New unit and resources for NAIDOC Week: Indigenous War Service

Last term I developed and trialled a new unit of work about Indigenous War Service for years 5 & 6. It’s based on a resource called Indigenous Service, A Resource for Primary Schools, published by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and the Shrine of Remembrance, but I adapted it quite a bit.  You can download the unit, and all the supplementary resources from the Goodies to Share menu, Australian Curriculum Literature & Research units for Years 5 & 6

This unit forms part of our whole school plan for the ANZAC Commemorations for 2014-5 (which you can download from the same page).

As it turned out, although I didn’t know this when I decided to develop this unit, the theme for NAIDOC Week 2014 was Serving Country: Centenary & Beyond:.  As it says on the NAIDOC website

This year’s NAIDOC theme honours all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and women who have fought in defence of country.

From our warriors in the Frontier Wars to our warriors who have served with honour and pride in Australia’s military conflicts and engagements across the globe.

We proudly highlight and recognise the role they have played in shaping our identity and pause to reflect on their sacrifice. We celebrate and honour their priceless contribution to our nation.

I would be rapt to get some feedback from teachers who download and try out the unit. Please use the comments box below.

 

Migration Year 5 & 6 unit of work

I am working on a new unit of work for years 5 & 6: it’s intended to teach content from the Australian Curriculum on the topic of migration:

Stories of groups of people who migrated to Australia (including from ONE Asian country) and the reasons they migrated, such as World War II and Australian migration programs since the war. (ACHHK115)

In addition to exploring waves of migration at different times in Australian history, I am also interested in guiding students towards an empathetic understanding of the migrant experience, which will include the experience of being a refugee.

So far, I have gathered together these picture books to support the unit

• Rebel! written by Allan Baillie and illustrated by Di Wu
• The Peasant Prince, the true story of Mao’s Last Dancer, by Li Cunxin and Anne Spudvilas
• The Little Refugee, the inspiring story of Australia’s happiest refugee, by Anh Do and Suzanne Do, illustrated by Brice Whatley
• Boat Boy by Hazel Edwards, illustrated by Eric David
• The Island, by John Heffernan and Peter Sheehan
• Ali the Bold Heart, based on the true story of an Iranian refugee, who performed as a magician in his own country, written by Jane Jolly and illustrated by Elise Hurst
• Glass Tears, by Jane Jolly and Di Wu
• Ziba Came on a Boat, by Liz Lofthouse, illustrated by Robert Ingpen
• A True Person, written by Gabiann Marin and illustrated by Jacqui Grantford
• Home and Away, by John Marsden and Matt Ottley
• The Arrival by Shaun Tan
• The Boat, by Helen Ward and Ian Andrew

Novels to use include

• Boy Overboard by Morris Gleitzman
• The White Ship by Jackie French
• When Hitler Took Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr

Non-fiction resources

•  Story of Migration to Australia, Heinemann
  • From the Middle East and Africa, by Nicolas Brasch
•  Migrations series (Wayland)
  • Chinese Migrations, by Judith Kendra
• We Came to Australia, Looking for … series, by Christine Mulvany & Lucy Carroll, MacMillan
  • Family;
  • Jobs and Education;
  • Different Environments;
  • Freedom;
  • Different Lifestyle.
• Australian Immigration Stories by Louise Courtney and Linda Massola, Heinemann,
  • 1900-1940
  • 1940-1960
  • 1960-1980
  • 1980 –

Does anyone else have any suggestions for resources for this topic?

New year 3 & 4 unit: Celebrations around the World

New Units

This week has been planning week and I have been working with teams of teachers to update existing units or write new ones for the Australian Curriculum (history and science).  We’ve also been tweaking these units to include more Deep Thinking activities.

Almost all our existing science units have been shelved in favour of the terrific Primary Connections units – the only things we have had to do is to restructure their scope and sequence plan to suit an odd/even years curriculum so that we can accommodate composite classes when we occasionally have them, and to audit the lesson plans for deep thinking activities and add more/substitute when needed.

The new history curriculum has meant much more work than this, and our program of integrated units is still a work in progress.  However this week, thanks to a great team of teachers (Deb, Adam, Louise and Sally) we have completed Celebrations around the World for Years 3 & 4.  It’s designed to cover ACAR’A’s Year 3 history content:

Celebrations and commemorations in other places around the world; for example, Bastille Day in France, Independence Day in the USA, including those that are observed in Australia such as Chinese New Year, Christmas Day, Diwali, Easter, Hanukkah, the Moon Festival and Ramadan (ACHHK064)

Y3&4 Celebrations Around the World Even Years Sem 1

Please bear in mind that this unit was written from scratch and has not been trialled yet.   We’d be interested to receive any feedback about it, and we welcome any resources that you are willing to share.

New year 5 & 6 ANZAC unit: Indigenous War Service

New Units

Indigenous War Service: this unit is (with permission) adapted from Indigenous Service, a resource for primary schools published by the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne.

Please note that I have changed some of the activities and worksheets to allow for more deep thinking and more use of thinking tools.  I will develop the resources for these as I need them, and plan to upload them here, but if I forget feel free to remind me with a request using the comments box below.

Please note also that the unit as planned by the original authors is very comprehensive and would take two terms to teach in a typical one-hour per/week library program.  So I have split the unit in half, with the first three investigations being taught in even years and the other three in odd years.

Finally, note that this unit is part of our whole school ANZAC scope and sequence plan which you can find here.

• Y5&6 Indigenous War Service Pt 1 (even years)
• Indigenous Australians Glossary
• Venn Diagram Indigenous Service (benefits)

PS I’m also going to whip up a lesson or two about Jandamurra (1873-1897), the Kimberley warrior and indigenous patriot who tried to defend his country against European settlement in the 19th century.

New Australian Curriculum units for the Primary Library

Over Easter, I’ve been updating some of my old VELS units for the Australian Curriculum.

There’s one for Years 1 & 2 called Stories Around the World (and I’ve started another one called Habitat which I’m currently teaching.  I’m aiming to upload that at the end of Term 2 if the workload involved in the School Review  isn’t too horrible. (In my dreams!)

There are now three completed Prep Units: Fables; Wild Animals, and Beatrix Potter.

I’m working on a trial unit called Explorers for Year 4, and an ANZAC unit called Animals at War for Year 3 – though I really don’t know whether these are going to be practical in composite classes.

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.