English Outcomes

EN2-1A communicates in a range of informal and formal contexts by adopting a range of roles in group, classroom, school and community contexts EN2-2A plans, composes and reviews a range of texts that are more demanding in terms of topic, audience and language EN2-8B identifies and compares different kinds of texts when reading and viewing and shows an understanding of purpose, audience and subject matter EN2-9B uses effective and accurate sentence structure, grammatical features, punctuation conventions and vocabulary relevant to the type of text when responding to and

composing texts
EN2-10C thinks imaginatively, creatively and interpretively about information, ideas and texts when responding to and composing texts

English Responding to texts: Visual Literacy My Place by Nadia Wheatley Introduction: What kind of text do you think this is and why? Make predictions about what the text may be about. Demonstrate the think aloud strategy, discussing salient features of the front cover, e.g. the tear. Summary: This story will transport us back into the past. This story of Australia is told from the perspective of children who you may find have lots in common with you. Everyone is a part of history and no matter where you live in Australia, your place has a story as old as the land. Discussion questions: What are the advantages and disadvantages of living now rather than some time in the past? What things were important to people at the time in which they lived? Which time would you most like to live in and why? What are some of the childrens difficulties and hardships at the time? What series of events have taken place to the environment over time for it to change from a natural environment uninhabited by people to the bustling urban environment featured on the cover? What words do you hear that are related to family? E.g. mum, mama, Vati, pa, steps-sister, extended family What do the characters have in common? Are any of your problems similar to other childrens? Are some very different? Do you know what you would do in their position? How would you feel? Read closely the My Place entries for 1958, 1968 and 1978, to find out as much as you can about Michaelis family who are Gre ek-Australian. Students can ask their relatives about what they especially remember during those times. Create a list of 6 significant events from Mamas story and illustrate them as a story map in sequential order. Read Barangaroos story closely (at the end of the book) then watch Barangaroos video from the My Place website and discuss her hardships and feelings at the time. Write a journal entry from Barangaroos perspective as a class. Newspaper article see Writing section of unit.

Write a letter to Natalie Wheatley containing questions you have about the book and its characters. Brainstorm ideas as a class and then let students write their own.

Extension: Write a historical narrative about my place in the year 2088. Include information about housing and shelter, transport, food, furniture, work, education and leisure. Establish an approximate timeline for one family in My Place. Rabbits by Shaun Tan Comment on the style of illustrations. Read the book. Jot down some words to indicate what you felt after an initial reading. What words come to mind? What is an allegory? A dictionary definition will give you an answer. Find other allegories see if you can find some in picture book format. This book is clearly not about rabbits. What do you think it is about? Why do you think The Rabbits was chosen as the title of the book? Give reasons for your answer. How are they depicted? There is a paucity of words in this book, yet they are used with tremendous effect. Find examples where words are used unusually to convey a concept. Explain what effect those words have. The illustrations go a long way towards helping the reader interpret the text. Take one page and examine it closely. Give a detailed account of what you can glean from the illustrations. Look at the way in which the invaders are depicted and how the image of them alters as the book progresses. What effect does this have on the reader? What impressions do you get of the newcomers at first? Show how the illustrator makes us change our initial response. Many symbols are used by the illustrator throughout the book. Find some and say what you think they are portraying and why the artist has used them. What does the cover suggest? Comment further. Comprehension Resource: Australian Explorers by Gunter Schymkiw (library resource) contains the following information: Aboriginal People The Mystery of the Great South Land The Dutch Spice Traders Dirk Hartog Abel Tasman William Dampier James Cook Exploration in Early Sydney The Journey of the First Fleet Comprehension Activity saved in shared file yr4_lit_esa_history Examine the vocabulary within the text. Discuss any unfamiliar words. Students explain what the text is about. Guided note-taking students use the template provided to help them understand the key ideas within this text.

Visual Literacy Students examine images of the first fleet ships In groups, students respond to the questions: what does it look like? what would it smell like? what would it sound like? how would you feel? Students then use this information to begin writing a narrative from the perspective of a convict, depicting what like was like when they first boarded the ships. Students examine images of the arrival in Australia. Respond to the same questions and use this to continue their narrative as they arrive. Writing Creating Texts: Informative Information Report 1 on a Convict Choose a convict to research Write an information report about chosen person Remodel the information report in the form of a speech to present to the class as if you are the convict talking about yourself and what life was like. Information Report 2 on an Introduced Plant or Animal Species Links with Growing Colony Lessons in History, Botantical Artists art lesson and the study of Rabbits. Create an information report about the introduced plant and animal species in Australia. Discuss how this has contributed to the landscape of Australia. Are these plants and animals still here? How have they survived? Why didnt they survive? Extension: Students complete an information report about the animals or equipment that came on the first fleet. Imaginative Texts Historical Narratives Historical narratives include a journal, letter, diary or newspaper. Use research guides and proformas to assist with planning. 1. Journals Introduction: Show the students examples of the journals by different people from the First Fleet. http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/discover_collections/history_nation/terra_australis/journals/ Discuss how in those times they had to write journals and keep drawings as a way of recording their findings. Each week students write a journal entry from the perspective of someone different from the unit. For example;

an Indigenous Australian an explorer a botanist an astronomer a navigator a crew member on the Endeavour Captain Cook Joseph Banks a convict Captain Phillip a stowaway a child on the First Fleet a settler

2. Letter Links with First Fleet lessons in history unit. Develop a historical narrative in the form of a letter to explain how life changed after arriving in Australia on the First Fleet. This can be from the perspective of a settler or a convict. 3. Newspaper Article Links with My Place lessons in English unit. As a class, write a newspaper article discussing the history of one of the main buildings in My Place. E.g. the convicts hut, the Owens big house, No. 76, the Mullers house or Barangaroos hut. Discuss the structure and grammar of newspaper articles. Assessment Writing Task: Links with Homework task on interviewing a relative, researching their family tree and My Place lessons in the English unit. My Personal Historical Narrative Students will use the information from the homework task, where they will interview their family, and the family tree activity to independently write a historical narrative. They may choose to write either a letter, journal entry or newspaper article. They should include the following information: a map of their place, talk about who lives at their place, where their family came from, what their family like doing and the best thing about their place. Compile the historical narratives to make a class big book and arrange a temporary swap with another class. Extra Imaginative Ideas: The future What would happen if we were invaded by aliens who did not understand or value our culture? Talking and Listening Debating: Each class will work on a chosen debate topic and compete against another class in a round robin style competition. Debating wont begin until after NAPLAN.

Step 1 Topic is agreed upon by teachers and given to students. Step 2 - Students will research ideas, form arguments and write speeches. Step 3 Teachers will teach techniques. Step 4 - Each class will choose 3 students to debate against another class and develop their skills. Step 5 Interclass debates Step 5 a new debate topic will be chosen. Repeat process with different classes competing. Debating Topics: Variety is the spice of life. How does an accurate knowledge of Australias past help us understand Australia today? Should Captain Cook have claimed the Great South Lands for Britain? How would Australia be different if another country had colonised Australia? Living in the city is better than living in the country. We should teach Aboriginal languages in schools. The benefits and disadvantages of exploration. The modern way of life is as good for the environment as the traditional way of life of tribal Aboriginal people. Speaking - write a script with a convict, a marine, an aboriginal The expansion of the colony.