This semester, Year 9 Myths & Monsters students have been exploring a deceptively simple question: Why do stories exist, and what happens when people believe them?
Throughout the elective, students have investigated how stories can shape behaviour, influence audiences and reinforce ideas about fear, power and identity. They began by exploring Greek, Roman and Norse mythology, looking beyond gods and monsters to consider ideas such as punishment, authority, perspective and who benefits from the way a story is told.
Students also engaged with a very important form of storytelling through the Den of Nargun, a place-based Gunaikurnai cultural story connected to Country. Students approached the story as living cultural knowledge, learning about its cultural significance and considering how stories can carry knowledge across generations, reinforce responsibilities to Country, and protect the meaning and significance of place.
As the semester progressed, the class moved into contemporary storytelling and media. Students analysed political advertising and satire, examining how fear, reassurance and carefully constructed narratives can influence an audience. At different points, students even stepped into the role of politicians themselves, responding to questions on the spot and experiencing how language, performance and presentation can shape the message an audience receives.
The course has also provided plenty of opportunities for creativity. Students have designed their own gods of the school, explored monsters from different perspectives, created dragons and experimented with using symbolism to turn everyday ideas into stories.
For their first assessment task, students brought these skills together in an analytical task that asked them to interpret a range of texts and explain the beliefs being communicated, how audiences were being positioned and who benefited when particular stories or ideas were accepted.
More recently, students took their learning beyond the classroom with a visit to McClelland Sculpture Park. Working in pairs, they completed a specially designed Mystery Trail, following a series of investigation files through the park to locate sculptures, solve clues and uncover connections between artworks.
Rather than simply viewing the sculptures, students were asked to treat the park itself as a text: observing details, interpreting symbols, following a carefully constructed sequence and considering how an audience can be guided through an experience.
The excursion will now become inspiration for the next stage of their learning, as students begin designing their own McClelland mystery activities before completing their final assessment task.
For their final assessment, students will create their own belief-based myth, develop it into a symbolic narrative, and then communicate the same myth through a chosen media form, such as a poster, social media post, advertisement, artwork, film concept or performance. They will also explain their authorial choices and consider how those choices are intended to shape an audience’s response.
The McClelland visit was a great opportunity to see students collaborating, problem-solving and applying their English skills in a very different environment before bringing together everything they have explored throughout the semester.