Exploring Language Culture

Context and Curriculum Alignment

Subject: Languages (Russian)
Year Levels: 6–9
Duration: 120 minutes
Class size: 8 students
Setting: CLS Russian language program, one day per week, mixed language levels, using set textbooks aligned with Australian Curriculum Version 9 frameworks.

This lesson plan is carefully designed to align with the Australian Curriculum (v9) for Languages by focusing on communicative competence, intercultural understanding, grammatical skills, and interpretive and productive language skills appropriate for Year 6 to 9 learners. The lesson integrates personal and cultural contexts, literary biography, punctuation rules, reading comprehension and conversation about reading habits, and intercultural reflections. The lesson also incorporates movement breaks and low-pressure communicative speaking opportunities, catering for diverse learners and scaffolding fluency and confidence.

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Learning Intentions (WALT)

• We are learning to distinguish punctuation marks in simple and complex sentences in Russian and understand their grammatical role.
• We are learning to explore and discuss biographical texts and audiovisual sources to build vocabulary and cultural knowledge.
• We are learning to read and comprehend literary excerpts, answer questions to demonstrate understanding, and discuss personal reading habits using Russian language.
• We are learning to express personal preferences and cultural comparisons in Russian, practising fluency and spontaneous conversation.
• We are learning to develop intercultural awareness by connecting bilingual reading habits with cultural identity.

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Success Criteria

• I can identify and correctly use punctuation marks in simple and complex Russian sentences.
• I can summarise key information from a biographical text and video about Korney Chukovsky.
• I can answer comprehension questions orally and in writing about the assigned literary extract.
• I can confidently talk about my own reading habits and preferences in Russian using key vocabulary.
• I can reflect on the language and cultural influences in my reading and explain my bilingual/multilingual reading habits.

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Resources and Materials

• "Мой родной русский язык" textbook, pages 36–38, excerpt from Lydia Chukovskaya's "Памяти детства: мой отец - Корней Чуковский"
• YouTube video recording from 1960 "Чуковский в гостях у детей" (teacher-led viewing)
• Whiteboard/Smartboard with key vocabulary and grammar points
• Visual chart/poster paper for reading preferences (optional)
• Classroom space with access to ground floor recreation (billiards/table tennis)
• Dyslexia-friendly printed handouts of text with coloured overlays and clear spacing

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Differentiation Strategies

• Sentence starters and scaffolds displayed on the board to support lower proficiency students.
• Group discussion in pairs before whole-class sharing for less confident speakers.
• Use of multimedia (video) for multimodal learning preferences and to reinforce auditory comprehension.
• Reading text printed in dyslexia-friendly font with spacing and highlighting of key vocabulary for students with reading difficulty.
• Extension activities for advanced learners: writing a short book recommendation or a mini-biography about Chukovsky.
• Teacher-led moderation for comprehension and inclusive engagement in all activities.

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Introduction and Attendance (10 minutes)

Activity:

• Roll call taking attendance – quick warm greeting in Russian.
• Brief icebreaker: Students discuss their preferred breakfast items using simple Russian sentences, e.g., «Я люблю есть ... на завтрак».

WALT: We are practicing speaking in Russian and using everyday vocabulary.
Success criteria: Students answer with full sentences about their breakfast preferences.
Australian Curriculum Links: AC9LF6C04 (apply strategies to interpret and convey meaning; speaking) .

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2. Grammar Focus: Punctuation in Simple and Complex Sentences (20 minutes)

Activity:

• Teacher introduces common punctuation marks in Russian (comma, period, question mark, exclamation mark, colon, dash) focusing on usage in simple and complex sentences.
• Students review example sentences on the board and highlight punctuation marks.
• Short interactive exercise: students punctuate incomplete sentences from the textbook or teacher’s handout.
• Discussion about how punctuation affects meaning and sentence flow.

WALT: We are learning how to use punctuation correctly in Russian sentences.
Success criteria: Students identify and correctly use punctuation in written sentences.
Australian Curriculum Links: AC9LCH6C05 (create texts using sentence structures and textual conventions).

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3. Biographical Exploration of K.I. Chukovsky (15 minutes)

Activity:

• Teacher briefly introduces Korney Ivanovich Chukovsky’s life and legacy.
• Watch the historic black-and-white video recording "Чуковский в гостях у детей 1960" together.
• Follow-up group Q&A: students share what they noticed about Chukovsky's interaction with children, key vocabulary is highlighted.

WALT: We are learning to understand and discuss biographical and historical texts in Russian.
Success criteria: Students retell key points about Chukovsky using full sentences.
Australian Curriculum Links: AC9LCH8EC03 (locate and respond to information in multimodal texts) .

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3a. Movement Break (10 minutes)

Activity:

• Students descend to the ground floor to play billiards or table tennis under teacher supervision.
• Encourages kinesthetic engagement and social interaction, promoting focus for the next tasks.

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4. Reading Literary Text (20 minutes)

Activity:

• Students read aloud (or in pairs) the excerpt from "Мой родной русский язык" pages 36–38: Lydia Chukovskaya’s "Памяти детства: мой отец - Корней Чуковский".
• Teacher supports fluency, clarifies vocabulary, and monitors pronunciation.
• Dyslexia-friendly printout available for those who benefit.

WALT: We are improving reading fluency and understanding literary texts in Russian.
Success criteria: Students read with appropriate pronunciation and expression.
Australian Curriculum Links: AC9LCH8EC03 (reading and responding to texts) .

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5. Text Comprehension and Discussion (20 minutes)

Activity:

• Whole-class answers to comprehension questions from textbook and teacher-created prompts about the reading excerpt.
• Discuss characters, main ideas, and personal reflections on the text.
• Students encouraged to answer in full sentences, some may record short oral responses or write brief answers.

WALT: We are learning to answer questions about a text and express our understanding in Russian.
Success criteria: Students provide accurate and relevant oral or written answers.
Australian Curriculum Links: AC9LG8C03 (interpret, respond appropriately to texts) .

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6. Working Experience Week 1: Discussing Reading Habits (20 minutes)

Activity:

• Teacher leads a guided group discussion in Russian on the topic of reading habits using prepared prompts:
  • «Что ты недавно прочитал(а)?»
  • «Какие жанры тебе нравятся?»
  • «Есть ли у тебя любимая книга или любимый автор?»
  • «Есть ли у вас дома библиотека?» and others.
• New vocabulary (жанр, автор, библиотека, читатель) written on board for reference.
• Students practice asking and answering questions, supported with sentence starters.
• Optional extension: students write short recommendations or prepare to share their favourite books next session.
• Intercultural reflection: Discuss bilingual/multilingual reading habits («Ты читаешь книги только на русском или ещё на другом языке?»).

WALT: We are learning to discuss our reading experiences and preferences in Russian using thematic vocabulary.
Success criteria: Students participate actively, using thematic vocabulary and asking questions.
Australian Curriculum Links: AC9LCH6C05 (create spoken texts for specific purposes with appropriate vocabulary).

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7. Reflection and Homework Explanation (5 minutes)

Activity:

• Reflect on what was learned today via open questions: «Что нового вы узнали? Какие слова вам понравились?»
• Teacher explains homework: write a short recommendation in Russian for a favourite book or author, using prompts provided.
• Encourage use of punctuation and new vocabulary.

WALT: We are consolidating learning through reflection and preparing for independent tasks.
Success criteria: Students understand and note homework objectives.

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Extension Activities

• Create a visual chart or poster of the class reading preferences to be displayed in the classroom.
• Advanced students write a brief biography of Korney Chukovsky using researched facts.
• Digital project: Compile a digital “Top 5 favourite Russian authors” slideshow integrating students’ input and brief book descriptions.

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Differentiation & Inclusion Notes

• Provide audio versions of reading text for students with reading difficulties.
• Allow extra think time and outline sentence frames on the board.
• Use paired work and peer support for less confident speakers.
• Encourage a variety of expression modes: oral, written, visual.
• Scaffold comprehension with picture clues and summaries for complex texts.

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Australian Curriculum References Summary

• AC9LCH6C05: Creating spoken and written texts using a range of sentence structures and textual conventions including punctuation.
• AC9LCH8EC03: Interpreting and responding to multimodal biographical texts and historical videos.
• AC9LG8C03: Responding to and producing comprehension answers in spoken and written form about literary texts.
• AC9LCH6C05: Engaging in conversations on familiar topics with thematic vocabulary and expressing opinions.

This lesson plan thoughtfully integrates these capabilities into a coherent 120-minute session that meets linguistic, cultural, and developmental needs of Year 6–9 Australian students learning Russian at CLS.

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If you would like, I can also provide a complete formatted lesson plan document with activity instructions, assessment rubrics, and resource templates suitable for printing or digital use.