ACARA- English strand

Language

Purpose audience and structures of different types of texts Understand that texts can take many forms, can be very
short (for example an exit sign) or quite long (for example an information book or a film) and that stories and
informative texts have different purposes (ACELA1430)
Punctuation Understand that punctuation is a feature of written text different from letters; recognise how capital letters
are used for names, and that capital letters and full stops signal the beginning and end of sentences (ACELA1432)
Spelling Understand how to use knowledge of letters and sounds including onset and rime to spell words (ACELA1438)
Know how to read and write some high-frequency words and other familiar words (ACELA1817)
Understand that words are units of meaning and can be made of more than one meaningful part (ACELA1818)
Visual language Explore the different contribution of words and images to meaning in stories and informative texts
(ACELA1786

Literature

Expressing preferences and evaluating texts Share feelings and thoughts about the events and characters in texts
(ACELT1783)
Features of literary texts Identify some features of texts including events and characters and retell events from a text
(ACELT1578)
Recognise some different types of literary texts and identify some characteristic features of literary texts, for example
beginnings and endings of traditional texts and rhyme in poetry (ACELT1785)

Literacy

Texts and the contexts in which they are used Identify some familiar texts and the contexts in which they are used
(ACELY1645)
Listening and speaking interactions Listen to and respond orally to texts and to the communication of others in informal
and structured classroom situations (ACELY1646)
Creating texts Create short texts to explore, record and report ideas and events using familiar words and beginning
writing knowledge (ACELY1651)

Oral presentations Deliver short oral presentations to peers (ACELY1647)

Purpose and audience Identify some differences between imaginative and informative texts (ACELY1648)

Description writing Unit plan- Carrianne

Lesson 1
Learning
intention
For students to
be introduced to
description
writing. For
students to
work
collaboratively
and describe
animals using
verbs and
adjectives.

Description writing

Materials
Who am I templates

Description writing Activity

Students work in groups of varying levels
Today we are going to learn about description writing.
I will give each group an animal that you need to describe. You are not allowed
to tell the other groups what animal you have.
We will then come back as a group and everyone in the class has to put their
hand up and guess what animal the (noun) each group has described.
I am going to read you an example
Point out the verbs and adjectives. See how I added the colour the
shape, size, the action and the noise it makes.
Now lets try and make a description together as a class.
Split class into groups of different levels, keep the lower class to work with on
the mat.
Student accommodations
Extended Group
Makayla, Shanay, Luke B, Cooper, Indianna
High Middle

Other resources that I could

use in further Description
lessons.
http://soarfilm.com/videos/vid
eos.html Quick video of the
movie soar could describe the

Luke C, Deaken, Molly, Erin, Shelby, Katie

Middle
Marcia, Erica, Cain, Rylan, Seb, Chanelle, Connor
Low
Jake, Abigail, Leigh, Matthew, Torrone, Seth

Lesson 2
Learning
intention
For students to
understand what
descriptions are
and their
purpose.

Lesson 2. My house
General talk about descriptions
Purpose to describe a person, place, object or event, give the reader enough
detail so that they can picture in their minds what it is like

characters.
What do the characters look
like?
Poem from KimMeribeths.blogspot.com.au
Materials- My house template

My House template
Use Xav and Keeleys art work as an example
Work in partners.
Students need to try and be specific.
Add some things to the house: Windows, door, flowers, garden, fence, gate,
cat, bird, dog.
Think about size, colour, materials, parts, shape.
Explicitly show the students, prepare an example template, fold the page in
half describe the house to different students and ask different students to draw
the different features from my description.
Both students draw some features to their house. Then swap with a partner to
draw the house from the description.
Re-cap
How did the students go? Were the pictures similar? What could they have done
different in their description.

Lesson 3
Learning
3

Lesson 3
Whole class- Reading

Materials
Big book- pm writing

Intention
For students to
begin to
understand the
purpose of
descriptions. To
describe a
person, place or
object. To make
a clear picture in
the readers
mind.

Display pages 8- 9
This text is a description.
General talk about descriptions
Purpose to describe a person, place, object or event, give the reader enough
detail so that they can picture in their minds what it is like
Uses lots of adjectives (describing words)
Read the title
In this description the writer describes Anna, a new girl in her class. Point to the
picture of Anna.
Read the text pausing to reinforce information that describes what Anna looks
like and what she can do.
Discuss nouns, Pronouns her, she.
Oral preparation Prior to Writing
Identify characters that the students could write descriptions of e.g. a family
member.
Ask the students to have a think and draw a picture and describe a family
member or friend or student in the class?
Invite them to draw a picture of the person they are going to describe. Ask the
students to share with a partner what the person looks like. Encourage the
partners to ask questions if they feel more description is needed. Remind the
students to share a comment with their partner that tells them how they feel
about the person that they are describing.
Introduce the description writing scaffolds ..
Reinforce text structure and language features of a description.
Provide further support for students to write descriptions independently.
(Simple sentence builder- Leave out the where and the verb.)
Student accommodations

Simple sentence builder

Keep the lower group on the floor and the try and partner different
levels.
Extended Group
Makayla, Shanay, Luke B, Cooper, Indianna
High Middle
Luke C, Deaken, Molly, Erin, Shelby, Katie
Middle
Marcia, Erica, Cain, Rylan, Seb, Chanelle, Connor
Low
Jake, Abigail, Leigh, Matthew, Torrone, Seth
Lesson 4
My Super hero (template) is
Remember last lesson when we were discussing descriptions and we read the
description about Anna. Today we are going to as a class describe an
object/picture. I have a picture of some superhero that we are going to
brainstorm some describing words (adjectives). Can anyone remember what
description writing is for? It is to give enough information and detail so that the
reader can picture in their minds what it is like.
Super hero
Brainstorm
How can we describe this Superhero?
We need to think of the colour, shape, size, personality.
Write the describing words on the board.
Explicitly show students where to draw their Super hero. Write some adjectives
on the template, think of size, colour, parts, and add features to the Super hero.
Lets think of whether our Super hero is nice, mean, friendly, happy.

Students then can draw their Super hero and add some features. Students will
finish the sentence starters and write some descriptive words.
Use the simple sentence builder strips to build on the noun and the adjective.
Keep the lower group on the floor. These students have words cut out for them.
They just need to add the adjective (describing word).
Jake, Abigail, Leigh, Matthew, Torrone, Seth
Extension early finishes can write their own describing sentence.
Learning
Intention
For students to
build on their
knowledge of
verbs and
adverbs to begin
to build on
descriptive
sentences.

Lesson 4
Remember last lesson when we wrote down some adjectives to describe our
super hero. Today we are going to think about what our superhero does and
add an adverb into our sentences.
Introduce
Remember how a verb is an action word and an adverb describes the action.
Adverb- adverbial phrase- describing how you do something.
examples running quickly
tip toe slowly
dance gracefully
jump high
spin fast
Have a think about what your super hero can do
What can your superhero do?
Lets brainstorm some things our teddy can do
Write on the board.
Use the simple sentence builder strips to build on.
Draw the sentence builder big on the board as an example
Can you see the first box

Materials
Sentence builders

It says The, the second box is the adjective, third box noun, fourth box- can,
fifth box verb.
Use the simple sentence builder strips to build on the noun and the adjective.
Keep the lower group on the floor. These students have words cut out for them.
They just need to add the adjective (describing word).
Jake, Abigail, Leigh, Matthew, Torrone, Seth
Extension group
Create their own sentence and change the adjective and the verb

Lesson 5
Learning
Intention
For students to
build on
descriptive
sentences and
make a monster.

Lesson 5
Monster description
(Monster description template)
Perhaps have some Sentence starters on the board.
My monster is
It is
It has .
It likes to
Last 2 lessons we used adjectives to describe our teddy and then we created
sentences with an adjective and adverb. Can anyone remember what and
adverb? A verb is an action word an adverb describes the action.
For example I jumped high. Can anyone tell me which word is the adverb?
Today we are going to draw and describe our monsters. Then we will then try
and make our monster with the same description as our sentences.
Have an example ready. Dont forget to think about the monsters shape, colour
and size.
Students work in partners.
Lower group work on the floor-

Materials
My Monster template
Brown bags, craft stuff, glue.

Low
Jake, Abigail, Leigh, Matthew, Torrone, Seth

Students then come to the floor and discuss whether they had given enough
info to describe their monster. Whether the students were able to

Lesson 6
Learning
Intention
For students to
build on their
knowledge of
text structure.
Title,
introduction and
characteristics.

Lesson 6.
Whole class- Text deconstruction
Text structure
Pages 10-11
Before introducing pages 10-11, cover each structural feature with a strip of
blank paper.
Tell the students that together you are going to look at each part of the text.
Explain that this will help them when they write their own descriptions.
Remove the strip on the title, discuss the purpose of the title.
Remove the strip that covers the introduction. Ask the students to identify
information that tells who the text is about. Tell them that this part of
description is called the introduction.
Remove the strips that cover the characteristics. Ask the students to locate
information that tells them what Anna looks like, how she acts or behaves, what
she can do and what she does not have. Tell the students that this part of a
description is called the characteristics.
Copy the text onto 3 cards: the title, the introduction and characteristics.
Reinforce the students learning by asking them to order the cards as they share
their understanding of the structure of the description.
Circus description template

Materials
Big book, pm writing
3 strips of paper to cover the
parts of text
Circus template

Model to the students how to add the title The Circus. (circus is a noun)
Point out to the students the introduction and description on the template.
Students need to add the title
Discuss the title, introduction and description
The students need to write the colours to describe the tent, lions and elephants
at the circus in the description.
Then students can draw a picture of their circus.
With the lower group have them on the floor and those students can cut and
stick the colours instead of writing them.
Middle group can stick on the colour words as well.
Extended and high middle group can try and write their words
Student accommodations
Extended Group
Makayla, Shanay, Luke B, Cooper, Indianna
High Middle
Luke C, Deaken, Molly, Erin, Shelby, Katie
Middle
Marcia, Erica, Cain, Rylan, Seb, Chanelle, Connor
Low
Jake, Abigail, Leigh, Matthew, Torrone, Seth

Lesson 7
Learning
intention
For students to
work
collaboratively
and write a
description using
adjectives of a
chosen image.

Lesson 7
As a class create a description of this cat.
Explain that adjectives build descriptions of nouns. Identify the adjectives. Talk
about we can describe the cat, what she looks like and what she is doing.
Group writing with textas on A3 paper.
Student accommodations
Extended Group
Makayla, Shanay, Luke B, Cooper, Indianna
High Middle
Luke C, Deaken, Molly, Erin, Shelby, Katie
Middle
Marcia, Erica, Cain, Rylan, Seb, Chanelle, Connor
Works on the floor with the teacher
Low
Jake, Abigail, Leigh, Matthew, Torrone, Seth

10

Lesson 8
Learning
intention
For students to
build on their
knowledge of
pronouns and
description
writing.

Lesson 8
Text Deconstruction
Language features- nouns (naming words) and pronouns
Display pages 12-13 of exemplars of teaching writing Book 1. Re-read
the text with the students. Refer to the teacher focus notes for further
information.
Identify the nouns in the text. Tell the students that nouns name people, places
and things. Write the nouns on a whiteboard under the headings people, places
or things. Encourage the students to suggest additional nouns to add to the
lists.
Discuss the difference between a proper noun and a common noun. Proper
noun Deaken, common noun student.
Tell the students that a noun or a noun group can be replaced with a pronoun.
Identify the pronouns.
Talk about how the pronouns would change if the new person in the class was a
boy.
Discuss nouns- Anna. He/ she (singular pronoun) We, they (plural pronouns)
Play the Pronoun tracking game
Play He, she, me, we they.
Put three students in the centre of the circle: a boy, a girl and a caller. Everyone
should be seated. The caller says he or she, and those in the circle stand up.
For a call of they, those in the circle stand up, and for me the caller stands
up. It can be a toy that you point to.

Student accommodations
Extended Group
Makayla, Shanay, Luke B, Cooper, Indianna
High Middle
Luke C, Deaken, Molly, Erin, Shelby, Katie
11

Materials
Big book- pm writing

Middle
Marcia, Erica, Cain, Rylan, Seb, Chanelle, Connor
Low
Jake, Abigail, Leigh, Matthew, Torrone, Seth

Lesson9
Learning
intention
For students to
build on their
knowledge of
pronouns and
description
writing.

Lesson 9
Today we are going to write and draw a description of a friend in the class.
Can you remember that nouns name people, places and things.
Discuss the difference between a proper noun and a common noun.
Proper noun Deaken, common noun student.
Tell the students that a noun or a noun group can be replaced with a pronoun.
Identify the pronouns.
Talk about how the pronouns would change if the new person in the class was a
boy.
Discuss nouns- Anna, Mrs M. He/ she (singular pronoun) We, they (plural
pronouns)
Remember how we played the Pronoun tracking game.
On the board provide an example
This is Deaken.
He is tall.
He is nice.
He has blue eyes and blonde hair.
Higher groups could write themselves.
Low middle could try and label and provide the description orally.
Keep the lower group on the floor. They could orally give the description for the

12

teacher to write.
Low
Jake, Abigail, Leigh, Matthew, Torrone, Seth

Lesson 10
Learning
intention
Students
develop an
understanding of
the five senses
and how they
can be used to
develop
description
writing.

Students could do a share at the end/ or to a partner they are sitting next to. Or
teacher picks some work to share.
lesson 10
When writing descriptions it is great to use our five senses
Does anyone know what our five senses are: Taste, see, smell, hear,
touch.
5senses clip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iA1uLc1uEbI
Draw the five senses big and do as a class warm up
Ask students touch their eyes help us to see, our ears- help us to hear, our nose
helps us to smell, our mouth helps us to taste and our fingers help us to touch.
Explain that these are all special parts of our bodies. It helps us to understand
the world around us. It can help us to describe things. We can make
descriptions through the use of our five senses.
Activity
Making popcorn and describing the popcorn with our five senses using the
template.

Sit in a circle, one by one go over the senses, start with what does it sound like,
make the popcorn in the circle listening for the sound. Students brainstorm
descriptive words. Students add the descriptive word to their sheet. As a class
brainstorm some describing words on a big piece of paper with pictures of the
eyes ears, nose, mouth and hand as the students record on their sheets.

13

Materials
5 senses template
Electric frypan
Popcorn

Pass a cup of popcorn around the circle each, students smell the popcorn. What
does it smell like? Fill in the describing word in their sheet.
What does the popcorn feel like? Fill in the describing word in their sheet.
What does it taste like? Fill in a describing word.
Share some as a group.
What other things could you use your five senses to describe? Ask the students
to point to their five senses to remember.

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