Practising the feature article genre

Working in a small group, write the following sections of an article about the way work has always been – and still is – a central part of the Australian character.

 

Produce a headline, by-line, picture with caption, an introductory paragraph and a tic toc paragraph in which you refer to the words of the National anthem – both versions.

 

Put your work onto a word document and email it to me.

Monday's lesson

In a group, read one of the three poems dealing with migrants and their experience of Australia and Australians.

Present the text to the rest of the class by:

• reading it aloud
• explaining the point of view expressed and giving evidence from the poem
• sharing an annotated copy of the poem
• discussing this, giving your response to the issues raised

For homework, plan the headline, by-line and opening sentence of a feature article focussing on the contribution of migrants to Australia. Include a picture with a caption as well.

Thursday's lesson

"Be a Proud Aussie Quietly".

Once you have read the article and tried to identify the positioning techniques, have a look at the annotated version to see if you were correct.

Read the poem, Clancy of the Overflow, and fill in the table of nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs associated with the city and with the country. This is in the document "Clancy of the Overflow binary opposition activity".

Some notes on positioning techniques.

The aesthetic features of a text position the reader to understand  and accept its point of view.

 

As we progress through this unit, you will be analyzing various texts to identify the way Australia is represented.  The questions you need to ask yourself are:

 ·         What does this text say to the reader about Australia and Australians?

 ·         How does the text convey this message? What aesthetic features/positioning techniques position the reader to understand the text's messages and to respond?

 
The positioning techniques will be different for different kinds of texts. They will include the following:

Movies: camera angles, camera shots, lighting, costuming, characterisation, dialogue, setting, sound effects, music, structure, filming devices such as slow motion, fast forward etc

Short stories: structure, characterisation, point of view, symbols/motifs, language choices, setting, satire, irony

Poetry: simile, metaphor, alliteration, imagery, assonance, personification, repetition, rhyme, rhythm.

Articles: headline, by-line, visuals, language choices, structure, who is quoted and what they say

 

Week 2 homework 1

Read the article, “Be a Proud Aussie Quietly” which is in the folder of Core Texts on Blackboard. Identify one positioning technique and be able to explain what the technique is and how the reader is positioned by it. For example, you might find that there is a silence in the text or that one idea is privileged over others, as we discussed in class. You might also find an example of a positioning technique that you are familar with from last year, such as a particular language choice, the use of repetition etc. Remember that we are positioned by pictures as well as words. Be ready to speak to the class about what you have found on Wednesday during the lesson.