, assesses and
adapts their
individual and
collaborative
skills for learning
with increasing
independence
and
effectiveness.
Students learn to /
about:
11.5 use individual
and group processes to
generate, investigate,
document, clarify, refine,
critically evaluate and
present ideas and
information drawn from
books, the internet and
other sources of
information
(i) Students work in groups to
complete the table (p3)
outlining the problems faced
by immigrants of all types,
refugee
perm. resident.
Students draw conclusions
from their discussion.
Teacher to observe
discussion.
8 investigates the
relationships
between and
among texts
8.9
similarities of
approach, attitude,
intent, point of view,
perspective and style in
texts by different
composers
(ii) Students convert section of Students make
observations about
story into formal language.
grammar, language
acquisition etc.
Exploring the issues further:
Students respond to various
poems & short stories by
answering questions,
discussion and composing own
poems.
Teachers encourage students
to look beyond Afghan
experiences into those of other
nationalities.
Poems reflect an
awareness of issues faced
by displaced peoples.
Teacher reads responses to
stimulus questions.
ASSESSMENT
Learning Log:
Entries 3 & 4
Focus Q’s issued
with assessment
task. One entry
per week for 4
weeks.
RESOURCES
Displacement
handout
i)
p3
ii)
pp4-9
Poetry:
“Be Good little
Migrants”
-Uyen Loewold
“Migrant
Woman on a
Melbourne
Tram”
-Jennifer Strauss
“Recommendati
on”-Nhat Hanh
Short Story:
“Mekong Delta
Disaster”
OUTCOMES
CONTENT
TEACHING STRATEGIES &
LEARNING EXPERIENCES
3 selects, uses,
describes and
explains how
different
technologies
affect and shape
meaning
Students learn to /
about:
3.7
the ways in
which modern
technologies of
communication are used
to shape, adapt and represent past and present
cultures, including
popular culture and
youth cultures, for
particular audiences
9 demonstrates
understanding of
the ways texts
reflect personal
and public
worlds
9.6 the ways different
and changing views
of the world shape
meaning
Visual Representation – how
visuals communicate
meaning.
Teacher demonstrates how the
meaning of a photo can be
changed by cropping, zoom in
or out.
Students choose a photo from
the refugee samples on the
Workbench.
Students manipulate the photo
through cropping etc to change
its meaning.
Students print original and
changed photo with an
explanation of how they think
that the meaning of the photo
has been changed.
9.7 the ways personal
perspective is shaped
by social, cultural and
historical influences
9.8
the ways
personal perspective
shapes meaning
EVIDENCE OF LEARNING
Students view the multimedia Student responses show
presentation of the Afghan Girl awareness of why the
image is famous.
(A Life Revealed) viewed on
the National Geographic web
site.
Complete questions on
worksheet.
ASSESSMENT
RESOURCES
 Computer
 College
Workbench
 Any suitable
software for
manipulating
photo
images.

Internet
Activity :
The Afghan Girl
“A Life
Revealed”
http://magma.
nationalgeogra
phic.com/ngm
/0204/sights
_n_sounds/me
dia2.html
OUTCOMES
2
4
6
7
8
10
CONTENT
Students learn to /
about:
TEACHING STRATEGIES &
LEARNING EXPERIENCES
EVIDENCE OF LEARNING
ASSESSMENT
Teacher / Students discuss
aspects of good web site
design, navigational tools,
purpose, audience of electronic
media. Various examples are
explored from the internet.
Students will learn that
selection & sequencing of
images can tell a story or
make a point.
Assessment Task:
Student compositions
reveal awareness that
Students to prepare in advance images can convey
meaning.
the home page & 2 pages
linked to the set text. The last
page is unseen and requires
students to bring an image that
is then deconstructed.
The web site is then put
together on paper over 1
period.
Speaking & Listening Task:
Students present a Duologue
describing their experiences as
a refugee in terms of:
 Home country situation,
 Journey
 Expectations in new
country.
Design a website
dedicated to some
aspect of
Displacement,
incorporating
knowledge of set
text, cultural
values,
understanding of
how images
create meaning,
layout, design and
navigation within
an electronic text
etc.
RESOURCES
Workbench:
Various web
sites relating to
refugees are
located on the
Riverview
Workbench.
Displacement
handout – p9
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
INTENTION
ACTIVITIES
LEARNING OUTCOMES
RESOURCES
ASSESSMENT
REGISTER
DATE
Students should be able
to:
Evaluation of Unit (your response, student response)
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Teacher's Signature:____________________ Date:_______________
Co-ordinator's Signature:______________________ Date:_______________