Teaching Sequence

10 minutes – Part A: Activating Prior Knowledge
15 minutes – Part B: Player Stories
60 minutes – Part C: Writing Persuasive Texts
5 minutes – Reflection

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

Part A: Activating Prior Knowledge

Step 1. Introduce AFLW by projecting the following clip:

Creating the AFL Women's League | Jan Cooper https://youtu.be/7Ja2NVpNc4U

Step 2. Invite students to explore what they know about the AFLW by completing the ‘Colour-Symbol-Image’ visible thinking routine in the space provided on the Student Worksheet. This routine asks students to identify and distil the essence of their ideas in non-verbal ways by using a colour, symbol, and image to represent their ideas.

Ask students to share their CSI with a partner, explaining why they chose to represent their understanding of the AFLW the way that they did. This will illustrate for student that there is a diverse range of views and levels of understanding of the topic within the class.

Step 3. Encourage students to share anything else they know about the AFLW in a quick class discussion. Once students have had a chance to share, further extend their understanding of AFLW by sharing this information:

The AFLW’s inaugural year was 2017. Before 2017, there was no professional Australian rules football league for women.
The women’s competition was planned to begin 2020, but was brought forward due to a high level of public interest.
The first AFLW season included teams from 8 AFL clubs: Adelaide Crows, Brisbane Lions, Carlton Blues, Collingwood Magpies, Fremantle Dockers, GWS Giants, Melbourne Demons and Western Bulldogs.
The inaugural season involved seven rounds of competition followed by a Grand Final.

Part B: Player Stories

Step 1. Explain to students that in the next part of the lesson, they will view some clips featuring marquee players from the AFLW’s inaugural season. Project the following video:

Katie Brennan | Player Stories https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8s14pXmTRw

Step 2. Encourage students to consider what the player’s journey to playing professionally in the AFLW competition may have been like by completing the 'Think-Feel-Do' chart on the Student Worksheet and identify a key quote that resonated with them.

Step 3. Extend students’ understanding of AFLW players’ experiences by viewing the clips below and repeating the 'Think-Feel-Do' chart for each.

Kiara Bowers | Player Stories https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrgC40c7_7s

Moana Hope | Player Stories https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ihlfC6Dzg4

Step 4. Invite volunteers to share their observations in a class sharing session, and summarise this part of the lesson by reinforcing that each of the featured players persisted against the challenges and adversity they faced to reach their goal of becoming a professional women’s Australian rules football player.

Part C: Writing Persuasive Texts

Step 1. Refer to the lesson’s learning intentions and success criteria - you may have written them on the whiteboard for the lesson, or they can be projected for students to see using this display.

Recall for the class that they have explored the AFLW and some player stories. For the remainder of the lesson, they will focus on learning about and using persuasive language to persuade others to pursue their goals.

Step 2. Distribute a copy of the Persuasive Language handout to each student, and project a version for the class to view together. Read through each of the techniques listed, and encourage students to ask any clarifying questions.

Step 3. Refer students to Question 3 on the Student Worksheet and draw their attention to the writing task prompt:

“It won’t always be easy, but it will be worth it….” Using the stories of AFLW marquee players as inspiration, write a letter in which you persuade your reader to work hard to achieve their goals.

Explain that the letter could be to themselves, to someone they know, to a group of people or any other person. Emphasise that students should incorporate appropriate persuasive techniques into their letter and that they should consider which techniques they will use during the planning stage.

Step 4. Provide students with time to complete the writing plan on the Student Worksheet.

Support: Roam around the classroom, ensuring you speak with any student who may find this content challenging. Support students to complete their plan. This will help to ensure they are able to write independently in the next stage of the lesson.

Step 5. Invite students to form pairs and read their plan to their partner. They should then explain why they have chosen to use each technique with the associated argument. Invite partners to give feedback on whether the arguments and techniques complement each other, then swap roles and repeat. Allow some time for students to make any adjustments to their plans.

Step 6. Provide time for students to write their persuasive letter. Students may not complete the task during this session. If this is the case, they could complete it as a homework task.

Reflection

Provide students with time to respond to the following questions on the Student Worksheet:

What have I learnt today about what it takes to reach personal goals?
What have I learnt today about how to use persuasive techniques?

Differentiated Learning

Extension: Encourage confident writers to ensure that they use one or more persuasive technique from each of the four categories detailed in the Persuasive Language handout.

Provisions for Learning Support: Support students who feel challenged developing ideas to complete their plans so that their ideas are clear prior to writing.

Teacher Reflection

The Pursuit of a Dream - NAPLAN Style Persuasive Writing

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