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Albert Namatjira: Unit of work

This unit of work has been written to support the book Albert Namatjira in which award-winning artist Vincent Namatjira tells the life story of his great-grandfather, Albert Namatjira, one of Australia’s best-known artists. This unit includes practical ideas for using this book in your classroom.

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The Mark of the Wagarl: Unit of work

This unit of work has been written to support the book The Mark of the Wagarl. The book tells the story of Maadjit Walken, the Sacred Rainbow Serpent, mother spirit and creator of the Nyoongar Country of south west Western Australia. The story shares how a young boy receives the Maadjit Wagarl for his totem. This unit includes ...

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The Swamp

This resource features the Yolngu-made film The Swamp. Students are provided with the opportunity to watch it and engage in a discussion exploring its genre, deviations from traditional documentary format, its impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander storytelling, challenges faced by the Yolngu people, and the film's ...

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Creation Myth Play Scripts

In this lesson, students will explore different cultures’ supernatural explanations for human existence. Templates such as a Cultural Creation Myth Comparison Organizer are provided. Students will make comparisons between creation myths then write an original creation myth play script to perform for an audience.

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Writing Fables

How do the events in a fable relate to the moral of the story? In this lesson, students will engage in the writing process to create original fables and perform a skit. They will review the elements of a fable and develop an understanding of how to create a centralized focus in a narrative.

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Find advice as to how to help your students learn to creatively critique each other's work

Find advice as to how to help your students learn to creatively critique each other's work. The resource includes useful questions that can be used as a structure for critique and review.

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Elements of Myth

In this lesson, students will read myths, discuss the elements of this literary form, and dramatize a myth of their choice. They will write scientific, research-based reports, as well as fantastical stories to explain the natural phenomena of the world.

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Staging Shakespeare: How do you stage a comedy scene?

In this lesson, students will explore the nature of comedy by informally staging the opening scenes from William Shakespeare’s play, As You Like It. Students will apply a variety of stylistic approaches to stage scenes from the play, then perform for an audience.

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Performing a Haiku: How can spoken word transform a poem?

In this lesson, students will reflect on small moments of peace or happiness to write an original haiku. Students will demonstrate spoken word to perform a haiku for an audience.

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Adapting a Musical

How can stories transform into a musical theatre adaptation? In this teaching activity, students will develop a musical from a book, play, or short story. They will bring the story to the stage through movements and song by analysing elements of a story and adopting creative team roles.

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Character Building

In this teaching activity, students analyse popular characters and methods of characterization used by writers. They apply these methods to create a profile and illustration of an original character. They will then write a short script.

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Art and Poetry

How are surrealist techniques applied in art and poetry? In this lesson, students will analyse poetic devices in the poems and images of the surrealist movement. They will learn about artists including André Breton, Robert Desnos, Salvador Dalí, and Joan Miró. Students will write original poems using surrealist techniques.

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The Making of Monsters

In this lesson, students will investigate monsters in film and across cultures. Students will analyse film scores and soundtracks that feature monsters. Students will create original conceptions of a monster to present in a multimedia presentation.

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Aesop’s Fables: Comedy and Tragedy Masks

In this teaching activity, students will explore how characters from fables express their thoughts and feelings in comedy and tragedy plays? The activity encourages insights into human nature and making connections between ancient Greek culture and contemporary cultures.

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Character Sketches

What techniques do storytellers use to create characters? In this lesson, students will analyse how a character's personality traits, actions and motives influence the plot of a story. They will use their senses to create character sketches, then dramatize the character for an audience.

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Mythological Characters

How do Greek mythological figures inspire modern day characters? In this lesson, students will explore the connection between Greek mythology and modern culture. They will analyse Greek culture, mythological characters, and apply elements of mythology. They will design and paint original mythological characters with watercolours.

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Painting: The Art of Self Expression

How are elements of art and styles expressed through painting? In this K-2 lesson, students will explore elements of art and different artists' techniques to create various styles of paintings. Students will interpret art and describe styles by using key vocabulary terms when discussing paintings.

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Tell Me I’m Here: Unit of work

This unit of work has been written to support the memoir Tell Me I’m Here. The book is a moving account by writer, broadcaster and filmmaker Anne Deveson of her son’s losing battle with schizophrenia. This unit provides practical teaching ideas, an assessment task and an essay by Stephanie Dowrick. Teaching activities explore ...

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The Boat: Unit of work

This unit of work has been written to support the short story collection The Boat. Identity is a significant theme along with definitions of place, concepts of home, emotional and geographical dislocation, and trust. This unit provides practical teaching ideas, an assessment task and an essay by Catherine Cole

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The Lost Thing: Unit of work

This unit of work has been written to support The Lost Thing, a quirky picture story book about finding your place in the world. It explores themes of belonging, bureaucracy, conformity, dystopia and friendship. This unit provides practical teaching ideas, an assessment task and an essay by Gary Crew.