Year 9

We’re living in a time when we have unprecedented access to technology. We communicate, create and consume our own media at an unprecedented rate. Year Nine English is an opportunity to develop your literacy skills by reading and writing regularly. The activities below are an opportunity for you to develop these skills. After all, you don’t want people like David Webb judging you because you wilfully ignore the rules of spelling, punctuation and grammar. And you certainly don’t want to end up like this guy.

Wide Reading

This year, you are expected to read for minimum of forty minutes every weeknight as part of…

Journal Writing

Writing regularly is one of the best ways for you to improve your literacy skills. The key to…

Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation

Here’s some advice to keep in mind when you’re writing. Keep them in mind and they’ll eventually…

Letter of Introduction

Writing a letter is a great way to get to know your teacher. And, it’s a great…

Book Review

Present a three minute review of a book you’ve read this year to the class. Your discussion…

Tales of Terror

THE LANDLADY Read the short story The Landlady by Roald Dahl. 1. What is the fate of the Billy? 2….

Animal Farm

George Orwell was a journalist and novelist whose works, including 1984 and Animal Farm, has a massive influence on politics and popular culture. Although Animal Farm is based on the events of the Russian Revolution in 1917, it is a timeless cautionary tale about how power can be abused. These activities and chapter summaries are designed to help students studying the novel for the first time.

Animal Farm and the Russian Revolution

Animal Farm is based on the Russian Revolution and what subsequently happened in the USSR. As such,…

Animal Farm Newspaper

Create a newspaper that could be published by the pigs on Animal Farm. Your newspaper should mimic the…

Chapter I

In the opening chapter of the novel establishes the character of Farmer Jones, an incompetent farmer and…

Writing Tasks

Animal Farm Newspaper

Create a newspaper that could be published by the pigs on Animal Farm. Your newspaper should mimic the…

Essay Writing

When you’re writing an essay on a novel or film, you’ll be given an essay topic or…

Write a Fable

Select one of the moral messages from the list below: • A false tale often betrays itself. • A…

Science Fiction

A bunch of activities to introduce you to the exciting world of science fiction!

Douglas Adams

Douglas Adams was an acclaimed science-fiction author whose work includes The Hitchhicker’s Guide to the Galaxy,Last Chance to…

The Hunger Games Resources

If you’re teaching Gary Ross’ The Hunger Games for the first time, feel free to use and…

Radio Dramas

The art of radio dramas has all but died out. Even son, the internet is a great…

The Hunger Games

Here are some activities for Gary Ross' film The Hunger Games. If you're a teacher, feel free to use and modify The Hunger Games PowerPoint presentation as the basis for your teaching.

The Hunger Games Resources

If you’re teaching Gary Ross’ The Hunger Games for the first time, feel free to use and…

The Hunger Games Characters

When thinking about The Hunger Games, it is important to consider which characters we are encouraged to…

The Hunger Games Essay Writing

When you’re writing an essay on a novel or film, you’ll be given an essay topic or…

Narrative Writing

Descriptive Writing

Writing descriptively is one way that you can make your stories more interesting. This page details a…

Show, don’t tell

Teachers will often tell you to show rather than tell when you’re writing. It’s a good rule…

Writing Dialogue

Dialogue is a great way to make your stories more interesting but you need to make sure…

The Whole Business with Kiffo and the Pitbull

The Whole Business with Kiffo and the Pitbull is a novel by Barry Jonsberg about a troublesome teenager called Kiffo who takes delight in tormenting his teachers. When Miss Payne, aka The Pitbull, turns up, it seems that Kiffo might have met his match. Told from the perspective of Kiffo's best mate, Calma Harrison, The Whole Business with Kiffo and the Pitbull is an entertaining novel about friendship and fairness.