Tuning in Activity

Show the students a map of Macquarie Island (to the left) and explain that the cards they are about to be given are about the island. File for cards below.

The students, in pairs, are required to rearrange the cards to create a sentence and then offer their insights as to why the sentence could be constructed in this way. They must use all of the word cards but could add in two or three extra words to maintain meaning in their sentence. You are encouraged to not show the correct sentence until the end of the first reading. The correct sentence is the last line of the narrative.The students could change their sentence throughout the reading of the text.
​

Cards
File Size:	135 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

---

Observation and Prediction Activity

Show the students the front and back covers of the book and read the back cover text (blurb), then ask them the following questions: 

• What do you think the book will be about? Why?
• How do you think the text and illustrations will be organised? Why?
• What do we know about the author and illustrator by looking at the front and back cover of this book?
• Using the blurb and the final sentence you have constructed, what can you infer about what type of book this might be?

Just Before Reading

Students should also view a map such as the one at left, which shows Macquarie Island and its proximity to Australia, New Zealand and Antarctica, to establish and understand its location.

Reading

Read the narrative/historical account sections of the text to the students without showing them the pages. This is the text that runs across the bottom of each page throughout the book. It has been written by Alison Lester.
​
Ask the students to respond to the text by folding an A4 page in half, and on one side respond to the guiding questions below and on the other side draw an image of how they feel about the text or an image that the text evokes. It is essential that the students undertake this activity prior to viewing the text and illustrations as it allows them to predict the thematic nature of the book and use the reading strategies of predicting and creating images to support their comprehension.

Guiding Questions

• What is the tone or feeling of the book?
• What style of illustration would you expect to see in this book?
• How do you feel about Macquarie Island?
• How does the author’s choice of language evoke a response from you? Is it positive, negative or indifferent?
• Now that you have heard this book, how is it the same or different from your first predictions?

Conclude Lesson 1

Allow the students to share their responses, both written and illustrative with one another.