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An inflatable rubber suit

Stage 3
English: Year 5 and Year 6

An inflatable rubber suit

Students will think imaginatively, creatively, interpretively and critically about information and ideas and identify connections between texts when responding to and composing texts.
Stimulus #1: 
Family photograph: V.P. Taylor in Inflatable Rubber Suit, floating on San Francisco Bay, 29 September, (1926).

Text Type

  • Informative: Students write a set of instructions for the use of an amazing inflatable suit.

Background notes for teachers

This black and white family photograph of V.P. Taylor in Inflatable Rubber Suit depicts Vincent Patrick Taylor floating on San Francisco Bay in the USA in 1926. The nephew of George Augustine Taylor, who was one of Australia’s first aviators, Vincent Patrick was a balloonist and a stunt man.

The photograph is part of a large collection of family photographs (1884 – 1968) donated to the State Library of New South Wales by his uncle George Augustus Taylor who was an aeronaut, artist and bookseller. An aeronaut travels in hot air balloons and other flying vehicles. An aviator is a person who flies aeroplanes.

Student Activities

Instruction writing

Students write a set of instructions for use of the inflatable rubber suit.

Number of set tasks: 1

Activity notes for teachers

Activity 2

Informative Text

Instructions:

  • are factual statements that give an action to perform or do - such as a recipe for a cake
  • often explain how to use or assemble a product

Instructions are structured in the following way:

  • Usually in small increments or steps
  • Organised into manageable tasks that have a clear order
  • Steps are ordered first, second, third and so on

Instructions have the following features:

  • Begin with an action verb. The reader must DO something after each instruction.
  • Are written in short and simple sentences  
  • Use common vocabulary the reader will understand. Technical terms or jargon are explained in a simple way.
  • Are written in present tense, using an active positive voice
  • Are precise and include small incremental steps
  • Address the reader using ‘you’ or ‘your’ e.g. “Your next step is to…”
  • ​Often include diagrams or pictures to assist the reader

An easy way to put instructions in order is to write out each step on a slip of paper. Move them around until they are in the best order. Then number them sequentially and remove unnecessary words.

NSW Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum: English K-10

A student:

  • composes, edits and presents well-structured and coherent texts EN3-2A
  • uses an integrated range of skills, strategies and knowledge to read, view and comprehend a wide range of texts in different media and technologies EN3-3A
  • uses knowledge of sentence structure, grammar, punctuation and vocabulary to respond to and compose clear and cohesive texts in different media and technologies EN3-6B
  • thinks imaginatively, creatively, interpretively and critically about information and ideas and identifies connections between texts when responding to and composing texts EN3-7C

Students:

EN3-2A

Engage personally with texts

  • understand and appreciate the way texts are shaped through exploring a range of language forms and features and ideas
  • experiment and use aspects of composing that enhance learning and enjoyment

Develop and apply contextual knowledge

  • explore and analyse the effectiveness of informative and persuasive devices in texts
  • Understand and apply knowledge of language forms and features
  • plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts, choosing and experimenting with text structures, language features, images and digital resources appropriate to purpose and audience

 

EN3-3A

Develop and apply contextual knowledge

  • understand how texts vary in purpose, structure and topic as well as the degree of formality

Understand and apply knowledge of language forms and features

  • understand that the starting point of a sentence gives prominence to the message in the text and allows for prediction of how the text will unfold

 

EN3-6B

Develop and apply contextual knowledge

  • understand that language is structured to create meaning according to audience, purpose and context
  • understand that choices in grammar, punctuation and vocabulary contribute to the effectiveness of texts

Understand and apply knowledge of vocabulary

  • understand the use of vocabulary to express greater precision of meaning, and know that words can have different meanings in different contexts

Respond to and compose texts

  • select appropriate language for a purpose, eg descriptive, persuasive, technical, evaluative, emotive and colloquial, when composing texts
  • experiment with different types of sentences, eg short sentences to build tension and complex sentences to add detail

 

EN3-7C

Engage personally with texts

  • recognise and explain creative language features in imaginative, informative and persuasive texts that contribute to engagement and meaning

Understand and apply knowledge of language forms and features

  • understand how authors often innovate on text structures and play with language features to achieve particular aesthetic, humorous and persuasive purposes and effects 

In each year of Stage 3 students must study examples of:

  • visual texts
  • media, multimedia and digital texts

Across the stage, the selection must give student experience of:

  • a wide range of factual texts that present information, issues and ideas
  • an appropriate range of digital texts, including film, media and multimedia

Learning across the curriculum

General Capabilities:

  • creative and critical thinking
  • literacy