Year 8 English Electives 

In Semester Two, students will have an opportunity to study ONE English elective of their choosing. These options, listed below, are designed to target student interest while covering the key content as outlined in the Victorian Curriculum.  Students are encouraged to identify a second preference should their first selection not go ahead.

Science Fiction

Science Fiction explores the infinite possibilities of the future and how we might get there; from androids to planet sized space ships to wonders your mind cannot even imagine. In this multimedia rich unit, you will explore Science Fiction to gain an understanding of how it poses questions about the world we live in. You will look at the history of Science Fiction and see how the genre has analysed notable events and ponder what those events may mean for the future. After becoming familiar with how Science Fiction is often constructed, you will go on to create your own.

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Write Sport

Do you want to kick goals in English? Do you want to research famous sports people and experience learning about and playing different sports? Write Sport sets the bar high and is a diverse English Elective, as it focuses on bringing sport into the classroom. You will read the inspirational biography of AFL legend Jim Stynes and analyse how his sporting career was impacted by a range of influences. You will use investigation skills to conduct formal interviews and explore audio and visual media by viewing and developing your own sports commentary.

Classic Literature

Delve into another time, another place, another character’s heart, mind and soul. Some of the greatest artists in the history of planet Earth will be studied in this subject. The works of these wonderful writers give us deep insights into what was important to the people of their time, society and culture. Your mind will become a time machine! We will explore different ways of thinking and expression with our more modern approaches. We will look at the great prose of days gone by, along with more modern methods to see where humanity has been and where it may be going.

Modern American Literature

The texts studied in Modern American Literature are ‘The Giver’, a futuristic novel about a society’s way of living and surviving and ‘Freedom Writers’, a film set in an American high school and based on a true story. In this unit, you will explore modern day literature and discuss themes, conflict, survival, and the similarities and differences between the two texts. You will analyse the significance of these themes, discussing how entertaining and engaging they are, whether these texts are traditional storylines and their relevance to our lives today. You will investigate texts written from different perspectives and explore structures of narratives through written and visual media, presenting your findings in written and spoken forms.