Understanding genre and text type
Many descriptors in the Australian Curricu-
Genres
Text Types
Horror
Short Stories
Science Fiction
Poetry
Fantasy
Speeches
Fairytales
Multimodal texts
Teen Drama/Comedy
Advertising
Tragedy
Film, book, travel
reviews
Hero
Blogs
Detective/Mystery
Picture books
Satire
Instructional
lum are about students developing a particular understanding of the conventions
and techniques authors or directors are using in a text and being able to either analyse or explain these or use these same
conventions and techniques themselves.
For example, at level 8 there are these two
descriptors (versions of these are contained in levels 7, 9 and 10):
• Create literary texts that draw upon text
structures and language features of other
texts for particular purposes and effects.
(ACELT1632)
In other words, students need to know
why texts use certain conventions and create their own texts that use the conven-
• Experiment with particular language features drawn from different types of texts,
tions of a genre or text type to achieve a
including combinations of language and
types that we might typically study in this
visual choices to create new texts.
unit.
(ACELT1768)
• Explore and explain the ways authors
combine different modes and media in
creating texts, and the impact of these
choices on the viewer/listener. (ACELY1735)
purpose. Above is a list of genres and text
There are a range of different focuses we
could have in an understanding genre and
text type unit:
1) Focus on a particular genre: For example, we could focus on a particular
genre (such as horror) and look at the
conventions of this genre in films (for ex-
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understanding of the conventions of
Text type
Conventions/
attributes
unique to each
text type
Conventions/
attributes text
types have in
common
Film
Short film
the genre. They can do this:
•Analytically: Students explain the conventions of a genre by identifying and
analysing the purpose of the genre features present in a film, short film or
story, or by analysing a particular scene
from a film, by comparing two films, or
by comparing an historical or modern
Short Story
ample Monster House if we’re doing horror), short films (for example Bump if
example of a film in that genre.
• Creatively: Students use the conventions
of the genre in their own creative effort.
we’re doing horror) and short stories (for
They could create the synopsis for a film,
example The Lottery if we’re doing hor-
write a scene for a film, write a short
ror).
story or the opening of a short story. Al-
During the unit we could get students to
compare and contrast conventions in
these different text types for the genre by
recording examples in a grid such as the
one on the left.
ternatively, students could show their understanding of the conventions of the
genre by producing a satirical creative
piece. For example in a unit at Year 9
which focuses on teen film, students
might use the summary of teen film con-
As the unit progresses students can also
ventions on the next page to create
reflect on the purposes of this genre or the
spoof teen film plots. Importantly, stu-
purposes of techniques within the genre.
dents should write an accompanying
On the next page is an example of an activ-
commentary for any creative piece ex-
ity in which students reflect on the pur-
plaining how the piece uses genre con-
poses of fairytales.
ventions.
At the end of a unit which focuses on
genre, students need to demonstrate their
2) Focus on a particular text type: In this
version of the unit, students look at a
text type such as short stories, and ex-
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amine examples of this text type from a
range of different genres. At the end of
this unit, students might show their understanding of the text type by producing at least two different examples of
that text type. For example, students
could show their understanding of instructional writing by choosing to write
at least two different types of instruc-
• Write a list of directions about how to get
from one place to another
• Write a recipe
• Write an instructional piece about how to
use a computer program
• Write an instructional piece about how to
maintain a healthy diet or lifestyle
tional pieces from the following list:
• Write an instructional piece about how to
care for an animal
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Teen Film Conventions
Setting:
❏ A small town
❏ A high school
❏ A workplace
❏ A holiday location
Characters:
❏ An outsider
❏ A new kid
❏ The popular group
❏ Parents
❏ A role model adult
❏ A nerd
❏ A beautiful popular boy
❏ The unpopular group
❏ Brothers or sisters
❏ A mean adult
❏ A kid who isn’t popular
❏ A beautiful popular girl
❏ The helpful friend
❏ A ridiculous adult
❏ A mean unpopular
kid
The orientation:
At the start of the text we find out that the main character is...
❏ Getting bullied
❏ Wants a relationship
❏ Getting pressured from parents
❏ Wants success somehow
❏ Unhappy in a relationship
❏ Wants social acceptance
❏ Feeling forced into being something they aren’t
The complication:
But then...
❏ A character decides to undertake a bet to... ❏ A character decides to take revenge on...
❏ A character lies about something they can do... ❏ A character pretends to be someone else
in order to.. ❏ A character wants to take part in a major social occasion... ❏ A character seeks
a relationship with someone else by making a major change/compromise to...
Crisis:
❏ The truth about what a character has done is revealed ❏ A character’s true identity is
revealed ❏ A character betrays another character ❏ A character is deeply hurt or humiliated
Resolution:
❏ A character’s real feelings are explained ❏ A character’s real identity is accepted ❏ A
character is forgiven ❏ A character works out what they really want ❏ A character works out who
they really are
A Ticking Mind Resource
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• A note on satire:
The Australian Curriculum refers at differ-
Tumbleweed ( a mockumentary about tumbleweeds) - http://vimeo.com/29761450
ent points to studying satire and also study-
The Majestic Plastic Bag (a mockumentary
ing texts that refer to other texts:
about plastic bags) -
• Level 8: Identify and evaluate devices
that create tone, for example humour,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLgh9
h2ePYw
wordplay, innuendo and parody in poetry,
Adopt a Helmet (a mock add about why
humorous prose, drama or visual texts.
we should adopt helmets) -
• Level 9: Experiment with the ways that
language features, image and sound can
be adapted in literary texts, for example
the effects of stereotypical characters
and settings, the playfulness of humour
and pun and the use of hyperlink.
• Level 10: Identify, explain and discuss
how narrative viewpoint, structure, char-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yDbP
vTKFVA
The Simpsons (a satire of society)
Daria (satire of teen school life)
Napoleon Dynamite (a satire of teen texts)
Elliot Allagash (a satire of teen texts)
acterisation and devices including anal-
Summer Heights High (a satire of schools
ogy and satire shape different interpreta-
and teenagers) and Australian Hero (a sat-
tions and responses to a text.
ire of what it is to be Australian)
Many satirical texts (such as teen satires
or satires of fairytales), rely upon an understanding of other texts in order to ‘get’ the
humour. This is a list of frequently studied
satirical texts in schools:
Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty (a satire of fairytales) - see it on Youtube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIDv1jJ
hoxY
The Castle (a satire of suburban life)
The Onion - satirical American news webpage - http://www.theonion.com
The Chaser - satirical Australian news
show - http://www.chaser.com.au
Gruen Transfer - The Pitch - often satirical
advertisements - search Youtube for different versions.
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