The Delivery

story by Chris McTrustry , illustrated by Ana María Méndez Salgado

Learning Intention:

I am learning how to draw upon fiction elements in a model text so that I can experiment with news ways to communicate meaning from the text.

Success Criteria:

  • I can identify the key vocabulary and stylistic details in the text that reflect the author’s style.
  • I can describe the codes and conventions in a job advertisement.
  • I can adapt the stylistic features of the text to my composition of a job advertisement.

Essential Knowledge:

More information on the commonly understood arrangement of text types can be found in the English Textual Concepts video Code and Convention.

More information about how authors write with distinctive features can be found in the English Textual Concepts video Style.

Read the text as a class. Pause after the single word paragraph:

Success!

Ask students to comment on the style that this story is written in. They might observe that it is written like a fantasy story or fairytale and the main character seems like a knight in shining amour. Asks students to identify the details in the text that create this style. For example: the setting (a castle keep shrouded in morning mist), the characters (Orlando, a knight with a sword/dagger, and the beast), the vocabulary (cobblestones, swirling mists, vessel, quest).

Then read to the end of the story. Ask students what they notice about the second half. Students should observe that while the story is still written in the style of a fairytale, it has modern elements (Orlando is a delivery driver and must fetch low fat milk). Students may make the connection between Orlando and a modern-day Uber Eats or Door Dash driver.

Explain the task that students will pretend that they are the Lady of the Castle and write the job advertisement that Orlando answered to find himself in this predicament.

Discuss the purpose and features of a job advertisement. You may wish to show students some sample job advertisements from websites such as Seek. Students should understand that the purpose is to inform people about the role and required skills of a job. An advertisement should also persuade people to apply for the job. Ensure that students can identify structural features of a job advertisement, including:

  • An eye-catching heading (so that people will stop and read it)
  • A persuasive introduction (that explains why this is a great job and place to work)
  • A bullet point list of details (roles and responsibilities and personal characteristics)
  • Key information (salary, location, perks)
  • A positive photograph (that makes the job look rewarding and exciting)

Students should read the text again, closely and locate key vocabulary and details that they will put in their job advertisement. Provide a planning sheet where students brainstorm information under each of the above headings. For example, under the bullet point “persuasive introduction” students could include: castle keep surrounded by mist, physical activity, uniform (knight’s armour) provided.

Completed job advertisements could make up part of a class display.

Assessment as/of learning:

Persuasive Text Rubrics can be found on The School Magazine website. Students can use these rubrics as success criteria in the crafting of their imaginative writing via anchor charts. The rubrics can also be used to provide structure for peer or teacher assessment.