

Year 8 English
Overview
Level 8 English takes you on a hero’s journey. You will be challenged and supported in your learning with rich interactive content and different ways to succeed.
Explore parallel worlds from science fiction and fantasy, and look at familiar worlds in new ways. Meet characters from fiction and history, alien planets, and closer to home.
What do you do?
In English, you will:
- Talk and write about favourite texts like shows and movies, online video, games, and books.
- Share ideas and complete work in online classes.
- Improve your skills in class workshops.
- Look at both sides of a controversial issue.
- Study a film, novels, and internet texts.
- Make your own text game.
What skills do you develop?
For Reading/Viewing, you will:
- engage with interactives and videos
- explain and summarise
- develop your understanding of issues
- analyse stories and themes
- use critical eyes and ears to pick up on the choices authors make
In Writing you will:
- mix images and words for effect (make memes)
- express yourself through fictional, argumentative and informative texts
- make a short video about you or something you like
- make a choose your own adventure game
For Speaking and Listening, you can:
- debate the big issues: cake vs pie, cats vs dogs
- voice-over a game recording, make a presentation, or record a short audio play
- persuade others using rhetoric, logic and emotional appeals
- ask questions and talk about ideas in class
You will also look at ethical capabilities in English. For this you will:
- discuss complex issues, where right and wrong is not always clear
- consider and try to resolve different values and interests.
Requirements
Required resources:
- Crow Country, Kate Constable
- Chocky, John Wyndham
- A Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula Le Guin
- Hunt for the Wilderpeople, film directed by Taika Waititi
Internet is needed to access this course and attend online lessons.
Things you can do now
You can watch Hunt for the Wilderpeople in the online course in Semester Two. You can get a copy and watch it earlier if you like.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople, (film, 2016), director Taika Waititi
Go to the VCAA English Level 8 section for more information about this subject.
Things to have a look at
What makes a hero?