Template: English: Level __ Long Term Literacy Experiences Overview - Term 1 2 3 4 (circle)
KEY COMPETENCES
ACHIEVEMENT OBJECTIVES
Listening-Reading- Viewing
Processes and strategies
These skills and knowledge
underpin the strands outlined
below
Speaking- Writing-
Presenting
Processes and strategies
These skills and knowledge
underpin the strands outlined
below
Purpose – Ideas – Language Features - Structure
Students will:
Integrate sources of information,
processes, and strategies with
developing confidence to identify,
form, and express ideas
Students will:
Integrate sources of information,
processes, and strategies with
developing confidence to identify,
form, and express ideas
VALUES
INDICATORS
(highlight Key
(highlight Values that you
(highlight indicators you will cover) Competencies that you will
will cover)
cover)
selects and reads texts for enjoyment and personal Excellence, by aiming high
fulfilment
Thinking and by persevering in the face
of difficulties
recognises and understands the connections between
oral, written, and visual language Using language,
Innovation, inquiry, and
integrates sources of information and prior knowledge
symbols, and texts curiosity, by thinking
with developing confidence to make sense of critically, creatively, and
increasingly varied and complex texts reflectively
Managing self
Selects and uses a range of processing and
comprehension strategies with growing understanding Relating to others  Diversity, as found in our
and confidence different cultures, languages,
and heritages
thinks critically about texts with developing confidence Participating and 
contributing  Equity, through fairness and
monitors, self-evaluate, and describe progress with social justice
growing confidence 
Uses a developing understanding of the connections
between oral, written, and visual language when  Community and
participation for the
creating text
common good
creates a range of texts by integrating sources of 
information, and processing strategies with developing  Ecological sustainability,
confidence
which includes care for the
environment
seeks feedback and makes changes to texts to improve 
clarity, meaning and effect
 Integrity, which involves
being honest, responsible,
is reflective about the production of own texts monitors
and accountable and acting
and self-evaluate progress, articulating learning with
growing confidence
ethically and to respect
themselves, others, and
human rights
My theme/Current Event: Climate Change/Climate Strikes. How is climate change affecting the world and what can we do to help?

Purpose for theme/current event: Climate change has become an increasingly popular and controversial topic not just in New Zealand but around the world. It is a concept that is now not
only an environmental issue but also a political, economic, social and educational issue. Students around the world have held protests and participated in strikes in response to the inaction
leaders are taking about the climate crisis. The topic of climate change and climate strikes is a topic that students are having discussions about more and more. Students are more interested in
knowing about how climate change is affecting the world, their lives and their futures, and they are also interested in learning about the steps they can take in response to the climate crisis.
Therefore, the purpose of this theme/current event is the idea that it is such a prevalent topic in our young students lives, so through learning in this unit they can begin to understand more
through the various curriculum learning areas. Students will also have the opportunity to learn about the various actions they can take to reduce the impacts as much as possible.

Teacher knowledge building/ Teacher Research before the Novel Study

unit/Resources you might engage and provide learners to gain
conceptual understanding
(List below)
- A Kid’s Guide to Climate Change and Global Warming: How to
Take Action by Cathryn Berger Kaye
- https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/students-
climate-strike-march-spur-adults-climate-action - article
about climate strikes for teacher and students to engage
with.
- https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/report-
sums-climates-already-dramatic-impact-oceans-and-ice -
information about the impacts of ice and the ocean – an
article for both teacher and students to engage with.
What do I need to do to prepare/read/engage to ensure I know my
theme? List below.
- Engage with information regarding the climate strikes and
the effects of climate change.
- Read the novel, to ensure that I understand the themes, can
choose specific parts that will enhance students learning and
be able to engage fully in discussion with regard to the novel.
- Read over news articles/videos about climate change and
climate strikes
- Look into the facts about climate change.
Title: Breathe Author: Sarah Crossan Published: 2012
Summary: This novel describes a world devoid of trees, plants and air. To survive means submitting to the regime
which rules the Pod. Air consumption is carefully monitored to the point where people are scared to walk to anything
more than a very slow stroll. Dancing and running uses a lot of oxygen, so they are frowned upon. Adults have to work
very long hours just to pay for the oxygen they need to stay alive. However, only some people have to live like this in
the Pod, the poor people, known as Auxiliaries. If you are a Premium, then life is wonderful. Premiums are allowed to
use as much oxygen as they please. Premiums enjoy an exquisite life with fancy home and meaningful jobs. Any rebels
are thrown from the Pod to die. However, some of the rebels have managed to survive using oxygen tanks, but they
have also found a way to grow trees and plants. Three teenagers find themselves on a journey when they learn the
truth about life outside the Pod. These teenagers join the resistance to fight back against those that are trying to
control everyone.
Reading To: Every day for around 15 – 20 minutes.
Summarise how the novel specifically links to your theme/current event:
This novel links to the theme of climate change and climate strikes because the novel is set in a time following a
climate crisis where there is no trees or plants and the oceans have been destroyed with litter that they also no longer
provide any oxygen for the Earth. It showcases possible effects climate change can have on the world. It also links in
with climate strikes and standing up against something that is not right as the three teenagers and the resistance
group are also standing up against something that isn’t right and standing up for what they believe in.
Why did you select this novel? Critical response.
I selected this novel as it really appealed to me and it relates to some extent to the theme of climate change and
climate strikes. The novel follows these young characters through their lives during a time where there is no oxygen
due to deforestation and human actions. The way the author writes from the viewpoint of these young characters, I
feel that students will be able to relate on all if not some level with the characters as they are also going through other
 - Test the science experiment to ensure that it will work
effectively when students engage with it.
Key Learning
What learning? What level of critical
thinking?
(use NZC/LLP)
Intended Learning:
Listening, Reading, and
Viewing
Show a developing
understanding of ideas within,
across, and beyond texts.
- Makes meaning of
increasingly complex
texts by identifying
and understanding
main and subsidiary
ideas and the links
between them.
- Makes connections by
thinking about
underlying ideas within
issues in their lives but they are determined and willing to stand up for what they believe in. The novel has strong
themes of community and participation, ecological sustainability and integrity. I believe that students in year 7 and 8
classes will be able to strongly relate to the story and learn about different aspects that relate to climate change and
climate strikes.
Designing Literacy Resources
Experiences/Activities/Tasks – What do the students do? What resources will you find/refine/adapt/create/co-create that will support the learning
Brief explanation of the task below. Give the task a name; explain in brief what the
student/s have to do; think about how you will assess this; think about the skills, knowledge
and strategy required to engage in the task itself
Task detail: What students will do. Key literacy resources required
- Reading the novel (Literacy) Reading the Novel
Everyday read “Breathe” by Sarah Crossan for 15 – 20 minutes. - Breathe by Sarah Crossan
Students will read for another 15 – 20 minutes as homework each
day. During reading time, students are to write down any
vocabulary they do not understand in their vocabulary books.
Exploring climate change
Provide students with time to use a dictionary and other resources
https://archive.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/impacts/effects/ecosystems.html
to find out the meaning of these words. During group reading
lessons, allocate time for students to discuss these words and how
they help to make meaning from the novel.
Terrarium Mini Garden
- Exploring climate change effects on plants (Social Studies/Arts) https://climatekids.nasa.gov/mini-garden/
Students use a variety of resources (some provided by the teacher
– refer to resources list) to explore how climate change effects
trees and plants. Students are to record 10 facts in their ‘Topic’
book. Students buddy up in groups of 2 or 3 and share their 10
facts with each other.
 and between texts
from a range of - Terrarium Mini Garden Art (Arts/Technology)
contexts.
Speaking, Writing, and
Presenting
Show an increasing
understanding of how to shape
texts for different purposes and
audiences.
- constructs texts that
show an awareness of
purpose and audience
- Measuring Carbon Footprints (Maths)
through deliberate
choice of content,
language, and text
form.
- conveys and sustains
personal voice where
appropriate.
Select, develop, and
communicate ideas on a range
of topics.
- forms and
communicates ideas - Measuring Rainfall (Maths)
and information
clearly, drawing on a
range of sources.
- ideas show increasing
awareness of a range
Students create a mini garden in a clear glass container (vase,
cookie jar, etc.) using rocks (pebble size), activated charcoal (to
filter the water and help prevent the growth of fungi), potting soil
(sterilised) and small plants of different colours, shapes and
textures. Students can then use moss, decorative rocks and fun
décor (mini pine cones, shells, mini garden gnome or ceramic
animals).
Teacher to explain to students about how the terrarium has its
own mini climate (make links to climate change effects on plants)
(https://climatekids.nasa.gov/mini-garden/)
Using pages 17 – 18 of “A kids’ guide to climate change and global
warming: how to take action”, students are to read the
information and then complete the activities (using the website
link to calculate your carbon footprint). Once these activities have
been completed, students are to write a survey of questions they
can ask their peers to find out their carbon footprint. This
information is displayed in a graph drawn in their maths books.
This activity can be adapted for higher level students. They can
complete individually the “Ecological Footprints” activity from the
Figure It Out! series.
(https://nzmaths.co.nz/sites/default/files/EcologicalFootprints.pdf)
Students that finish the above activity can move onto this activity.
Students to use multiple different text types to learn about how
climate change effects precipitation. Encourage students to find
their own resources and to use a range of different types of texts
(videos, news articles, books, etc.)
Students complete the “Measuring Rainfall” activity. Higher level
students can complete the activity individually or in pairs. Lower
Measuring Carbon Footprints
https://www.freespirit.com/files/original/complete-guide-service-learning-
climate-change-1.pdf
http://myfootprint.org/en/your_carbon_footprint/
https://climatechangeconnection.org/wp-
content/uploads/2019/03/FootprintClimateChange2019.pdf
https://nzmaths.co.nz/sites/default/files/EcologicalFootprints.pdf
Measuring Rainfall
https://www.aamt.edu.au/Better-teaching/Classroom-resources/Maths-
Inside/Modelling-climate-changes
https://pmm.nasa.gov/resources/faq/how-does-climate-change-affect-
precipitation
Ice Cube Melting Experiment
https://eu-interact.org/app/uploads/2017/10/Demonstrating-Arctic-Climate-
Change_Rising-sea-levels.pdf
https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/report-sums-climates-
already-dramatic-impact-oceans-and-ice
Impacts and Actions
https://www.freespirit.com/files/original/complete-guide-service-learning-
climate-change-1.pdf
Climate Strikes
https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/students-climate-strike-
march-spur-adults-climate-action
of dimensions or level students complete the activity individually or in pairs, teacher
viewpoints. is available for support and scaffolding. If needed, the activity can
be simplified for the lower level students.

- Ice Cube Melting Experiment (Science/Literacy)

Students read the article about the impact on oceans and ice.
Students are to make notes about the article.
Using the Wicked Weather Watch Awesome Experiments, students
can complete the experiment. Students that may need some
scaffolding can complete this with the teacher. The students can
be organised into small groups to complete the experiment at
different intervals. Once the experiment is complete, the teacher
can work with groups to explore what they have learned from the
experiment and its relation to climate change.
Students are then to complete a writing activity to explain to
someone about how melting ice can affect the sea level using the
above article and they can find other resources that explore
climate change and melting ice.

- Impacts and Actions (Social Studies)

Students complete a KWL about the impacts of climate change and
the actions we can take to prevent the climate crisis.
Using “A kids’ guide to climate change and global warming: how to
take action” students can explore the various impacts of climate
change and the actions they can take to help prevent the climate
crisis. Students are able to use other texts available and use their
social inquiry skills to find out information from various sources.
Students write the information they find in their social studies
books.

- Climate Strikes (Social Studies)

Students research about the various climate change strikes that
have been happening over the world. Teacher can provide
students with some various resources students can use to find
 information. Students watch Greta Thunburg’s speech at the UN
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYxt0BeTrT8) and/or read
her speech
(https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1183377/Greta-
Thunberg-speech-full-read-climate-change-UN-speech-transcribed-
United-Nations). Following their research, students can record in
their ‘topic’ books, the parts of Greta’s speech that resonated with
them. They can work in small groups to come up with an action
plan on what they could do (small steps and big steps) to take
action against climate change.

- Differing Perspectives
Students are encouraged to research, using multiple literacies, the
differing perspectives on climate change.
Teacher Note: Most articles found on the internet are complex and
therefore there will need to be scaffolding and support from the
teacher to enable students to be able to understand these texts
effectively.

- Speech Writing (Literacy)

Students are to use the information they have learned about
climate change and all the different impacts, and the various
actions people can take to help with the climate crisis. The speech
is a persuasive speech to encourage others to join in with standing
up for the climate crisis. Students are to complete their speech
writing in allocated class time and for homework. Students are to
engage in peer-assessment during different stages of their speech
writing and uses the feedback/feedforward from peers to improve
their writing.

- Speech Presentations (Literacy)

 Over a few literacy sessions, students are to present their speech
to the class. Peer-assessment, self-assessment and teacher
feedback/feedforward will be engaged with.

Possible adaptations (know your learners)

How will you know the students know/can do the learning intended for the above activities/texts/tasks? Are there any adaptations that are required to ensure all learners in your class are
able to access your creative literacy designs? Provide a critical response below that considers how you might modify/adapt etc. your tasks.

For the student that has difficulty speaking fluently, I can provide them with more scaffolding in regards to their speech writing and encourage them to practice at home. I can organise various
times for the student to practice his speech in the class where he has the opportunity to record himself so he is able to listen back over his speech with the teacher to gain
feedback/feedforward. During his speech writing, he can be placed in a group with students that can speak fluently and have leadership skills to help him through the process.

The support and scaffolding that is provided for the student that has difficulty speaking fluently can also be provided to those students that are English as an Additional Language (EAL)
learners. These students can also be offered the opportunity to write their speech in their first language as a way to encourage them to get their ideas down about what they want to put into
their speech writing. This can then be translated into English, and the teacher as well as the students peers can support the students for the various aspects that make up New Zealand English
(sentence structure, vocabulary, grammatical structures, etc.).

During the learning experiences, teacher questioning and group discussions will be used as formative assessment. Through teacher-student conversations and teacher observations of
student’s understandings, the teacher will be able to recognise those that need extra support and will be able to provide this for them. The summative assessment will be based on the
student’s persuasive speech, as to whether they have included information from what they have learned through the various learning experiences and the way in which they use persuasive
language and structure to formulate their speech.

For the student that wears hearing aids, during class discussions and teacher-led activities, I will ensure that I wear the hearing transmitter that is connected to the students hearing aids.
During the speech presentations, the student that is presenting their speech can wear the transmitter so the student can effectively engage with peer-assessment.

Teacher scaffolding can be provided to those that need the extra learning support for the tasks that may seem daunting for them. The idea is, however, to encourage the students to give it a
go and engage with their peers. As stated in the learning experiences, the mathematics activities can be adapted so students that are working at a lower level can complete the task in pairs or
if they want they can complete it individually, provide the students with the option. For the students working at a higher level, they can also complete the “ecological footprint” activity from
the Figure It Out! series. This will provide them with more opportunities to learn and engage them in more critical thinking. This activity can be used for the early finishers. The science
experiment activity can be completed in small groups, I can also work closely with groups that may require scaffolding through the process.

Your rationale and justification

In addition to your plan, you will also provide a brief rationale. You will need to identify the key decisions that you made, and why you made them. To do this, you may draw on any readings from the course or other relevant readings. You
may also draw on the key policy documents from New Zealand (e.g. NZC, Literacy Learning Progressions). There is a word limit of 500 words (excluding references) for the rationale. Just share your thinking and provide references for these
ideas; do not write an essay. Please cite your sources and provide a reference list. The reference list will not count in the word count, however, you will not get credit for simply including references. Your references must link to citations and
you need to show how the reading has contributed to your thinking, and therefore your plan.

I have decided to engage the students with using multiple literacies to learn. They are encouraged to research and use information found from websites, articles, videos,
different types of books, etc. I have done this with the purpose of encouraging critical thinking, Hussain, Idris, Faiz, Ahmad and Minaz (2016) conclude that through the use of
multiple literacies, critical thinking and problem solving skills are emphasised. ‘Thinking’ is a key competency within the New Zealand Curriculum, and it about using creative,
critical, and metacognitive processes to make sense of information. Critical thinking is a large part of this key competency and these processes can be applied and developed
through developing understanding, making decisions, shaping actions, and constructing knowledge. Through these learning experiences, I am hoping to support students in
becoming critical and creative thinkers where they can use the knowledge they learn to reflect on their learning, and to ask questions and challenge various perspectives and
assumptions (MoE, 2007).

I have chosen the overarching theme of climate change and climate strikes as it is a theme that is very prominent in their lives and is something they have heard quite a lot
about. Each student has developed their own viewpoint on climate change and their own stance in regard to climate strikes. Through the learning experiences within this unit
plan, my aim is to provide students with various texts, information, and various viewpoints and perspectives to enable them to gather more information about the issue. With
this new found knowledge, students will have the opportunity to deepen their understanding and develop their viewpoints and perspectives more. I often find that students,
as well as adults, take a position on an issue without taking the time to look deeper into the issue. Therefore, through these learning experiences they can have more
information and data to back up their personal opinions. These processes will in turn develop the values of innovation, inquiry, and curiosity as set out in the New Zealand
Curriculum (MoE, 2007).

By the end of Year 8, students are expected to be able to confidently and deliberately choose the most appropriate strategies to use that suit their purposes for reading in
different learning areas. Students are expected to be able to respond to, and think critically about various texts and use comprehension strategies effectively that enable
them to make meaning from and understand complex and sophisticated themes. I believe that the key ideas and themes within my chosen novel are increasingly complex and
sophisticated. Students using their comprehension strategies such as, their prior knowledge, literal inferencing, increasing vocabulary, responding and resolving issues that
arise from competing information, gathering, evaluating and synthesising information across a range of texts, etc., they will then be able to make meaning and understanding
from the novel and the other texts they come across throughout this unit plan. They will also be able to make connections between the novel and the various texts they will
be using throughout this unit. At this level, when students create texts, they understand their purpose for writing and how to achieve those purposes, plan effectively, create
content that is concise and relevant to the set tasks, etc. Within this unit plan, students are to create a persuasive piece of writing about their viewpoint on climate change
and climate strikes. With the support from the teacher when or if needed, students are expected to use these strategies and skill to create their persuasive speech (MoE,
2010).

In regard to the learning experiences and the adaptions for those students that may need extra support, I have decided against setting different tasks for students that are
considered to be “low achieving” and those that are considered to be “high achieving”. I have decided that every student should be given the chance to try every aspect of the
learning experiences but the teacher will be there to support them when they need it. For those students that are considered “high achieving”, there are extra tasks that they
may complete if they finish early, but they are tasks that still relate to the learning intention and to the topic that they are learning about. Roth (2015) states that students
that finish early should not be given extra tasks that are just considered time fillers, these students should be provided with the added opportunity to reinforce and/or extend
on the concepts they are learning. Rubie-Davies (2015) also states that when teachers hold lower expectations for students that are perceived as low achieving students, they
will receive fewer opportunities to assimilate their ideas and fewer opportunities to articulate these. I have tried to develop a unit plan that has high expectations of all
students and not just those that are perceived as higher achieving, but I have noted that when there is needed support, the support can be provided by the teacher, but the
students are encouraged to give everything a go.

References

Hussain, S., Idris, M., Faiz, N., Ahmad, N., & Minaz, M. (2016). The role of multiple literacies in developing interdisciplinary research. Journal of Biological and Environmental
Sciences, 6(2s), 1-8. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/journal/1308-2019_Journal_of_Biological_and_Environmental_Sciences.

Ministry of Education. (2007). The New Zealand Curriculum for English-medium teaching and learning in years 1-13. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media Limited.

Ministry of Education. (2010). The literacy learning progressions: Meeting the reading and writing demands of the curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media
Limited.

Roth, J. T. (2015). Classroom management for successful instruction. Huntington Beach, CA: Shell Educational Publishing.

Rubie-Davies, C. (2015). Becoming a high expectation teacher: Raising the bar. New York, NY: Routledge.