Australia · ACARA Content Descriptions
Year 5 English
This course develops advanced literacy skills through deep exploration of narrative craft, persuasive rhetoric, and multimodal storytelling. Students analyze how authors manipulate language to influence audiences and create their own sophisticated texts for diverse purposes.

01The Art of the Storyteller
Students examine the structural and linguistic choices authors make to build tension and develop complex characters in narrative fiction.
Analyzing how internal traits and external motivations are revealed through dialogue and action.
Exploring the use of sensory imagery and figurative language to establish mood and place.
Investigating how first and third person points of view change the reader's access to information.
Analyzing how authors build tension through rising action and resolve conflicts.
Identifying universal themes and messages conveyed through narrative elements.
Exploring metaphors, similes, and personification to enhance descriptive writing.
Analyzing how dialogue reveals character, advances plot, and sets tone.
Investigating how authors manipulate time through chronological order, flashbacks, and flashforwards.

02Persuasion and Power
A study of how rhetorical devices and emotional appeals are used to influence opinions in advertisements and speeches.
Identifying high modality words and rhetorical questions in persuasive texts.
Analyzing how layout, color, and framing are used in media to support a viewpoint.
Drafting logical sequences of ideas supported by evidence and emotive appeals.
Recognizing and evaluating explicit and implicit bias in various persuasive materials.
Deconstructing common advertising techniques (e.g., bandwagon, testimonial, glittering generalities).
Developing and delivering short persuasive speeches with clear arguments and rhetorical flair.
Learning to anticipate opposing viewpoints and formulate effective counterarguments.
Identifying when persuasive language is fair and honest versus when it uses tricky or misleading tactics.

03Information and Inquiry
Students learn to navigate complex informational texts, evaluating credibility and synthesizing facts from multiple sources.
Using headings, glossaries, and diagrams to extract information efficiently.
Distinguishing between fact and opinion and checking the bias of various sources.
Combining information from different texts to create a comprehensive report.
Practicing techniques for concisely summarizing main ideas and key details from non-fiction.
Developing effective research questions to guide inquiry and information gathering.
Implementing various note-taking methods (e.g., Cornell, mind mapping) for organizing information.
Identifying common organizational patterns in informational texts (e.g., cause/effect, compare/contrast, problem/solution).
Learning basic citation practices and understanding the importance of intellectual property.

04Poetry and Performance
An exploration of rhythm, rhyme, and sound patterns in poetry to express complex emotions and ideas.
Examining alliteration, onomatopoeia, and assonance in verse.
Deconstructing figurative language to find deeper symbolic significance.
Designing poems where the visual arrangement reflects the subject matter.
Examining how stanza breaks, line length, and rhyme schemes contribute to a poem's meaning and rhythm.
Identifying and interpreting the central themes and messages in various poems.
Developing skills in performing poetry, focusing on vocal delivery, pacing, and emotional expression.
Analyzing how poets use vivid imagery to appeal to the five senses and create mental pictures.
Exploring poetry that does not adhere to traditional rhyme or meter, focusing on its unique expressive qualities.
Investigating how poets use language to convey complex emotions and evoke empathy in readers.
Students will apply their understanding of poetic devices and structures to compose their own poems.
Learning to listen for main ideas and ask clarifying questions during discussions.
Focusing on volume, pace, and eye contact to engage a live audience.
Engaging in group problem solving while respecting diverse viewpoints.
Practicing how to clearly present a point of view and support it with reasons in a discussion.
Developing skills to lead and participate constructively in group discussions.
Practicing the art of oral storytelling, focusing on engaging an audience through voice and gesture.
Learning to adjust language, tone, and content for various speaking situations and audiences.
Designing and effectively integrating visual aids (e.g., slides, props) into oral presentations.
Practicing giving and receiving feedback on oral presentations and discussions in a supportive manner.
Developing skills to organize thoughts and speak coherently with minimal preparation.
Using subordinating conjunctions and relative clauses to expand ideas.
Mastering the use of commas for lists and clauses, and apostrophes for possession and contractions.
Using common prefixes (e.g., un-, re-) and suffixes (e.g., -ful, -less) to understand and build new words.
Ensuring subjects and verbs agree in number, especially with intervening phrases.