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Unit of Work Adapted for a Group of Year 2, 3, 4 Students

Australian Bush

LESSON 1

LEARNING FOCUS

  • Further developing oral language skills- speaking and listening
  • Develop a higher level of thinking
  • Improve ability to ask probing and relevant questions about the text
  • Make connections between text and self
  • Further develop mapping skills
  • Features of a fiction and a non-fiction book
  1. Explain that the book that is going to be read is a true story about three young children who got lost in the bush near Natimuk back in the 1860’s. Google maps and show the students the location of Natimuk or use a large map of Victoria. Discuss the location of Natimuk in relation to Warrnambool. Work out the distance in kilometres and how much time it would take to get there.
  2. Read ‘Lost! A Traditional Tale from the Bush’ by Stephanie Owen Reeder- Chapters 1 and 2
  3. Discuss the type of book it is. Is it non-fiction? Is it fiction? Where would this book belong on the library shelf?
  4. Individual Task: Create a story flag recording information about title, author, main characters and setting. Draw a picture of your favourite part in the middle of the flag.
  5. Whole class share time.

LESSON 2

LEARNING FOCUS

  • Further developing oral language skills- speaking and listening
  • Develop a higher level of thinking
  • Improve ability to ask probing and relevant questions about the text
  • Make connections between text and self
  1. Take students out to front of school to the area of bushland- gum trees, etc. Continue to read ‘Lost! A Traditional Tale from the Bush’ by Stephanie Owen Reeder- Chapters 3 and 4. Discuss the things that they can see, hear, feel, touch and smell when sitting in this bushland area.
  2. Whole class discussion: How do you think the children were feeling? What do you think the children would hear in the bush during the day? What would they hear at night? How would the bush noises be different? What might they smell, see, touch or feel? Choose one of the senses and write about it on a gum leaf? For example, I can hear the rustling of the leaves as lizards scuttle along. Write idea on a paper cut out of a gum leaf. Create a whole class graphic organiser clearly showing their ideas.

LESSON 3

LEARNING FOCUS

  • Further developing oral language skills- speaking and listening
  • Develop a higher level of thinking
  • Improve ability to ask probing and relevant questions about the text
  • Identifying significant events in the story
  • Predicting an ending to the story
  1. Mystery box activity- students have twenty questions to guess what is in the box. It is something significant from the story- blueberries, gum leaves, hat.
  2. Complete ‘Lost! A Traditional Tale from the Bush’ by Stephanie Owen Reeder.
  3. Whole Class Discussion: What should the children have done when they realised they were lost? Why did they call in the Aboriginal trackers? Did they make a difference? What words would best describe John Duff when he found his children? How important was Jane’s dress to their survival?
  4. Discuss the significant events in the story. Make a list on the whiteboard. Create a whole class patchwork quilt. Each student to complete a section, illustrating the significant events in the story.

RESOURCES

Edwina the Emu by Sheena Knowles il: Rod Clement

Edward the Emu by Sheena Knowles il: Rod Clement

Kokey Koala and the Bush Olympics by TriixieWhitmore il: Claire Yerbury and Marlene Nash

Koala Lou by Mem Fox

Christmas Wombat by Jackie French il: Bruce Whatley

Koala Australia by Steve Parish

Kolah the Koala by Jo Resnick and Jan Davis

Grainger’s World- Yindi: The Last Koala? (DVD)

Rod Clement Collection (CD)