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Lesson 2: Speculative Fiction

Learning Intentions   

  • Define speculative fiction as a genre of writing. 
  • Examine how our world and current issues can be adapted into fiction. 
  • Practice research to find credible sources. 

    Watch

    Review the interview with The PM’s Daughter Series 2 script producer, Jessica Paine, to explore how the writers worked with speculative fiction as a genre of storytelling.

    Reflect

    Through an individual writing task or class discussion, brainstorm words associated with the ‘Speculative Fiction’ genre. Look up the words ‘speculative’ and ‘fiction’ separately to source the definition when these words are combined.  

    Research the genre to observe the different ways speculative fiction has been interpreted in texts. Then, consider why digital technology could be important in a speculative fiction story.

    Activity

    Writers often engage with the real world to source inspiration that informs their ideas. Jessica Paine talked about how current issues can be built on to inform future possibilities when developing stories. For example, writers incorporated current digital technologies in The PM’s Daughter Series 2 storylines.   

    Engage with current and credible media sources to identify and research a current issue in the news. Document how this current issue could be built on in speculative fiction by listing 3-5 future possibilities.

    Need help to confirm credible sources? Play the ABC Education Fact Checker Game. 

    Australian Curriculum Links

    Civics and Citizenship   
    Year 8 
    Years 9  
    Years 10 
    Analysis, evaluation and interpretation 
     
    AC9HC8S02 
    Locate, select and organise information, data and ideas from different sources.
     
    AC9HC9S02 
    Locate, select and compare information, data and ideas from a range of sources.
     
    AC9HC10S03 
    Analyse information, data and ideas about political, legal or civic issues to identify and evaluate differences in perspectives and interpretations. 
     
     English 
    Year 8 
    Year 9 
    Year 10 
    Language | 
    Text structure and organisation 
     
    AC9E8LA03 
    Explain how texts are structured depending on their purpose and how language features vary, recognising that some texts are hybrids that combine different genres or elements of different genres.

    AC9E8LA08 
    Identify and use vocabulary typical of academic texts.
     
    AC9E9LA03 
    Examine how authors adapt and subvert text structures and language features by experimenting with spoken, written, visual and multimodal elements, and their combination.
    AC9E9LA08 
    Analyse how vocabulary choices contribute to style, mood and tone.
    AC9E10LA03 
    Analyse text structures and language features and evaluate their effectiveness in achieving their purpose.

    AC9E10LA08 
    Use an expanded technical and academic vocabulary for precision when writing academic texts.
    Literacy | Texts in context 
     
    AC9E8LY01 
    Identify how texts reflect contexts.
     
    AC9E8LY05 
    Use comprehension strategies such as visualising, predicting, connecting, summarising, monitoring, questioning and inferring to interpret and evaluate ideas in texts.
    AC9E9LY01 
    Analyse how representations of people, places, events and concepts reflect contexts.
    AC9E9LY05 
    Use comprehension strategies such as visualising, predicting, connecting, summarising, monitoring, questioning and inferring to compare and contrast ideas and opinions in and between texts. 
    AC9E10LY01 
    Analyse and evaluate how people, places, events and concepts are represented in texts and reflect contexts.
    AC9E10LY03 
    Analyse and evaluate how language features are used to implicitly or explicitly represent values, beliefs and attitudes.
     Media Arts 
    Year 8 
    Year 9+10 
    Exploring and responding 
    AC9AMA8E01 
    Investigate the ways that media arts concepts are used in media arts works and practices across cultures, times, places and/or other contexts.
     
    AC9AMA10E01 
    Investigate the ways that media artists use media arts concepts to construct representations in media arts works and practices across cultures, times, places and/or other contexts.
     
     Critical and Creative Thinking 
    Year 8 
    Year 9+10 
    Inquiring - Identify, process and evaluate information 
     
    Identify and clarify significant information and opinion from a range of sources, including visual information and digital sources.
     
    Inquiring - Identify, process and evaluate information 
     
     
    Identify and clarify significant information and opinion from a range of sources, including visual information and digital sources.
    Analysing - Interpret concepts and problems 
     
     
    Evaluate the information selected to determine bias and reliability.
    Analysing - Draw conclusions and provide reasons 
     
    Draw conclusions and make choices when completing tasks by connecting evidence from within and across discipline areas to provide reasons and evaluate arguments for choices made.
     
    Reflecting - Transfer knowledge 
     
    Transfer knowledge and skills gained in previous experiences to both similar and different contexts, and explain reasons for decisions and choices made.
     
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