Australian Literature for Lower Literacy Learners - A Modified Lesson Plan

This lesson plan aims to share a little of Australian Aboriginal culture with learners who may begin by only having a vague understanding of where Australia is on a map. So the best place to start this modified lesson on Australian literature is with a map (or Google Earth)!

Australian aboriginal culture is one of the oldest cultures on the planet, dating back some 40 000 years or more. It is a rich and vibrant culture, full of music, art and dance. There are numerous aboriginal languages spoken, although some of these have been lost over time. Aboriginal people have a strong storytelling tradition, and fortunately many stories have been retained through generations of oral retelling. Some have now found their way into books, such as this great new early chapter book by Gladys Milroy 'The Great Cold'. It tells the story of Sun and Moon battling with each other while the earth freezes, and a mother crow who is desperate to save her unhatched egg.

Pre-reading activities:

Use Google Earth to locate 'Australia'. The 'Great Cold' is written by a Western Australian author who grew up in the Pilbara region (up and inland a little on the western coast of Australia!) so locate this region of the country.

Talk as a class about world cultures, and how various cultural groups have different musical, storytelling and artistic traditions.

Discuss Aboriginal culture, and perhaps set the scene by playing some didgeridoo music or viewing some Aboriginal artworks online.

Talk about how stories are retained in families and see if students can tell you some of their own family stories that they have learnt from parents or grandparents.

Reading:

Share the story together as a class over a number of 'read aloud' sessions. The book is divided into short chapters and the whole book can be easily read by an adult reader in around 15 minutes.

Review any challenging words and concepts at the end of each chapter and ensure students retain their comprehension of the story.

Post reading:

Provide choices for a follow up activity such as:

1. create an artwork related to the story (for example, a 3D model of Crow or Goanna)
2. conduct research into Australian animals and make a poster to share with classmates
3. create a two sided display of 'sun' and 'moon' words and phrases and decorate with shiny paper and stencil designs
4. retell your favourite part of the story in your own words
5. create a journal describing your ongoing learning about Australian Aboriginal culture
6. Find out about some of the environmental damage which is occurring in the Australian outback by land-clearing, climate change and feral animal species