Overview

English Year Ten: Tomorrow When the War Began

The Big Idea:

How do elements (characters, setting, plot, style & theme) of a text work together to convey particular
messages to the audience?
School Context :
This 6 week unit is designed for a year 10 class at Christies Beach High School
School located in a low socio-economic suburb (disadvantaged students, a number of students on school card)
This unit is aware of CBHS shared vision (a school that values Tolerance, respect, understanding and excellence)
Implementing the 2011 Smarter Schools National Partnership Plan (A major key to improve literacy) and
implementing the use of digital pedagogies within my teaching
Large amount of students from divorced/separated homes

Student Cohort: Class size 24 students:

Some issues below prevent students from participating and accessing education. Many students require quality
differentiated teaching practice in order to access learning content. The level of adjustment made to individual
students varies.
differen
3 NEP students
3 students identify as being Aboriginal
2 ADHD students
1 colour blind student
2 social work referrals
2 students on modified timetable
Students access student counsellor regularly (mental illness: anxiety &depression)
Many students have low literacy & numeracy skills
Emotional & social issues
Behaviour issues (some being on behaviour contracts)
Low attendance

Students will
Read Tomorrow When the War Began and learn how to reflect and analyse while reading
Be introduced to and analyse elements of a text (plot, setting, theme, character, style)
Have the ability to look beyond the content of a text and analyse it
Understand how the language and structural features work together to create meaning
Encourage students to start being critically readers/viewers of texts (texts are created for a certain
audience, in a certain time, with a particular message)

Studying a novel is a way of

Building experiences of the world
Helping individuals see and understand things that may never happen to us
Increase our knowledge of the world
See things from a new vantage point

This unit will enable students to develop skills useful in year 11

Support and extend students to be independent readers
Students begin to draw on genres that involve complex, challenging and unpredictable plot sequences
Assisting student in further study to understand and identify the language and structural features of
texts
Enable students to consider real-life themes and the effect they have on an audience
Students expected prior knowledge, skills and understanding: [PKS
U]

Know how to write in paragraphs.

Have a basic understanding of plot, setting, characters, style and theme.

Stage 1 Desired Results

Established Goals: [G]
Students will be able to independently use their learning to

Use evidence from texts appropriately, with accurate referencing, to support opinion
Think critically about texts (question how language and structural choices can represent stereotypes
or people, cultures and places)
Effectively express own point of view and to be open to other perspective
Locate, record, analyse, use and synthesize knowledge

Understandings: [U] Essential Questions: [Q]

Students will understand Fertile questions that underpin the study

How the structure and language features of a text How do the elements of a novel (plot, setting,
l create meaning within a text theme and character) contribute to a text and
That texts are created in a particular time, culture create meaning within a text?
and for a particular audience to convey a certain How does the author obtain to the
message audiences interest?
The ways in which creators of a text use language How do the language and structure features
and structure techniques to create meaning and of a novel represent people, cultures,
influence the readers opinion events, objects, places and objects in the
How structural and language features of a text are text?
used within a text How do structural devices in a text influence
Language and structural choices represent the audience to respond to an event or
people, cultures, events, objects and concepts in a issue in the text?
particular way to convey meaning How does the author construct themes in
the novel to be relevant to the reader?

Student will know [K] Students will be able to [S]

 Analyse a novel to identify text structures and
How to identify and examine structural and language features, and understand how they
language features of the elements of a text are used
How to analyse, examine, reflect and summarise Examine and identify language and structural
How language and structural features of a text devices used in text and how they layer
portray meaning meaning and influence a response from the
audience
Contribute actively to class and group
discussions, building on others ideas, solving
problems, justifying opinions and developing
and expanding arguments

Stage 2 Assessment Evidence

Performance Tasks: Evaluative Criteria [OE]
Performance Task 1: Double Entry Journal Students will
During reading task Make personal connections to the text &
use evidence from text to support
Purpose: conclusions:
Provides students with an opportunity to express their thoughts and become more ACELT1641: Analyse and explain how text
involved with the text. Enables students to summarize a text in a structured form structures, language features and the
and are able to consider how the text relates to them. Offer an opportunity to look context in which texts are experienced
beyond the plot and consider the meaning behind the text. Students start building may influence audience response
knowledge that will be useful to final assessment
Demonstrate the ability to analyse the
Instruction: text and produce a response and opinion
To be filled out every week in relation to what we have read in class. Students will about the text:
be encouraged to consider developing themes evident in the text. ACELT1774: Analyse and evaluate text
structures and language features of
Template: students will be shown where to locate and how to fill it out literary texts
Rubric/checklist: Students will be marked out of 5 marks per journal

Performance Task 2: Visual Representation Students will

During reading task Demonstrate their own creative
understanding of the text
Purpose: ACELT1813: Create literary texts that
Provides students an opportunity to demonstration their own creative reflect an emerging sense of personal
understanding of Tomorrow When the War Began in a visual form. style

Instructions: Use evidence from text to support

Individually or in pairs students will create a visual representation of Tomorrow conclusions
When the War Began that communicates a summary of the plot, character ACELA 1568: Understand conventions for
development and the key themes explored. citing others, and how to reference these
in different ways
Students will
Performance Task 3: Final Assessment Written Task (500-800 words)
Post-reading task
 Demonstrate knowledge and
Purpose: understanding of the ideas and beliefs
Provides students an opportunity to demonstrate that they have learnt and explored in the text.
understood of the text. ACELY1749: Analyse and evaluate how
people, cultures, places, events, objects
Instructions: and concepts are
Students choose between option A or B represented in text, through language,
structural choices
Option A: Essay choices
Discuss how three major themes are explored within the novel Tomorrow When the
War Began. Understand how the author constructs the
Students are expected to write a five-paragraph essay on how three key themes text with an intended audience
of the novel are explored. ACELT1641: Analyse and explain
how text structures, language
Students are expected to provide relevant quotations and references from the
features and the context in which
novel to back up their claims. texts are experienced may influence
audience response
Option B: Short Answer Questions
Answer 5 questions focused on plot, characterisation, setting and theme of The ability to analyse texts and
Tomorrow When the War Began. produce responses and opinions
Students are expected to provide relevant quotations and references from the about the text in an accurate manner
novel to back up their claims.
ACELT1774: Analyse and evaluate
text structures and language
features of literary texts

Other evidence
Brainstorming activities; Students will:
Pre-reading strategy to build on prior knowledge Develop skills and knowledge to write
Work is with peers develop social skills final assessment
Gain understanding of what student know and do not know Demonstrate the ability to analyse text
language and structural features
Work sheets and Activities: Ability to communicate and justify
During reading activity to link key ideas to text conclusions
Gain skills and knowledge to complete final assessment Work with peers
Engaging way to learn Learn about their own ability and
Build comprehension skills interests
Knowledge on how language is used within a text The ability to communicate ideas both
written and orally

Observations:
Throughout the unit I will observe
students and how they interact and
respond to the learning tasks
An opportunity for me to reflect on my
teaching and see if the students are
responding well to the unit
Gain understanding of who may not be
coping well with the tasks
Important to record what I observe for
future reference
 Stage 3 Learning Plan
Learning Activities: [L] Differentiation: [D]
Introduction to unit: Ask questions ranging from
Introduce Students to unit of work and text concrete to abstract

Prediction task: Encourage classroom

Purpose: discussions to hear peers
Pre-reading activity to activate existing knowledge about the topic, increase ideas and thoughts
students interest and motivation to read.
Instruction: Encourage students to
Split the class into groups of four (give students a number 1-4) relate and connect to the
Answer the following questions: What does the title tell you about the book? story through discussions
What does the blurb tell you about what might happen?
Scaffold assessment (offer
Predicting themes task: different ways of setting
Purpose: out assessment)
This task allows students an opportunity to relate to the text and consider the
meaning behind the text. Negotiate with students to
Instructions: do other questions
Read the what if it were you handout (see attachments) and consider what
some themes might be in the novel? Negotiate word limit
Brain storm as a group what some of the themes may be, individually fill out
possible themes mind map (see attachments) One on one assistance
Possible Class discussion:
Discuss as a class what each groups came up with - ask students to justify what Be explicit
they have brain stormed
How would you respond if you were a character in Tomorrow When the War
Began? What would you do in this situation? How would it make you feel?
What if Australia were invaded? Why would someone want to invade Australia?

Character:
Purpose:
Students consider how readers can relate and connect to characters. Students are
given the opportunity to start referring to the text.
Instruction:
Class discussion: From the chapters we have read what do we know about the
characters so far? Age, gender, hobbies (promote knowledge that will be
useful for next task)
Hand out character worksheet (see attachment)
Discuss answers as a class

Setting:
Purpose:
Students consider the physical and historic aspects of the setting. This task gives
students the opportunity to start analysing language features of the text.
Instructions:
Explain to students what I mean about historic and physical aspects of setting
As a class brainstorm what we have learnt about the physical and historical
aspects of the setting (write on board for students to see)
Individually fill out the worksheet (see attachments)
Possible Class Discussion:
Ask student to consider these questions: Do you think the geographical location
and the historical period enable readers to relate to the story? How is Australia
represented through the setting? Is it a realistic representation? Consider how
the reader would respond to the story differently if the setting was changed?
[in a different country] What if it was set in a different time period or in a
different country?

Plot:
Purpose:
Students consider how the plot contributes to a text, how it is constructed and
how the reader is able to relate to it.
Instructions:
Read/show students the structure of a story (see attachment)
Students are to analyse the major event in chapter 7, where Ellie blows up the
lawn mower and answer questions (see attachments)

Theme:
Purpose:
Students learn that themes are used to communicate messages to the reader.
Theme enable the reader to connect with the text.
Instructions:
Discuss the definition of theme and give examples
Students complete, matching plot events to theme and, identifying themes
worksheet (see attachments)
Discuss answers as a class
Possible Class Discussion:
What themes can you identify in the novel? What messages are being portrayed?
Do you think these themes are relevant to your lives?
 AC English Content Descriptors:
Achievement Standards:
Language ACELA
By the end of year, 10 students will ACELA 1568
Develop and justify their own interpretations of texts.
Show the selection of language features can achieve precision and stylistic Literature: ACELT:
ACELT1641
effect.
ACELT1774
Explain different viewpoints, attitudes and perspectives through the ACELT1813
development of cohesive and logical arguments.
Develop their own style by experimenting with language features, stylistic
devices, text structures and images. Literacy ACELY:
ACELY1749
Demonstrate understanding of grammar, vary vocabulary choices for impact,
and accurately use spelling and punctuation when creating and editing texts.
Appendix 1

WHAT IF IT WERE YOU?

How would you respond? What would you do? How would it make you feel?
Tomorrow when the War Began, a novel by John Marsden considers the, what if; question. What
would happen if Australia was invaded? In this book Ellie and her friends are made to grow up quick
and act like mature adults. The characters are forced to go out of their comfort zone because of the
unexpected circumstances that are thrust upon them.

A riveting adventure through which Marsden explores the capacity for evil and the necessity of
working together to oppose it An exciting story of self-discovery and survival

This novel is not about war it is about how eight very ordinary teenagers respond to war. It is
written in a style that is accessible to the young reader
Possible Themes
Character
Physical Description: Supporting Quote Personality: Quote or example from text
Name

Ellie

Homer

Corrie

Robyn

Kevin

Lee

Fiona (Fi)
 Setting: Where the story is told

Physical Descriptions where the story is told Historical Time When the story in being told
 Plot (what happens in the story)
Task: Students analyse the major event in chapter 7 (Ellie blowing up the lawn mower) and answer the
following questions.

1. Explain the chronological order of the event.

What happens at the beginning?
What is the rising action?
What is the climax or turning point?
How does it come to an end?

2. Explain the mood or tone that is created during this event? (building suspense, excited, scared?) Refer
to specific quotes, words or phrases in your answer.

3. What effect does the language have on the event? How does it make the reader respond to the event?
(Does it make them feel sad? Angry? Happy?)

4. Write down 5 descriptive words that are used.

5. Write down 5 emotive words or phrases that are used? (Writers use emotive language in order to
have a greater emotional impact on their audience. Words can evoke positive and negative
emotions)

6. What do we learn about the characters through this event? What characteristics do the characters
show?
 Matching plot events with themes

EVENT THEME
Ellie and her friends return home from Love / courage / strength
Hell to find their families gone and pets
Dead
Lee is shot in the leg and Robyn carries Sometimes you have to do terrible things for
him to safety the sake of survival / leadership / teamwork

Ellie blows up the lawn-mower and kills Courage / strength at a time when it is
2 people needed / friendship / horrors of war

Corrie is shot and Kevin takes her to the Revenge / adventure / courage / strategic
hospital, giving himself up to the enemy thinking

The gang blows up the main bridge out of How quickly life can change / taking
Wirrawee things for granted

Choose one of the themes in the right-hand column and explain how the example(s) show
that theme.
 Theme Matching Activity
Some of the themes of the novel as shown in chapter 7 (pages 69-92) are listed in the table
below. Complete the table by (i) finding the page references in that chapter for the examples
below; (ii) matching the examples to the themes.

Themes / ideas How are they shown?

Love Corries fathers fax note shows his love through his concern for his
daughter (p.73 )

Leadership

Courage

Friendship

Horrors of war

Teamwork

At that moment only a bullet could have separated me from those two people. Suddenly
theyd become my family (p....)

Ellie leads the others into Mrs Alexanders yard. She then gets them out of trouble by blowing
up a lawn mower. (p....)

Thats it! I thought. Ive done it! It was a dance of courage. (p....)

All for one and one for all. Lets go. The three musketeers (p....)

Ellie and the others must blow up a lawn mower in 3 of the soldiers faces to escape
them. (p....)