Annual Festival Reading

Context and Overview

This 180-minute lesson for Year 5 English students focuses on understanding Australian annual festivals through reading comprehension and writing activities. Students will engage with texts about an Australian festival, develop comprehension skills, and then plan, draft and finalise an informative and imaginative writing piece about a festival. The lesson aligns with the Australian Curriculum (Version 9), emphasising literacy skills development appropriate for Year 5 students.

Learning Objectives

Aligned to ACARA Australian Curriculum (Version 9):

ACELY1706: Use comprehension strategies to understand and analyze information and ideas, comparing content from different sources and identifying key details【5:AC9E5LY07.md†English Year 5】.
ACELY1707: Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts containing key information and supporting details for a widening range of audiences, demonstrating increasing control over text structures and language features【5:AC9E5LY07.md†English Year 5】.
ACELY1708: Use a range of strategies to spell unfamiliar and more difficult words, including applying knowledge of letter patterns and syllabification.
ACELY1709: Edit for meaning by removing repetition, refining ideas for clarity and enhancing coherence, and proofreading for spelling, punctuation and grammar errors.

Resources Needed

Printed or digital reading texts about an Australian annual festival (e.g., NAIDOC Week, Australia Day, or a local/regional festival)
Festival-related images and short videos (multimodal materials)
Comprehension worksheets with questions
Writing templates or graphic organisers for planning
Lined writing paper or digital writing tools
Whiteboard / projector for shared reading & brainstorming
Markers, pens, pencils, highlighters

Lesson Breakdown

Total Duration: 180 minutes

1. Introduction to Australian Festivals (20 minutes)

Begin with a class brainstorm discussing what festivals are and listing well-known Australian annual festivals. Write ideas on the board.
Show images/videos from a selected Australian annual festival linked to the community or curriculum focus.
Discuss the significance of festivals and why Australians celebrate them.

Curriculum Connection: Builds cultural understanding and context for reading; develops oral interaction skills through discussion (link to ACELY1706 comprehension and oral language use)【5:AC9E5LY07.md†English Year 5】.

2. Guided Reading & Comprehension Activity (50 minutes)

Distribute a reading text about the chosen festival (approx. 2-3 paragraphs, fact-based, descriptive, including festival activities, history and cultural impact).
Model reading aloud with comprehension thinking aloud (predicting, questioning).
Students read individually or in pairs.
Complete comprehension worksheet with a variety of question types to develop literal, inferential, and critical thinking skills:
- Identify key facts (e.g., date, location, activities).
- Explain the purpose of the festival.
- Compare this festival with a personal celebration or another Australian festival.
- Vocabulary practice: find and discuss new words.
Group discussion of answers to reinforce understanding.

Curriculum Connection: ACELY1706 – applying comprehension strategies and analysing key ideas in texts【5:AC9E5LY07.md†English Year 5】.

3. Writing Preparation: Planning a Festival Description (30 minutes)

Introduce the writing task: “Write an informative and imaginative description about an Australian annual festival.”
Present a planning graphic organiser: sections for ideas about the festival’s name, when and where it happens, main events, why it is important, and what people do/feel.
Use a shared writing session to fill out an example plan together, referring back to the reading text for ideas.
Students create their own festival writing plan individually or with a partner.

Curriculum Connection: ACELY1707 – planning texts, sequencing ideas logically with supporting detail【5:AC9E5LY07.md†English Year 5】.

4. Drafting First Writing Piece (40 minutes)

Students write the first draft of their festival description using their plan.
Encourage use of varied sentence structures and descriptive language. Introduce or review use of adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions and time sequencers (e.g., first, during, finally).
Provide mini-lessons or references on grammar and spelling strategies, e.g., common spelling patterns or punctuation (full stops, commas).
Circulate and support students individually.

Curriculum Connection: Application of text structures, language features and vocabulary for informative writing (ACELY1707)【5:AC9E5LY07.md†English Year 5】.

5. Editing and Revising (20 minutes)

Teach students editing strategies: check for spelling errors, punctuation, sentence structure variety, clarity and coherence.
Peer editing activity: Students exchange drafts and use a simple checklist to offer positive feedback and suggestions for improvement focusing on content clarity and spelling/punctuation.
Teacher collects drafts and provides focused written or verbal feedback for final improvement.

Curriculum Connection: ACELY1709 – editing for meaning, proofreading for spelling, punctuation and grammar【5:AC9E5LY07.md†English Year 5】.

6. Final Copy and Sharing (20 minutes)

Students write or type their final draft, incorporating edits from feedback.
Volunteers or small groups share their final festival descriptions with the class.
Discuss similarities and differences in how each student described the festival and ways language choices affected their writing.

Curriculum Connection: Consolidation of writing skills, presentation and communication for audience (ACELY1707)【5:AC9E5LY07.md†English Year 5】.

Assessment Criteria

Completion and quality of comprehension worksheet demonstrating understanding of the text and vocabulary.
Festival writing plan completed with clear ideas and logical sequence.
First draft showing use of descriptive language, sentence variety and festival information.
Evidence of editing and improvement in final draft.
Oral presentation fluency and ability to respond to questions on the text.

Differentiation

Provide reading texts at slightly varied reading levels if needed.
Use graphic organisers with sentence starters to support EAL/D or struggling writers.
Extension for advanced students: research a lesser-known festival and include additional cultural or historical details in writing.
Use multimodal presentations or digital storytelling to engage diverse learners.

Reflection & Extension Ideas

Reflect on what students found most interesting about Australian festivals and cultural traditions.
Plan a class celebration or event based on a studied festival to contextualise learning.
Create multimodal digital brochures or posters about Australian festivals.
Link geography and history learning by exploring festivals of First Nations Peoples alongside multicultural Australian festivals.

This detailed, curriculum-aligned lesson plan provides an engaging, scaffolded experience developing Year 5 students’ reading comprehension and writing skills centred on Australian annual festivals. It leverages a multimodal approach, cooperative learning, and explicit teaching of literacy strategies, making it highly specific and practical for Australian classrooms.

Should you require further tailoring or resources to support this, please ask!

Teaching Instructions