Year 8 English – Term 4 (WA Curriculum): Communicating and Persuading - Interacting with Others

What this unit covers

In Term 4, Year 8 English in the WA Curriculum centres on the unit “Communicating and Persuading - Interacting with Others”.

Students develop skills in analysing spoken and written texts, understanding how sources strengthen arguments, examining text structures, and evaluating ideas through interactive discussions and collaborative analysis.

Lesson sequence (30 lessons)

The unit breaks down into the following lesson-by-lesson sequence — each title below is a teachable lesson, in order:

1. Understanding Active Listening Skills in Group Discussions
2. Demonstrating Positive Body Language During Conversations
3. Using Open Questions to Encourage Discussion
4. Rephrasing and Confirming Understanding in Dialogue
5. Exploring Vocal Protocols in Formal Presentations
6. Analysing How Speakers Use Non-Verbal Communication
7. Participating in Panel Discussions About Social Issues
8. Evaluating Meanings in Spoken Presentations
9. Identifying Sources and Quotations in Persuasive Texts
10. Exploring How Quotations Strengthen Author's Purpose
11. Analysing How Sources Appeal to Target Audiences
12. Comparing Credible and Non-Credible Sources in Texts
13. Understanding How Text Structure Organises Ideas
14. Analysing Infographic Organisation and Meaning
15. Examining Webpage Structure and Visual Hierarchy
16. Exploring How Authors Develop Meaning Through Structure
17. Using Before Reading Strategies for Comprehension
18. Engaging in During Reading Discussion Activities
19. Completing Graphic Organisers to Monitor Understanding
20. Maintaining Reading Journals for Reflection
21. Interpreting Images and Graphics in News Articles
22. Evaluating Visual Composition in Online Features
23. Participating in After Reading Class Discussions
24. Combining Active Listening with Source Analysis
25. Creating Panel Discussions Using Credible Sources
26. Analysing Structure and Sources in Persuasive Campaigns
27. Evaluating Multi-Modal Texts Through Group Discussion
28. Presenting Research Using Appropriate Vocal Protocols
29. Demonstrating Comprehension Through Interactive Activities
30. Synthesising Learning Through Collaborative Text Analysis

Curriculum codes in this unit

Content codes:

Reading the codes: WA codes (the ones starting with WA) pack the year level, learning area, strand and content number into one string, while the national Australian Curriculum v9 uses a different anatomy that starts with AC9 — same content family, different labels. Our complete WA Curriculum guide decodes both, character by character.

Planning notes for Term 4

WA terms run roughly 9–11 weeks, and in 2026 Term 4 runs from Monday 12 October to Thursday 17 December — 10 weeks for WA public schools. With 30 lessons in this unit, that leaves breathing room for assessment, moderation and the weeks that disappear to carnivals, camps and public holidays — plan the assessable work to land two to three weeks before the end of term rather than in the final week.