Key Passage Analysis

Overview

In this lesson (Lesson 10 of 23), students complete a close reading of a key passage from Deadly Unna to analyse how language shapes tone and meaning. Building on prior lessons about cultural identity and literary devices, students will use group annotation to prepare for a short analytical paragraph.

Learning intentions

WALT: Students will analyse a key passage from Deadly Unna by examining how language features and imagery create tone and meaning, and how themes and character perspectives reflect cultural identity.

Success criteria

Students will be able to:

• annotate the passage for tone (e.g. active/passive voice, sentence patterns) and meaning (e.g. imagery)
• identify theme and describe how it is developed through character actions, thoughts, and dialogue
• explain how specific language choices influence the reader’s understanding
• collaborate respectfully in a group to record evidence and interpretation

Curriculum links

• Students analyse how language features such as sentence patterns create tone, and how literary devices such as imagery create meaning and effect.
• Students explain how ideas and points of view represent values of individuals and groups shaped by historical, social and cultural contexts (including First Nations Australian perspectives).
• Students share opinions about the language features and literary devices that contribute to the style of literary texts.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Activate & set purpose. Teacher displays the lesson focus and a short guiding prompt (theme + tone) and reminds students what “evidence + explanation” looks like. Students quickly turn-and-talk: “What do you notice about tone in this excerpt—what makes you think that?”

2. 5–10 min · Model close reading. Teacher reads the passage aloud (using expressive pacing) and does a think-aloud annotation for two examples: one that influences tone (sentence pattern/voice) and one that uses imagery. Students follow with highlighters and copy the teacher’s model into their own annotation plan (e.g. quote → effect → inference).

3. 10–25 min · Group annotation. Teacher divides students into groups of 3–4 and assigns roles (reader, evidence finder, analyser, recorder). Students annotate the remaining passage in their groups, targeting:

• tone: how sentence patterns/voice and word choices shift the mood
• meaning: what imagery suggests about themes and belonging Teacher circulates, pausing groups to ask for evidence (“Point to the exact words that show that.”).

4. 25–33 min · Evidence sharing (gallery or whole-class). Teacher draws a class chart: “Language choice → Effect on tone/meaning → Theme/character insight.” Students volunteer one annotation each, while others add or challenge using the evidence rule.

5. 33–40 min · Analytical paragraph planning (PETER-ready). Teacher introduces (or revises quickly) the paragraph structure steps for advanced work: P (Point), E (Evidence), T (Technique/meaning), E (Explanation). Students complete a planning frame for a paragraph based on one strong idea from the passage.

6. 40–45 min · Exit ticket (quick check). Students answer: “Choose one language feature and explain how it creates tone and supports a theme.” Teacher collects for formative assessment.

Resources

• Printed Deadly Unna excerpt (key passage) with page/line references
• Annotation sheet with two columns: “Evidence” and “Effect on tone/meaning”
• Highlighters (2 colours) or sticky notes for marking tone vs imagery
• Group role cards (reader/evidence/analyser/recorder)
• Class chart paper/whiteboard for “Language choice → Effect”
• Timer for group work pacing
• Dyslexia-friendly option: audio recording of the excerpt and/or typed, line-numbered text in a sans-serif font
• Sentence starters and guiding question slips (provided by teacher)

Assessment

• Teacher observes group annotation quality: are students selecting specific evidence and linking it to meaning?
• During sharing, teacher checks accuracy of claims about tone (what language creates it) and theme (how the passage develops it).
• Exit ticket checks each student can explain one language choice’s effect on tone and theme in 2–3 sentences.

Differentiation

• Support: Provide guiding questions on a card, such as:
• “What feeling or attitude does the writer create here? Which words help you?”
• “What picture does the imagery create in your mind, and how does it connect to identity?”
• “How does the character’s point of view change through the passage?”
• Support: Give sentence starters for explanations (e.g. “The author uses ___ to create a tone of ___ because…”).
• Dyslexia-friendly options: Offer audio playback during independent reading; provide the text in a larger font with line numbers; allow tracking with a finger or reading ruler; permit speech-to-text for planning notes.
• Extension (advanced learners, if students are ready within the time): Write a full analytical paragraph using PETER structure using one language feature and one imagery example, including a concluding sentence that links theme to character/cultural identity.

Extension

• Students write an analytical paragraph using PETER based on their strongest group idea, aiming for a clear point, precise evidence, discussion of technique, and explanation of how meaning is shaped.