sallymurphy.com.au

Sally Murphy, Australian author

Readalong Post #5: 10 Things You Can Do With Pearl Verses the World

by

Welcome to the fifth post in my Readalong, and the final post focussing on Pearl Verses the World. When I planned this Readalong, I planned to dedicate a post to classroom ideas. But then the Pandemic happened, and classrooms changed (for now, at least), and I also realised that there are already lots of great teacher notes available here and here and here.

So,l I thought I’d instead give ten quick ideas for things you can do with Pearl – at home, with an online class, or in a classroom or library. So here goes: 10 things you can do with Pearl Verses the World.

  1. Read it. Yes I know that’s stating the obvious, because it is a book, after all. But what I mean is JUST read it. No need to analyse, to come up with twenty comprehension questions, or fifty different worksheets. In a classroom, or library, or at home, sometimes (lots of the time! MOST of the time!) books should just be read and digested.
  2. Gift it. Let someone else read it. Books make wonderful birthday, Easter, Christmas, Name Day, just because presents. And I know, because people have told me, that Pearl has been given to recipients of all ages.
  3. Write a poem about your family. On page 33 Pearl describes her family:

Me

My Mum

And my Granny…

Who is in your family? What’s it like to be part of such a big family, or such a small family? Is there a metaphor for what your family is like?

  1. Write a limerick. Pearl says she doesn’t like poems that rhyme, but when her teachers insists on poems, Pearl writes limericks. Here’s one:

There was a young lady called Pearl

Who was not a rhyming type girl

She said “I’ve no time

For poems that rhyme”

Which made her poor teacher go hurl.

You can write a limerick about yourself, your cat, your dog, an imaginary person – anyone! There’s some great tips on how to write a limerick here.

  1. Design a new cover for Pearl Verses the World. Have a look at the two covers it has had – the Australian one and the UK one (you can see them here). Which parts of each do you like? Now imagine YOU are the cover designer – what image would you use? What font? Any other details?
  2. Now imagine there is going to be a sequel – Pearl Verses the Universe. What cover would THAT book have? What would happen to Pearl? Write that story, or part of it.
  3. Write a review. A book review is a reader’s opinion of a book. You can see some examples of reviews of Pearl here and here and here and a quick guide to writing a review here. Write your own review of the book and share  it with someone who hasn’t read the book yet.
  4. In the book we only hear Pearl’s voice. So, although we meet other characters, we don’t really know what they are thinking. Write a poem, from the point of view of Mitchell Mason, or Prudence Jones, or Miss Bruff.
  5. There are some wonderful illustrations in Pearl Verses the World, but not every page has a picture. Find a page with no illustration and reread it, then draw the picture you think could go with that page.
  6. Ask the author a question about the book! Whether you have read the book, are going to read the book, or even if you don’t think you ever will, I’d love to hear your questions. And if you post them here on my blog (in the comments) or on my Facebook author page here, I will answer them.

Thanks again for joining in on this Readalong. Tomorrow starts week 2, and I’ll be sharing a reading from Toppling. See you then.

Teacher Tuesday: Creative Writing Using Looking Up

by

It’s Teacher Tuesday. Previous Teacher Tuesday posts have been quite long, offering whole units of work around one my books. But this week, to mix things up a  bit, I am going to try a shorter post with just one activity. But it’s one of my all-time favourite creative writing activities, and it works well as an introduction to reading Looking Up as a class novel.     Looking Up

So, here’s what you do. Before you read the novel, buy or make a set of birthday cards (I buy mine cheaply from discount stores), one for each member of the class, and write one for each student. You could write their name inside (ie Dear Tommy,….) OR, do what I have done in the past, and start each with Dear You, which means they can then be given out randomly.  Also add a short message. When I have done this activity, I have used the same message that is used in Looking Up:

Happy birthday.

May all your dreams come true.

However, if you are feeling really creative, you might decide to write a different message in each card.

The fun bit is deciding who each card is from. The idea is that it is going to be a card from a complete stranger – someone the student has never met. They might be silly, fantastical, or completely random.  Ideally, every student will get a card from someone different. Here are some ideas, which I have used:

The Monster Under Your Bed

Alan the Alien

Your New Next Door Neighbour

Officer Smith

Your Great Great Great Uncle Albert

Mrs Madge Longbottom

The Pot Plant Fairy

The Spider in Your Mailbox

So, a completed card might read:

Dear You,

Happy birthday.

May all your dreams come true.

Love,

Your Worst Nightmare

(Yes, I have used this one – the girl who got it had a lot of fun writing back.)

Now, for the activity.

  1. Explain to the students that they are going to receive a birthday card, imagining that their birthday is coming up. Discuss: who generally sends birthday cards; what kinds of messages might they contain?
  2. Give each student their sealed card. Make them wait to open it.
  3. Before opening it, let them guess who it might be from.
  4. Tell them they can open the envelope and remove the card, but not read it yet. Look at the outside of the card. Is it the sort of card they expected? Does it match their interests? Who might send them a card with a bunch of flowers/a race car/ etc on it?
  5. Lastly, let them read the card, and share with neighbours.
  6. As a class, have some students share their cards. Ask: Why would this person be writing to you? What would you do about it? Would you write back? Get help from a parent? Ignore the card?
  7. Creative Writing. Either: Write a letter back to the sender, thanking them for the card and asking them about themselves. OR Write a scene where you meet the sender of the card.

After this activity, read the first two chapters of Looking Up. Make predictions about who ‘Grandad’ might be. Do students think he is really Pete’s Grandad or is it some kind of trick? What should Pete do about it? Why would his mum lie about Grandad being dead?

This activity can be adapted for students from year two through to year six. If you try it, I would love to hear how it goes.

More ideas for using Looking Up,  can be found here or here.

Looking Up, by Sally Murphy, with illustrations by Aska
Published by Fremantle Press, 2017
ISBN 9781925164572

Format, Paperback 72  pages, RRP $14.99

Available from good bookstores or here. Also available as an ebook.

Teacher Tuesday: Using 1915 in a Year 6 Classroom

by

Welcome to my first Teacher Tuesday post for 2018 – and, of course, welcome to the new school year. If you have missed my previous Teacher Tuesday posts, links to those are at the end of this post, offering lots of ideas for using my books in your classroom.   This week, I am sharing suggestions for using Australia’s Great War: 1915 in your year six classroom, though of course the activities could be adapted for an older or younger class as well.

Using 1915 in a Year Six Classroom

Australia’s Great War: 1915, by Sally Murphy 
Published by Scholastic Australia, 2015
ISBN: 9781743622483
Format 208 pp Paperback RRP $16.99  (Also available as an ebook)

Blurb:    When Australia throws its support behind Britain in its fight against Germany, young teacher Stan Moore is one of the first to join up, swapping the classroom for adventure in Europe. But the 11th Battalion is sent with the newly formed Anzac Corp to Gallipoli where Stan is confronted by the hard lessons of war.  Though conditions are dismal and death is everywhere, so is the humour and bravery that is the true spirit of Anzac.

Sally’s Recommended Grade Levels: Year 4 – Lower Secondary, but these suggestions focus on Year 6.

Themes/Topics:

  • Word War 1
  • Gallipoli
  • History
  • Family/Siblings
  • Friendship
  • Letter Writing
  • War Poetry

Curriculum Links and Activities

  1. Identify and explore ideas and viewpoints about events, issues and characters represented in texts drawn from different historical, social and cultural contexts (ACELT1619)
  2. Compare the ways that language and images are used to createcharacter, and to influence emotions and opinions in different types of texts (ACELT1621)
  3. Recognise and analyse the ways that characterisation, events and settings are combined in narratives, and discuss the purposes and appeal of different approaches (ACELT1622)
  • Before Reading: Class or small group work – brainstorm knowledge about World War 1, and, particularly, Gallipoli. Start a class ‘fact’ wall, where facts about WW1 are added progressively during the unit.  Have students verify facts, using internet sources and/or class library, and reference the source on their additions to the ‘fact’ wall. Information to consider: key dates of the war, key dates of Gallipoli campaign, countries involved, numbers of Australian who served, casualties, fatalities etc,  geographic locations, famous people involved etc.  Operation Click (available here) has useful fact sheets and worksheets.
  • Before reading – Examine front cover. Focus on the character pictured – the main character (Stan).  Discuss – what kinds of people served in WW1? What would we expect Stan to be like – age, employment background, any special qualities etc.   Examine rest of cover, including the photos and blurb.  Journal writing, or discussion: From examining the cover, do you anticipate enjoying the book? Why/Why not?  What do you know about Stan from the cover information?  What do you think might happen to Stan in the story? Encourage students to give evidence from the cover and from their knowledge of WW1.
  • Before Reading – Focus on the concept of bravery/courage. What do these words mean? In groups, students to crate posters, providing a definition of bravery, and giving examples of what bravery might look – at war, and in everyday life.
  • During reading, focus on key moments of bravery, including the landing at Gallipoli (chapter five), Stanley helping Colin (pp. 67-68), Simpson (Chapter 9), Miles helping the Turk (Chapter 10), Stanley and others staying aboard the Southland (chapter 17). Encourage students to identify other kinds of courage: returning to Gallipoli after hospitalisation, using humour to get through, writing letters which don’t reflect just how bad things are etc.
  • After Reading: Groups to revisit their bravery posters, and create a second poster identifying instances of bravery from the book. Share posters with whole class, and discuss whether concepts of bravery have changed through reading the book. Use worksheets from Operation Click (here) to explore the concept of the ANZAC legend.
  • After Reading: Compare 1915 with other accounts of Gallipoli. Historic accounts, from newspapers and books can be found on Trove, and elsewhere, Contemporary nonfiction accounts in textbooks or online (here’s one to get you started), and fictional accounts are numerous – including the picture books listed here.  Read and/or view a number of accounts, and have students compare by creating a table, focussing on:  attitude to war, events focussed on, word choice, other aspects.

4.Reflect on ideas and opinions about characters, settings and events in literary texts, identifying areas of agreement and difference with others and justifying a point of view (ACELT1620)

5. Understand how language is used to evaluate texts and how evaluations about a text can be substantiated by reference to the text and other sources (ACELA1782)

  • After reading, discuss reactions to the book. Look back at predictions made about enjoying the book, and discuss whether the book met expectations.
  • Examine sample book reviews, and identify elements. (You can find many book reviews on the Reading Time website. There are also reviews of 1915 here and here).
  • Students to write their own review of 1915.
  • Alternatively, create a Booktalk or Book Trailer for the book. There is a sample Booktalk for 1915 HERE, and a Booktrailer for one of my other books, Toppling, HERE.
  1. Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts, selecting aspects of subjectmatter and particular language, visual, and audio features to convey information and ideas (ACELY1725)
  • Reread Stanley’s poems (p. 77 & p. 169). Discuss why Stanley wrote poems, and why Charles Bean decided to put together the ANZAC book. Students to attempt their own poem about either another moment from the book (perhaps Miles’ death, or the landing at Galllipoli) OR about something difficult they have experienced.
  • Letter writing. Reread a selection of Stanley and Elizabeth’s letters. Write e letter from one of the characters after Stanley has left Gallipoli for the last time. OR Discuss how their letters differ from modern communication. Imagine they have mobile phones or email and  write a text or email exchange between the two.

Other suggestions for using 1915 in your classroom include:

  • Make red poppies for ANZAC Day or Remembrance Day. Simple instructions can be found here.
  • Geography/HASS: Create a timeline for the Gallipoli campaign. Using a different colour or font, insert key events from the book.
  • Show students this real photo which features in the opening scene of the book.  
  • Email the author(that’s me!) Your students can write to me through this website, and share their responses or ask questions.

 

Related Books

Mostly, I’d love to remind you that while I love to see my books used in classrooms, I also love to see kids just enjoying them. Reading a book should be pleasurable – whether it’s being used in the classroom or not.  So allow your students to enjoy reading 1915

If you find this useful, or have any suggestions or comments, do leave a comment. And, if there is a particular book or year level or topic that you would like covered in a future edition of Teacher Tuesday, let me know.

Previous Teacher Tuesday posts include:  Pearl Verses the World, Looking Up, Toppling,  Roses are Blue, Do Not Forget Australia, The Sage Cookson Series,  Snowy’s Christmas and The Floatingest Frog.

 

 

Teacher Tuesday: Write a Christmas Tree Poem

by

It;s Teacher Tuesday, but with the end of the school year rapidly approaching, I thought I might offer something different this week. Instead of offering teaching activities for one of my books,I am offering a quick poetry writing idea.

 

Write a Christmas Tree Poem

Challenge your students to write  a poem in the shape of a Christmas tree, like this one here:

.

For older students they can use my attempt as a mentor text. For younger students you might provide a printed worksheet with a tree outline and lines drawn. Older children can be challenged to write other Christmas shape poems – for example, in the shape of baubles, stockings or presents.

If you’d like a quick craft activity for your classroom, over on the Sage Cookson website, you’ll find a printable template for an antler headband.

This is the last Teacher Tuesday post for this year, but it will return in January in time for the new school year. In the meantime, if you missed earlier posts, you can still find suggestions for each of the following books by clicking on the titles:

Pearl Verses the World

Looking Up,

Toppling,

Roses are Blue,

Do Not Forget Australia,

Meet Mary MacKillop,

Snowy’s Christmas

The Floatingest Frog

and Sage Cookson.

Thanks for visiting, and if there is a topic you’d like covered in Teacher Tuesday during 2018, let me know.

 

Teacher Tuesday: Using Meet Mary MacKillop in a Year 4 Classroom

by

Welcome to the  eighth edition of Teacher Tuesday, where I match one of my books to a year level, and offer some activities for sharing the book in the classroom. In previous weeks I shared activities for Pearl Verses the World, Looking Up, Toppling,  Roses are Blue, Do Not Forget Australia, Snowy’s Christmas and The Floatingest Frog.

This week, I am focusing on my picture book, Meet Mary MacKillop which can be used to meet objectives in both  both the History and English curriculum areas.

Using Meet Mary MacKillop in a Year Four Classroom

Meet Mary MacKillop, by Sally Murphy, illustrations by Sonia Martinez

Published by Random House, 2013
ISBN: 9781742757216
Format 32page  Hardcover, RRP $19.99

Blurb:  Mary MacKillop, Australia’s first saint, was born in the 1800s and devoted her life to teaching children. Mary believed everyone should have the chance to learn, no matter how rich or poor they are. In 1866 she set up her first school and founded an order of nuns called the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart. This book tells the story of that first school.

Sally’s Recommended Grade Levels: Year 1 – Lower Secondary, but these suggestions focus on Year 4.

Themes/Topics:

  • Famous Australians
  • Education/Schools
  • History
  • Women
  • Religious Education
  • Self-belief

Publisher teaching notes available HERE

This unit of work uses Meet Mary as the basis for examining both the life of Mary MacKillop, and examining the roles and significance of other famous Australians.

Curriculum Links:

Year 4 History and English

  1. Pose questions to investigate people, events, places and issues (ACHASSI073)
  2. Sequence information about people’s lives and events (ACHASSI076)
  3. Present ideas, findings and conclusions in texts and modes that incorporate digital and non-digital representations and discipline-specific terms (ACHASSI082)
  4. Plan, rehearse and deliver presentations incorporating learned content and taking into account the particular purposes and audiences (ACELY1689)
  • Before reading: discuss the word ‘famous’. Ask students what it might mean to be famous. Brainstorm a list of famous Australians.
  • Show students the book cover. Ask students who Mary MacKillop was and/or what the cover suggests about her.
  • Read the Story (apart from timeline).
  • After Reading: group work. Groups to complete table identifying words and images which show this book is set in the 1800s. Subheadings: Words/Language Used; Transport; Dress; School Equipment; Other. One column to identify what is portrayed in the book, and a second column to identify how these things might be today.
  • Discuss what a timeline is. Students to compose simple timelines of their lives so far. Share
  • Examine back of book timeline. In groups, students to identify which events are included in the story. Discuss: Why did Sally Murphy choose only part of Mary MacKillop’s life for the story? Can you understand Mary’s life without the addition of the timeline?
  • Students to choose another famous Australian – either from earlier list or from a list fo teacher suggestions, of a particular time period. Using library/class resource collections and/or internet research, students to research their chosen person and compile their own timeline. Additionally, have them answer the following: Why is this person famous? Where were they born? Which part of Australia did they live in? What was their main achievement?  How are they commemorated today (eg are they on a banknote, have buildings or roads named after them, memorialised in stories/songs etc). Why did you choose this person?
  • Students to compile a visual presentation about their chosen Australian: either digitally or as a poster presentation.

 

  1. Createliterary texts by developing storylines, characters and settings (ACELT1794)
  2. Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts containing key information and supporting details for a widening range of audiences, demonstrating increasing control over text structures and language features (ACELY1694)
  3. Re-read and edit for meaning by adding, deleting or moving words or word groups to improve content and structure (ACELY1695)
  4. Use a range of software including wordprocessing programs to construct, edit and publish written text, and select, edit and place visual, print and audio elements (ACELY1697)
  • Read other books in the ‘Meet’ series. If enough available, this could be done in groups, with each group examining a different book in the series. Identify key events in each person’s story, and also explore similarities and differences between the different books (each book has a timeline, for example, but the writing and illustrations styles vary. Some of the books cover a single episode in the person’s life, while others cover more of the person’s lives). Encourage students to elaborate which hones they like, and why.
  • Identify common features in adapting biographies to fiction (the term here is historical fiction): creating characters, use of dialogue, key details, use of details to set scene (time and place).
  • Students to use information from their timelines/presentations to craft a narrative telling their chosen person’s story – either one episode, or an overview of their life. This could be extended to create a picture book version.

 

Other suggestions for using Meet Mary MacKillop in your classroom include:

  • Mary wrote many letters to her mother and to other people throughout her life. Examine the elements of a letter, and draft and write a letter. the theme of letters is also part of my book Looking Up.
  • The work of Mary MacKillop continues through the sisters of St Joseph. There are various museums and centres across Australia and new Zealand which are open for school groups for different excursions.
  • Art: read the interview with the illustrator, Sonia Martinez in the official teaching notes. Create collage art using historical pictures, combined with the students own drawings.
  • Email the author(that’s me!) Your students can write to me through this website, and share their responses or ask questions.

Related Books

Mostly, I’d love to remind you that while I love to see my books used in classrooms, I also love to see kids just enjoying them. Reading a book should be pleasurable – whether it’s being used in the classroom or not.  So allow your students to enjoy reading Meet Mary MacKillop.

If you find this useful, or have any suggestions or comments, do leave a comment. And, if there is a particular book or year level or topic that you would like covered in a future edition of Teacher Tuesday, let me know.

Teacher Tuesday: Using Toppling in a Year 6 Classroom

by

Welcome to the sixth edition of Teacher Tuesday, where I match one of my books to a year level, and offer some activities for sharing the book in the classroom. In previous weeks I shared activities for Pearl Verses the World, Looking Up, Do Not Forget Australia, Snowy’s Christmas and The Floatingest Frog.

This week, continuing my focus on verse novels, I am focusing on my second verse novel, Toppling.

Using Toppling in a Year Six Classroom

Toppling, by Sally Murphy, illustrations by Rhian Nest James

Published by Walker Books, 2010
ISBN: 9781921529429 (Paperback)
Format 128 page Paperback, RRP $16.99

US and UK Editions also available.

Blurb:  John’s friend Dominic becomes ill, John’s world begins to topple. A warm story about the importance of friendship.

Sally’s Recommended Grade Levels: Year 4- Adult, but these suggestions focus on Year 6.

Themes/Topics:

  • Friendship
  • Belonging
  • Childhood Illness
  • Family
  • Empathy and Compassion
  • Poetry
  • School

Publisher teaching notes available HERE.

Curriculum Links:

Year 6 English

  1. Make connections between students’ own experiences and those of characters and events represented in texts drawn from different historical, social and cultural contexts (ACELT1630)
  2. Analyse and evaluate similarities and differences in texts on similar topics, themes or plots (ACELT 1614)
    • Before reading: set up individual journals OR a special section is students’ writing journals. During reading: after reading each section, have students write about their responses to the story so far. Although you could provide questions for guidance, if possible allow students to write about any aspect of the story that appeals to them. After each writing session, allow time for group/class discussion, encouraging links to students’ own experiences.
    • Ask students to identify other books which deal with childhood illness from their previous reading, OR have a wide range of these available in the classroom. There is a list HERE you could use a starting point. In groups, have students brainstorm similarities and differences between Toppling and the books they have read. This could work either with each group working on a different book, or with each group allocated a book, or with reference to a book previously read as a class book. Students to then prepare a report back to the class, explaining similarities and differences.
    • Focus on hobbies. Toppling deals with some difficult topics. Some work on the lighter aspects of the book can help alleviate this and offer varied activities. Discuss John’s toppling hobby, view big topples on Youtube and, if possible, have dominoes available the classroom for either free time or for science and mathematics activities. Have students talk about their own hobbies- especially non-digital ones. Students can prepare mini-presentations which explain their hobby, or an unusual hobby they have learnt about.

http://t.dgm-au.com/c/328195/69171/1880?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Ftoppling-sally-murphy%2Fprod9780763659219.html

  1. Identify, describe, and discuss similarities and differences between texts, including those by the same authoror illustrator, and evaluate characteristics that define an author’s individual style (ACELT1616)
  2. Analyse how textstructures and language features work together to meet the purpose of a text (ACELY1711)
  3. Analyse strategies authors use to influence readers (ACELY1801)
  4. Understand how authors often innovate on text structures and play with language features to achieve particular aesthetic, humorous and persuasive purposes and effects (ACELA1518)
  • During reading introduce students to the terms ‘free verse’ and ‘verse novel’. After reading use groups to establish similarities and differences between verse novels and prose novels. Discuss findings.
  • After reading, revisit and analyse key scenes: p. 9 (opening page), pp 43-46 and pp 15-17 contrasted with p.62-63. Have students focus on which techniques are used in these scenes which might be poetic rather than narrative techniques, and how these techniques influence our connection and reaction to the events. Report or journal writing: how has Sally Murphy used poetry to explore the difficult topic of childhood cancer?
  • A term unit could encapsulate reading of one or both of my other two verse novels, Roses are Blue and Pearl Verses the World, allowing time for examination of similarities and differences between the three books via group work, or class boards. A verbal or digital presentation examining Sally Murphy’s Individual Style could meet other learning outcomes in multiliteracies, technology or speaking.
  1. Identify the relationship between words, sounds, imageryand language patterns in narratives and poetry such as ballads, limericks and free verse (ACELT1617)
  2. Createliterary texts that adapt or combine aspects of texts students have experienced in innovative ways (ACET1618)
  3. Experiment with textstructures and language features and their effects in creating literary texts, for example, using imagery, sentence variation, metaphor and word choice (ACELT1800)
  4. Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts, choosing and experimenting with textstructures, language features, images and digital resources appropriate to purpose and audience (ACELY1714)
  • During or after reading revise or introduce devices including simile, metaphor, personification, onomatopoeia, repetition, tricolon. Use examples from the book, or have students identify them in the book. Experiment with each form either in journals or on worksheets or display boards. If you have space on your pin up boards, have places where students can write examples of each device on strips of paper or sticky notes and build up a bank of examples.
  • Examine the elements of free verse poetry (this link here is a simple starting point). Write lots of poems: there are many great lesson ideas on this site, from Australian poets.
  • After reading and examining author style, have students experiment with writing about their own lives in free verse. Draw on journal writing tasks completed during reading. Structure this activity by allowing time for discussion ingroups of possible topics, experimenting with how to tell veracious parts using poetic devices, then drafting and revising poems.
  • Have students write poems mimicking my style to tell a key event from the point of view of another character: Tess, Dominic, Mum, Miss Timms etc. Produce a class collection entitled Toppling: The Untold Story.

 

Other suggestions for using Toppling in your classroom include:

  • Toppling can be used as a springboard to building empathy, and to understand differences between sympathy and empathy, outside of the literacy classroom.
  • Show students the cover and blurb for the UK edition of the book, which is titled John and Dom, and the US, still titled Toppling but with some cover differences. Explain that the story inside is the same: itis only the cover that has changed. Discuss students’ preferences. Have them design a new cover for the book, or a different cover for another book they have read.
  • Email the author (that’s me!) Your students can write to me through this website, and share their responses or ask questions.

Related Books (these are all verse novels)

Mostly, I’d love to remind you that while I love to see my books used in classrooms, I also love to see kids just enjoying them. Reading a book should be pleasurable – whether it’s being used in the classroom or not.  So allow your students to enjoy reading Toppling.

If you find this useful, or have any suggestions or comments, do leave a comment. And, if there is a particular book or year level or topic that you would like covered in a future edition of Teacher Tuesday, let me know.