Building Ideas Together

Overview

This 30-minute lesson for Year 6 students in Australia focuses on the V9 Australian Curriculum English Achievement Standard, specifically targeting the speaking and listening components. Students engage in a collaborative ‘Song Club’ discussion centred around the literary text of the song, “Fight Song” by Rachel Platten. The lesson will encourage students to analyse and elaborate on the song’s use of text structures, language features, and literary devices that contribute to its theme of perseverance.

This lesson includes direct links to the Year 6 curriculum standards (ACELY1816, ACELY1710), which involve exploring the purpose of texts, responding to oral presentations, and explaining ideas using appropriate language and multimodal techniques.

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Learning Intention

By the end of this lesson, students will:

• Understand how literary devices and language features communicate meaning and theme.
• Share and explain ideas in a structured and confident manner.
• Engage effectively with their peers by listening, responding, summarising, and posing relevant questions.

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Success Criteria

Students will demonstrate their understanding if they can:

• Deliver a well-organised 1–3 minute spoken response with clarity and fluency.
• Identify and explain the use of at least two literary devices or language features in "Fight Song."
• Use voice modulation (tone, pitch, pace, volume) and non-verbal cues (gestures, facial expressions) to engage their audience.
• Actively contribute to peer discussions by asking thoughtful clarifying or evaluative questions.

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Materials Needed

• Lyrics of "Fight Song" (one copy per student).
• Whiteboard or Smartboard.
• Optional planning sheet, divided into sections for main ideas, evidence, and examples.
• Timer or stopwatch.
• Checklist for monitoring student participation and key skills.

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Lesson Sequence

1. Introduction: Setting the Scene (5 Minutes)

• Teacher Greeting and Hook: Begin by playing the chorus of “Fight Song” aloud. Ask:

  • “What do you think this song is about? Why does it resonate with people?”
  • Briefly discuss how the song conveys a sense of perseverance and self-belief.

• Unpacking the Focus Question: Write the discussion question on the board:
  “How did the author use text structures, literary devices or language features effectively to develop central themes and build meaning for effect?”
  Work with the students to break the question into simpler parts, explaining concepts like:

  • Text Structures (e.g., repetition of the chorus, verse arrangement).
  • Literary Devices (e.g., metaphor, imagery, symbolism).
  • Language Features (e.g., emotive language, inclusive pronouns like "my" or "our").

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2. Independent Planning and Analysis (10 Minutes)

• Students are split into groups of 5–6 and given 5 minutes to analyse the lyrics individually using these prompts:

  1. What is the central theme of the song? (e.g., perseverance, self-empowerment).
  2. Which words or phrases stand out to you? Why?
  3. What literary devices or language features contribute to the song’s message? (e.g., “starting right now I’ll be strong” – use of repetition to emphasise determination).

• Using an optional planning sheet, students organise their ideas with:

  • A Topic Sentence introducing their main idea.
  • Two Supporting Examples from the text (direct quotes or observations).
  • A Closing Sentence summarising the theme.

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3. Sharing in ‘Song Club’ (10 Minutes)

• Students present their 1–3 minute responses to their group in the context of the ‘Song Club.’ Encourage them to follow these guidelines:

  • Begin by clearly stating their opinion: “The central message of Fight Song is about….”
  • Use evidence: “In the line, ‘I’ve still got a lot of fight left in me,’ the author uses a metaphor to illustrate resilience.”
  • Conclude effectively with a connection to the audience: “This inspires perseverance because it reminds us to stay strong.”

• Remind students to use engaging vocal techniques (tone, pitch, and pause) and incorporate non-verbal gestures to emphasise key points.

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4. Encouraging Peer Interaction (5 Minutes)

• After each presentation:
  1. Group members ask one clarifying or evaluative question (“Why do you think the author chose to use repetition here?”).
  2. Another group member can summarise or rephrase an idea shared (“So you’re saying the chorus reinforces the message of resilience?”).
  3. Students are encouraged to present alternate viewpoints if applicable.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Advanced Learners: Encourage deeper analysis by exploring secondary themes or investigating tone changes throughout the song.
• Support for Struggling Learners: Allow students to work in pairs for the planning stage or provide sentence starters like:
  • “One example of repetition in the song is…”
  • “The line _______ shows perseverance because…”

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Teacher’s Role

• Actively move around the ‘Song Club’ groups to monitor:

  1. Whether students are giving clear, structured responses.
  2. How effectively they use evidence and literary devices.
  3. Student engagement in peer discussions (e.g. asking clarifying questions, showing active listening).

• Use a checklist to note strengths and areas for improvement and provide individualised feedback after the lesson if needed.

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Reflection and Debrief (Optional Extension)

• If time permits, bring the class back together and ask:
  1. “What did you learn about the song from your peers?”
  2. “Why do you think the author’s use of language made the song powerful?”
  • Celebrate great examples of presentations and insightful questions from discussions.

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Teacher Notes

This lesson is a platform for evaluating both individual and collaborative skills while aligning directly with Year 6 English Achievement Standards. The structured yet creative approach allows students to deepen their critical thinking and confidence in oral communication. Consider integrating other songs with strong themes for students to explore diversity in perspectives.