A literacy lifeline for students at risk

Abstract

The Fictitious Riverside Council has decided to sell Lawson Park and open it up for development. A public meeting has been called to discuss the proposed development. The learner, Roger, joins the staff of a community newspaper. He attends the public meeting and interviews local community members about their views on the proposal. Back at the office of the Riverside Star newspaper, Roger reads and reviews the letters received for publication from local community members. Next, he interviews community members, analyses graphs of poll results and listens to talkback radio. Then, through the scaffolded modelling of the structural features of a newspaper editorial, Roger constructs an editorial that supports public opinion about the proposal. Finally, Roger produces a front-page article to announce the council’s decision.