Year 9 English

Autobiographical and
Biographical Study Unit

Lesson 1:
Life Writing
Do now:
Setting up your English folder:

If you are using Word/Microsoft Office:

• Create a new folder in your English
folder and name it
Autobiographical/Biographical
Study
• Save all SEQTA documents and
notes here to be reviewed by your
teacher.
Daily Review CFU

What is fiction?
Fiction
CFU 2
Name a fiction
• Fiction refers to something that has been made up genre.

or is not based on real information or events. While

some information in a fictional text may be based
on fact, most comes from the author’s imagination.
• Fiction genres include romance, horror, science
fiction, crime thriller and historical drama.
• Examples of fictional texts include the Harry Potter
series, The Hunger Games series, the novel Charlie
and the Chocolate Factory and the picture book
Where The Wild Things Are.
Daily Review CFU
What is
non-fiction?
Non-fiction
CFU
Name a non-fiction
• Non-fiction refers to a text that is about real events or text type.
people, rather than stories that have been invented.
Information in non-fiction texts should be able to be
verified (proven to be factual).
• Non-fiction texts include biographies, cookbooks,
atlases, travel guides, history books, and self-help books.
• Examples: The autobiography I Know Why The Caged
Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, The Macquarie Dictionary,
Mastering The Art Of French Cooking and Jacaranda
Atlas.
Daily Review

Exercise books:

This is/is not an example of

a non-fiction text because
______________________
______________________.
Daily Review

Authors use three different types

of point of view in their writing:
First Person point of view:
“I” or “my”, “we” or “our”.

Second Person point of view:

The narrator tells the story, using
pronouns “you” or “your”.

Third-Person point of view:

The narrator tells the story using
the pronouns “he”, “she” or “they”.
Learning Objective CFU
What are we
WALT (We Are Learning To): learning today?
• DEFINE life writing and list examples of life writing text types.
• DESCRIBE reasons why authors produce life writing.
• DIFFERENTIATE between autobiographical and biographical writing
via use of pronouns in a text.

Success Criteria
WILF (What I’m Looking For) by the end of this lesson:
• Students will be able to independently COMPOSE a short
example of a life writing text.
Concept development
Vocabulary
subject (noun)
suhb-jikt (2 syllables)

Definition: A person or thing that is being discussed, described, or dealt

with.

Example: The subject of the biography I am reading is a woman who

served for 30 years as an undercover police officer.

On your whiteboards, write a sentence using the word subject as a noun.

Concept development
Vocabulary
chronological (adj)
kron-l-oj-i-kuhl (5 syllables)

Definition: Arranged in the order of time.

Example: If you arrange major wars in chronological order, you will see
that World War II took place after World War I but before the
Vietnam War.

On your whiteboards, write a sentence using the word chronological.

Concept development

Reading for a purpose

• Throughout the Life Writing unit you will read a

wide variety of biographical and autobiographical
texts and answer a series of questions to test your
understanding of what you have read.

• These texts may have been produced recently, or

centuries ago. Some use unfamiliar language, or
were written by someone whose life experience,
culture, age or location may be quite different to
your own.
Concept
Concept development
development CFU

What is life writing?

What is life writing?

Life writing is a category of writing

that tells stories of real people’s lives.
Concept
Concept development
development CFU
Is an autobiography
classified as fiction
Fiction or non-fiction? or non-fiction?

• Life writing (including autobiographies and

biographies) is classified as non-fiction.

• However, while life writing is based on real

people and events, for various reasons we
should not assume that it is objective. We
will discuss the concept of objectivity later in
the unit.
Concept
Concept development
development CFU

Identify a life
writing text.
Life writing

• Have you read or viewed a text that told the story of

someone’s life?
• Did it persuade, inform or entertain you?
• How?

THINK/PAIR/SHARE

Be prepared to share your answer.

Concept
Concept development
development CFU

Name a text type

What are some examples of life writing? that falls into the
category of life
writing.
• articles in magazines and on websites
• full-length autobiographies or biographies in books
• poems
• songs
• odes
• eulogies
• diaries
• blogs
• Facebook pages
• memoirs
Concept
Concept development
development CFU

What is a
convention of a life
Conventions of life writing texts writing text?

• The person whose life story is being recounted is known as the

subject.
• Events are usually told in chronological (time-based) order.
• Photographs or other images and letters or diary extracts may be
included to support the text.
• An autobiography may contain biographical accounts (eg. an
autobiography written by the widow of a famous world leader
would most likely contain a lot of information about that world
leader).
Concept development CFU

Name a reason why

Why do people write about people’s lives? an author would
write about
someone’s life.
• To share a subject’s life with a wider audience. VOCABULARY
• To entertain the audience with amusing anecdotes about The person whose
the subject. life story is being
recounted is known
• To present an alternative side to someone’s public persona as the subject.
(eg. to set the record straight).
• To address a lack of existing information about an
interesting subject.
• To inspire the audience (eg. by showing how the subject’s
persistence has overcome adversity).
• To serve as a cautionary tale – warning the audience about
the type of person they should not become.
Concept development CFU

A biography is
written using
Biography (a) first person
point of view
(b) Third person
point of view
• A biography is written by an author who is not the
subject of the autobiography.
• Biographies are written using the third person point of
view.
• The narrator of a biography uses pronouns such as he,
him, his, himself, she, her, hers, herself, it, its, itself, they,
them, their, theirs and themselves.
Concept development CFU

From which point

of view is an
Autobiography autobiography
written?

• An autobiography is written by the subject of

the autobiography.
• Autobiographies are written using the first
person point of view.
• The narrator of an autobiography uses pronouns
such as I, me, my, mine, myself, our, ourselves,
we and us.
Guided Practice

• Read each of the following excerpts and decide whether the subject
being referred to is being written about in an autobiographical or
biographical manner.

ANSWER: BIOGRAPHICAL
In this excerpt, the narrator uses
the pronoun he.
Guided Practice

ANSWER: AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL
In this excerpt, the author uses
the pronouns I, my and me.
Guided Practice

ANSWER: BIOGRAPHICAL
In this excerpt, the author uses
the pronouns she and hers.
Independent Practice

Roald Dahl
Autobiographical or
biographical writing?

He was born in Wales on 13th Explain your answer.

September 1916. His father died when
he was three years old and he was
brought up by his mother.
He was quite unhappy at boarding
school, which gave him inspiration for
some of his stories.
Independent Practice

Alexander
Graham Bell
Autobiographical or
biographical writing?

He had many inventions. Some of these

included the metal detector and the
Explain your answer.
audiometer (a device used to detect
hearing problems). Bell invented
techniques which helped in teaching
speech to the deaf and also made a
device to help locate icebergs!
Independent Practice
“I don’t think I shall ever really feel at home in this
house, but that does not mean that I loathe it here, it
is more like being on vacation in a very peculiar
boarding house… The Secret Annexe is an ideal hiding
place. Although it leans to one side and is damp, you'd
Anne Frank
never find such a comfortable hiding place anywhere
in Amsterdam, not even in the whole of Holland. Our
little room perhaps looked bare at first with nothing on
Autobiographical or the walls; but thanks to Daddy who had brought my
biographical writing? film star collection and postcards beforehand and with
aid of paste, pot and brush, I have transformed the
Explain your answer. walls into one gigantic picture.”
Indpendent
Concept Practice
development
JOURNAL TASK
• You will now produce a short biographical text.
• Partner A has five minutes to tell Partner B as much information about himself or
herself as possible to enable him or her to write a short biography. Include
information about where and when you were born, your family, friends, pets,
achievements, sporting clubs and any major events in your life.
• While this takes place, partner B should take notes. If Partner A runs out of things
to say, Partner B should ask questions to source more information.
• After five minutes, switch roles. Using your notes, write a short passage about your
partner. It should have a title, be written in chronological order, and in the
past tense. Remember to use third-person pronouns.
Lesson Closure
We have learnt:
• Life writing is a type of non-fiction that includes text types such as memoirs,
diaries, songs, poems, autobiographies, biographies, blogs and eulogies.
• Reasons why authors choose to write about people’s lives.

Skill Closure
• An autobiography is written using the __________ person point of view. An
example of a pronoun used to identify autobiographical writing is ________.
• A reason why an author may choose to write about someone’s life is
_______________________________________________________.
 Year 9 English

Autobiographical and
Biographical Study Unit

Lesson 2
Biographical Writing
Concept development
Daily Review CFU

What is life writing?

Life writing

Life writing is a category of writing

that tells stories of real people’s lives.
Examples include autobiographies,
biographies, diary entries, songs,
blogs and memoirs.
Daily Review
Concept development CFU

Name a reason why

Why do people write about people’s lives? an author would
write about
someone’s life.
• To share a subject’s life with a wider audience. VOCABULARY
• To entertain the audience with amusing anecdotes about The person whose
the subject. life story is being
recounted is known
• To present an alternative side to someone’s public persona as the subject.
(eg. to set the record straight).
• To address a lack of existing information about an
interesting subject.
• To inspire the audience (eg. by showing how the subject’s
persistence has overcome adversity).
• To serve as a cautionary tale – warning the audience about
the type of person they should not become.
Learning Objective CFU
What are we
WALT (We Are Learning To): learning today?

• DEFINE biographical writing and DESCRIBE its conventions.

• EXPLAIN the meaning of the Greek root bio-.
• DEFINE time connectives and LIST examples of time connectives.

Success Criteria
WILF (What I’m Looking For) by the end of this lesson:
• Students will be able to compose a piece of biographical writing
using time connectives.
Concept development
Vocabulary
segregation (noun)
seg-ri-gey-shuhn (4 syllables)

Definition: An imposed separation from others on the basis of racial,

religious or other difference.

Example: Apartheid was a system of racial segregation that existed in

South Africa up until the 1990s, whereby black and white people
were forced to live in separate areas and use separate facilities.

On your whiteboards, write a sentence using the word segregation.

Concept development
Vocabulary
legacy (noun)
leg-uh-see (3 syllables)

Definition: Handed down from one generation, person or group to another.

Examples: The war left a legacy of pain and suffering.

When the old lady died, she left a legacy of a million dollars.

On your whiteboards, write a sentence using the word legacy.

Concept development CFU

Explain the Greek

origins of the word
What is a biography? ‘biography’.

CFU 2
A biography is a written account of a person’s life. Name an example
of a word that uses
the prefix bio-.
• The word biography has Greek origins.
• BIO- meaning LIFE
• GRAPH - meaning TO WRITE

THINK/PAIR/SHARE
• What other words can you think of that use the prefix bio-?
• What do they mean?
Concept development

Biographical writing

• In the last lesson we learnt

that biographical writing is a
type of life writing.
• We will now take a more
detailed look at conventions
of biographical writing.
Concept development CFU

Name a convention
Conventions of biographical writing of a biography.

A biography:
• is not written by the subject of the book but by an author who has researched
that person.
• is generally written in the past tense, in chronological order.
• is written in the third person point of view.
• can be written about someone who is alive or who has died.
• uses a combination of direct quotes and indirect (paraphrased) speech.
• refers to real, relevant events and people in the subject’s world.
• contains densely-detailed, factual passages that include dates and the names
of people and places.
Concept development CFU

Why are an
author’s decisions
Decisions about details about what to
include in a
biography so
• When writing a biography, authors must make important important?
choices about what details about time, people and places
they will include, and what they will leave out.

• The author’s choices can reveal their own personal opinion of

the subject. Decisions about what stays in, and what gets left
out, can make a biography the subject of a great deal of
controversy. For example, a biography of a sports star that
focuses on his Olympic gold medals but downplays his
criminal record may cause people to question its accuracy.
Skill development
Concept development
Sample text

• We will now take a look at a short biography.

• The subject of the biography is Martin Luther King, an American minister

and civil rights activist.

• Please download the text (MLK) MARTIN LUTHER KING BIOGRAPHY from
SEQTA.

• We will read the text together as a class, then discuss how it follows
conventions of biographical writing.
Skill development
Concept development
Sample text Structure
• The text’s structure reflects its purpose – to
inform - to give information about a person’s
life.
• It recounts facts about a person’s life,
generally in chronological order.
• The author has chosen significant aspects of
the subject’s life to include and left out details
that are not considered to be as important.

Language
• The text uses formal language
(not colloquial).
Skill development
Concept development CFU
The biography is
written using which
point of view?
Which pronouns
indicate this?
Martin Luther King biography

“When he spoke, people listened. His words at the Washington rally still have
the power to stir our hearts and minds …”

Language:
• The text is written in the third person point of view, as indicated by the
pronouns he and his.
Skill development
Concept development CFU

Identify a word or
phrase in the text
extract that proves
Martin Luther King biography it was written in the
past tense.

“King became well-known for his powers of oratory.”

“His first step was leading a bus boycott …”

Language:
• The text is written in the past tense, as indicated by words such as became
and was.
Skill development
Concept development VOCABULARY
Chronological
Martin Luther King biography refers to something
that is placed in
time order.
“King was born in 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia …”

“But in 1955, something happened which led to a far greater role for
him in fighting racial injustice.”

“In 1968, King was in Memphis, Tennessee, supporting striking

sanitation workers. There, on 4 April, he was shot dead …”

Language
• Time phrases show a chronological sequence
of events.
Skill development
Concept development CFU
Identify a word or
Martin Luther King biography phrase from the
text that indicates
the author’s
opinion about the
“Martin Luther King was the leader of the Civil Rights Movement subject.
against racism in the United States of America during the 1950s
and 1960s. Tragically, at the age of 39 he was shot dead.”

Language
• The text mainly uses objective language but where subjective
language is used in a biography it can indicate the author’s
attitude to the subject.
• In this case, the use of tragically – a subjective word - suggests
that the author feels Martin Luther King’s assassination was
sad and senseless.
Skill development
Concept development CFU

Identify an example
of a specific person
Martin Luther King biography or event the author
refers to in the
biography.
“King became a Baptist minister, and in his church spoke out
against segregation and racism. But in 1955, something
happened which led to a far greater role for him in fighting
racial injustice. A woman called Rosa Parks in Montgomery,
Alabama, refused to move for a white woman on a bus and
was arrested. From that moment onwards, King became a
leader of his people across the nation.”

Language:
• There is a focus on specific people and events.
Skill development
Concept development VOCABULARY
A legacy is
something handed
Martin Luther King biography down from one
generation, person
or group to
“King’s assassination rocked the nation and the world. Black another.

and white people alike mourned the loss of this brilliant,

courageous man who devoted his life to his people and his
country, and who had the power to move an audience like
no other.”

Language:
• The conclusion includes a comment on the person’s life,
and his or her contribution or legacy.
Skill development
Concept development
Reading for a purpose
QUESTION:

The purpose of this text is to:

(a) explain why Martin Luther King was a

great leader
(b) tell the story of Martin Luther King’s life
(c) express an opinion about Martin Luther
King
(d) reveal who shot Martin Luther King
Skill development
Concept development
Reading for a purpose ANSWER:

The purpose of this text is to

(a) tell the story of Martin Luther King’s life

EXPLANATION
While other texts may focus on why King was
an admirable person, a great leader or even
on who killed him, the focus of this text is
recounting key events throughout his life, in
chronological order.
Concept development
Time connectives

• There is neither the time nor space to include

every moment of a person’s life in a biography.
Again, authors must make choices about what to
include and what to leave out.
• One technique authors use to give
readers a clear sense of time, and to indicate that time has
elapsed between events, is to use time connectives.
• Time connectives are words that join phrases or sentences
together to help us understand when something is happening.
Concept development
It is a good idea for writers to
Time connectives vary time connectives across a
text - then can be a very
Examples: overused word!

• firstly • several months later Using time connectives is a

• afterwards • in the blink of an eye strategy you can use when you
• eventually • without warning write your own autobiographical
• then • decades prior text for your assessment task.
• finally • in the beginning
• beforehand

Can you think of another example of a time connective?

Independent Practice

JOURNAL TASK
• Using the information and timeline provided in the next slide, write a short
biography of Mother Teresa.
• The TIMELINE OF MOTHER TERESA’S LIFE is also available to download from
Connect.
• Use at least three time connectives in your biographical piece.

When you have used

all of the details
provided, research
more details to include
in your biography.
Independent Practice
TIMELINE OF MOTHER TERESA’S LIFE
Born: August 26, 1910 of Albanian parents in Shkup (now called Skopje,
now part of Macedonia), real name Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu.
1927: father murdered
1928: joined convent in Ireland at the age of 18
1929: sent to Darjeeling in India
1931: began teaching at a Calcutta girls’ school
1948: left teaching to work among the poor in slums of Calcutta, left order
of nuns to start her own order
1950s to 1990s: worked with poor and sick, had a special love for children
1979: won Nobel Peace Prize
Died: September 5, 1997
Lesson Closure
We have learnt
• ‘biography’ comes from the Greek words bio- meaning ‘life’ and graph
meaning ‘to write’.
• conventions of biographical writing.

Skill Closure
• An example of a time connective is ____________.
• What an author chooses to include in/leave out of a biography may
reveal his/her p______ o_______ of the s_______.
 Year 9 English

Autobiographical and
Biographical Study Unit

Lesson 3
Subjective vs Objective
Language
Concept development
Daily Review CFU
Explain the
difference between
Life writing a biography and an
autobiography.

VOCABULARY
• A biography is a non-fiction text written by someone The person whose
other than the subject of the autobiography. Biographies life story is being
are generally written in chronological order, in the past recounted is known
as the subject.
tense using the third person point of view.
• An autobiography is a non-fiction text written by the VOCABULARY

subject of the autobiography. Autobiographies use the Chronological

refers to something
first person point of view. that is placed in
time order.
Daily Review
Concept development CFU

Name an example
Time connectives of a time
connective.

• One technique authors of biographical texts use

to give readers a clear sense of time, and to indicate
that time has elapsed between events, is to use
time connectives.

• Time connectives are words that join phrases or sentences

together to help us understand when something is happening.

• Examples: firstly, in the beginning, decades prior, finally,

beforehand, eventually, afterwards, in the blink of an eye and
several months later.
Learning Objective CFU
What are we
WALT (We Are Learning To): learning today?
• DEFINE subjective language.
• DEFINE objective language.
• IDENTIFY subjective language.

Success Criteria
WILF (What I’m Looking For) by the end of this lesson:
• Students will be able to independently IDENTIFY subjective
language in a biographical text.
Concept development
Vocabulary - metalanguage
subjective (adjective)
suhb-jek-tiv (3 syllables)

Definition: Placing excessive emphasis on one's own moods, attitudes or

opinions.

Example: I believe Colin Firth is the best actor in the world, but my view
is subjective and therefore many will disagree.

On your whiteboards, write a sentence using the word subjective.

Concept development
Vocabulary - metalanguage
objective (adjective)
uhb-jek-tiv (3 syllables)

Definition: Not influenced by personal feelings, interpretations, or

prejudice; based on facts; unbiased.

Example: To make an appropriate judgment and penalty, a magistrate

needs to be objective when considering the facts of a case.

On your whiteboards, write a sentence using the word objective.

Concept
Concept development
development CFU

Which sentence
shows what the
Subjective and objective language writer thought
about the group
and the whale?

• Subjective language indicates an attitude to, or feeling

about, a topic.
Example: Sadly, the group’s valiant efforts to save the whale
were in vain.

• Objective language does not show any attitude or feeling. It

is focused on facts and information only.
Example: The group’s attempts to save the whale were not
successful.
Concept
Concept development
development

Subjective and objective language

Subjective
Sadly, the group’s valiant efforts to save the whale were in vain.
The use of the words sadly, valiant and in vain indicates that the writer was on the
side of the group wanting to save the whale.

Objective
The group’s attempts to save the whale were not successful.
The author keeps his or her view out of the sentence and just reports the facts.
Concept
Concept development
development CFU

Which of these two

Subjective and objective language sentences is more
emotive? Why?

Some subjective language is called emotive

language, because it is designed to make the
audience respond emotionally to what is being
written or spoken about.

Consider the following sentences:

• The decision is opposed by the entire community.
• The decision has devastated the entire
community.
Concept
Concept development
development

Subjective and objective language

The decision has devastated the entire community.

In this sentence, devastated is an emotive word. It makes
the reader think of people’s experiences and feelings in
disasters and terrible events such as earthquakes.

The decision is opposed by the entire community

In this sentence, opposed is a more factual, objective way
of saying the decision was not popular.
Concept
Concept development
development

Subjective and objective language

• Subjective language is expected, and commonly used, in fiction.

• The creators of non-fiction texts, where the purpose is primarily to
inform, have a choice about whether they wish to convey information
in a subjective or objective way.
• Sometimes the author of a biography or autobiography may intend to
present information in an objective manner, but because his or her
background shapes the way he or she thinks and feels, the author’s
own subjective opinions may still influence the writing of that text.
• For this reason, although autobiographies and biographies are
categorised as non-fiction, they cannot truly be called objective.
Concept development
Skill development
Subjective and objective language

Consider the following sentence:

Hundreds of health freaks filled the large auditorium desperate to hear

about the latest fad diet.

THINK/PAIR/SHARE
Which words are subjective?
Does the writer appear to take a positive or negative view of those
attending the lecture? What suggests this?
Concept development
Indpependent Practice
JOURNAL TASK

Reading for a purpose

• Download the text SCOTT OF THE ANTARCTIC BIOGRAPHY.

• Read the text as a class, place the correct time connectives in the correct
spaces.
• This may require you to refer to several parts of the text to eliminate
incorrect answers as you decide upon the correct answer.
• When you have done this, underline all of the examples of subjective
language in the text.
Concept development
Independent Practice
Sample text
Robert Falcon Scott, or Scott of the Antarctic as he is often called, was born in 1868.
He began his career as an explorer at the age of 33. His tragic death, on 17 January
Which of these time 1912, is perhaps the most famous episode in polar exploration.
connectives goes In 1881, at the age of only 13, he joined the navy. He was promoted to captain in
where? 1906. He led two expeditions to the Antarctic. On the second journey, begun in 1910,
he and his companions reached the South Pole. , they unfurled the Union Jack flag at
• on the second voyage the pole but, unfortunately, there was already another flag there – the flag of Norway
• 11 years later placed there by Roald Amundsen, who had got there a month earlier.
• at the age of only 13 On the return journey, tragedy struck, when the party was forced to stop because of a
• in 1906 terrible blizzard. All the men were already sick with scurvy, frostbite and exhaustion.
• a month earlier Sadly, one by one they died. Scott recorded his last hours in his diary: ‘Every day now
we have been ready to start for our depot 11 miles away, but outside the door of the
• on 17 January 1912
tent, it remains a scene of whirling drift. I do not think we can hope for any better
• on the return journey things now. We shall stick it to the end, but we are getting weaker of course … It seems
• a year later a pity, but I do not think I can write more. For God’s sake look after our people.’
His diary was found and a year later, in 1913, it was published as
‘Scott’s Last Expedition’.
Concept development
Independent Practice
Sample text – Scott of the Antarctic
Robert Falcon Scott, or Scott of the Antarctic as he is often called, was born in 1868. He began his
career as an explorer at the age of 33. His tragic death, 11 years later, is perhaps the most famous
episode in polar exploration.
In 1881, at the age of only 13, he joined the navy. He was promoted to captain in 1906. He led two
expeditions to the Antarctic. On the second voyage, begun in 1910, he and his companions reached
the South Pole. On 17 January 1912, they unfurled the Union Jack flag at the pole but,
unfortunately, there was already another flag there – the flag of Norway placed there by Roald
Amundsen, who had got there a month earlier.
On the return journey, tragedy struck, when the party was forced to stop because of a terrible
blizzard. All the men were already sick with scurvy, frostbite and exhaustion. Sadly, one by one they
died. Scott recorded his last hours in his diary: ‘Every day now we have been ready to start for our
depot 11 miles away, but outside the door of the tent, it remains a scene of whirling drift. I do not
think we can hope for any better things now. We shall stick it to the end, but we are getting weaker
of course … It seems a pity, but I do not think I can write more. For God’s sake look after our
people.’
His diary was found and a year later, in 1913, it was published as ‘Scott’s Last Expedition’.
Independent Practice
JOURNAL TASK
The following sentences contain subjective language.
In your journals, rewrite them using objective language.
Hint: remove pronouns such as “I”, and any feelings or opinion.

1. New Year’s Day celebrations are brilliant and I enjoy them immensely,
especially the stunning fireworks display on Sydney Harbour.
2. Soccer is an absurd game because so many players fake injuries to get
penalties.
3. The idea that people play video games professionally is laughable.
4. Mother Teresa was an amazing woman and is my inspiration to be
a kind person every day.
Lesson Closure
We have learnt:
• The difference between subjective and objective language.
• How to identify subjective language in a text and rewrite it in objective
language.

Skill Closure
• __________ language indicates an attitude to, or feeling about, a topic.
__________ language does not show any attitude or feeling. It is focused
on facts and information only.
• Despite b_____ and a_____ being classified as non-fiction, the fact
they are written by a human whose background has shaped his or her
individual opinions, means they cannot be truly o_______.
 Year 9 English

Autobiographical and
Biographical Study Unit

Lesson 4: Jargon and

Inference
Learning Objective CFU
What are we
WALT (We Are Learning To): learning today?
• DEFINE jargon.
• EXPLAIN why authors use jargon in autobiographical texts.

Success Criteria
WILF (What I’m Looking For) by the end of this lesson:
• Students will be able to independently ANALYSE the context in which
jargon appears in a text in order to INFER its meaning.
• Students will be able to answer literal, inferential and evaluative
questions about an autobiographical text.
Concept development
Vocabulary - metalanguage
jargon (noun)
jahr-guhn (2 syllables)

Definition: The language, especially the vocabulary, peculiar to a

particular trade, profession, or group.

Example: I wish my doctor would explain things in a way that I could

understand, but his use of medical jargon usually confuses me.

On your whiteboards, write a sentence using the word jargon.

 Concept
Concept development
development CFU

What is jargon?
Jargon

Jargon is the technical language used in a particular occupation or field.

For example, healthcare professionals often communicate using medical

jargon.

Examples of medical jargon:

Hypertension = high blood pressure
Contusion = bruise
Epistaxis = blood nose
 Concept
Concept development
development CFU
What is an example
Examples of jargon of computing
jargon?

Motoring jargon Computing jargon

• roo catcher = bull bar • hacker = someone who uses a computer to
• donut = black circle on the road made gain unauthorised access to data
from burning rubber tyres • phishing = sending fraudulent emails
• anchors = brakes pretending to be from reputable companies,
• stack = car or motorcycle crash with the aim to induce individuals to reveal
personal information
Concept development CFU
Name a field or
occupation that has
its own jargon and
Jargon an example of that
jargon.

THINK/PAIR/SHARE

• What is a field or hobby that has its own jargon?

3, 2, 1:
- Note 3 fields/hobbies
- Provide 2 examples of jargon for each field/hobby
- Provide 1 explanation/meaning for each example of jargon

Be prepared to share your answer.

Concept development CFU
What is a reason an
Purpose authors may
choose to use
jargon in an
Autobiographies often contain jargon because this is the autobiography?
natural language of the subject, who is also the writer.

Why do authors include jargon in an autobiography?

• To describe something there is no everyday language to describe.

• To create a connection or common interest with a reader or group
(although this can have the effect of excluding those who do not
understand the jargon).
• To convey a sense of realism, especially when recounting
conversations.
Concept development
Jargon

EXAMPLE
In his autobiography, Australian
cricketer Steve Waugh writes:
“Between us, we took the score to 4-
146, when Marto was dismissed for
26, caught at wide mid-on after
mistiming a pull.”

THINK/PAIR/SHARE
Given it contains frequent examples of this type of jargon, which
audience might this autobiography be aimed at?
Guided Practice
Concept development
Reading for a purpose

• We will now read an excerpt from an autobiographical recount.

• The subject, who is also the narrator, is a new navy recruit.

• Please download the text MEET AND GREET – NARRATIVE RECOUNT

from Connect.

• Read the text together as a class then write the answers to the
following questions on your whiteboard as your teacher asks you to.
Guided Practice
Concept development
Literal question

What was the first rule relating to

personal appearance that was broken
by the writer?

(a) Her hair wasn’t properly tied into

a bun with a hairnet
(b) She was wearing civilian clothes
instead of her uniform
(c) She was wearing the wrong shoes
Guided Practice
Concept development
Literal question

ANSWER: EXPLANATION
What was the first rule relating to This is a literal question, so all we
personal appearance that was need to do is search for a fact. We
read that she had been ‘sent marching
broken by the writer?
back’ to her room to fix her hair.
Answers (b) and (c) are incorrect
(a) Her hair wasn’t properly tied because there is no mention of civilian
into a bun with a hairnet clothes or shoes in the text.
Guided Practice
Concept development
Literal question

What clothing had the writer been

wearing before she changed for the
evening meal?

(a) white dress uniform

(b) grey overalls
(c) jeans and a t-shirt
Guided Practice
Concept development
Literal question

ANSWER: EXPLANATION
What clothing had the writer been Again, this is a literal question, so all
wearing before she changed for the we need to do is search for a fact in
the text. We read that she had
evening meal?
changed from her ‘grey overalls’
into the white dress uniform.
(b) grey overalls Answer (a) is not correct because
the text says she has changed ‘into’,
not out of, the white dress uniform.
There is no mention of any other
clothes such as jeans or a t-shirt,
so answer (c) is not correct.
Guided Practice
Concept development
Inferential question

What does the phrase ‘I chose the

roasted chicken’ imply?

(a) that it was tender and perfectly

cooked
(b) that there were other meal
choices available
(c) that the writer had chicken
instead of a bread roll
Guided Practice
Concept development
Inferential question

ANSWER: EXPLANATION
What does the phrase ‘I chose the This inferential question requires
roasted chicken’ imply? you to combine various details to
make an interpretation. We read
that the chicken was ‘a little on the
(b) that there were other meal tough side’ so answer (a) is not
choices available correct. We read that the writer
dropped her bread roll, so answer
(c) cannot be correct. The verb
‘chose’ implies that there were
other choices.
Guided Practice
Concept development
Inferential question

Paragraph 5, which begins “absorbed

in enjoying my dinner… ” and ends
with “…to my plate” is mostly
describing which activity?

(a) eating
(b) laughing and joking
(c) shaking hands
Guided Practice
Concept development
Inferential question

ANSWER: EXPLANATION
Paragraph 5, which begins This inferential question requires
“absorbed in enjoying my dinner… ” you to use a process of elimination
to answer it. There is nothing in the
and ends with “…to my plate” is
paragraph to suggest the writer
mostly describing which activity? laughed and joked with the Vice
Admiral so answer (b) cannot be
(a) eating correct. The writer shook hands
with the Vice Admiral in the last
paragraph so answer (c) cannot be
correct.
Guided Practice
Concept development
Evaluative question

What does the incident about the

electric blanket tell us about the
regulations in the navy?
(a) personal luxuries are not the
highest priority in the navy
(b) the navy prefers recruits to be
cold
(c) the navy’s regulations are far too
relaxed
Guided Practice
Concept development EXPLANATION
This evaluative question requires
Evaluative question you to combine details, and their
effect, to arrive at the answer.
ANSWER: We read the words ‘for daring to
What does the incident about the make my freezing cold bunk up
with an electric blanket’. Logic
electric blanket tell us about the
tells us that the overalls and
regulations in the navy? uniforms supplied by the navy are
designed to keep recruits warm,
(a) personal luxuries are not the so (b) cannot be correct. The
highest priority in the navy word ‘daring’ echoes the tone of
the officer who reprimanded the
writer. This word implies that the
writer thinks the rules are too
rigid so answer (c) is incorrect.
Concept development
Jargon

• Some of the vocabulary used in the text is jargon that relates specifically
to life in the navy.

• Sometimes jargon words have become familiar to us as a part of popular

culture, so we can understand their meaning without belonging to the
specific group from which they originated.

• For example, a ‘booze bus’, is a term the general public now uses to refer
to a mobile random breath testing unit. This is a term that would not
have been commonplace a generation ago.
Concept development CFU

Being able to _____

Jargon wrong answers is a
useful technique to
help you choose
• Sometimes we need to examine the the _____ answer
words around an unfamiliar word, in the NAPLAN
READING TEST.
including jargon, to understand the
meaning of that word.

• For words that are not an existing part

of your vocabulary, this can be a useful
technique as you attempt to eliminate
wrong answers and identify the
correct multiple-choice answer.
Independent
Concept Practice
development
JOURNAL TASK

Write definitions for each of the following terms by ‘reading around’ them in
the text.

• parade ground
• Division Officer
• dress uniform
• civilian
• insubordinate
• military solidarity
Indpendent
Concept Practice
development
JOURNAL TASK

ANSWERS:

• parade ground – an outdoor area used for marching, drills and inspections
• Division Officer – the officer in charge of a group of cadets
• dress uniform – the formal uniform of the navy, used for official occasions
• civilian – a non-military person
• Insubordinate – disobedient to a command or higher-ranking person
• military solidarity – unity among military personnel
Lesson Closure
We have learnt:
• Jargon is language, especially the vocabulary, peculiar to a particular
trade, profession, or group.
• Examining the words around an unfamiliar word, including jargon, can
help us understand the meaning of that word.

Skill Closure
• One reason why authors of autobiographies use jargon is to convey a
sense of r_____, especially when recounting conversations.
• ______ is a field that has its own jargon. An example is _________.