Mission 1: Know what your mark wants to hear
By the end of ‘Mission 1’, students will be able to:
- identify audience and purpose
- analyse how language, text structures and key words are used to influence an audience
- apply persuasive techniques in their own writing and discussions, selecting important ideas for impact while considering the ethical implications of influencing others.
Mission Brief
Activity 1
This activity is an introduction to the series and the language and themes used throughout. Begin by exploring the About Caper Crew section for episode and character breakdowns.
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About Caper Crew
Explore this section to learn about the series, episodes and characters in Caper Crew.
Activity 2
Watch Episode 1 of Caper Crew, the episode is available on ABC iview. Schools can also purchase a downloadable copy from the ACTF Shop.
Activity 3
As a class, or in smaller groups, discuss the following questions:
The first con-mandment is “Know what your mark wants to hear.”
- What does this phrase mean?
- What is a “mark”?
- Who is being targeted or persuaded?
- Why is it important to understand what someone wants?
Understanding the con
- How do Amelia and Kai figure out what caused them to want “Fudge Mud Cake”?
- What clues do they notice? What do they listen for?
- What does this tell us about observation and empathy?
Applying the trick
- How do they use this idea at school?
- Can you think of everyday situations where people try to tell others what they want to hear? For example, advertising, friendships, group work.
Teacher note: Guide students to recognise the difference between persuasion and manipulation. Encourage discussion about ethical choices.
Activity 4
Work on your own to write a short story (no more than half a page) about something you really want. This could be an object, an opportunity, a place, or a change you care about.
Before you write, think about:
- Who is your audience? (for example: a parent, teacher, friend, community)
- What do they care about?
- What do you want to convince them of?
Pick three important words you want your audience to remember. These should connect to your goal.
Make it persuasive
- Use descriptive language to make your goal feel important and meaningful
- Show why it matters, not just what you want
- Think about how your writing can influence your audience’s feelings or decisions
Share and reflect
- Read your story aloud to a partner
- Ask them: What three key words stood out?
- Reflect on their feedback and revise your story to make your message clearer and more memorable
Activity 5
Review all ten con-mandments and interpret their meaning
The 10 Con-mandments
- Know What Your Mark Wants to Hear
- Preparation is All
- Conning is More Art Than Science
- No Team, No Take
- Be the Magnet, Not the Net
- If it Looks Too Good to be True, it is
- Follow Your Nose
- Confidence is Everything
- Sometimes the Best Move is No Move
- Make Your Own Luck
Assign one or two con-mandments to each group. Each group writes a simple explanation, in their own words, of what they think their con-mandment means. They decide whether the con-mandment is helpful, risky or both.
Groups present their explanations and discussion to the class.
As a class, discuss the following questions:
- Which con-mandments are about teamwork?
- Which are about thinking ahead?
- Which could be used for good? Which could cause harm?
Activity 6
Create a class display of the ten con-mandments. Each con-mandment should include:
- A clear explanation
- A visual representation
- A short example
Add to the display as you watch more episodes of Caper Crew and learn more about each con-mandment.
Mission Debrief
Individual reflection
- When writing your story, who was your audience and what did you want them to think, feel or do?
- What three key words did you choose and how did they support your purpose?
- Could your partner remember your key ideas? What does this show about your communication?
- What persuasive techniques did you use to make your message clear and impactful?
- What would you change next time to improve clarity, impact or fairness in your message?
Class reflection
- What role did key words and language choices play in influencing the listener?
- Which storytelling or text structures helped messages stand out?
- What speaking techniques made ideas easier to understand and remember?
- How can we use persuasive skills in a positive and ethical way?
Australian Curriculum
| Year 3-4 |
Year 5-6 |
How this is demonstrated |
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AC9E3LY02 AC9E4LY03 use comprehension strategies such as visualising, predicting, connecting, summarising, monitoring and questioning to build literal and inferred meaning, to expand topic knowledge and ideas, and evaluate texts
understand how the language of evaluation and emotion, such as modal verbs, can be varied to be more or less forceful
describe the effects of text structures and language features in literary texts when responding to and sharing opinions plan, create, edit and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive written and multimodal texts, using visual features, appropriate form and layout, with ideas grouped in simple paragraphs, mostly correct tense, topic-specific vocabulary and correct spelling of most high-frequency and phonetically regular words |
use appropriate interaction skills including paraphrasing and questioning to clarify meaning, make connections to own experience, and present and justify an opinion or idea AC9E6LY03 use comprehension strategies such as visualising, predicting, connecting, summarising, monitoring and questioning to build literal and inferred meaning to evaluate information and ideas understand the uses of objective and subjective language, and identify bias present an opinion on a literary text using specific terms about literary devices, text structures and language features, and reflect on the viewpoints of others plan, create, edit and publish written and multimodal texts whose purposes may be imaginative, informative and persuasive, using paragraphs, a variety of complex sentences, expanded verb groups, tense, topic-specific and vivid vocabulary, punctuation, spelling and visual features
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Understanding audience and purpose by understanding what listener wants and language used to influence them
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Students analyse how language is used to influence others and apply these techniques creatively in their own writing, selecting key words and ideas to shape audience response.
Students explore the ethics of persuasion by considering intention, honesty, and the impact of their words on others, reflecting on when influencing behaviour is fair or misleading.