Australian Curriculum English Literature Recommended Book List

Australian Children’s Literature is recognised around the world as being rather special, and so with the new Australian Curriculum taking shape, it’s timely to set up a list of recommended titles with which to implement the Literature component of the English curriculum. 

I’ve set up a page where, though comments from visitors to this blog, a list of titles recommended for primary levels Foundation to Year 6, can emerge and be easily updated.  While for me,  literary and aesthetic qualities of the book are a pre-condition for inclusion in this list, I am hoping that suggestions will include links to other areas of the curriculum where they are relevant, and will support the three priorities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait histories and cultures; Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia and Sustainability. 

I am especially keen to hear about titles which originate from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across Australia. 

Please visit the page and contribute your suggestions by making a comment.

Thanks to Jo Sherrin from the Northern Territory for the idea!

Australian Curriculum Units (update)

If you have already downloaded the existing Year 1 & 2 Info Lit template, (see the Goodies to Share page) you will need to download Version 2.  I had forgotten to make a section for Aboriginal Perspectives Across the Curriculum.

I am now well into planning a nice little Australian Curriculum unit for Years 1 & 2, called Scary Creatures.  It has a Science focus i.e. what body parts do scary creatures use to attack or to defend themselves.  (That’s what reminded me to add the Aboriginal Perspectives section, because I’m using Shake a Leg by Boori Monty Pryer and Jan Ormerod to show how Aboriginal Communities used dance to teach their children to stay away from dangerous creatures).

I’m tweaking the planned sequence of activities as I teach each lesson and hope to have it available for download here before too long.

At the same time, I’m reviewing the units I taught in term 1 and (where I can) converting them into an Australian Curriculum unit.  They’ll be available before long too.

What are other teachers doing?  Is anyone else playing around with the new curriculum??

Australian Curriculum units – progress at last!

Ok, it’s time to stop being a perfectionist!  I have finally got a template (more or less) the way I want it.  Go to Goodies to Share in the menu – and PLEASE! give me some feedback in Comments about what you like and what you would like improved.