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Welcome to
Through Australian eyes: a rap
HSC English ESL course text
A rap uses email to circulate discussion points, known as rap points, about a topic or text, such as a documentary series in this case. It can stimulate classroom activities and provide opportunities for students to share responses and ideas with other schools. The Through Australian eyes rap will run over the next five weeks and will consider several key points about the series.
As Through Australian eyes is a prescribed text for the new HSC English ESL course Area of study: Perspective, the rap points and support material, including activities for students, will complement class study. The rap addresses relevant syllabus outcomes and includes activities for students. It could be used as a teaching resource while the class is studying the text, or as a revision tool. The rap provides an excellent model for approaching a set text, and a framework for exploring how perspective is shaped through texts.
| The timeline and focuses for this rap are |
| Rap live for subscribing |
Through Australian eyes site live Schools can register their participation from this date |
| Introductory activities |
Schools introduce themselves. Registration continues |
| Rap point 1 |
Focus on the main character |
| Rap point 2 |
Focus on the responder |
| Rap point 3 |
Focus on the composer |
| Concluding activities |
Rap wrap up: final week of sharing responses |
Coordinator
Judy Menzies, English teacher, Cabramatta High School, will guide us through the rap, posting the rap questions and focus for each week. Judy will also provide professional encouragement for this book rap on the Teacher support listserv, where teachers will be able to ask questions about and discuss professional issues related to the rap and how they are managing it with their classes. An ESL education officer from Multicultural Programs Unit will also be available on the teacher discussion listserv.
From 28 May 2002, you may participate in the Through Australian eyes rap by entering your email in the boxes below and clicking the 'Submit' buttons.
Teacher email will not be archived.
You will receive confirmation emails for your Class group and the Teacher support listserv. Simply follow the instructions these contain when posting messages.
Archives of the class email discussion
This rap is a joint project of the Library and Information Literacy and English Units, Professional Support and Curriculum Directorate, and the Multicultural Programs Unit, Student Services and Equity Programs.
Continue to scroll down this page to view the support materials provided.
Through Australian eyes rap: support materials
Click on the hypertext (underlined) links to view the material
About this rap
Rap points (Discussion points which guide the rap)
Introductory activities
Approach to Area of Study: Perspective
Overview (Perspective and considerations for each Rap point)
Suggested class activities (Suggested class activities for Rap points, linked to syllabus outcomes)
Concluding activities
Implementing a rap (Rap FAQs and About rap email)
Email - Instruction sheet for students
Rap lingo
Rap maps
About this rap
The rap point questions act as discussion points to guide the rap. The questions for the week are posted to the rap at the beginning of that week by the rap coordinator. Class groups post their answers and can respond via the rap to other schools’ replies during the relevant week for that rap point.
This rap is structured around the following three key elements: main character, responder, and composer. Each element will be the focus of questions for each of the three rap points:
- Rap point 1: Main character
- Rap point 2: Responder
- Rap point 3: Composer.
The rap questions are generic and suitable for any one of the six episodes in the series. The approach taken is to build student understanding, skills and confidence in developing responses about one episode in the series, before requiring synthesis of material across three episodes, as prescribed.
The rap points require students to focus on and respond to one episode in the series.
Rap points
These discussion questions guide the book rap. The question for the week is posted to the rap at the beginning of that week by the coordinator. Class groups post their answers and can respond via the rap to other schools' replies during the relevant week. The rap points for this rap are as follows. For related class activities see the Teacher support material.
Rap point 1: Focus on the main character (week beginning 11 June 2002)
1 (a) What is the girl's perspective before undertaking the trip?
1 (b) What factors in her life contribute to this perspective?
1 (c) What is the girl's perspective on returning to Australia? What has changed?
1 (d) On her journey the main character meets many people who show her different ways of looking at life and family. How does this new knowledge of different lifestyles and attitudes influence her view:
- on the life she leads in Australia?
- on herself?
1 (e) How is the girl's perspective shown through the structure, images and language features of the documentary? How is personal perspective shown?
Rap point 2: Focus on the responder (week beginning 17 June 2002)
2 (a) How do you initially respond to the main character? In what ways does your view change by the end of the episode?
2 (b) What factors in your own life influence your response? Is the episode (and the series) relevant for audiences today, given it was produced in 1983?
2 (c) How does the documentary engage the responder?
Rap point 3: Focus on the composer (week beginning 24 June 2002)
3 (a) What themes are explored?
3 (b) Why is the series called Through Australian eyes? Who is the intended audience of the series? Why was this series produced for and first shown on SBS television?
3 (c) How has the composer shaped the text to present perspective?
Rap lingo
| Rap |
An online discussion about a topic or text |
| Rappers |
The people involved in the rap |
| Rap map |
A map marking other rappers' locations |
| Rap point |
A question focusing the discussion |
| Rap record |
Print out of messages responded to |
| Rap reflections |
Sheets for rappers to reflect on their experiences and skills |
| Rap rep |
The person typing the responses |
| Rap reporters |
The people relaying rap news to others |
| Rap rules |
Guidelines of a rap discussion |
| Rap wrap up |
Final message about a rap |
Rap maps
Find examples of maps and tally sheets. Students may use these to identify and locate schools participating in the rap. Use these or create your own based on ideas from these examples.
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Scroll down this page to join the rap, and view the dates and support materials provided. |
