SAMPLE • • • Read the Following Passage from the Diary of Elizabeth Smith and Underline the Words Q1 That Place It in First Person Format

Home , New Holland (Australia)

SAMPLE • • • Read the following passage from the diary of Elizabeth Smith and underline the words Q1 that place it in first person format. Then, using the lines provided, write the third-person version of the same word. An example has been done for you.

After what seemed like an eternity on our ship, their the Charlotte, I heard word that we had nearly reached our destination, the land of ‘New Holland’. The conditions of the London jails were terribly unsavoury – cramped and extremely overcrowded – but overwhelmingly better than what we were subjected to on this ship. What had become my home for the past eight months was a gloomy, dank and unsanitary place, where disease was rife. We were confined to the lower decks, locked behind bars for most of the day, and rarely given the chance to venture out onto the deck and breathe in some much-needed fresh air. Nutrition was exceptionally poor, with us convicts only being given limited supplies of food (often stale and tasteless) such as mouldy bread and biscuits and salted meats. I longed for some fresh fruits and vegetables. The combination of this nutritionally-lacking food and very little fresh air resulted in the outbreak of much disease and illness. My good friend Mary, a young pregnant girl, died of scurvy in the last few days of our voyage, and I feared there were many more close to me who were not far behind ; either a result of scurvy or other common diseases on this ship, including typhoid, smallpox and dysentery. With a severe outbreak of such infectious diseases, I was fortunate enough to escape suffering the same fate as many of my fellow convicts. I felt myself growing weaker by the day however, and longed for freedom from the ghastly ship. The smellSAMPLE on the lower decks was nauseating, with the stench of rotting timber, human faeces and bile constantly in the air. Sometimes I tried to remember what fresh air smelt like. The ship masters treated myself and my fellow convicts horrifically – flogging us, depriving us of our rations and refusing to treat those who were dying. I certainly hoped the land of New Holland was better than this horrible place. Similes and metaphors are both literary techniques that draw a comparison between two Q1 typically unlike things. From the sentence beginnings provided, construct a simile and a metaphor (using the same comparisons).

1. Helen’s hair is... Simile: ______

Metaphor: ______

2. The sand at Kuta Beach was… Simile: ______

Metaphor: ______

3. The boy’s teeth were… Simile: ______

Metaphor: ______

4. When dancing her ballet routine, Samantha is... Remember Simile: ______• A simile describes one things as being like another. ______Example: The house was like an island in the middle Metaphor: ______of the street. • A metaphor says that one ______thing is another. Example: The house was an island in the middle of 5. Max’s room was… the street. Simile: ______

Metaphor: ______

6. Her elderly hands were…SAMPLE Simile: ______

Metaphor: ______

7. My sister’s fingernails are… Simile: ______

Metaphor: ______

In 1788, the First Fleet landed in Botany Bay, NSW. This fleet of ships came from Britain and carried with them around 1530 people. This included convicts and their families, marines and their families, and officers. They established a colony in NSW; this was the beginning of European settlement in Australia.

Mrs Gould found the information below in a historical journal and wants to use it to teach Q1 her Year 4 class about the convicts. However, it is not targeted to such young children – rewrite the passage so that Mrs. Gould can use it in her class.

The convicted criminals who embarked upon the journey to Australia – which was at the time referred to as ‘New Holland’ – left Britain in 1787. On January 26th, 1788, they reached Botany Bay; however, deciding that it didn’t suit their purposes, moved to Sydney Cove. With less than 2000 people, the convicts and officers laid the foundations for present-day Australia. In the subsequent years, two more fleets of convicts and another fleet of free settlers arrived.

Sarah has to write an essay for her History assignment. However, the information she has Q2 collected is too simple to use. Rewrite the information to make it more sophisticated.

When the settlers – people who go to a land that isn’t theirs to start a new community – got to Australia, they found that theSAMPLE land was already taken by people they called the ‘Aboriginals’. Unfortunately, it is very hard to come into somebody else’s land without fighting. The following years saw many Aboriginals and convicts die or get hurt.

• • •

SAMPLE Firstly, thank you for your support of Mighty Minds and our resources. We endeavour to create high- quality resources that are both educational and engaging, and results have shown that this approach works.

To assist you in using this resource, we have compiled some brief tips and reminders below.

About this resource

This Mighty Minds ‘Fundamentals’ Lesson focusses on one subtopic from the NAPLAN Tests and presents this skill through a theme from the Australian Curriculum (History, Science or Geography). This lesson is also targeted at a certain skill level, to ensure that your students are completing work that is suited to them.

How to use this resource

Our ‘Fundamentals’ Lessons are split into two main sections, each of which contain different types of resources.

The student workbook contains • The main title page; and • The blank student worksheets for students to complete.

The teacher resources section contains • This set of instructions; • The Teacher’s Guide, which offers information that may be needed to teach the lesson; • The Item Description, which gives a brief overview of the lesson and its aims, as well as extension ideas; • The student answer sheets, which show model responses on the student worksheets to ensure that answers to the questions are clear; • The teacher’s answer sheets, which provide a more detailed explanation of the model responses or answers; and • Finally, the ‘end of lesson’ marker.

We suggest that you print the student workbook (the first set of pages) for the students. If students are completing this lesson for homework, you may also like to provide them with the student answer pages. SAMPLE Feedback and contacting us

We love feedback. Our policy is that if you email us with suggested changes to any lesson, we will complete those changes and send you the revised lesson – free of charge.

Just send your feedback to [email protected] and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

Person

Depending on whether it represents the person speaking, the person spoken to, or the person spoken about, a text can be written in either first, second or third person. First Person: A text written in first person represents the person speaking. It uses pronouns such as ‘I’, ‘me’, ‘my’, ‘we’, ‘us’ and ‘our’. First person is commonly used in autobiographical accounts such as personal essays or memoirs. Example: I was running late for school and nearly missed the bus. Second Person: A text written in second person represents the person spoken to. It uses pronouns such as ‘you’ and ‘your’. Second person is commonly used in marketing ploys and advertising. Example: You will lose 10kg with Big Barry’s Weight Loss Plan, guaranteed! Third Person: A text written in third person represents the person spoken about. It uses pronouns such as ‘he’, ‘she’, ‘him’, ‘her’, ‘they’, ‘them’ and ‘theirs’. Third person is commonly used in non-fiction pieces, such as academic essays and newspaper articles. Example: He was one of the greatest AFL players of the 20th century.

Audience

For writing to be effective, it is essential that the intended audience is addressed appropriately. Changing the tone, sentence structure and vocabulary can alter who a text is aimed at. For instance, a piece of writing using complex language and lengthy sentences would be aimed at an older, more educated audience whereas a piece of writing with short sentences and simple wording would be aimed at a younger audience. Example: The sentence, “The African Elephant, of the genus ‘Loxodonta’, derives from the taxonomic family ‘Eliphantidae’ ; collectively elephants and mammoths” uses complex terms and extensive sentences, as such, would be aimed at scientists or others who are highly educated. Example: The sentence, “Elephants are huge. They can grow up to four metres high!” uses simple language and short sentences so would be aimed at a younger audience such as small children.

Identifying Figurative Language

The ability to identify figurative language in texts is an important literary technique. Such devices includes similes and metaphors.SAMPLE Similes: Similes draw a comparison between two things that are typically unlike. They use words such as ‘like’, ‘than’ or ‘as’ to liken one thing to another. Example: Her hair was as soft as silk; My teacher has eyes like a hawk. Metaphors: Like similes, metaphors draw a comparison between two typically unlike things. However, whilst a simile describes one thing as being like another, a metaphor states that one thing is another. Example: The girl was a playful monkey; Her eyes were glistening diamonds.

Item Description

Please note: any activity that is not completed during class time may be set for homework or undertaken at a later date.

‘Dear Diary’, ‘Similes & Metaphors’ and ‘The First Fleet’

• Activity Description: • The first activity consists of a passage from the Diary of Elizabeth Smith, which is written in first-person format. Students are required to read the passage, underline the words that place the passage in first person format, and rewrite the passage so that it is written in the third person. • The second activity requires students to construct both a simile and a metaphor from the provided sentence beginning. • The final activity consists of two passages. Students are required to rewrite each passage so they more appropriately fit the stated target audiences.

• Purpose of Activity: • These activities are designed to hone students’ appreciation for literary techniques, including their ability to differentiate between person, identify tone and thus audience, and recognise similes and metaphors.

• KLAs: • English, History.

• CCEs: • Recognising letters, words and other symbols (α1) • Interpreting the meaning of words or other symbols (α4) • Comparing, contrasting (β29) • Analysing (θ43) • Using correct spelling, punctuation, grammar (π9)

• Suggested Time Allocation: • This lesson is designed to take an hour to complete, however, it can also be broken into three twenty-minute sessions. SAMPLE • Teaching Notes: • Read the instructions and passage as a class to ensure students know what is expected of them. • Allow students time to respond, then share the answers as a class at the end. • Students may need dictionaries or thesauruses to complete The First Fleet.

Read the following passage from the diary of Elizabeth Smith and underline the words Q1 that place it in first person format. Then, using the lines provided, write the third-person version of the same word. An example has been done for you.

she/Elizabeth After what seemed like an eternity on our ship, their the Charlotte, I heard word that we had nearly they reached our destination, the land of ‘New their Holland’. The conditions of the London jails they were terribly unsavoury – cramped and extremely overcrowded – but overwhelmingly better than what we were subjected to on this ship. What had become my home for the past her/Elizabeth’s eight months was a gloomy, dank and unsanitary place, where disease was rife. We were confined to the lower decks, locked they behind bars for most of the day, and rarely given the chance to venture out onto the deck and breathe in some much-needed fresh air. the convicts Nutrition was exceptionally poor, with us convicts only being given limited supplies of

food (often stale and tasteless) such as mouldy bread and biscuits and salted meats . I longed she/Elizabeth for some fresh fruits and vegetables. The combination of this nutritionally-lacking food and very little fresh air resulted in the outbreak of much disease and illness . My good her/Elizabeth’s friend Mary, a young pregnant girl, died of their scurvy in the last few days of our voyage, and I she/Elizabeth feared there were many more close to me who were not far behind ; either a result of scurvy or her/Elizabeth other common diseases on this ship, including typhoid, smallpox and dysentery. With a severe she/Elizabeth outbreak of such infectious diseases, I was fortunate enough to escape suffering the same herself fate as many of my fellow convicts. I felt myself her/Elizabeth’s growing weaker by the day however, and she/Elizabeth longed for freedom from the ghastly ship. The

smellSAMPLE on the lower decks was nauseating, with the stench of rotting timber, human faeces and she/Elizabeth bile constantly in the air. Sometimes I tried to her/Elizabeth remember what fresh air smelt like. her The ship masters treated myself and my fellow them convicts horrifically – flogging us, depriving us them of our rations and refusing to treat those who their were dying. I certainly hoped the land of New she/Elizabeth Holland was better than this horrible place. Dear Diary

Question One:

Students were asked to read through the passage, underline the specifically first-person words and then replace them using the third person. Below is an explanation of the changes made.

Original word: our Replaced with: their Reasoning: the pronoun ‘their’ is the third-person version of ‘our’. Note that the replacement word must be plural.

Original word: I Replaced with: she/Elizabeth Reasoning: the pronoun ‘she’ and the noun ‘Elizabeth’ could both replace the first-person word ‘I’ as they are both in third person. (Students should try to alternate their use of the pronoun (‘she’) and the noun (‘Elizabeth’) in order to achieve a flowing passage.)

Original word: we Replaced with: they Reasoning: the pronoun ‘they’ is the third-person version of ‘we’. Note that the replacement word must be plural.

Original word: my Replaced with: her/Elizabeth’s Reasoning: the pronoun ‘her’ and the noun ‘Elizabeth’ could both replace the first-person word ‘my’ as they are both in third person. However, the replacement word must indicate possession – ‘my’ is a possessive word and ‘Elizabeth’s’ has a possessive apostrophe-s on the end. (Students should try to alternate their use of the pronoun (‘her’) and the noun (‘Elizabeth’) in order to achieve a flowing passage.)

Original phrase: us convicts Replaced with: the convicts Reasoning: while not a pronoun like most of the replacements, ‘the convicts’ is the replacement for ‘us convicts’ as it refers to them from an outsider’s perspective.

Original word: me Replaced with: her/Elizabeth Reasoning: the pronoun ‘her’ and the noun ‘Elizabeth’ could both replace the first-person word ‘me’ as they are both in third person. (Students should try to alternate their use of the pronoun (‘her’) and the noun (‘Elizabeth’) in orderSAMPLE to achieve a flowing passage.)

Original word: myself Replaced with: herself Reasoning: the pronoun ‘herself’ is the third-person version of ‘myself’.

Original word: us Replaced with: them Reasoning: the pronoun ‘them’ is the third-person version of ‘us’. Note that the replacement word must be plural.

Similes and metaphors are both literary techniques that draw a comparison between two Q1 typically unlike things. From the sentence beginnings provided, construct a simile and a metaphor (using the same comparisons).

1. Helen’s hair is...

Simile: ______as wild as an unkempt lion’s mane.

Metaphor: ______a wild, unkempt lion’s mane.

2. The sand at Kuta Beach was… Simile: ______like a golden blanket covering the ground.

Metaphor : ______a golden blanket covering the ground.

3. The boy’s teeth were… Simile: ______as glistening as a row of precious jewels.

Metaphor : ______a glistening row of precious jewels.

4. When dancing her ballet routine, Samantha is... Remember Simile: ______lighter than a feather floating in the breeze. • A simile describes one things as being like another. ______Example: The house was like an island in the middle Metaphor: ______a feather floating in the breeze. of the street. • A metaphor says that one ______thing is another. Example: The house was an island in the middle of 5. Max’s room was… the street. Simile: ______like a war zone of mess and destruction.

Metaphor : ______a war zone of mess and destruction.

6. Her elderly hands were…SAMPLE Simile: ______as wrinkled as dried prunes.

Metaphor : ______wrinkled, dried prunes.

7. My sister’s fingernails are… Simile: ______sharper than a row of metal spikes.

Metaphor : ______a row of sharp metal spikes.

Similes and Metaphors

Question One:

Students were asked to use the beginnings of the sentences to write similes and metaphors. Below are the sentence beginnings and model answers, as well as explanations.

1. Helen’s hair is… Simile: as wild as an unkempt lion’s mane. Metaphor: a wild, unkempt lion’s mane.

In this instance, Helen’s hair is compared to a lion’s mane. A simile is constructed by describing her hair as being as wild as an unkempt lion’s mane, whereas the metaphor states that her hair actually is a wild, unkempt lion’s mane.

2. The sand at Kuta Beach was… Simile: like a golden blanket covering the ground. Metaphor: a golden blanket covering the ground.

In this instance, a similarity is drawn between the sand at Kuta Beach and a golden blanket. For the simile, it states that the sand is like a golden blanket covering the ground, whereas the metaphor implies that the sand is a golden blanket covering the ground.

3. The boy’s teeth were… Simile: as glistening as a row of precious jewels. Metaphor: a glistening row of precious jewels.

In this instance, a comparison is being drawn between the boy’s teeth and precious jewels. A simile is constructed by describing how his teeth are as glistening as a row of precious jewels, whereas his teeth are a glistening row of precious jewels for the metaphor.

4. When dancing her ballet routine, Samantha is… Simile: lighter than a feather floating in the breeze. Metaphor: a feather floating in the breeze.

In this instance, Samantha’s dancing is compared to a feather. For the simile, it describes her as being lighter than a feather floating in the breeze when she dances, whilst the metaphor states that Samantha, when dancing, actually is a feather floating in the breeze.

5. Max’s room was… Simile: like a war zone of messSAMPLE and destruction. Metaphor: a war zone of mess and destruction.

In this instance, a similarity is drawn between Max’s room and a war zone. In order to create a simile, his room must be described as being like a war zone of mess and destruction, whereas a metaphor implies that his room is a war zone of mess and destruction.

This answer guide is continued on the next page...... This answer guide is continued from the previous page.

6. Her elderly hands were… Simile: as wrinkled as dried prunes. Metaphor: wrinkled, dried prunes.

In this instance, a comparison is made between the lady’s elderly hands and dried prunes. A simile is constructed by describing how her hands are as wrinkled as dried prunes, whereas the metaphor states that her hands are wrinkled dried prunes.

7. My sister’s fingernails are… Simile: sharper than a row of metal spikes. Metaphor: a row of sharp metal spikes.

In this instance, the sister’s fingernails are compared to metal spikes. For the simile, it states that her fingernails are sharper than a row of metal spikes, whereas the metaphor implies that her fingernails actually are a row of sharp metal spikes.

SAMPLE In 1788, the First Fleet landed in Botany Bay, NSW. This fleet of ships came from Britain and carried with them around 1530 people. This included convicts and their families, marines and their families, and officers. They established a colony in NSW; this was the beginning of European settlement in Australia.

The convicts, or criminals, left Britain to come to

Australia in 1787. At that time, Australia was actually

called ‘New Holland’. On January 26th, 1788, they got

to Botany Bay but didn’t like it and moved to Sydney

Cove instead. With less than 2000 people, the

convicts and officers started to build Australia as we know it. In the years afterwards,

two more fleets (groups of ships) of convicts and another fleet of free people came to

Australia as well.

Sarah has to write an essay for her History assignment. However, the information she has Q2 collected is too simple to use. Rewrite the information to make it more sophisticated.

When the settlers – people who When the settlers arrived in Australia, they discovered go to a land that isn’t theirs to start a new community – got to that the land was already inhabited by the Aboriginal Australia, they found that theSAMPLE land was already taken by people of Australia. Unfortunately, colonisation of people they called the ‘Aboriginals’. Unfortunately, it is another race’s land seldom occurs without violence, and very hard to come into somebody else’s land without this was no exception. During the subsequent years, many fighting. The following years Aboriginals and convicts died or were wounded. saw many Aboriginals and convicts die or get hurt.

The First Fleet

Question One:

Students were asked to read Mrs Gould’s passage and ‘translate’ it into simpler terms (suitable for a Year 4 student). This should have involved the usage of easier words, and could have also included a slight change in sentence structure. Students could have also included brief definitions of the essential harder words. Below is the original passage, the model answer and a brief explanation.

Original Passage: The convicted criminals who embarked upon the journey to Australia – which was at the time referred to as ‘New Holland’ – left Britain in 1787. On January 26th, 1788, they reached Botany Bay; however, deciding that it didn’t suit their purposes, moved to Sydney Cove. With less than 2000 people, the convicts and officers laid the foundations for present-day Australia. In the subsequent years, two more fleets of convicts and another fleet of free settlers arrived.

Model Answer: The convicts, or criminals, left Britain to come to Australia in 1787. At that time, Australia was actually called ‘New Holland’. On January 26th, 1788, they got to Botany Bay but didn’t like it and moved to Sydney Cove instead. With less than 2000 people, the convicts and officers started to build Australia as we know it. In the years afterwards, two more fleets (groups of ships) of convicts and another fleet of free people came to Australia as well.

This passage has been changed to include less complicated words and a simpler sentence structure. It also includes a few definitions to explain the harder words used.

Question Two:

Students were asked to read Sarah’s simplistic information and make it more sophisticated. This is the opposite of the preceding question and requires students to use more complex words (a thesaurus may have been necessary) and remove all definitions, as it is assumed that the audience understands the terms used. Below is the original passage, the model answer and a brief explanation.

Original Passage: When the settlers – people who go to a land that isn’t theirs to start a new community – got to Australia, they found that the land was already taken by people they called the ‘Aboriginals’. Unfortunately, it is very hard to come into somebody else’s land without fighting. The following years saw many Aboriginals and convicts die or get hurt.

Model Response: When the settlers arrived in Australia, they discovered that the land was already inhabited by the Aboriginal people of Australia. Unfortunately, colonisation of another race’s land seldom occurs without violence,SAMPLE and this was no exception. During the subsequent years, many Aboriginals and convicts died or were wounded.

This passage has been changed to include more complex words such as ‘inhabited’ and ‘colonisation’. The definitions included in the original passage have also been removed.

SAMPLE