Deep Dive Text Two

Overview

In lesson 14 of the unit Representations of Australian Youth, students closely analyse the structure and language of an article about Australian skateboarder Arisa Trew. Building on previous lessons about audience, purpose and representation, students identify how specific choices appeal to a youth audience and support their ideas with evidence from the text.

Learning intentions

• WALT analyse the structure and language features of the Arisa Trew article.
• WALT explain how language choices appeal to a youth audience.
• WALT use evidence from a text to support an evaluation.
• WALT recognise how cohesion and organisation guide readers.

Success criteria

• I can identify structural features such as the headline, introduction, subheadings, paragraphs and conclusion.
• I can locate language features that specifically appeal to young readers.
• I can explain the effect of a language choice on the audience.
• I can support my ideas with a relevant quotation or precise reference to the article.

Curriculum links

• Language — analysing how language features shape meaning and vary according to audience and purpose.
• Language — recognising evaluative language and substantiating judgements with evidence.
• Language — identifying how text structure and language features vary according to purpose.
• Literature — exploring representations of Australian young people, ideas, events and points of view in context.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook and retrieval. Teacher displays a short headline and image from the article using the hook and retrieval slides and asks, “What makes a text feel as though it is written for young people?” Students complete a quick think-pair-share, recalling audience, purpose, representation and language features from earlier lessons.

2. 5–13 min · Vocabulary and first reading. Teacher introduces the vocabulary audience, purpose, representation, aspirational, achievement, inclusive, emotive, colloquial, credibility on the vocabulary slides, briefly clarifying pronunciation and meaning. Students read the article independently or with a partner, annotating unfamiliar words and recording one first impression of Arisa’s representation.

3. 13–25 min · Teacher modelling. Teacher projects the article and models a close reading of the headline, opening paragraph and one selected passage, using the modelled analysis slides. Think aloud: identify the feature, quote or point to evidence, then explain how it positions or interests a youth audience; students add the model to the text analysis worksheet.

4. 25–40 min · Guided text analysis. Teacher places students in pairs and directs them to examine the article’s structure and highlighted passages in the text analysis worksheet, while keeping the analysis task slides visible for prompts. Students identify the purpose of each section, then find at least three youth-focused features, such as direct or inclusive language, informal wording, emotional language, achievement-focused details, quotations, relatable experiences or a strong visual connection.

5. 40–50 min · Evidence discussion. Teacher facilitates a class discussion using the questions on the discussion slides: “Which choice most strongly appeals to young readers?”, “What response does it invite?”, and “Does the article present Arisa as relatable, exceptional or both?” Students share one claim and evidence, then build on or respectfully challenge a peer’s interpretation.

6. 50–57 min · Independent written response. Teacher asks students to complete the final response on the evaluation response section: “Explain one way the article appeals specifically to a youth audience. Use a quotation or precise reference and explain its effect.” Students write one well-developed paragraph using the structure feature → evidence → effect on audience.

7. 57–60 min · Exit check and preview. Teacher displays the exit prompt on the plenary and exit slide. Students submit one sentence naming the most effective youth-focused feature and explaining why it works; teacher previews that the next lesson will compare this representation with another text.

Resources

• the complete lesson slide deck
• the text analysis worksheet
• Arisa Trew article, Text 2, one copy per student or pair
• Highlighted copies of key passages
• Projector or interactive display
• Highlighters or coloured pencils
• Anchor chart: audience, purpose, structure, language features and effect
• Exercise books or lined paper

Assessment

• Listen to pair discussions and check whether students distinguish between identifying a feature and explaining its effect.
• Review worksheet annotations for accurate structural analysis, relevant evidence and connections to a youth audience.
• Use the written paragraph and exit sentence to assess students’ ability to substantiate an interpretation with textual evidence.

Differentiation

• Provide an anchor chart with definitions, examples and the analysis sequence: name it, find it, explain its effect. Keep it visible throughout the lesson.
• Give students highlighted key passages and a dyslexia-friendly copy of the article with clear spacing, a sans-serif font, short reading sections and reduced visual clutter. Offer text-to-speech, teacher read-aloud or paired reading.
• Provide sentence starters: “The writer appeals to young readers by…”, “The phrase ‘…’ suggests…”, and “This may make the audience feel/think…”. Allow oral rehearsal before writing.
• Support students who need consolidation by assigning one passage and one language feature; extend confident students by comparing two features and judging which creates the strongest connection with youth audiences.