Week 5 Term 2: Teacher Practice: Post Reading Activity for NCEA Level 3 English (May 27 - May 31)

In Week 2 of Term 2, I wrote about my NCEA Level 3 English pre reading activities for our novel study for Tim O'brien's 'The Things They Carried'. Please see the link below to the post that I wrote which details the pre reading activities that we did for the extended study:  

See Alby's Blog Post Entry - (05/05/24)

Since Week 2, the students have through the three short texts from O'brien's 'The Things They Carried' which are: 

• Speaking of Courage
• The Man I Killed
• How to tell a True War Story 

For each reading the students went through and highlighted quotes that detailed the idea of 'the things they carried' (both tangible and intangible things that the war veterans carried). Once they completed this, we discussed the main connection or message of each text linking it to the author's purpose. The class discussion was good as it highlighted how like the war veterans, we took carry tangible and intangible things. It is often the intangible things that weigh the heaviest. The highlighting of the quotes and class discussion was the perfect segue way into the post reading activities. 

POST READING ACTIVITY

For the post reading activity, the students complete a reading log for each the texts that they have studied in class. The purpose of the reading log is for the students to log in all the key quotes, learnings, reflecting on the author's purpose, critically analyzing the context of the text and connecting the text's message to the supporting texts. What they produce with the reading log will be used as evidence for the Term 2 assessment (91478 - Connections Report). Ultimately, the reading logs is the launching pad for the assessment. I will outline the reading log that my NCEA Level 3 English students are currently working on for the post reading activity. 

Reading Log: Text Connection

The students will answer the questions (as above) coming up with the text's main message. Prior to this, a class discussion has already taken place where they have discussed the text's main message, theme or purpose. They will write about the main message, find four quotes from the text that link to the message and then reflect on the author's purpose. 

Reading Log: The Crafting of the text

The students will find specific quotes (again the quotes they use will be from the quotes they highlight straight after the reading which is guided by the teacher post reading). They will specific quotes where the author has specific language features and techniques to help the reader visualize, understand and connect with the text's main message. The language techniques that I encourage the students to find which are used well in 'The Things They Carried' are symbolism, repetition, metaphor and reoccurring motif. It is encouraged that they use these quotes as part of the evidence from the text when they craft their connections report. 

Reading Log: Getting Critical

The students are asked to look beyond the text and think about the context surrounding the text. Specifically looking at the social and political landscape that could have potentially influenced the writer's choices. They are also asked too at what critics are saying about the context or any of the main issues that have come from the text. Again, the students will use this in their written report for the connections assessment. 

Reading Log: Inter-text Linking

The students will discuss and comment on how the text's message or connection is similar or different to the other texts. They will use in their written report and really discuss the connection and what they have learnt through the text and how it influences the text(s) as a whole. 

Next steps: 

• Students to complete reading logs for the short text's studied in class
• Students to select a FOURTH text of their choice (that links to the texts) and complete a reading log
• Introduce the assessment in Week 5 and explain how the reading log can be used in the crafting of their text. 

Week 4 Term 2 - Teacher Practice: NCEA Level 1 English Term 2 Unit: Our Stories + Our Histories (through Poetry) (May 20 - May 24)

 We have officially started our new unit learning for Term 2 for our NCEA Level 1 English course. The theme for our NCEA Level 1 English course is 'Our Stories, Our Histories + Our Voices'. In Term 1, we looked at 'Our Stories + Our Histories (through film' focusing on the visual text 'The Dark Horse' and the assessment we focused on was 91925. I have reflected on our Term 1 unit and the assessment in my previous blog posts (check the links below): 

See Alby's Blog Post Entry (17/03/24)

See Alby' Blog Post Entry (07/04/24)

This term our theme is 'Our Stories + Our Histories (through Poetry)'. The primary text for Term is Tusiata Avia's 'The Savage Coloniser Book'. We will be spending 5 weeks looking at 4 texts from the collection (3 texts selected by the teacher and the final text is selected by the student). In the 5 weeks, we will look the context surrounding the text and how the context influenced the language that Avia used in crafting her poetry. We will unpack each text specifically looking at the context, the language features used and how it all ties in with the purpose of her poetry. The three texts that we have selected from 'The Savage Coloniser Book' are strong and effective poems who have both a rich context that we believe is relevant to our akonga and that they can relate to or identify with. The three texts that we will studying in class are: 

Tusiata Avia's 'The Savage Coloniser Book' (2019)

Jacinda Arden goes to the Pacific Forum in Tuvalu and my family colonises her house

BLM

Covid in the time of Primeminiscinda

The poems we are studying and the collection as a whole is confronting and it is meant to drum up conversation. We are excited to start our journey with the students in exploring the texts we have selected. The students will choose the fourth poem from the collection and that will be the fourth text. The fourth text will be the text that they will focus on for the assessment 91924. Below I will outline how the next 5 weeks of the new unit will look. 

OUR STORIES + OUR HISTORIES (THROUGH POETRY): Pre Reading Activities

There are a series of pre reading activities that the students do before we launch into the reading of the text. It is important that the students understand the context around each text, as the context and the text both are rich and complex. I will be spending time making sure that the students engage with the pre reading activities so that it will help them understand and appreciate the text. 

Pre Reading Activity 1

For the first pre reading activity the students take a look in the past and review the year 2020. 'The Savage Coloniser Book' was written in 2019 and released in 2020. At the time it was released, there was so much going on in Aotearoa - politically and socially especially with COVID 19. This pre reading activity is a Year in Review and breaks down the main events that happened in Aotearoa in 2020. There are three parts that the students will read and then they will make a list of the main events that happened. 

Pre Reading Activity 3

The second pre reading activity is where the students will look at the author - Tusiata Avia - and the backlash that the text received. This will give students an understanding on the tone of the text and the impact that it has had in both the Maori/Pacific communities and also the wider community (hopefully this article will help them see the positive and negative impact that the text has had). Again, this will help them have an understanding on the overall tone and vibe of Avia's poems. 

Pre Reading Activity 4

The third pre reading activity, the students will explore three different articles that focus on three different events (Jacinda Ardern's trip to Tuvalu for the Pacific Forum, Black Lives Matter and COVID 19 in Aotearoa NZ). Each article is accompanied by a set of questions that the students will answer. This will give them a detailed understanding on each event and what is about. At the time these events took place, our Year 11 students were in intermediate school so their knowledge of the events may be limited. This is the context that they need to know, so we will take our time with this activity. 

OUR STORIES + OUR HISTORIES (THROUGH POETRY): The Savage Coloniser Book + Reading Log

Reading Log: Understanding the context

For the three texts that we will study in class, I have created a reading log that the students will complete. The purpose of the reading log is for students to reflect on everything that they have read, connecting it to the pre reading activities and to organize their responses in a way that is scaffolded to the assessment. They will do a reading log for each poem (four in total) and use the work, evidence and information from the reading log for their assessment.

The first part of the reading log 'Understanding the context' - the students will talk about the event/context that is surrounding the text. They can use the information that they had from the pre reading exercise when writing about the context. They will also start to unpack the writer's purpose and start finding evidence (quotes) from the text. 

Reading Log: Language Features

The second part of the reading log 'Language Features' - the students find quotes from the text that use effective language features. The language features that we are looking for are features such as metaphor, imagery, symbolism, repetition simile. The students will use this in their assessment. 

Reading Log: Getting Critical

The third part of the reading log 'Getting Critical' - the students will link the learning from the pre reading activity and reflect on what the text says about the time/circumstances in which it was written and they also have an opportunity to discuss what they have learnt from the text. 

I am looking forward to the next 5 weeks where we will explore the texts, unpack the texts and complete the reading log for the texts. I will document the journey and how it falls into our Term 2 assessment: 91924. 

Week 3 Term 2 - Totara House - Foundation: Our House Values 2024 (May 13 - May 17)

Totara House Athletics Day 2024

With Term 1 finished, the beginning of Term 2 has presented an opportunity to reflect and start fresh. For Totara House Term 1 was a time for us to come together and get the ball rolling (with Athletics Day), we also spent Term 1 getting to know each other and understand what we want Totara House values to represent. With all that has been said and done in Term 1, I have used the first House assembly to talk about 'Foundation' and the importance of having a strong grounding. This message is one that I have used throughout the last four years and I am excited to share what I covered at our most recent House assembly for Totara House. 

FOUNDATION: The basis or groundwork of anything

Understanding, building and taking care of your foundation at school is important. Understanding, acknowledging and respecting what makes your foundation is important. For the students in my Whanau group, I want to encourage them to think about what their foundation is because the truth is that we all come into school with things that keep us centered and that keep us grounded.

Totara House Athletics Day 2024

Understanding what they are, acknowledging them and taking care of them will help to strengthen your foundation. GWS Masonry Services talk about the importance of strong foundations for home and that "Its primary purpose is to hold your house up. Without it, your house would quickly sink into the ground unevenly, resulting in cracks and damage to your home. A properly built foundation will keep the home even and supported, even during a flood or earthquake." 

FOUNDATION: What does this look like for Totara House?

9TRn going the House Values with the leadership team

Understanding the importance of having a strong foundation is one thing. Visualizing it and seeing what it looks like for your own journey is another thing. In this part of the presentation, I spoke to the House about what this will look for our Whanau group. I have listed the key elements that I believe will make your foundation strong. These elements are: 

Knowing your 'WHY'
Understanding your learning journey
Resilience
Communication Skills
Time management
Gratitude

For Term 2, especially now that we are the beginning of the journey, 'knowing your WHY' is important. This term we will focus on 'knowing your WHY' and how this is an integral part of building a strong foundation. Knowing your WHY is all about asking yourself what do you love doing? What are your strengths? Who inspires you and why? Asking this questions should help my students understand what their WHY is. Knowing your WHY is essential as it fuels your motivation, sharpens your focus and it is uniquely YOURS. 

FOUNDATION: Totara House Values 2024

In Term 1, the House Leaders started working with all of the students across the house to see what they wanted Totara House to represent. I documented this in my previous post (see Alby's Blog Post Entry - 10/03/24) Throughout Term 1 the leaders visited each class to get their feedback on what they wanted Totara House to represent. Near the end of the term they collated the feedback from all of the students and shortlisted the top values that were shared across all 8 classes in Totara House. It was here that the leaders decided which House values spoke to them as a leadership team and they chose the top three values from here. 

Totara House class feedback for House Values

The Totara House Values for 2024 are: 

Discipline
Commitment
Passion

This the foundation for our House and we will use these values when we are working together for the house events that we have coming up, when we meet for house assembly and in the more intimate situations when the leaders are working in their circle and with their peers one on one. 

Totara House Leaders going through the House Values with our whanau group in Term 2

A value centric approach is one that I have taken going into Term 2. This is an approach that I usually integrate into the Totara House program every year as I believe it gives us a sense of identity and something that is uniquely ours. Building a strong foundation on knowing why and knowing what our values are, I am hoping will be the right launching pad for Totara House 2024. I look forward to documenting our journey with our new values this year! 

Week 2 Term 2 - Teacher Practice - Pre Reading Exercise for NCEA Level 3 English Extended Text (May 6 - May 10)

Pre-reading exercises are an important part of a reading program. I believe that it helps to build prior knowledge, provide a context and help to pull the reader in. Fisher Digital Publications state that "Findings have shown that pre-reading strategies influence student motivation, increase the activation of prior knowledge and they can be used as a tool for increased comprehension." Over the last 4 years I have tried different types of pre reading exercises and activities to engage my NCEA Level 3 students with for our extended text study. This year I came across this pre reading activity online for the text study of Tim O'brien's 'The Things They Carried' and I loved it. Click on the image below to access a link to the pre reading activity. 

Joseph Carnevale's Pre Reading Exercise: The Things They Carried

I took the activity and modified it so that it made sense for myself and my students. I loved how the pre-reading activities looked at the key features of the text that I want my students to write about for their assessment. Carnevale's pre reading activity covered the following areas that I particularly focus on with my students, these areas are: 

Context around the text - Vietnam War and America in the 1960s

Visualizing the text - Looking at footage from Forrest Gump and images from the Vietnam War and reflecting on the imagery. 

History of the text - Understanding the history and timeline of the Vietnam War

Beyond the text - Unpacking the title 'The Things They Carried' and reflecting on the tangible and intangible things that we carry and then making connections. 

Context around the text and Visualizing the text

Context + visualizing the context

Understanding the context around the text is vital. Especially in a text like 'The Things They Carried' - there is a huge cultural difference that students are unfamiliar with. So understanding the social and political context around the stories can help them connect and understand the text. Here the students are able to look at the setting (a key feature in the text) and understand where it take place. They are also able to visualize the setting through an excerpt from Forrest Gump - where they can see the Vietnam terrain and what is was like for the soldiers. I like that the the students can visualize the setting in that the setting is such an important and integral part of the story, it acts as both the backdrop but also as another character in the text. 

History of the text

History of the text

This is part of the reading exercise is important - the students are given a simplified summary of the war. The video gives a crash course on the key events and parts of the war - enough for the students to understand what is going on. The war, the event itself, as a text - is an important part of the story and understanding the bones of it is beneficial for them when they start the reading of The Things They Carried. 

Their Voices

Vietnam War Veteran - their stories

This part of the pre reading activities is something that I have added in. I have used this text as a way of getting the students to hear the war veteran's personal accounts of the war. The Things They Carried is a text that is centered the voices of the war veterans and the experiences that they carried as a result of the war. These videos are a good resource in that it helps to showcase the reality (harsh and confronting reality) that the war veterans faced during the war and continue to live with post war. 

Beyond the text

Beyond the text

This was my favorite part of the pre reading activity. The Things They Carried highlights the tangible and intangible things that the soldiers carried during the war and after the war. This part of the activity asks students to unpack their bags and look at the tangible things that they carry. It also encourages them to reflect on the intangible things that they carry and then asks them to reflect on which one carries more weight - the tangible or intangible. The students from my NCEA Level 3 English class enjoyed sharing this in their groups. I also shared with them what I carry physically and also emotionally. 

305ENGLit sharing what they 'carry'

305ENGLit sharing what they 'carry'

Next Steps: 

• Finish the pre-reading exercise
• Start the reading of the first short story from The Things They Carried - Speaking of Courage
• Complete the reading log for Speaking of Courage