Week 7 Discussion Preparation, Maddy Deegan

The activities that where designed for this week had a specific focus on being able to develop students ability to be able to critically analyse a text and make connections that are both within the classroom situation and also students home lives. 

When looking at the different forms of media and text that are apart of everyday life it is necessary that students become discerning readers and are able to distinguish what can be seen as manipulation and what is honest text. 

Chinese Cinderella, Adeline Yen Ma, Maddy Deegan Novel 5

Chinese Cinderella, Adeline Yen Ma, Maddy Deegan Novel 5

Chinese Cinderella wrenched at my heart strings as Adeline Yen Mah wrote about her experiences growing up in China in the second world war. This novel is beautifully written and has created an emotional connection with the readers. I thought chinese cinderella was a fantastic novel and could be used within a number of classroom situations as a point of reference or discussion.

The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night Time, Mark Haddon, Maddy Deegan Novel 4

The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night Time, Mark Haddon, Maddy Deegan Novel 4

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night is a brilliantly structured novel for adolescents which touches on complex issues such as difference and being an outsider. Although the novel never explicitly refers to Aspergers or the autism spectrum it is inferred that the main character Christopher John Francis Boone is on the spectrum. His higher level of thinking, focus on particular things and his obsessions are described with such detail that you are apart of them. Although I do not usually like books narrated in the first person I found this to be enthralling. 

Looking for Alibrandi - Melina Marchetta, Maddy Deegan Novel 3

Looking for Alibrandi - Melina Marchetta

Looking for Alibrandi, is a novel that looks at a lot of different issues relating to adolescent life and the issues that students face in home and school life. The novel focuses on Jozzie, her life experiences, opinions  and how she grows as a person learning from the different people and elements in her life.
This novel is a brilliant teaching resource as it relates to a plethora of topic and subjects.

Harry Potter and The Philosophers Stone - J.K Rolling, Maddy Deegan Novel 2

Harry Potter and The Philosophers Stone is the first book in the Harry Potter series. The narrative structure, characterisation and use of description all form together to build a novel which captures your imagination and allows your to grow with the characters in their trials, tribulations and adventures which are new and exciting and allow the reader to participate.

Madeleine Deegan - Attack of the Mutant - Novel 1

Goosebumps - Attack of the Mutant, R.L Stine

Attack of the mutant is an adventure story that follows the love that Skipper Matthews has for comic books and the weird occurance of his loved comic book world coming to life. This novel follows the adventure narrative structure while also exuberayting a scary type feel when reading. I really enjoyed reading this novel and can see how it would appeal to a younger audience, as it captures you within the first few chapters, holds you attentions and relates to a popular interest amount adolescents.

'Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief'

'Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief' by Rick Riordan This book is engaging from the get go, as it drops the reader right smack bang in the middle of Percy Jackson's new and exciting life as a half-blood (half god, half mortal). The issues are quite serious, with Percy needing to save the world from warring Greek gods, but Riordan writes it in such a way that includes humour to lighten the mood. The use of humour really appeals to the adolescent reader, with chapter titles like, 'I Accidentally Vaporize My Teacher' and 'I Become Supreme Lord of the Bathroom'. Similar to the novel 'Henry Hoey Hobson', this novel has an underlying focus on the problems that adolescents face in terms of finding their identity and becoming responsible adults. The inclusion of historical names and places allows the book to be used as an engaging introduction into the Ancient Greek world and, therefore, is a great resource for the upper-primary, lower secondary classroom.