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?