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Your child's literacy development milestones

This suite of information is ideal for educating families about their child's literacy development . It provides a guide to development in the areas of oral language, reading and writing. Key milestones are listed within broad age groups: beginning (0-3 years), early emergent (3 to 5 years) and early years of school. The ...

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Phonics: a guide for families

This information is ideal for educating families about phonics including why and how it is taught in schools, and how families can help at home. The information can also be downloaded as a PDF in English and 11 other languages.

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What is the Year 1 Phonics Check?

This information is ideal for educating families about the Year 1 Phonics Check (a free assessment that assesses students' decoding skills). It provides links to a list of words similar to the ones used in the Phonics Check, and a guide that explains how the words should be pronounced.

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Sea Country: Unit of work

This unit of work has been written to support the book Sea Country. In this picture book, Aunty Patsy Cameron shares the stories and traditions from her family’s seasonal life on Flinders Island in Tasmania. Find out when to pick ripe wild cherries, when the moon (mutton) birds fly home and how the nautilus shells smell ...

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Staircase to the Moon: Unit of work

This unit of work has been written to support the book Staircase to the Moon. This picture book shares a little girl’s imagination as she dreams about journeying to the moon. It is about courage and imagination. This unit includes practical ideas for using this book in your classroom.

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Thank you rain! Unit of work

This unit of work has been written to support the book Thank you rain! The book celebrates the new life and sense of renewal that comes with rain. Themes of weather, the natural environment and gratitude form part of the book. This unit includes practical ideas for using this book in your classroom.

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The Old Frangipani Tree at Flying Fish Point: Unit of work

This unit of work has been written to support the book The Old Frangipani Tree at Flying Fish Point. The book is an encouraging tale of overcoming the social expectations that sometimes hold us back from success. Themes include the importance of courage, confidence, family and community. This unit includes practical ideas ...

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The Sweetest Egg of All: Unit of work

This unit of work has been written to support the book The Sweetest Egg of All. The book is part of a series of books about the Bush Mob, a group of animals who work together to solve problems. These stories emphasise respect, friendship, action, honesty, problem-solving and teamwork. The book provides opportunities to ...

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Deadly D & Justice Jones: Making the Team: Unit of work

This unit of work has been written to support the book Deadly D & Justice Jones: Making the Team. The fast-paced narrative of the book incorporates the NRL and Rugby League as key components. It explores themes such as bullying and friendship and emotions such as anger. This unit includes practical ideas for using this ...

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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 Toast Tree: Unit of work

This unit of work has been written to support the book The Toast Tree. The book is about the special bond between grandparents and their grandchildren. It explores themes relevant to discussions about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. It emphasises the importance of storytelling and respect for nature, and ...

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The First Fleet

In this unit, students explore the many perspectives surrounding the significance of the 26th of January in Australia. They hear from Traditional Custodians about the laws, protocols and welcoming practices that existed for thousands of years before colonisation, and understand that these practices were not observed nor ...

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A World of Myths

How did past civilizations explain natural phenomena? In this teaching activity students will explore how myths help to explain nature and science. Students will read, discuss, and draw comparisons between creation myths and explanatory myths. Examples of myths are included in the unit.

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Elements of Fables

What are the key elements of a fable? In this teaching activity, students will improvise scenarios found in fables. They will identify the key elements of a fable and describe the author’s use of personification. Examples of fables are included in the unit.

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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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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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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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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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Sci-Fi and Fantasy Worldbuilding

In this lesson, students will explore the intersection of science fiction and fantasy from the works of Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time Trilogy. Students will create an original character, thing, ability, and/or place using worldbuilding elements. Students will choose between dramatizing, making a book trailer, or ...