MOSSGIEL PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL

STORIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD – Years 1 & 2 Even years

This unit combines compatible content and skills from the Australian English Literature Curriculum and the three Priorities with the Victorian Essential Learning Standards forEnglish AND relevant interdisciplinary learning from VELS Personal Learning, Interdisciplinary Learning, Thinking Processes.

NB The VELS focus for this unit is Personal Learning because it is taught in first term when the main focus is on developing good work habits and cooperative behaviours.

This unit was developed by Lisa Hill

Contents

LESSON SEQUENCES

Lesson 1

Lesson 2

Lesson 3

Lesson 4

Lesson 5

Lesson 6

Lesson 7

Lesson 8

Lesson 9

Lesson 10

Lesson 11

Key Understandings for Assessment

Focus Questions

LEARNING FOCUS

SLAV TEACHER-LIBRARIAN PROGRAM P-6

VICTORIAN ESSENTIAL LEARNING STANDARDS LEARNING FOCUS

VELS Learning Focus English Level 2

VELS Learning Focus Thinking Processes Level 2

VELS Learning Focus Personal Learning Level 2

VELS Learning Focus Interpersonal Learning Level 2

AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM ENGLISH LEVEL DESCRIPTION Years 1 & 2

AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM CONTENT DESCRIPTIONS AND ELABORATIONS – ENGLISH: Years 1 & 2

READING AND VIEWING

SPEAKING AND LISTENING

AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM PRIORITIES

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures

Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia

ACHIEVEMENT STANDARDS

VICTORIAN ESSENTIAL LEARNING STANDARDS (VELS) ACHIEVEMENT STANDARDS

VELS English Standards Years 1 & 2

VELS Thinking Processes Standards Years 1 & 2

VELS Personal Learning Standards Years 1 & 2

VELS Interpersonal Learning Standards Foundation Years 1 & 2

AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM ACHIEVEMENT STANDARDS – ENGLISH

AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM ENGLISH Years 1 & 2

PoLT (Principles of Learning and Teaching)

PoLT focus to be embedded in this unit.

LESSON SEQUENCES

Lesson 1

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Lesson 2

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Lesson 3

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Lesson 4

Activities / Set up teaching groups (4) before the lesson).
Review rules of the library. Discuss care of books, working with others and consequences of choosing to break the rules. Review borrowing procedures i.e. locating Picture Books and Non Fiction.
Cue in by talking about fairy tales and where they come from. Are they Australian stories? How do you know? Introduce Red Riding Hood as a story from France[i], show location of France on a globe of the world.
Read Little Red Riding Hood. Discuss how is this story similar to other versions children know? Why did Red Riding Hood disobey her mother? Values education: Was she honest and trustworthy? Would her mother forgive her?
Whole class: Thinking activity: Use Character Rating Grid to analyse Red Riding Hood’s character, discussing evidence from the story for opinion.
Introduce table groups.
Activity: Draw the best part of the story.
No borrowing this week.
Assessment for Learning:
Observe for readiness: engagement; participation; familiarity with library routines. / Cue in with discussion about what children have seen or experienced to do with Chinese New Year.
Distribute items from items (e.g. trishaw, chopsticks, jade stamper, mini abacus) in Chinese Discovery Box to teams; children guess what they are and what they are used for. Share ideas.
Using pictures from picture set China Today discuss the Great Wall, and the Forbidden City (i.e. the emperor’s palace). Read The Seven Chinese Brothers & discuss sequence of events and characterisation, linking with students’ own experience of people who behave in the same way.
Introduce NF texts about China: identify text features of NF i.e. table of contents, index, pictures with captions & paragraphs under headings and sub headings.
Model browsing texts, reading captions, Students browse N/F texts; write and draw an interesting fact about China.
Browsing and borrowing
Introduce Personal Learning Journals. / Remind students that last week’s story was from China which is part of Asia, locate on globe and elicit the name of the ‘long thin country’ in the southwest of Asia i.e. Vietnam.
Show Vietnamese headdress & explain its use, & show relevant pictures from N/F texts about Vietnam, i.e. growing & harvesting rice, women’s clothing, & buildings painted in Royal Yellow e.g. the Opera House.
Discuss text features of NF books and how they are different to fiction books.
Read The Golden Slipper, pausing to identify aspects which are similar to the Cinderella story.
Model completing PMI: The Golden Slipper (a legend from Vietnam): What did/didn’t you like, what was interesting about this story?
Browsing and borrowing
Complete Personal Learning Journals. / Remind students that last week’s story was from Vietnam which is part of Asia; this week’s story is from a different continent. Elicit name of continent by listing wild animals that live there e.g. lions & elephants. Locate on globe and talk about the many countries on the continent. Identify Zimbabwe and South Africa as source of today’s story.
Show African artefacts & discuss. Using selected NF texts, show aspects of life in South Africa & Zimbabwe. Review text features of NF books and how they are different to fiction books.
Read Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters, an African Tale, pausing to identify strong emotions in the story: jealousy, anger, fear. Discuss the behaviour of the two girls, linking to other stories of jealous siblings children know of e.g. Cinderella.
Model completing Stories Around the World worksheet, listing name of story, country and continent and drawing a scene from the story that includes the main characters, showing their physical characteristics.
Browsing and borrowing
Complete Personal Learning Journals.
Resources / Globe of the world
Little Red Riding Hood, retold & illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman (398 LIT). / Globe of the world
The Seven Chinese Brothers retold by Margaret Mahy, Scholastic, 1990 (398 MAH)
Chinese Discovery Box
China Today (PP 951 LEY)
Selected N/F books about China (951)
Personal Learning Journals / Globe of the world
The Golden Slipper retold by Darrell Lum, Legends of the World, Troll Associates, 1994
Selected N/F books about Vietnam (959)
Teacher-made PMI about The Golden Slipper. / Globe of the world
Globe of the world
Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters, an African Tale by John Steptoe (398 STE)
Selected NF books about Africa & artefacts
Teacher-made Stories around the World Worksheet
Special needs /
  • At risk
  • ESL
  • Gifted
Observe for at-risk, ESL and gifted students. /
  • At risk/ESL: provide assistance with reading & vocabulary
  • Gifted: challenge students to search for aspects of life in China different/the same as Australia.
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  • At risk/ESL: provide assistance with spelling and vocabulary
  • Gifted: challenge students to write longer sentences with adjectives.
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  • At risk/ESL: provide assistance to identify & orally describe physical characteristics
  • Gifted: challenge students to include aspects of the setting in the picture.

SLAV Library program / LS 2.1 distinguish between picture story and factual books
LS 2.2 verbalise obvious themes in picture story books
LS 2.3 verbalise sequence of main events in stories / LS 2.1 distinguish between picture story and factual books
LS 2.2 verbalise obvious themes in picture story books
LS 2.3 verbalise sequence of main events in stories / With teacher assistance, modelling and scaffolding students will be able to:
LS 2.1 distinguish between picture story and factual books
LS 2.2 verbalise obvious themes in picture story books
LS 2.3 verbalise sequence of main events in stories
LS 2.5 describe the setting for a particular picture story book / LS 2.4 identify the main characters from particular picture story books and describe significant physical features
LS 2.5 describe the setting for a particular picture story book
LS 2.6 identify strong emotions that occur in a picture story book and explain the contribution of the illustrations to that end
VELS
Learning Focus
Level 2 / Thinking Processes: Students develop their skills in making accurate observations about people and events, and they begin to use a variety of means to record their observations. They develop their own explanations for the observations they make and learn to question the accuracy of other people’s explanations. They begin to understand that people are more likely to believe explanations if evidence or reasons are provided. / Personal Learning Focus: Students begin to record their feelings and understanding about their learning, responding to prompts which help them acknowledge their successes, noting where improvements could be made and reflecting on the effort they put into particular tasks. / Personal Learning Focus: Students begin to take responsibility for managing their time and resources within the context of structured tasks that have clear outcomes and a set time frame. / Personal Learning Focus: Students begin to take responsibility for managing their time and resources within the context of structured tasks that have clear outcomes and a set time frame.
Australian curriculum Content
Year 1 / Discuss how authors create characters using language and images (ACELT1581) / Discuss characters and events in a range of literary texts and share personal responses to these texts, making connections with students' own experiences (ACELT1582) / Express preferences for specific texts and authors and listen to the opinions of others (ACELT1583) / Discuss how authors create characters using language and images (ACELT1581)
Australian curriculum Content
Year 2 / Identify aspects of different types of literary texts that entertain, and give reasons for personal preferences (ACELT1590) / Discuss how depictions of characters in print, sound and images reflect the contexts in which they were created (ACELT1587) / Compare opinions about characters, events and settings in and between texts (ACELT1589) / Discuss how depictions of characters in print, sound and images reflect the contexts in which they were created (ACELT1587)
E5 / Negotiate simple rubric with clear expectations about what kind of work deserves a sticker. Revisit the rubric, especially with at-risk students. / Negotiate simple rubric with clear expectations about what kind of work deserves a sticker. Revisit the rubric, especially with at-risk students / Negotiate simple rubric with clear expectations about what kind of work deserves a sticker. Revisit the rubric, especially with at-risk students / Develop simple rubric with clear expectations about what kind of work deserves a sticker. Stress that the picture must show the main characters & their physical characteristics. Revisit the rubric, especially with at-risk students.

Lesson 5

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Lesson 6

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Lesson 7

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Lesson 8

Activities / Remind students that last week’s story was from South Africa, a country in the continent of Africa; this week’s story is from a different continent. Elicit name of country by listing wild animals that live there e.g. tigers and elephants. Locate on globe and talk about other countries on the continent. Identify India on the continent of Asia as the source of today’s story.
Show Indian artefacts & discuss. Using selected NF texts, show aspects of life in India including tigers & jackals and explain that a Brahmin is a member of the priestly caste[ii]. Review text features of NF books and how they are different to fiction books.
Read The Tiger, the Brahmin and the Jackal pausing to identify strong emotions and behaviours in the story: fear, compassion, greed, deceit, & anger. Discuss the behaviour of the two animals, linking to other stories of sneaky animals that they know of e.g. in Aesop’s Fables.
Model completing Stories Around the World worksheet, listing name of story, country and continent and drawing a scene from the story that includes the main characters, showing their physical characteristics.
Browsing and borrowing
Complete Personal Learning Journals. / Remind students that last week’s story was from India, a country in the continent of Asia; this week’s story is from off shore islands in the same continent. Elicit name of country by naming Bali as a place that many Australians visit and by using Indonesian words the children know e.g. greetings. Locate Indonesia on globe and discuss how many islands make up Indonesia (more than 18000).Identify Bali in Indonesia in SE Asia as the source of today’s story.
Show Indonesian artefacts & discuss. Using selected NF texts, show aspects of life in Indonesia. Explain that the lion in the story is not the African lion but the Asiatic lion now found only in the wild in India, and that Indian people once lived in Indonesia and that is why some of their stories include Indian animals.
Read Gecko’s Complaint pausing to identify strong emotions and behaviours in the story: impatience, unkindness, blaming others.Discuss the behaviour of the animals, linking to other stories of animals that they know of e.g. in Aesop’s Fables.
Model completing Stories Around the World worksheet, listing name of story, country and continent and drawing a scene from the story that includes main characters, showing their physical characteristics
Browsing and borrowing
Complete Personal Learning Journals. / Remind students that last week’s story was from Indonesia, in Southeast Asia; this week’s story is from the northern hemisphere. Elicit name of country by naming some of the famous landmarks of France such as the Eiffel Tower. Locate on globe and identify Paris as the capital. City
Using selected NF texts, show aspects of life in France. Explain that many stories from Europe have been shared around the world especially in English speaking countries.
Read Puss in Books pausing to identify strong emotions and behaviours in the story: ingratitude, cruelty, lying, cunning, threats, cheating. Discuss the behaviour of the animals, linking to other stories of animals that they know of e.g. in Aesop’s Fables.
Model a character analysis sheet comparing the behaviours of Puss in Boots.
Students complete their Character Analysis Worksheet and then illustrate the story on the back.
Browsing and borrowing
Complete Personal Learning Journals. / Remind students that last week’s story was from France in Europe; this week’s story is also from the northern hemisphere but from a different continent. Elicit name of country by naming some of famous places in America such as Disneyland. Locate on globe and identify Washington as the capital city.
Using selected NF texts, show aspects of life in America. Explain that many stories from America have been shared around the world especially in English speaking countries.
Read Rip Van Winkle pausing to identify clothing which shows the era and the changes in the setting. Using the detailed facial expressions in the illustrations, discuss the impact of time travel on Rip Van Winkle, (his physical appearance and his emotions). Was it an enjoyable experience?
Model a PMI showing the advantages and disadvantages of time travel.
Students complete their PMI with sentences and illustrations from the story.
Browsing and borrowing
Complete Personal Learning Journals
Resources / The Tiger, the Brahmin and the Jackal by K. Lock and D. Kennett, Era Publications, 1995
Globe of the world
Selected NF books about India, & artefacts
Teacher-made Stories around the World Worksheet from previous lesson / Gecko’s Complaintretold by Ann Martin Bowler (398 BOW)
Globe of the world
Selected NF books about Indonesia, & artefacts
Teacher-made Stories around the World Worksheet from previous lesson. / Puss in Boots by Charles Perrault, illustrated by Fred Marcellino (398 PER)
Globe of the world
Selected NF books about France
Teacher-made Character Analysis Worksheet / Rip Van Winkle, Once Upon a Time Stories, (398 RIP)
Globe of the world
Selected NF books about America
Teacher-made PMI about Time Travel worksheet
Special needs /
  • At risk/ESL: use pictures in the book to review the sequence of events; encourage full sentences to describe favourite part for the picture.
  • Gifted: discuss the ethics behind the resolution: why did the Brahmin stick by his bargain?
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  • At risk/ESL: use pictures in the book to review the sequence of events; encourage full sentences to describe favourite part for the picture.
  • Gifted: Draw a chain of events sequence showing how each animal complained about another.
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  • At risk/ESL: use pictures in the book to review the actions of the cat; encourage full sentences to explain reasons why they think the way they do.
  • Gifted: Draw what will happen next: will they live happily ever after?
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  • At risk/ESL: use pictures in the book to review the sequence of events, encourage full sentences to explain reasons why they think the way they do.
  • Gifted: Evaluate the ending: would he really be happy ever after?

SLAV Library program / With teacher assistance, modelling and scaffolding students will be able to:
LS 2.1 distinguish between picture story and factual books
LS 2.2 verbalise obvious themes in picture story books
LS 2.3 verbalise sequence of main events in stories
LS 2.4 identify the main characters from particular picture story books and describe significant physical features / With teacher assistance, modelling and scaffolding students will be able to: