Sylphie's Squizzes: Scrumptious Seaweed

Note: This activity requires photocopies of the text, one per student pair, ensuring this material is used for educational purposes and not any other purpose and no more than this portion of the publication is copied, shared, or made available for purchase.

 

Learning Intention:

I am learning to experiment with language features and poetic techniques so that I can create a poem.

 

Success Criteria:

• I can describe how a text can fall into both fiction and non-fiction categories.
• I can experiment with literary devices such as figurative language.
• I can create a text drawing from elements of another text.

 

Essential knowledge:

More information about figurative language can be found in The School Magazine’s video on Connotation, Imagery and Symbol.

More information about text types and structure can be found in The School Magazine’s video on Code and Conventions and Genre.

A glossary of literary devices such as similes, metaphors, alliteration, rhyme and rhythm can be found on the NSW education department’s page English A-Z.

 

Oral language and communication:

Display a T-chart on the board with the headings “Fiction” and “Non-Fiction”. Ask students to think of different text types and which category they’d fall under. For example, an article would go under non-fiction, while a narrative would go under fiction. Encourage students to look around at classroom materials, posters, novels and textbooks to come up with ideas to contribute to the chart. Some examples include:

Fiction: Narrative, plays, poems, fairytales, picture books

Non-fiction: Articles, persuasive texts, classroom posters, maths textbooks, scientific methods, recounts, diary entries, travel books, atlases, advertisements

Students may notice an overlap, such as creative non-fiction or a scientific method of something fantastical, such as a witch’s brew. Discuss other ways text types might fall into both fiction and non-fiction categories.

 

Understanding text:

Read Scrumptious Seaweed as a class and ask the following questions:

- Is this text fiction or non-fiction? (fiction)
- What is the purpose of the text? (to persuade people of the benefits of seaweed)

- What are some examples of vocabulary or phrases used to persuade the reader?

(important, delicious, great news, benefits, Could there be a better crop out there? Great for your health, packed full of useful vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, make your stomach smile while your tastebuds tingle, complete package, tasty, good for the planet, good for you, a fabulous wig)

 

Creating text:

Tell students that in pairs they will be creating a non-fiction poem using words from the text. Explain that they will be cutting up words from their photocopies of the poem and arranging them in a different way, using literary devices such as metaphors, similes, rhyme and rhythm – encourage them to find rhyming words in the text before beginning. Refer to the persuasive vocabulary identified previously as good key words. The subheadings would also be useful. Note: Students should draft the poem in their books before cutting.

 

An example poem with emphasis on rhyme, rhythm and alliteration:

Tasty treats

nori sheets

appears in soups and salads

Packed with minerals

tastebuds tingle

great news for the planet.

 

An example poem with emphasis on simile and metaphor:

Delicious as dessert,

Make your stomach smile, tastebuds tingle

Crop for planet’s population

Important ingredient for the world

 

Assessment for/as learning:

In small groups, student pairs read their poem aloud. Peers can give feedback in the form of two stars and a wish.