V.E.L.S Domain: English/Library Learning Community: 5/6J Duration: 6 Weeks __________________________________________________________________________________

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Weekly Tests

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In SOSE we are travelling the world as our Integrated Theme for the term, but what if we were to travel the galaxy? Well, in Library this term that’s exactly what we are going to do!

As an integrated approach to the theme of travelling, the Library Unit for this term aims to broaden students exposure to a variety of narrative genres. Students are well read in youth fiction concerning pranks, school-focussed narratives, some Fantasy based fiction. However, students are rarely exposed to the Science Fiction genre in literature. The use of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy will be a supplement to the term theme, as well as providing a fun and engaging stimulus for the genre of Science Fiction, and allow students to explore concepts such as travel, friendship and life.

There will be a weekly quiz which will be given as a small group quiz where students work in teams to discuss and decide on the response. The questions will derive from the chapters of text read for that week and will be created on a weekly basis. This will consolidate comprehension and provide summative assessment of whole-class thinking and perceptions of the text and allow for addressing misconceptions regarding themes and ideas.

Information and Communication Technology – Frequent use of various ICTs for practical and creative purposes to complement the outcomes of the unit. Interpersonal Development – Teamwork and relating to other students questions and ideas. Thinking Skills – organising ideas, planning and meeting deadlines. Science – Space and the universe. Galaxy’s Geography – location of countries and the practice of travelling internationally.

Constructivist Learning Sequence

Stage Session Activity

1

Create a front cover for your Hitchhiker’s Unit Journal. View the 3 versions of film trailers for the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Complete an affective Y chart for each trailer and make a pre-reading inference about what you predict the story to be about. Ask questions which you could answer as we move through the unit.

2

After reading the first few chapters of the novel, write a short summary to demonstrate your comprehension of the text thus far. The title of this piece could be ‘So Far on the Planet Earth’. Focus on the characters, settings and plot devices used so far in the story.

3

We have heard some strange new language and terminology in the novel, using the attached guide, find the meaning for the terms and reword them so you understand what they mean. This will help with your understanding of the book.

4

Students will either create a PowerPoint presentation or film a short video and present to the class advertising to an unspecified audience. The available topics

include:

The Genre of Science Fiction The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

Travelling the Universe!

This will take more than one unit and will require some planning and consolidate last term’s topic of Persuasive Writing, whilst integrating ICT and expanding

students questions and answers regarding the topics covered in the unit.

5

We have now either finished or nearly finished the book and will soon be watching the film to further our understanding of the story and compare and contrast the book and film. Navigate your way to this site and follow the webquest you will find. This may take more than one session and will test your problem solving ability and by the end you will have finished our unit on The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy!

6

When concluding the unit by watching the film, some assessment sheets can be printed and provided to students as they watch the film. Along with their creative assessment task in the webquest, this will provide a form of Formative Assessment for their comprehension of the story and the themes within it explored throughout this unit. www.esl-galaxy.com/video.htm

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