SHARING MY PLACE : SHARED HISTORIES IN AUSTRALIAN TEXTS Stage 4 Unit of Work Anette Bremer, Strathfield South High School

esigned in response to a university Bush mechanics (TV series) assessment task to align units of work with Us mob (TV series) the Quality Teaching Model (QTM), Sharing Yolngu boy and/or Ten canoes (films) my place in particular targets the QTM D !e Dreaming between and among the student as an individual and social being, the nature of the work at hand, and Cross-curriculum content the contexts in which such work matters” (NSW Sharing my place : Department of Education and Training 2003, • develops literacy p. 14). Sharing my place attempts to forge connections • includes Australian and Indigenous content between pupils’ individual and social being, the world beyond the classroom, and the classroom, by modelling • discusses civics and citizenship and analysing their sense of place and identity through • discusses difference and diversity. exploration of various narratives of place. Pupils are given opportunity to explore the meaning of their Language modes particular place in the final assessment task. !e unit Reading and writing; viewing and writing; listening and of work is appropriate for both Years 7 and 8, and can speaking; drawing and writing. be expanded or trimmed according to the ability of the class. Syllabus outcomes • 6.4 – Students learn to use features and structures Concept of imaginative texts to compose their own texts and Sharing My place ’s primary concern is to emphasise engage their audience. the importance of narrative in creating senses of • 6.5 – Students learn to identify the ways characters, personal, cultural and national identity. In introducing situations and concerns in texts connect to students’ Stage 4 pupils to two texts — a novel and a picture own experiences, thoughts and feelings. book — the unit of work deepens their knowledge of • 6.10 – Students learn about the structures textual features such as plotline, structure, themes, and features of imaginative texts including characterisation and graphic representation, while at characterisation, setting, tension and climax, the same time, exploring the interconnection between chronology and time, narrative voice, effective place and identity. !e unit of work also allows pupils beginnings and endings. to be introduced to films with Indigenous themes • 8.5 – Students learn about the ways in which meaning and characters, and to consider traditional Aboriginal is shaped including form, structure, style, personal narratives and modes of storytelling. perspective and by the composer’s purpose and audience. Stage 4: Years 7 and 8 • 9.1 – Students learn to recognise, reflect on Duration: 5 to 10 weeks and explain the connections between their own experiences and the world of texts. Texts • 10.2 – Students learn to recognise and consider Core texts cultural factors, including cultural background and Jackie French: Walking the boundaries perspective, when responding to and composing texts. Nadia Wheatley and Donna Rawlins: My place • 10.9 – Students learn about the ways culture Supporting and/or extension texts and personal experience position composers David Unaipon: Legendary tales of the Australian and responders and influence response to and Aborigine composition of texts

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Week 1: introduction to shared histories • Library visit to introduce pupils to skills of researching local history. Skills to be covered include traditional Teaching and learning activities library resources of books and journals as well as • Signal to students the significance of unit of work: we showing students repositories of local history such as will be studying two texts which represent Australia’s the local public library, National Library of Australia shared history. and the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South • Explicitly link this unit of work to current public Wales, pointing out rich image archives held at these debates on white Australia’s relationship to its history. libraries. • Distribute and discuss final assessment task; stress self- • Screen a related video (see Suggested Resources direction required as it is a research task. for Unit of Work). In post-screening lesson, hold • Brainstorm class on knowledge of Indigenous Australia a discussion on the links between the video and and meaning of land rights/connection to land. Walking the boundaries in terms of types of knowledge represented, culture and lifestyles. • Invite Aboriginal Education Assistant and/or local Elders to tell stories about local places and their Week 3: continuity and change 2 significance in Indigenous lore. Teaching and learning activities • Revise narrative text type. • Finish reading Walking the boundaries, with point-of- • Begin reading Walking the boundaries in class, with need discussion of words, ideas and themes. point-of-need discussion of words and themes. • Continue to add to word banks. • Create word banks relating to Aboriginal words, knowledge and places, custodianship, change, history • Continue with graphic representation of key scenes and the concept of shared history, native plants and • Complete assessment task 2 when novel has been animals. read. Assessment task 2 revises the plotline of the novel, offering a departure point to begin discussing Assessment task 1 the major theme: custodianship of land. Given the • Preparation: re-read for homework the chapter of abstract nature of the concept of custodianship, it can Walking the boundaries entitled ‘Meg’s World’. be approached through a whole-class mind-mapping of • In-class activity in pairs: write three paragraphs the characters’ opinions of land and land ownership. describing what has happened to the farm between Assessment task 2 Meg’s time and Martin’s time. What knowledge about the natural world does Meg possess and who teaches • In-class activity, independent activity: on the map her this knowledge? Is the cultural background of the of Martin’s journey, mark the locations where the person who teaches Meg this knowledge significant? following significant events occur: Martin almost Explain your answer. drowns; the characters eat bush tucker; the snake threatens Wullamudulla; Dracula bites Martin; the • In your written answer, you should use some of the children and Wullamudulla escape from the snake; words listed in word bank. You must write your Martin, Meg and Wullamudulla part ways. answer in sentences. • Indicate in which time these events are occurring: In the next lesson, students will read out their answers, present, colonial past; traditional Aboriginal world, which will then be incorporated into a mapping of the prehistoric past. In the space provided, write a chapter. sentence explaining how you know in which historical Language modes: writing and speaking. period each event takes place. Extension question: why might the author want to Week 2: continuity and change represent one place in different time periods? Teaching and learning activities Activity to be handed in at conclusion of lesson. Discuss • Continue reading Walking the boundaries in class, extension question in following lesson. with point-of-need discussion of words, ideas and Language modes: map-reading, writing. themes. • Continue to add to word banks. Assessment task 3 • At conclusion of selected chapters, ask students to In-class writing activity, independent work. draw what they regard as the key scene/important • Homework as preparation: Walking the boundaries : event after brainstorming the notion of key scene/ re-read chapters ‘!e view from the hill’ and ‘Decision’. important event.

32 English Teachers’ Association of NSW SHARING MY PLACE : SHARED HISTORIES IN AUSTRALIAN TEXTS Stage 4 Unit of Work

• Write a paragraph describing what Martin has learned Extension question: why might your chosen year be an from his experience of walking the boundaries with important date in Australia’s history? Meg and Wullamudulla. How does the knowledge he In-class informal oral presentations in the following has learned influence what he is going to do with the lesson. Extension question discussed at conclusion of farm? You must write your answer in sentences. presentations. Task to be handed in at end of lesson. Opportunity will be given to brainstorm the questions in the following Language modes: writing, speaking and listening. lesson. Reading of Aboriginal Dreamtime stories by David Language modes: writing, answering questions and Unaipon. listening. Informal whole-class discussion reviewing and • Read My plac e, with point-of-need discussion on connecting unit of work content. relationship between graphics and text, the manner in which the book represents the past, and its image of Week 5: sharing history Australia’s cultural heritage. Final assessment task • In relation to My place , continue creating word banks !e focus of Week 5 is on completing the final assessment about the past and cultural heritage. task. Lessons in the library have been scheduled. Week 4: belonging Mid-week, opportunity will be given for sharing Teaching and learning activities assessment task projects within small groups or pairs. • Explain by direct-instruction lesson how to undertake a Choose either A or B. research project, relating research activity to resources a. Construct a picture book depicting the history of discussed in Week 2. your neighbourhood. Assessment task 4, with at least one lesson scheduled • Your book should show the following features of your as a library research lesson and one lesson devoted to neighbourhood: students writing up their findings. Remind students that an appropriate text type for this writing and • how it has changed since white settlement speaking exercise is an information report. However, • what kinds of changes have occurred since white pupils who based their research on oral testimony, may settlement like to deliver their information as a narrative. • people’s stories about the neighbourhood. Assessment Task 4 Your assessment task should present at least four stories about different times in the past, which must be • Preparation: My place : choose one year — 1788, 1838, presented in chronological order. 1888, 1938 or 1988 — and then read its story. • In-class activity in small groups or pairs: My place. Your assessment task should show the evidence of Library research activity. Using the library, find either research. You can research by: pictures or stories about this town for the year you have • talking to your neighbours, shop-owners, community chosen. Write three paragraphs describing how your town leaders (ask your parents for permission first) or suburb looked in your chosen year. Your answer must • researching at the local public library discuss the following: who was living there?; what were • researching your neighbourhood on the internet they doing?; what kinds of buildings did they live in? In your answer, you must mention what references/resources • contacting the local Aboriginal land council you consulted to find the information. • contacting the local history association • If you wish, you might like to question your family • contacting your local government office. concerning their memories of your town or suburb and incorporate this information into your presentation. You must discuss your research method with the teacher. • You will present your answer as an oral presentation; all members of the group must speak in the presentation. Your composition should include important events in You can choose to answer the extension question as the past and describe the ways in which these past events well. !e resources you consulted are to be included in have come to influence the shape and make-up of your your talk as this will assist in familiarising your peers in neighbourhood in the present. the range of available resources (peer-teaching). !e way you present your information is your decision. Oral presentations and discussion of significance of year It may include pictures and words, or pictures only. !e chosen. assessment task must tell stories about the past. You can mETAphor • Issue 1, 2008 33 SHARING MY PLACE : SHARED HISTORIES IN AUSTRALIAN TEXTS Stage 4 Unit of Work invent characters to tell these stories or use real people !e variety of assessment tasks are designed to be inclusive from the past. of all learners: targeting a range of cognitive processes b. Imagine that Wullamudulla tells Martin two and kinds of intelligence. While reading and writing figure stories about his people and culture that he heavily in assessment activities (all tasks), pupils are also wants the Australian people in 2008 to know and given the opportunity to speak (assessment task 4), map understand. (assessment task 2), and draw (final assessment task A). Tasks offer the opportunity for both independent and Your task is to write these two stories and in another small group work, and students are given opportunity to paragraph explain why Wullamudulla thinks that it is exercise their verbal and/or visual intelligence while at the important for modern-day Australians to know his stories. same time improving their inter- and intra-personal skills. You will need to do some research to help you write the Logical intelligence is called into play in research-focused stories that Wullamudulla tells. You should research: task 4 and the final assessment task. • Dreaming stories and traditional ways of life Suggested Resources for Unit of Work • the manner in which Aboriginal cultures understand the land. Audiovisual Bush mechanics (TV series) You will also need to understand how Walking the History: an untold story (video) boundaries represents Wullamudulla and what the novel tells Li-antha wirriyarra: the people of the sea (video) you about his world and his relationship to the landscape. Rainbow serpent (video) Us mob (TV series) !e stories you write for Wullamudulla must be Wrong side of the road (video/DVD) ORIGINAL: that is, you have written them yourself. Wirriya: small boy (TV program) You need to write stories that begin with features of Yolngu boy (DVD) Wullamudulla’s world, as represented in Walking the Ten canoes (DVD) boundaries and which also show your understanding of Printed traditional Aboriginal stories. Map of Indigenous Australia (published by ATSIC) Heiss A 2002, Life in Gadigal country All English lessons in the final week will be devoted to Hinkson M 2001, Aboriginal Sydney: a guide to important places working on the final assessment task. You will be given the of the past and present opportunity to share your final assessment task with your Lonely Planet 2001, Aboriginal Australia and the Torres Strait peers in the final week of the unit of work. Your peers may islands: guide to Indigenous Australia offer suggestions that might assist you in improving your McConchie P 2003, Elders: wisdom from Australia’s Indigenous leaders assessment task. Morgan S & others 2007, Speaking from the heart: stories of life, Projects will be displayed during NAIDOC and History family and country Muecke S & Shoemaker A 2004, Aboriginal Australians: first weeks. nations of an ancient continent Explanation of Assessment tasks Electronic Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies !e unit of work includes four formative assessments tasks to gauge the level of student understanding of the set University of Newcastle, Awaba < http://www.newcastle.edu.au/ centre/awaba/awaba/group/amrhd/awaba/index.html > texts. !e formative assessment tasks are designed with City of Sydney, Barani, the Aboriginal history of Sydney two principles in mind. Firstly, that the knowledge gained in the process of completing these tasks comprises the Magill and Norton Summit Primary Schools, Aboriginal Dreaming stories < http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/jmresources/dreaming/ knowledge required for successful completion of the final stories.html > assessment task. Secondly, that the learning undergone in Frog and Toad’s Indigenous Australia, The Dreaming these tasks develops students’ learning ability; the tasks are ABC TV, Bush mechanics < http://www.bushmechanics.com/ > designed to improve quality of learning. State Library of New South Wales, David Unaipon and other significant Indigenous Australians < http://www.atmitchell.com/ According to the English years 7–10 syllabus (Board of journeys/social/indigenous/unaipon.cfm > Studies NSW 2003), students should derive feedback ABC TV, Us mob < http://www.abc.net.au/usmob/ > concerning their learning from a variety of sources: teachers, Institute of Aboriginal Studies and Research, Macquarie University < http://www.warawara.mq.edu.au > peers, self-evaluation, observation and discussion. !e unit of Jackie French < http://www.jackiefrench.com/index.html > work offers a number of opportunities for pupils not only to gain feedback but to learn from feedback from parties other References than the teacher: whole-class discussion, group or in-pairs Board of Studies NSW 2003, English years 7–10 syllabus , Sydney, Board of Studies NSW work, and lessons devoted to workshopping the final project NSW Department of Education and Training 2003, Quality in the final weeks. teaching in NSW public schools: a discussion. Ryde, NSW DET

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