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Sally Murphy, Australian author

Teacher Tuesday: Using 1915 in a Year 6 Classroom

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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

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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

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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 Roses are Blue in a Year Four Classroom

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Welcome to the seventh 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, Do Not Forget Australia, Snowy’s Christmas and The Floatingest Frog.

This week, continuing my focus on verse novels, I am focusing on my third verse novel, Roses are Blue.

Using Roses are Blue in a Year Four Classroom

Roses are Blue, by Sally Murphy, illustrations by Gabriel Evans

Published by Walker Books, 2014
ISBN: 9781922244376 (Paperback)
Format 112 page Paperback, RRP $16.99

Blurb:  “I have not got used to my new mum, even though I love her (I absolutely love her), but I miss my happy,  painting,  dancing,  gardening,  smiling mum.” Amber Rose and her family are dealing with tragedy and change. Her mum is different, her home is different and she has even had to start at a new school. Amidst all that change, Amber finds it is still possible to find hope.

Sally’s Recommended Grade Levels: Year 2 – Adult, but these suggestions focus on Year 4.

Themes/Topics:

  • Friendship
  • Belonging
  • Disabilty
  • Family
  • Coping with Change
  • Mothers Day
  • Empathy and Compassion
  • Art
  • School

Publisher teaching notes available HERE

Curriculum Links:

Year 4 English

  1. Discuss literary experiences with others, sharing responses and expressing a point of view (ACELT1603).
    • Before reading: set up individual journals OR a special section is students’ writing journals.  Ask students to write about their favourite book, or at least a book they have read recently. Why did they like it? Class discussion: what makes a good book. Create a chart with children’s responses and display in room, to be added to during this unit of work, and revisited.
    • 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.
    • After reading: revisit the chart. In groups, students to discuss whether they thought Roses are Blue met their criteria for a good book. Why/Why not? Groups to report back, and discuss as class. (There should be no ‘right’ answers, but the focus should be on providing reasons for their stance, whether positive or negative)
    • After this discussion, again give time for students to write about their response to the book in their journals.
  1. Discuss how authors and illustrators make stories exciting, moving and absorbing and hold readers’ interest by using various techniques, for example character development and plot tension (ACELT 1605).
  2. Use metalanguage to describe the effects of ideas, text structures and language features of literary texts (ACELT 1604).
  • 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.
  • During and/or after reading, analyse key scenes, for example:
    • Stop after reading pages 7-9 (opening pages) and have students predict what might make Amber’s mum so different. Then read p. 10. Discuss students’ reactions to the revelation, and have them write about their responses in their journal (see above). After reading, discuss why the novel might have started this way – with Mum’s condition not revealed until the fourth page, and the reasons for it revealed gradually. Did this create interest? Did it highlight different aspects of Amber’s emotions?
    • Reread pp 36-39. Give each group a copy of the pages and ask them to look for repetition. Which words are repeated? Which phrases? What is the effect?
    • Read p. 47 and compare what we learn here about Mum with what we learnt on pp 36-39. Discuss: does this contradict what Amber has told us? Why do you think Amber calls this a ‘confession’? Journal writing/discussion: Are mums (or dads) supposed to be perfect?
  • Analyse the characters of Leroy Jamieson and Lola Jones. Groups to draw up a table listing what they learn from each one about the book. Report back and build a class list. Discuss: How are the two similar? How are they different? Do you think Sally Murphy deliberately gave them similar names? Why?
  1. Create literary texts that explore students’ own experiences and imagining (ACELT1607).
  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).
  • Use the poem on page 10 as a mentor text for students to create their own poem about their own mum or another family member. It could even be themselves or a pet. As well as ‘different’, you could suggest other adjectives such as ‘special’, ‘wonderful’ , ‘silly’.
  • Rewrite one of the scenes in the book from the point of view of one of the other characters: Mum, Leroy, Saffron, Dad, Aunty Fi, Lola etc. Encourage children to have a go at doing this as a free verse poem – again they could use the scene as a mentor text.
  • If Mum could talk, what would she say? This might be a wonderful opportunity to work on speech and thought bubbles, with students drawing Mum and showing some of her thoughts.
  • Any or all three of these creative exercises can be revised, edited and published for class display, or as class book, or in writing portfolios.

 

Other suggestions for using Roses are Blue in your classroom include:

  • Create invitations to a Mother’s Day tea, as Amber’s class do. Or to any other class event, real or imagined.
  • The blue rose has been the aim of many plant breeders. Have students research whether blue roses exist, and report on this. And/or build a list of other blue flowers.
  • Craft: create paper roses, using this tutorial, or any other.

  • 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 Roses are Blue.

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 Pearl Verses the World in a Year Five Classroom

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Welcome to the fifth 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 Looking Up, Do Not Forget Australia, Snowy’s Christmas and The Floatingest Frog.

This week, per a request from a year 5 teacher, I am focusing on my verse novel, Pearl Verses the World.

Using Pearl Verses the World in a Year Five Classroom

Pearl Verses the WorldPearl Verses the World, by Sally Murphy, illustrations by Heather Potter

Published by Walker Books, 2009
ISBN: 9781921150937 (Paperback)
Format 80 page Paperback, RRP $14.95

US and UK Editions also available.

Blurb: At school, Pearl feels as though she is in a group of one. Her teacher wants her to write poems that rhyme but Pearl’s poems don’t. At home, however, Pearl feels safe and loved, but her grandmother is slowly fading, and so are Mum and Pearl.

Sally’s Recommended Grade Levels: Year 2- Adult, but these suggestions focus on Year 5.

Themes/Topics:

  • Belonging
  • Family
  • Aging/Dementia
  • Death
  • Empathy and Compassion
  • Poetry
  • School

Publisher teaching notes available HERE.

More wonderful teaching ideas HERE.

Curriculum Links:

Year 5 English

The following ideas can be used separately, choosing just those which fit your classroom needs. However, this unit offers an opportunity for regular journal writing activities. As such, setting up a special writing book (or section of an existing daily writing book) for each child before reading begins, and then using it throughout reading could add an extra dimension to a novel study.

  1. Understand how texts vary in purpose, structure and topic as well as the degree of formality (ACELA1504)
  2. Clarify understanding of content as it unfolds in formal and informal situations, connecting ideas to students’ own experiences and present and justify a point of view (ACELY 1699)

Before reading:

  • Journal writing. In the days/weeks before introducing the book, have students write on one or more of the following questions: What kinds of books do you like to read? Do you like reading poetry? What does it mean to be lonely? After each journal writing activity, provide opportunities for sharing in groups or in class discussion.
  • Show students the cover of the book. Discuss reactions to the title, the front cover illustrations and the blurb. The blurb includes the word ‘poignant’. Discuss what this might mean. Journal writing:  Make a prediction. What do you think Pearl Verses the World might be about?

During Reading

  • Read pages 7 to 11, finishing with “Which made her poor teacher go hurl.” Discuss what has happened so far. Why is Pearl lonely? How does she feel about poetry? Does poetry have to rhyme? The last five lines are a limerick. Discuss whether that part rhymes. Who is speaking/writing the limerick?
  • Journal writing: Pearl is in a group of one. Do you belong to any groups at school? Do you think your own class has groups?
  • Read pages 11 to 17. Recap events. Discuss the revelations about what is happening at home. Focus on what we now know about Pearl’s life. Encourage connections to children’s own lives re family structures, illness, loneliness, but also the happy stuff like spinning.
  • Journal Writing: Which part of Pearl’s story so far do your feel reflects your own life? How does that make you feel? Pearl loves spinning. What is your favourite movement: running/jumping/skipping/standing still? Write about that movement and how it makes you feel.
  • Read pages 18 to 26. Recap events. Discuss, again encouraging responses and connections to students’ lives and experiences. Explore Pearl’s relationship with Prudence Jones and with Mitchell Mason. Other areas to highlight in discussion include the swimming and library scenes. Discuss how Pearl feels about poetry. In groups or as a class discuss what makes a poem, building on earlier discussion.
  • Journal writing: Do you like poetry/ Why/why not? What kinds of poetry?  What makes a good book? Write about your favourite book.
  • Read pages 27 to 35. These are some difficult pages so, before reading, have students ready their journals and writing materials. Tell them that, after you have read the pages you want them to write their responses in their journals FIRST and then discuss them after. After reading the pages, repeat the instruction. Give time to write about how they feel about what is happening to Granny, Pearl and Mum. After writing, group of class discussion about what has happened.
  • Repeat this process for pages 37 -50, 51-64 and 65 to 73.
  • Read pages 74 to 74. Discuss ending. Discuss: Is this a happy ending, or not? Could it have ended differently? How did students feel about the ending?
  • Journal writing: Do stories need to have happy endings? Why/Why not.  Write a new scene, either changing the ending, or showing a scene in Pearl’s life a month/year after the story ends.
  1. Present a point of viewabout particular literary texts using appropriate metalanguage, and reflecting on the viewpoints of others(ACELT1609)
  2. Use metalanguageto describe the effects of ideas, text structures and language features on particular audience (ACELT 1795)
  3. Plan, rehearse and deliver presentations for defined audiences and purposes incorporating accurate and sequenced content and multimodal elements (ACELY1700)
  • 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.
  • In groups, students to decide which form they prefer and prepare a presentation to class explaining why.
  • As a follow up, brainstorm arguments from both sides.(In my ideal world, class would arrive at the realisation that one form is not better than another, but offer different strengths). Discuss whether pearl verses the World might have been as effective written in prose.
  • Journal writing: Rewrite a scene in prose. Write a book review of Pearl verses the World.
  1. Understand, interpret and experiment with sound devicesand imagery, including simile, metaphor and personification, in narratives, shape poetry, songs, anthems and odes (ACELT1611)
  2. Createliterary texts that experiment with structures, ideas and stylistic features of selected authors (ACELT1798)
  3. Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive print and multimodal texts, choosing textstructures, language features, images and sound appropriate to purpose and audience (ACELY 1704)
  • Either during reading or after, examine the limerick on p. 11, and limericks from other sources. Us a worksheet like this one HERE  to establish how limericks work. Focus on rhyme patterns, rhythm patterns and content before having students create limericks of their own.
  • 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 ach form either in journals or on worksheets or display boards. If you have space on yoru pin up boards, have places where students can write examples of each device on strips of paper or stickynotes 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.
  • Have students create a class poetry book OR individual chapbooks

    Other suggestions for using Pearl verses the world in your classroom include:

  • Pearl Verses the World can be used as a springboard to building empathy, and to understand differences between sympathy and empathy, outside of the literacy classroom.
  • Pearl Verses the World is wonderful for reading aloud. Use an extract in the drama classroom for students to memorise and perform.
  • 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 Pearl Verses the World.

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: The Floatingest Frog in the Year 4 Classroom

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Welcome to the third 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 the first two weeks I shared activities for Looking Up and for Do Not Forget Australia.

This week I’m focusing on my very first picture book: The Floatingest Frog.

Using The Floatingest Frog in a Year Four Classroom

The Floatingest FrogThe Floatingest Frog, text by Sally Murphy, illustrations by Simon Bosch 

Published by New Frontier Publishing, 2004
ISBN: 9781921042546 (Paperback)
Format 24 page Picturebook, RRP $14.99

Available from good bookstores or here.

Blurb: Ferdinand the Frog wants to outdo his brother Frankie in every possible way. He can jump the farthest, croak the loudest, and even has the longest name! Sibling rivalry soon reaches hilarious heights when Ferdinand pushes his luck too far. Based on an Aesop’s fable, The Floatingest Frog is a cautionary tale about being too full of hot air.
Sally’s Recommended Grade Levels: Year K-5, but these suggestions focus on Year 4.

Themes/Topics:

  • Siblings
  • Frogs
  • Animals
  • Friendship
  • Aesop Fables
  • Humour
  • Wisdom

Curriculum Links:

Year 4 English

  1. Recognise how quotation marks are used in texts to signal dialogue, titles and quoted (direct) speech (ACELA 1492)
  2. Investigate how quoted (direct) and reported (indirect) speech work in different types of text (ACELA 1494)
  • During Re-Reading of the book, or using selected pages, ask students to identify how we know a character is speaking. Highlight opening and closing quotation marks, commas and attributions such as said/exclaimed/scoffed.
  • Rewrite selected sentences of dialogue on whiteboard or smartboard, demonstrating the correct placement of punctuation.
  • Create a worksheet with sentences from the text containing dialogue, with punctuation removed. Have students punctuate appropriately.
  • Writing: Write a conversation between Frankie and Ferdinand which does not happen in the book. OR write conversation where Frankie goes to introduce himself to the cow.

 

  1. Make connections between the ways different authors may represent similar storylines, ideas and relationships (ACELT 1602): comparing different authors’ treatment of similar themes and text patterns, for example comparing fables and allegories from different cultures
  2. Discuss how authors and illustrators make stories exciting, moving and absorbing and hold readers’ interest by using various techniques, for example character development and plot tension (ACELT 1605)
  • After Reading: Explain that The Floatingest Frog is based on an Aesop’s Fable, The Frog and the Ox. Discuss the elements of a fable – a story designed to teach a moral or message, after using animal characters and explicitly stating the moral.
  • Questions: Did any student identify the story as a fable on the first reading? How? Does The Floatingest Frog contain the elements of a fable?
  • Read Aesop’s fable: The Frog and the Ox. (There are several versions of this available online)
  • In groups/pairs construct a table exploring how the picture book is similar/different to The Frog and the Ox. Suggested headings: length, language, characters, dialogue, statement of moral.
  • Discuss: Why might an author use a fable to create a picture book? Which version did students prefer? Why did Sally use two frogs, rather than just one? Why did she change the ox into a cow?
  • Examine the book closely – using a story map or other process – to identify how the text attempts to make the original fable more engaging using dialogue, characterisation and action. Examine the illustrations closely to see how the illustrations add to the written words.
  • Questions: How has the author used dialogue tags/word choice/repetition/pacing to build an exciting story? Are their things which happen in the illustrations which do not happen in the words? What effect does this have? Why does the word ‘cow’ not appear in the text? How do we know it IS a cow?
  • Writing: Retell a different Aesop’s Fable as a narrative.

 

  1. 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.
  • After Reading: Building on work on dialogue and on fables, have students write their own original animal story OR rewritten fable. Work through stages of planning, drafting, editing and publishing this narrative.

Year 4 Science

Biological sciences

  1. Living things have life cycles (ACSSU072)
  2. Living things, depend on each other and the environment to survive (ACSSU073)Frogs: Awesome Amphibians
  • The study of The Floatingest Frog can coincide with studies of the life cycle of the frogs. You can find Frog Printables here or at numerous other websites – or make your own.
  • Complement The Floatingest Frog with my non-fiction book Frogs: Awesome Amphibians, available here. You can see sample pages of the book HERE
  • Compare the language of the nonfiction book with the fiction book, integrating science and literacy activities into the one unit of work.

 

Other suggestions for using The Floatingest Frog in your classroom include:

  • Art/Technology:  The art in The Floatingest Frog is created digitally. Experiment with drawing on whichever computer programs are available in your classroom.
  • Art: There are many ideas for frog craft, including frog origami. This Pinterest page has links to many easy, clever activities.
  • 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 The Floatingest Frog.

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.

sallymurphy.com.au