Audience Across Texts

Overview

In this 60-minute lesson, students deepen their understanding of how purpose and audience shape language choices across three texts in the unit Representations of Australian Youth. Building on earlier analysis of language features, students compare the texts, discuss how different audiences may respond, and support their views with evidence.

Learning intentions

• WALT investigate deeper audience implications across three texts.
• WALT compare how purpose, audience and language features shape meaning.
• WALT use evidence to explain how different audiences may respond to a text.
• WALT participate in a focused discussion using evaluative language.

Success criteria

• I can compare and contrast the intended audiences of all three texts.
• I can identify language or structural choices that appeal to different audiences.
• I can explain how audience may affect a reader’s interpretation or response.
• I can support my ideas with accurate evidence from the texts.

Curriculum links

• Language: analyse how language features shape meaning and vary according to audience and purpose.
• Literature: explore ideas, points of view, characters, events and issues in literary texts from social and cultural contexts.
• Language: recognise evaluative language and substantiate judgements with reference to the text.
• Language: describe how text structure and cohesion vary according to purpose.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–6 min · Hook and retrieval. Teacher displays three short excerpts or images from the previously studied texts using the hook and retrieval slides, then asks, “Would the same young person respond to all three texts in the same way?” Students independently write one prediction and share a reason with a partner.

2. 6–15 min · Vocabulary and close reading. Teacher introduces or revises audience, purpose, representation, implication, perspective, inclusive language, evaluative language, and register using the vocabulary and close-reading slides; teacher reads three brief passages aloud, with copies available on the three-text comparison worksheet. Students annotate one noticeable language feature in each passage and identify a possible audience, using a glossary or visual cues where needed.

3. 15–25 min · Modelled analysis. Teacher models a comparison using one feature, such as inclusive language or emotive vocabulary: “Text A uses ___, suggesting its audience may ___ because ___.” Teacher records a three-column comparison on the board and demonstrates how to quote or precisely refer to a word, phrase, image or structural feature. Students help complete one example and distinguish an observation from an inference.

4. 25–42 min · Small-group investigation. Teacher places students in groups of four or five and distributes the guided question cards and visual comparison chart. Each group examines all three texts, discussing questions such as: “Who is most likely to read or view this text?”, “What does the creator want the audience to think, feel or do?”, “Which choices include or exclude particular audiences?”, and “How might two audiences interpret this differently?” Students assign a discussion facilitator, evidence finder, recorder and reporter, then complete the chart with at least one piece of evidence for each text.

5. 42–53 min · Compare, challenge and share. Teacher uses the group-share and comparison prompts to structure brief reports. Each group presents one significant similarity and one difference between the audiences, followed by evidence. Students listen for an idea they agree with and one they would question, responding with stems such as “I agree because…”, “Another interpretation is…”, and “The evidence suggests…”.

6. 53–60 min · Individual synthesis and exit check. Teacher displays the final prompt through the synthesis and exit-ticket slide: “Which text makes the strongest connection with its intended audience? Explain using two specific details.” Students complete the final response on the individual synthesis response and underline the evaluative word they have used.

Resources

• the audience and purpose lesson deck
• the three-text comparison worksheet
• Copies of the three previously studied texts or selected extracts
• Board or interactive display
• Highlighters or coloured pencils
• Sticky notes
• Timer
• Group role labels
• Dictionaries or digital glossary
• Headphones or text-to-speech access

Assessment

• During retrieval and close reading, check whether students can distinguish audience, purpose and language feature.
• Listen to group discussions for comparisons supported by evidence, noting students who identify features but do not yet explain their audience implications.
• Collect the individual synthesis response and check for comparison of all three texts, two specific details, and an evaluative judgement.

Differentiation

• Provide dyslexia-friendly copies of the passages: clear sans-serif font, larger spacing, short sections, uncluttered pages and optional coloured overlays. Offer teacher, peer or text-to-speech reading without requiring students to read aloud.
• Use the visual glossary, colour-coded evidence boxes and sentence stems: “Text ___ targets ___ because…”, “Unlike Text ___, Text ___…”, and “This may affect the audience by…”.
• Keep groups small and assign supportive roles; guided question cards allow students to rehearse ideas before reporting. Teachers may scribe a student’s spoken response or allow audio recording where appropriate.
• Extend confident students by asking them to distinguish between intended, actual and secondary audiences, or to explain how a text might be adapted for a different audience without changing its central representation.