Yarning Strong: Jali Boy by Ricky Macourt

Yarning Strong: Jali Boy by Ricky Macourt

Lesson plans by Cara Shipp, Term 4, 2011.

Context:

The Yarning Strong series by Laguna Bay Publishing, an OxfordUniversity project, features stories written by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers on subjects such as identity, family, law and land. The books are suitable for upper primary to lower secondary and are relatively simple in presentation and language, though some scaffolding will still be required. Jali Boy in particular has some rich language that needs to be unpacked for kids, as well as conversational language that plays on Aboriginal English.

The Yarning Strong series can be purchased in packs in the abovementioned topics of identity, family, law and land (containing all the Yarning Strong novels plus an anthology of poems, artworks, historical information, primary sources and plays).

Teacher guides are also available for purchase.

This set of lessons for Jali Boy was designed as part of a writer in residence project whereby we had students work on the novel and then work with the author to write their own stories. The use of ipads is a feature of the lesson plans as this is part of the school’s aim to improve literacy through engagement with technology.

ACARA English curriculum for Year 7 – outcomes that could be covered

• Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts, selecting aspects of subject matter and particular language, visual, and audio features to convey information and ideas (ACELY1725)
• Use a range of software, including word processing programs, to confidently create, edit and publish written and multimodal texts(ACELY1728)

• Identify and explore ideas and viewpoints about events, issues and characters represented in texts drawn from different historical, social and cultural contexts(ACELT1619)
• Reflect on ideas and opinions about characters, settings and events in literary texts, identifying areas of agreement and difference with others and justifying a point of view(ACELT1620)
• Discuss aspects of texts, for example their aesthetic and social value, using relevant and appropriate metalanguage(ACELT1803)
• Recognise and analyse the ways that characterisation, events and settings are combined in narratives, and discuss the purposes and appeal of different approaches (ACELT1622)
• Create literary texts that adapt stylistic features encountered in other texts, for example, narrative viewpoint, structure of stanzas, contrast and juxtaposition(ACELT1625)
• Experiment with text structures and language features and their effects in creating literary texts, for example, using rhythm, sound effects, monologue, layout, navigation and colour (ACELT1805)
• Use prior knowledge and text processing strategies to interpret a range of types of texts(ACELY1722)
• Use comprehension strategies to interpret, analyse and synthesise ideas and information, critiquing ideas and issues from a variety of textual sources (ACELY1723)
• Edit for meaning by removing repetition, refining ideas, reordering sentences and adding or substituting words for impact (ACELY1726)
• Understand how accents, styles of speech and idioms express and create personal and social identities (ACELA1529)

Outcomes from the Cross-curriculum perspectives (Aboriginal perspectives)
OI.2 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities maintain a special connection to and responsibility for Country/Place throughout all of Australia. / - Jali’s love of the river, history of missions, totems
OI.3 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have unique belief systems and are spiritually connected to the land, sea, sky and waterways. / - totems, Jali’s mum’s story about ancestors warning the man of the house when family is in trouble
OI.4 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander societies have many Language Groups. / - Discussing author and looking at Tindale map of Aboriginal languages
OI.5 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ ways of life are uniquely expressed through ways of being, knowing, thinking and doing. / - Jali’s ‘difference’ to other kids
OI.6 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have lived in Australia for tens of thousands of years and experiences can be viewed through historical, social and political lenses. / Jali’s mum’s mistrust of police, the experience of a segregated town
OI.9 Australia acknowledges the significant contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people locally and globally. / Jali and Jack’s love of Jonathon Thurston – could lead to looking at heroes (sporting and otherwise)

Lesson Outline

Note that while reading the book, it is advisable to start each chapter with a look at the vocabulary for the chapter (e.g. write on board, discuss and define and/or have kids record in pages on ipad). For lower literacy students, the book could be read aloud by the teacher with students reading along.

Activity / Materials needed
Text orientation: prepare readers with an overview of the text – plot, characters, setting, why you like it, why we’re reading it, information about the author & look at Aboriginal languages map (it is important to provide this information rather than make students play a ‘guessing game’ of what the cover shows cold – this can be confusing for weak readers – see Axford, Harders & Wise 2009, p. 31) / Overview of text – your own or mine is provided in the attached. You could provide a keynote presentation on an ipad or a prezi.
Higher order book orientation: look at cover – choice of image, what that tells us about the main character, who is Jali boy? Meaning of subtitle: “He could not give up. He would not give up. But he couldn’t do it by himself.” Look at blurb, discuss what the story might be about. Does anyone know someone who has been sent to boarding school? What do you think it would be like? What does the word ‘warrior’ suggest to us? / Jali Boy novels
Whiteboard or paper to record discussion on (this will provide a scaffold for the students’ own predictions)
Predictions: students write predictions about the text based on evidence discussed – using pagesapp on ipad / Ipads, pages app
Model T chart on board
e.g.
Prediction Evidence
About a boy ‘Jali boy’ title, picture of male
footballer
Chapter 1: vocab – strong-spirited, kinship, strife
After reading, complete cartoons on key sections and draw Jali, adding some descriptions of Jali from page 7.
Display drawings in classroom with emphasis on the description “Jali was a strong-spirited kid, filled with a fierce loyalty and kinship for his family.” (p. 7) / Novels, cartooning scaffold and Jali Williams character description sheet
Chapter 2: vocab: mission homes, Aboriginal mission. Talk about the history of missions (notes available here). Read chapter together and begin “Aboriginal English” glossary. / Novels, “Aboriginal English” glossary handout. Teacher notes available here re: missions.
Chapter 3: vocab:leukaemia, gaagal (sea), Yuludarla (spirit looking after their people), pipis, lilly pilly tree
While reading, check that the kids understand what leukaemia is (probably will but worth checking). At the end of the chapter, get them to google images of pipis and lilly pilly trees and create a page or keynote with the images entitled “Gumbaingirr land, Brownhill Aboriginal Mission.” They might like to find a map of the area or an image of red dirt to add to the page. Add gaagal (sea), Yuludarla (ancestral spirit) to display of kids’ drawings and quotes about Jali. Talk with the kids about adding to the descriptions of Jali from page 15 – “born leader” and “Kain looked up to him as he would a father” / Novels, ipads with internet access for google images, pages or keynote
Chapter 4: vocab: jeered
Add to Aboriginal English glossary / Novels, Aboriginal English glossary
Chapter 5: add to Aboriginal English glossary / Novels, Aboriginal English glossary
Chapter 6 add to Jali descriptions displayed in classroom (page 25 – got into fights, teased about the way he spoke, teased because he couldn’t read or spell well, in the little black corner – but he didn’t fit in there either because he wasn’t as black as the other Aboriginal kids) / Novels
Chapter 7: vocab: yearning, dormitory/dorm / Novels
Chapter 8: vocab: awkward, sensation, sympathetic, headmaster.
Add to Aboriginal English glossary / Novels, Aboriginal English glossary
Chapter 9: vocab: resembling, melody, dawned
Students can create Venn diagram of similarities and differences of Jali and Jack. / Novels, venn diagram to compare Jack and Jali
Chapter 10vocab: strove
Add to display on Jali “smart, hard-working person”, “succeeding” / Novels
Chapter 11 vocab: nuisance, accomplishments
Add to display about Jali – totem Ngangarr, the sea eagle – kids may find pictures to add to their pages or keynote display about Gumbaingirr land
Talk about totems (see teacher notes here) / Novels, teacher notes on totems
Chapter 12: vocab:uneasy / Novels
Chapter 13vocab: spiralled, ferocious
Begin a timeline of emotions he goes through in the chapter / Novels, emotion timeline
Chapter 14: vocab: reserve, heaved, grief, sacrifice, comrades
Complete a text pattern –scaffold enclosed
Add to emotion timeline / Novels, emotion timeline
Chapter 15: vocab: deafening, magnificent, soared
Add to emotion timeline / Novels, emotion timeline
Writer in residence two day workshop: discuss book with author, have students plan, brainstorm and write own stories/poems/pictures for student anthology / Novels, brainstorm scaffolds or use of ‘inspiration’ on ipads, skill sessions on various writing techniques, dragon dictation for weaker students to use on ipads.

Teacher notes

Overview of text/author

This book is part of a series of books all written by Aboriginal authors. Yarning, as we know, is a word we often use in Aboriginal culture as a way of describing how when we get together we talk and share stories. This book is by a boy called Ricky Macourt, who is now a university student. He grew up on the NSW coast near CoffsHarbour, and he is a descendent of the Gumbaingirr people. He has siblings and a mother who was sick when he was growing up, and was sent to boarding school for a good education, so there are a lot of similarities between him and the boy in the book. He has used his own experiences and emotions to write the book (but it is still fiction – some parts are made up).

This book is about a boy, Jali, who gets into trouble in the small town he lives in. In that town, there is a division between the Aboriginal people, who live on their own settlement called a ‘mission’ and the white people in the town. The white people expect Aboriginal boys to always be in trouble, and Jali gives them what they expect. He does naughty things and hates school. He can’t read or spell well and is treated like a no-hoper. But his mum knows he is better than that and she sends him to a boarding school in Sydney that is helping Indigenous kids to do better at school. They provide free places to help these kids whose families would never be able to afford them otherwise. Jali goes there and learns, succeeds, and realises that he is not a bad person after all. He’s given a second chance.

Historical and cultural points

This book refers to the ‘mission’ as a slang term for Housing Commission homes, but this harks to the history of missions in Australia. Missions were places where Aboriginal people were ‘lured’ by churches – food and accommodation in exchange for leaving their culture behind and learning Christianity or Catholicism. While in some ways the churches were trying to save Aboriginal people who had been driven off their land by settlers and killed in many battles, in other ways it is now seen as a sad part of Aboriginal history that they were on these missions. Some of the older Aboriginal people would be allowed to come and go – they wouldn’t actually live at the mission but could come sometimes for food. Some missions were kinder than others – many of them would ban the talking in Aboriginal language and try to force people – especially children with part European ancestry – into learning English and being like white people.

Stolen generations – kids and mothers being separated by government “for the kids’ own good” – this is something that still causes pain to many Aboriginal people, whose grandparents and parents were ‘stolen’. This is one reason that it would have been very painful for Jali’s mum to send him to the St Stephens College program for Indigenous boys – because in a way it brings back memories, it is like the stolen generations – they are taking Jali away from his family and culture. But – it was the family’s choice, the school weren’t forcing Jali to go there, and it would mean that he could have a chance at a better life.

Totems are given to Aboriginal people as their guiding spirit and the animal that they have a connection to and must look after. Traditionally, there’d be different people in the tribe with different totems, and their elders would assign them to kids as they were growing up (sometimes after observing their behaviours and considering which animal suited their personality!). The responsibility for looking after animals would be spread around, therefore, if you have a problem, such as one animal is destroying the habitat of another animal, then the people responsible for those two animals would get together and plan how to manage that problem and restore a balance.

Writing techniques to look at/workshop

Dialogue / Use the ‘Aboriginal English’ glossary sheet as a springboard to discuss how the dialogue is constructed, how to write dialogue that is authentic, sounds conversational, how to use capital letters, exclamation marks etc to provide emphasis.
Similes / Look at examples from text, have students create their own in their own stories.
They both laughed like crazed kookaburras sitting in a paperbark tree – p. 5
Suddenly the small engine of a golf cart roared and growled like a wild lion. – p. 8
…and they leaped like gazelles, away from the lion’s claw. – p. 9
his stomach rumbled like thunder – p. 33
staring like a tawny frogmouth at every word in the book on his desk p. 44
he was tackled at the ankles and went down like a slow-motion replay p. 52
all of the players on both sides jumped on each other like seagulls on a thrown chip p. 53
suddenly the weight of the world fell upon his shoulders like rusty chains p. 53
his ears were ringing like the school bells did every midday p. 54
Every emotion inside him came crashing out like a wave on a rock. p. 55
Her face was smiling and her eyes were bright as day p. 58
Descriptive passages / Have students deconstruct key passages – look at use of adjectives, use of senses, feelings
Jali felt dizzy. He couldn’t concentrate. All he could hear was the other boys laughing, and all he could feel was the guilt and shame inside him. He was sitting in the school playground. The yellowy grass was soft and wet underneath him, and everything was dark. He tried to stand up, but he couldn’t find the energy. He was so confused. He didn’t know who he was anymore. He had just done a very bad thing. It scared him. He knew that on the inside he was good and smart and respectful. p. 18
As Jali packed up his things and made his way to see the headmaster, his stomach rumbled like thunder and his mind drifted to food, just like any normal boy in the middle of the day. Thinking of pipis and lilly-pillys brought a funny sensation to the tip of his tongue. He remembered taking his brother down the river and felt a twinge of guilt.” p. 33
It was hot. The sun streamed down from the sky, crimson blue ties flew off untucked shorts, and boys rushed out for sport. School was let out for the day and everybody was buzzing with life. Kids ran off to swim at the pool or sit in the air-conditioned library or play footy down on the ovals. p. 51
Jali tried to sit up. He couldn’t talk yet. It was all too much. After all this time, his reserve broke. His chest heaved with grief. The pain was too much. He couldn’t hold it in any longer. At first it was only one little tear. But then another followed. And another. And another, until his face was wet and salty. Every emotion inside him came crashing out like a wave on a rock. And it didn’t stop. p. 55
Text transformation / See worksheet/scaffold attached. Students can use this as a springboard for own stories.

Resources developed by Cara Shipp, Wanniassa School, 2011

Chapter 1 Jali Boy