NZ Curriculum · Year 10 English · Junior Secondary

Year 10 English Lesson Plan & Curriculum Map

A full-year Year 10 English lesson plan for the New Zealand Curriculum (English learning area). 156 lessons across the school year from February to December, set out week by week for 1, 2, 3 or 4 lessons a week, covering persuasive and analytical nonfiction and media; analytical essays, persuasive speech and novel study; narrative voice, essay writing and poetry; and poetry, drama and comparative analysis.

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Year 10 English learning map

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1 day/week · steady pace2–3 days/week · guided practice

February · Persuasive and analytical nonfiction and media

Year 10 English — February Lesson Plan

New Zealand Curriculum · English

Week	1 Day/Week	2 Day/Week	3 Day/Week	4 Day/Week
February 1st week (English)	Persuasive Language Techniques 1. Introducing rhetorical devices (ethos, pathos, logos)	Persuasive Language Techniques 1. Introducing rhetorical devices (ethos, pathos, logos) 2. Identifying persuasive techniques in print advertisements (slogans, imagery, brand promises)	Persuasive Language Techniques 1. Introducing rhetorical devices (ethos, pathos, logos) 2. Identifying persuasive techniques in print advertisements (slogans, imagery, brand promises) 3. Analysing tone and emotive language in opinion pieces (words like "shocking", "outrageous", "vital")	Persuasive Language Techniques 1. Introducing rhetorical devices (ethos, pathos, logos) 2. Identifying persuasive techniques in print advertisements (slogans, imagery, brand promises) 3. Analysing tone and emotive language in opinion pieces (words like "shocking", "outrageous", "vital") 4. Practice: annotating a persuasive text for technique and effect
February 2nd week (English)	Persuasive Language Techniques 1. Identifying persuasive techniques in print advertisements (slogans, imagery, brand promises)	Persuasive Language Techniques 1. Analysing tone and emotive language in opinion pieces (words like "shocking", "outrageous", "vital") 2. Practice: annotating a persuasive text for technique and effect	Persuasive Language Techniques 1. Practice: annotating a persuasive text for technique and effect Media & Opinion Texts 1. Analysing opinion articles and editorials 2. Comparing persuasive techniques across print, digital and video media	Media & Opinion Texts 1. Analysing opinion articles and editorials 2. Comparing persuasive techniques across print, digital and video media 3. Analysing political speeches for rhetorical strategy (repetition, rule of three, direct address) 4. Understanding audience and purpose in persuasive texts (who is being targeted, what response is wanted)
February 3rd week (English)	Persuasive Language Techniques 1. Analysing tone and emotive language in opinion pieces (words like "shocking", "outrageous", "vital")	Media & Opinion Texts 1. Analysing opinion articles and editorials 2. Comparing persuasive techniques across print, digital and video media	Media & Opinion Texts 1. Analysing political speeches for rhetorical strategy (repetition, rule of three, direct address) 2. Understanding audience and purpose in persuasive texts (who is being targeted, what response is wanted) Language, Values & Perspective 1. How language can include or exclude audiences (inclusive "we"/"us" vs exclusive labelling or jargon)	Language, Values & Perspective 1. How language can include or exclude audiences (inclusive "we"/"us" vs exclusive labelling or jargon) 2. Identifying implicit values in evaluative language (e.g. "claims" vs "states", "regime" vs "government") 3. Analysing bias and loaded language in media reports 4. Case study: comparing two articles on the same issue for perspective
February 4th week (English)	Persuasive Language Techniques 1. Practice: annotating a persuasive text for technique and effect	Media & Opinion Texts 1. Analysing political speeches for rhetorical strategy (repetition, rule of three, direct address) 2. Understanding audience and purpose in persuasive texts (who is being targeted, what response is wanted)	Language, Values & Perspective 1. Identifying implicit values in evaluative language (e.g. "claims" vs "states", "regime" vs "government") 2. Analysing bias and loaded language in media reports 3. Case study: comparing two articles on the same issue for perspective	Text Structure & Cohesion in Nonfiction 1. How nonfiction texts are structured for purpose (problem-solution, chronological, cause-effect) 2. Paragraph structure and cohesion devices (topic sentences, linking words like "however", "therefore") 3. Analysing how paragraphs and images work together in articles 4. Practice: restructuring a poorly organised text for cohesion

March · Persuasive and analytical nonfiction and media

Year 10 English — March Lesson Plan

New Zealand Curriculum · English

Week	1 Day/Week	2 Day/Week	3 Day/Week	4 Day/Week
March 1st week (English)	Media & Opinion Texts 1. Analysing opinion articles and editorials	Language, Values & Perspective 1. How language can include or exclude audiences (inclusive "we"/"us" vs exclusive labelling or jargon) 2. Identifying implicit values in evaluative language (e.g. "claims" vs "states", "regime" vs "government")	Text Structure & Cohesion in Nonfiction 1. How nonfiction texts are structured for purpose (problem-solution, chronological, cause-effect) 2. Paragraph structure and cohesion devices (topic sentences, linking words like "however", "therefore") 3. Analysing how paragraphs and images work together in articles	Sentence Craft & Syntax 1. Analysing sentence structures for effect (short sentences for impact, long sentences for detail) 2. How syntax creates meaning and style (word order, fronting a key word for emphasis) 3. Punctuation as a persuasive/stylistic tool (em dashes, ellipses, exclamation marks) 4. Practice: sentence-level editing for impact
March 2nd week (English)	Media & Opinion Texts 1. Comparing persuasive techniques across print, digital and video media	Language, Values & Perspective 1. Analysing bias and loaded language in media reports 2. Case study: comparing two articles on the same issue for perspective	Text Structure & Cohesion in Nonfiction 1. Practice: restructuring a poorly organised text for cohesion Sentence Craft & Syntax 1. Analysing sentence structures for effect (short sentences for impact, long sentences for detail) 2. How syntax creates meaning and style (word order, fronting a key word for emphasis)	Visual & Multimodal Persuasion 1. Analysing visual persuasion techniques (colour, composition, focal point) 2. Camera angles, framing and composition in visual texts 3. Comparing print vs digital persuasive multimodal texts 4. Practice: annotating an advertisement's visual and verbal features
March 3rd week (English)	Media & Opinion Texts 1. Analysing political speeches for rhetorical strategy (repetition, rule of three, direct address)	Text Structure & Cohesion in Nonfiction 1. How nonfiction texts are structured for purpose (problem-solution, chronological, cause-effect) 2. Paragraph structure and cohesion devices (topic sentences, linking words like "however", "therefore")	Sentence Craft & Syntax 1. Punctuation as a persuasive/stylistic tool (em dashes, ellipses, exclamation marks) 2. Practice: sentence-level editing for impact Visual & Multimodal Persuasion 1. Analysing visual persuasion techniques (colour, composition, focal point)	Planning a Persuasive/Analytical Response 1. Understanding essay structure for analytical writing (introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion) 2. Planning: thesis statement and argument structure 3. Drafting body paragraphs with evidence and technique analysis 4. Using academic and technical vocabulary precisely (e.g. "undermines", "epitomises", "juxtaposes")
March 4th week (English)	Media & Opinion Texts 1. Understanding audience and purpose in persuasive texts (who is being targeted, what response is wanted)	Text Structure & Cohesion in Nonfiction 1. Analysing how paragraphs and images work together in articles 2. Practice: restructuring a poorly organised text for cohesion	Visual & Multimodal Persuasion 1. Camera angles, framing and composition in visual texts 2. Comparing print vs digital persuasive multimodal texts 3. Practice: annotating an advertisement's visual and verbal features	Drafting & Editing the Analytical Essay 1. Drafting a full analytical response 2. Peer feedback and revision strategies 3. Editing for clarity, cohesion and sentence variety 4. Finalising and publishing the analytical essay

April · Persuasive and analytical nonfiction and media

Year 10 English — April Lesson Plan

New Zealand Curriculum · English

Week	1 Day/Week	2 Day/Week	3 Day/Week	4 Day/Week
April 1st week (English)	Language, Values & Perspective 1. How language can include or exclude audiences (inclusive "we"/"us" vs exclusive labelling or jargon)	Sentence Craft & Syntax 1. Analysing sentence structures for effect (short sentences for impact, long sentences for detail) 2. How syntax creates meaning and style (word order, fronting a key word for emphasis)	Planning a Persuasive/Analytical Response 1. Understanding essay structure for analytical writing (introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion) 2. Planning: thesis statement and argument structure 3. Drafting body paragraphs with evidence and technique analysis	Oral Presentation — Persuasive Speech 1. Planning a persuasive spoken presentation 2. Selecting rhetorical devices and structuring the speech 3. Rehearsing delivery: voice, tone, pace, pitch 4. Delivering persuasive speeches to the class
April 2nd week (English)	Language, Values & Perspective 1. Identifying implicit values in evaluative language (e.g. "claims" vs "states", "regime" vs "government")	Sentence Craft & Syntax 1. Punctuation as a persuasive/stylistic tool (em dashes, ellipses, exclamation marks) 2. Practice: sentence-level editing for impact	Planning a Persuasive/Analytical Response 1. Using academic and technical vocabulary precisely (e.g. "undermines", "epitomises", "juxtaposes") Drafting & Editing the Analytical Essay 1. Drafting a full analytical response 2. Peer feedback and revision strategies	Term 1 Assessment & Consolidation 1. Revision workshop — persuasive techniques and analysis 2. Practice analytical response under timed conditions 3. Term 1 assessment: analytical essay or in-class response 4. Feedback session and goal-setting

The learning framework

Anatomy of a focused lesson

Each session moves from a clear focus to guided practice and a quick check for understanding.

10 minutes

Read and question

Open with a short extract or text and a focus question that links to the unit and to earlier learning.

25 minutes

Analyse and draft

Unpick language features and structure together with clear models, then plan or draft a paragraph that uses the skill.

10 minutes

Check for mastery

Close with a short written response or feedback on the draft that shows what is secure and what to revisit next lesson.

Student learning toolkit

Resources for Year 10 English

Reading lessons

Guided lessons on the texts, genres and language features in each unit.

Writing practice

Planning frames, models and short tasks matched to each week’s focus.

Speaking and listening

Discussion, presentation and oral language activities built up through the year.

Progress notes

A clear record of what your child has mastered and what comes next.

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