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Unreliable Narrators
Year
Level
English
Autobiography/autobiographical, memoir, non-fiction
writing, narrator, narrative, first-person, second-person,
third-person, retelling, fractured-fairy-tale, unreliable
narrator, cues,
KLO
Transfer
Teacher students about the different types of narration and how to identify
narrators in narratives texts. Teaches students about the different forms of selfwriting and how to write and analyse memoirs. Students develop their creative
writing skills. Students learn how to write a narrative as an unreliable narrator
and how to identify unreliable narrators in texts through detecting cues and clues
in the narrative.
This unit is to prepare students with key knowledge and skills that are followed
through to VCE.
Brief Summary of Unit (including curricular context and unit goals)
Students will gain an understanding of the structures and features of life
writing/self-writing through
autobiographical texts, such as memoirs. They
will study different narrative perspectives (1st person, 2nd person, 3rd person)
and explore the reliability/ unreliability of the narrator. They will also study the
invention of falsehoods, embellishments and white-lies in semi-fictional texts.
Students will study reader positioning and authorial choices, as well as practice
using this language in their own descriptive writing.
Unit design status:
Completed template pages 1, 2, and 3
Completed blueprint for each
Completed rubrics
performance task
Directions to students and teachers
Materials and resources
listed
Suggested accommodations
Suggested extensions
Status Initial Draft (date: )
Revised Draft (date: )
Peer
Content reviewed
Field
Validated
reviewed
tested
Established Goals
Literature:
Recognise and analyse the ways that characterisation, events and settings
are combined in narratives, and discuss the purposes and appeal of different
approaches
Compare the ways that language and images are used to create character,
and to influence emotions and opinions in different types of texts
Literacy:
Analyse and explain the ways text structures and language features shape
meaning and vary according to audience and purpose
Writing:
Literature:
Create literary texts that adapt stylistic features encountered in other texts,
for example, narrative viewpoint
Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts,
selecting aspects of subject matter and particular language, visual, and audio
features to convey information and ideas
What essential questions will be
considered?
What are the different types of
perspectives?
What is a narrator?
What is an unreliable narrator?
What key knowledge will be
acquired?
The ways authors respond to
particular contexts, audiences and
purposes
The ways in which meaning is
o
o
o
o
o
o
Task 4:
actions.
What understandings and goals will be assessed through the authentic
performance task?
Students can determine narrator in
Students can identify unreliable narrator
narrative texts; first, second and third. in text through use of cues and clues in
the narrative.
What specific criteria must student work demonstrate to show that
goals and understandings were met?
Fractured Fairy-tale Creative Writing
Unreliable Narrator Memoir Creative
Piece
Writing Piece.
What criteria are implied in student work that will show goals and
understandings were met?
Students will analyse the narrators perspective and describe how the speakers
unique point of view contributes to the way in which the story is told. Students
will make assertions about the speakers reliability and trustworthiness.
Students will make connections to their own lives and recognize that
perspectives always need to be taken into account through reading various texts
students will analyse the narrators perspective and describe how the speaker's
unique point of view contributes to the way in which the story is told.
Students will analyse different media forms and determine how they affect the
narrative perspective.
What other evidence will be collated to show students have reached
goals and understandings?
Observations
Class Discussions
Classwork
Quality/standard of classwork
completed
Self and peer assessment and reflection opportunities
During the creative writing task in this unit students will need to reflect upon
their own writing skills and identify where progress/development needs to be
made as well as peer-reflection.
Stage 3 Plan Learning Experiences Continued
Key:
Comprehension Strategies
Resources
Differentiated Tasks
Week
1 1.
Lesson 1
LI: To
understand what a
narrator is and the
different types of
narratives
SC: I can name and
explain the different
types of narration in
texts
Key Terms: (to be
Lesson 2
LI: To
extend knowledge of
first, second and third
person narrators
SC: I can identify in a
text what type of
narration it is
Key Terms:
First Person: This is
when the narrator is
Lesson 3
LI: To further extend my
knowledge of first,
second and third person
narrators
SC: I can identify
narrative perspective in
texts and explain my
thinking process
1. Recap: what did we
Point of
view: (in fictional
writing) the narrator's
position in relation to a
story being told.
1. Warm up: Prior
Knowledge
Mind map (5-10mins)
Write these questions
on the board and
students have 5
minutes to answer
the following
questions are a mind
map in their book;
What is a narrator?
What is the role of a
narrator in a novel?
Are there different
types of narration in
texts? What are the
features of a
narrative?
Share as a class.
2. Go through SEL unit
rubric with the class
and get students to
highlight where their
knowledge is at and
date it.
3. Students then write
the definition from
above
4.
Students to list as
many different
narrators of texts
they can think of.
referring to him or
herself. You will see 'I,'
'me,' 'my' and 'mine' in
first person.
Seco
nd Person: This is when
the reader is directly
addressed with 'you,'
'your' and 'yours.'
Third
Person: This is where
the narrator doesn't
refer to him or herself as in first person - and
isn't addressing the
reader - as in second
person. Instead, you get
an observer's
perspective and lots of
'she,' 'he,' 'her,' 'his,'
'their' and 'theirs.'
1. Recap: what did we
learn yesterday?
2. Steps to determine
what type of narrator
is used in a narrative.
Go through Narrator
Flowchart handout
with students
3. I do: Read a
paragraph of text
the boy who lived
to the class, then
using the flow chart
follow the steps, you
get the answer of
what type of narrator
is being used.
Explain the process
aloud to the students
4. We do: Do it again
but as a class this
time using first
sight paragraph
5. They do: do it again
but in pairs this time,
one group gets city
learn yesterday?
2. Warm up:
summarising
students to write a
summary in their
own words using
their notes and
handouts as to what
a first, second and
third person narrator
is and provide one
example text for
each.
3. Continuing with work
from previous lesson
identifying
narrator
perspective for
those who havent
finished those who
have finished move
onto point of
view
4. Think aloud: teacher
to conference with
each student whilst
students are working
independently,
teacher to watch
student complete a
serious of tasks from
handout and ask
students to think
aloud their thinking
process to ensure
they understand.
Teacher also to go
through the students
SEL unit rubric with
them to assess
where their current
knowledge is at and
where they need to
go next
5. Go through answers
5. Discuss with
students:
When reading a
narrative how do you
determine who is
telling the story?
What strategies can
you use to determine
the narrator?
6. Identifying the
narrator is important
because the narrator
controls just what and
how much is told, the
kind of information
given to the reader,
and even the shape
of the work itself.
(Note that this isn't
the same as the
AUTHOR, the person
who actually wrote
the story).
7. Go through the
narrator info
PowerPoint with the
class, students are to
write their own
meaning in their
books for first, second
and third person
narration as you go
through the slides
with them.
8. Students to complete
the First, Second &
Third Person
Activities
ANSWERS: first, first,
third, second, third,
third, first, third, third,
third.
Go through answers
as a class. Collect
data of how many
questions students
got correct.
9. Reflection
students are to give
teacher an example
of bones paragraph
and another group
gets divergent
share to the class
findings. Get one
representative group
from each paragraph
to share they think
aloud process to
the class
6. Students to complete
Identifying
narrative
perspective
handout low and
medium
7. Reflection
Lesson 5
LI: To learn how to
identify if a narrator of a
narrative is unreliable
SC: I can identify how
Olivia is an unreliable
narrator due to cues
presented within the
narrative
Key Terms:
Intratextual signs: such
as the narrator
contradicting
him/herself (the
statement of a position
opposite to one already
made by the narrator),
having gaps in memory,
or lying to other
characters in the
narrative.
Extratextual signs: such
as contradicting the
reader's general world
knowledge or
impossibilities (within
the
limits/boundaries/factor
s of logic)
1. Recap: what did we
learn last class?
2. Warm up: definition
Students have to
write a definition in
their own words of
what an unreliable
narrator is, what is
the role of an
unreliable narrator?
What do they try to
do? What do they
want you to believe?
3. As a class write up a
Lesson 6
LI: To continue learning
how to identify if a
narrator of a narrative is
unreliable
SC: I can identify and
explain how the Wolf is
an unreliable narrator
using examples from the
narrative to support my
answer.
Key Terms:
Retelling: a new, and
often updated or
retranslated, version of
a story
DIFFERENTIATED
TASK
see other resources
folder, differentiated I
Want My Hat Back
(instructions are in the
folder in the Targeted
Teaching Strategies
document)
1. Warm up: Review the
different types of
point of view. Who
knows the story of
The Three Little Pigs?
Get a volunteer to
explain the story to
the class
2. Read the original
story Original story
Three Little Pigs
3. Visualising: Using
the three little
pigs vs the true
story of the three
little pigs point of
view analysis,
students to complete
a timeline
storyboard of events.
Students to then
complete POV
view. In groups of
three, have one
student be the
authority figure (e.g.
a teacher, parent or
police officer), while
the other two
students simulate a
conflict in the
following situation.
Student 1: [Student 2]
punched me in the arm
for no reason!
Student 2: No, I didnt!
Students each tell
their side of the story
to the authority figure
Student 1 thinks it
was for no reason;
Student 2 explains
that it was because
Student 1 made fun
of Student 2s sibling.
Ask other members of
the class to take
notes of the events
and decide what the
truth actually is. The
role-play will help
students understand
how it is possible for
people to see the
same event
differently, from
multiple points of
view. Use this to
explore how point of
view can affect the
way a person
remembers events.
Rove around the
classroom observing
groups. Pick a couple
of groups to share
theirs with the class.
4. Writing exercise:
T chart on
advantages and
disadvantages there
are to first person
narratives, when
compared to second
and third person
narratives.
4. Discuss: what
characteristics
make up an
unreliable narrator?
5. Watch the video
Olivia Saves the
Circus as a class
Olivia is an example
of an unreliable
narrator.
Watch the video
again, but this time
ask students to take
notes on what cues
indicate her as
unreliable.
6. Students to complete
Cues from Olivia
Saves the Circus
and list and explain
examples that
support Olivias
unreliableness.
7. Go through answers
as a class. See Cues
from Olivia Saves
the Circus Answers
8. Write on the board
the different
examples of lying
that occur within the
text, are there
different types of
lying that occurs?
Yes, the first lie you
can see a
contradiction in the
lines and pictures,
this lie happens from
within the story
analysis
4. Predict: Use cover
from The True
Story of the Three
Little Pigs Let
students look at the
front cover and let
them predict what
they think the wolf
will say about the
situation.
Turn to the inside
first page and have
students also predict
why he might be in
jail. (The picture is of
the wolf behind
bars.)
5. Read the retelling
using either PDF or
video.
6. PPT The Unreliable
Narrator
7. Students complete a
timeline storyboard
of events. Students
to then complete
POV analysis using
the three little
pigs vs the true
story of the three
little pigs point of
view analysis,
(intratextual). The
lies that Olivia tells
about her time at the
circus are not
logically believable
due to students
world knowledge, so
this lie happens from
outside (exit) of the
story
(extratextual).
Olivia is a force of
will, attempting to
make you believe
precisely what she
too wants to
believe. i
9. Students to then
complete Olivia
Saves the Circus
questions or Olivia
Saves the Circus questions LOW
10.
Olivia Saves the
Circus - questions
ANSWERS
Lesson 7
CONTINUED
LI: To continue learning
how to identify if a
narrator of a narrative is
unreliable
SC: I can identify and
explain how the Wolf is
an unreliable narrator
using examples from the
narrative to support my
answer.
Lesson 8
LI: To understand what a
fractured retelling of a
fairy-tale is and how to
make comparisons
between with the
original version
SC: I can identify
differences and make a
comparison between an
original fairy-tale and its
fractured counterpart.
(TWO LESSONS)
Lesson 9
LI: To understand how
there are different types
of unreliable narrators
and to explore examples
of narrators mental
states in narratives
SC: I can explain how
Edgar Allen Poes poem
The Raven presents a
narrator who is
unreliable due to their
mental state.
Key Terms:
Fractured Fairy-tale: is a
story that uses fairy
tales you know and then
changes the characters,
the setting, points of
view, or plots.
Allowing students to
retell a well-known
higher students)
or a Venn diagram
(for lower students).
The wolfs story
versus the original
story. Gide the
students in their
thinking by point out
some of the things
the wolf says that
seem skewed or off.
3. Ask the students why
they suppose the wolf
says these thigs and
how much they
believe his story.
-What point of view
do your students feel
is correct - the pigs or
the wolf's point of
view?
4. Students brainstorm
some things that
happened in the
Three Little Pigs story
that did not happen in
the True Story.
5. Differences &
Similarities:
Students to create a T
chart with one side
being about the wolfs
story and the other
being about the
original story.
6. Have students work
individually to identify
cues in the story
that suggest the wolf
may not be telling the
truth. After about ten
minutes, have them
share their finding
with a partner,
discussing the
objectivity of the
narrator. Be sure to
point out things you
discuss in your earlier
discussion about
unreliable?
Think about some
examples of where a
narrator might be
unknowingly
unreliable. What
might cause them to
be unreliable? What
things/events might
have happened to
them to make them
unreliable and they
are not even aware
of it.
Share responses.
Narrators might be
unreliable due to
their character's
mental state or
maturity, the
narratives age or
personal involvement
providing
incomplete/inaccurat
e information as a
result. The narrator
might not even
realise they are
being unreliable.
2. Anyone a Simpsons
fan here? Anyone
seen the episode of
Treehouse of Horror
called The Raven?
3. Give students a
printed copy of the
poem The Raven By Edgar Allan Poe
and play the
Simpsons Episode.
The Simpsons Edgar Allan Poe_
The Raven
4. Questions to ask
students:
What did you think of
that poem? What did
you think the poem
was about? What did
you think about the
narrator (Homers
point of view.
7. Next get students to
classify the
lies/examples of
unreliability that they
came up with as
either intratextual
or extratexual
8. Students to answer
the following
questions:
Do you think that
the wolf was telling
the true story? Why
do you think he is or
isnt?
What other
characters do you
think arent telling
the truth?
Ask students to
write about whether
or not they are
convinced by the
wolf's version of the
story. Does he seem
trustworthy? Why or
why not?
9. Task: Pick one or the
other:
Task 1: Students to
write a letter to A.
Wolf in jail: Students
to think about what
more they would like
to know about A.
Wolf. What questions
would they like to ask
him about what
happened to the
pigs?
Or
Task 2: Students pick
another character
that was involved in
the story (e.g. one of
the pigs brothers)
and retell the story
character?) Do you
think that the events
that happened in
that story were true?
Why/why not?
5. View PPT. The
Raven Students take
down notes.
6. Students complete
worksheet The
Raven Questions
7. Go through answers.
The Raven
Questions answers
8. Reflection:
(important)
what different types
of unreliable
narrators have we
looked at throughout
this unit? How are
they different? What
makes them
different? What made
them unreliable?
CATCH UP LESSONS
9. Students to then
begin writing their
story
10.Teacher conference
with students
regarding which
story they have
chosen and how they
are going to make
their villain or baddie
appear innocent or at
least defends their
actions.
CATCH UP LESSONS
Lesson 10
LI: To learn about the
different types of life
writing and writing about
the self.
SC: To complete a longer
rocket writing session,
provide feedback to a
partner on their writing
as well as write down
feedback from my
partner about my own
writing.
Lesson 11
LI: To learn how to use
constructive feedback to
improve my writing
skills.
SC: I have given
constructive feedback to
a partner on their
writing, as well as
received my own. I have
reflected on the
feedback I have
received.
Key Terms:
Life writing is the
recording of selves,
memories, and
experiences, whether
one's own or another's.
Autobiography: an
account of a person's life
written by that person.
Memoir: a written
account of someone or
something that is usually
based on personal
knowledge of the subject
1. Warm up:?????
2. Go through Writing
About The Self PPT.
3. Rocket Writing:
Todays Rocket
Writing challenge is
Taste.
(will need taste
resource box)
4. Put all the items on a
desk, students are to
2. Rocket Writing:
Todays Rocket
Writing challenge is
Sound
(will need sound
resource folder)
Play sound files to
the class, you might
need to play each
one twice, or play
them all once and
then play them a
second time. When
students have a
specific memory that
has come forward,
they start writing.
3. After the session, get
students into
different pairs again:
come up 2-3 at a
time, students are to
shut their eyes and
then taste each
content. Students are
to select one that
they feel they have a
strong connection
with and concentrate
it. Dont try to
remember, just
concentrate on the
taste. When a
particular memory
comes up, they are to
go back to their seat
and start writing.
5. After the session, get
students into pairs,
try and get students
to go into with a
different pair then
last time. Get the
pairs to share what
they have written
with each other.
Students briefly
summarise in writing
the feedback they
received from their
partner and jot down
the changes they
would have made if
they had more time on
it.
6. Get students to come
back as a class and
share to the class, the
class picks the story
they think is the best
and the person
becomes the NEW
Rocket Champ
they get a price.
7. Reflection: how did
you go with the
writing exercise today
compared with last
class, did you find it
easier? Still difficult?
Did you give
map
5. Rove around the
classroom and see
what their memoir
ideas are
6. Start students on
rough draft
6. Students are to
ensure they include
the Fiction Story
Elements:
1. Characters: main
characters &
supporting
characters
2. Setting: when and
where did the story
take place
3. Problem or Conflict:
usually introduced
early on; can be
external or internal
4. Plot or Text Structure:
the rise and fall of
action
5. Solution or
Resolution: how the
problem or conflict is
solved
6. Point of View: 1st
person (main
character telling
story; use of I and
me) or 3rd person
(narrator telling
story; use of
he/she, him/her)
7. Theme: More than
the topic of the story,
the message the
author is trying to
send through the use
of the story.
8. Go through
assessment rubric:
Unreliable Narrator
Memoir - Creative
Writing Rubric
9. WRITING
feedback to your
partner, did they give
you feedback, what
was the feedback,
and did you find it
helpful? What part of
your writing skills
would you still like to
improve on? Why is
that?
Lesson 13
LI: To experiment and
explore writing a memoir
which contains an
unreliable narrator.
SC: I have made a good
start on my real story
memoir
WRITING
CONFERENCING
Lesson 14
LI: To experiment and
explore writing a
memoir which contains
an unreliable narrator.
SC: I have finished a
rough draft of my real
story memoir and have
received feedback from
my peers and teacher.
Lesson 16
LI: To experiment and
explore writing a memoir
which contains an
unreliable narrator.
SC: I am making good
progress on my
unreliable narrator
memoir.
WRITING
CONFERENCING
PEER FEEDBACK
HANDOUT
Lesson 17
LI: To experiment and
explore writing a
memoir which contains
an unreliable narrator.
SC: I have finished a
rough draft of my
unreliable narrator
memoir.
WRITING
CONFERENCING
WRITING
CONFERENCING
Lesson 15
LI: To experiment and
explore writing a
memoir which contains
an unreliable narrator.
SC: I have started an
outline for my
unreliable narrator
memoir.
WRITING
CONFERENCING
Lesson 18
LI: To finalised and
finessed my unreliable
narrator memoir
SC: I have finished a
rough draft of my
unreliable narrator
memoir and have
received feedback from
my peers and teacher
which I will use to
finalise my piece.
1. students to get
feedback from peers
regarding
authenticity of
narrator, is it too
obvious the author is
lying or bending the
truth, is it too
hidden?
WRITING
CONFERENCING
PEER FEEDBACK
HANDOUT
LI:
SC:
LI:
SC: