View
215
Download
0
Category
Preview:
Citation preview
7/29/2019 blueback (1)
1/15
BLUEBACK by Tim WintonAn English unit of work
developed with grades 7 and 8 students in mind.
This unit was written first by Susan Weston-Smith from Cosgrove High
School. She devised a wide range of activities for students to work on
before, during and after reading the novel.
Mary Miles, from Claremont High School, and Pam Powell, the Derwent
District literacy support teacher, adapted the unit to suit the needs of
Marys grade 8 class. Assessment sheets were provided, some activities
were selected by the teacher, some choices were made by the students and
others were negotiated as the unit progressed.
One of the distinguishing features of this unit is that it has been written asa series of worksheets for students. It could be printed and presented to
students in its current form. Assessment sheets were written for the
KILOs. While some schools will want to use alternative assessment criteria,
the form provided will still serve as a model,
7/29/2019 blueback (1)
2/15
BLUEBACKby
Tim Winton
1. BEFORE READINGFIRST Think about the title: Bluebackis written as one word. What does this suggest?
What might the novel be about?
Next Think about the author: What do you know about Tim Winton?
Has anyone read any of his books? If yes, can you suggest something that Tim Winton
might use in this book?
THEN examine the front cover: Look at the relative sizes and positions of the images. Look at the expressions on their faces.
Look at the colours, lines and general atmosphere.
Use all of the information you have learned about the cover to predict what you think the
novel might be about.
WHILE READINGChoose at least one activity from each section and begin to think, plan, make notes and writefirst drafts.
Keep records of reading and research activities as you do them. These will be added to your
assessment file.
AFTER READINGWork out which activities you want to present to the class and which ways might be best topresent them.
Plan, draft, revise, edit, format and publish your chosen pieces. Remember to keep alldrafts so that your teacher can assess the processes you have used.
Present your work, gain feed back and plan future learning goals.
7/29/2019 blueback (1)
3/15
RESEARCH
CHOOSE AT LEASTONE OF THESE IDEAS
2. SCUBA DIVINGAs you read make a list of the names of the equipment used for diving.
Find out about
the ways in which the equipment is used
the safety rules for diving
Extension activities Contact a clubs, organisations or people and interview them about their
scuba diving experiences.
Contact an abalone diver and interview or invite him/her to visit the class.
3. SEA CREATURESAs you read make a list of the names of sea creatures mentioned in the
book. Choose several of the most interesting creatures or form a group and
divide them up.
Find out about the appearance
habitat
unusual features
location around Australia.
Extension activities
Work in a group to prepare a frieze for the classroom which shows the
information you have found. Include illustrations, too.
Contact the Fisheries Department and find out the rules about taking
creatures from the sea. Investigate the danger in the deep. That is, find out which sea creatures
pose threats to people. In what circumstances are they dangerous? How
likely are they to harm people?
4. THE HISTORY OF WHALING AND SEALINGRe read page 126. Note the thoughts that Dora has about whaling and
sealing.
Find out
how the whalers and sealers caught their prey.
7/29/2019 blueback (1)
4/15
which products were manufactured from the animals.
where and why they were valued.
what damage occurred to the environment.
Extension activities
Find out where collections of whaling artefacts are housed. The museum
seems the logical place to start. Organise a class visit.
Prepare a wall chart which shows visually both the benefits and the
dangers of whaling or sealing. Find out the location of marine sanctuaries around Australia. Send away
for information about the sea life that has been saved. Share your
findings with the class.
5. THE AUTHOR - Tim WintonUse the library, internet or television programs to find out about
his home and family
his hobbies and interests
the other books he has written his thoughts, attitudes and values.
Extension activity
Read through the only print interview he has given about Bluebackand
decide why he had enormous pleasure writing it, probably more fun than
anything he has written for years. And why it is about things close to his
heart.
With each topic remember to
brainstorm and group ideas into a logical order plan and write down questions to investigate
read and make brief notes
record the sources of your information
Also record which of these techniques you have used to locate your
information:
subject, key word, author, title searches
tables of contents, indexes, glossaries, bibliographies, catalogues,
atlases, directories etc.
encyclopaedias, data bases, magazines, pamphlets and newspapers
catalogues, microfiche or CD ROMs
Include your use of illustrations, maps, tables, graphs and timelines
7/29/2019 blueback (1)
5/15
RESPONDin a
READING JOURNAL
6. Record your thoughts about issues from the novel in a
reading journal.Spend some time writing while you read or you might even like to revisit
some of the sections that you found to be particularly interesting.Think carefully about the issue you have selected and share your
thoughts, feelings and reflections.
Some of the experiences that might be suitable for a journal response
include
page 8 - Learning to dive
page 20 - Abel's unusual life style
page 30 - Making friends with a wild animal
page 32 - Learning of his father's death page 45 - An accident in a boat
page 52 - Going to boarding school
page 77 - Thinking about the destructive acts of the divers.
NOTE: While those pages numbers have been given as examples, you should
choose any section which interests you. In the same way you might like to
avoid some sections which bring forth very powerful emotions that you might
not wish to share with others.
Write to
develop your own understanding of the issues
to link your reading with your own experiences
explore your own attitudes and values about the issue
to reach new understandings
7/29/2019 blueback (1)
6/15
RESPOND TO THE WRITING
7. Is this a book for children or a book for adults? Does itreally matter?The following quote from an internet interview with the author outlines the
situation:That yarn about a boy called Abel Jackson, his sea-loving mother, a giant blue groper and
the fight to preserve their idyllic Longboat Bay environment has been released in separately
packaged adult and childrens editions in Australia. In the U.S., it will be published for
adults, in the U.K. for children. Go figure, laughs Winton. I had enormous pleasure
writing it,. he allows, probably more than anything Ive written in years. And it is about
things close to my heart.
(From Tim Winton Into the Blue http://www.ozemail.com.au/)
Now that you have finished reading the book, what do you think?
Which aspects of the writing might appeal to children and which to adults?
If you were a publisher, which audience would you target? Why?
Explain your answer as fully as you can giving examples from the text to
support your opinions.
8. What impressions do you gain from Tim Wintons writing?Read about Abels first view of Blueback which is printed below.
Underline three or four of the expressions that you think describe the
groper well.
Reluctantly he stuck his snorkel back in his mouth and put his head under. Near the bottom,
in the mist left from their abalone gathering, a huge blue shadow twitched and quivered.
There it was, not a shark, but the biggest fish he had ever seen. It was gigantic. It had
fins like ping pong paddles. Its tail was a blue-green rudder. It looked as big as a horse
Abel and his mother saw the fish hovering then turning, eyeing them cautiously as they
came. It twitched a little and edged along in front of them to keep its distance. The big
gills fanned. All its armoured scales rippled in lines of green and black blending into thedizziest blue. The groper moved without the slightest effort. It was magnificent; the most
beautiful thing Abel had ever seen.
(Adapted from pages 10 & 11.)
Write down each of the expressions you have chosen and explain what each
tells us about the groper. What effects do the words create?
What does Tim Winton want us to think about the groper? In what ways do
the words has he chosen, build up his picture of the fish.
http://www.ozemail.com.au/http://www.ozemail.com.au/7/29/2019 blueback (1)
7/15
9. Recreate the authors words.Read the section of the story below.
Some of the words have been left out.
Work with a partner to choose one word to fit in each space.
Towards the end of the novel Dora Jackson faces a terrifying storm that
changes her perceptions of the sea..
When it came, the storm was like cyclone. It blew down her fences and took
the roof off her freezer shed. The sea grew tormented. It buckled and
swelled and bunted against the cliffs and headlands. Surf hammered the
shore and chewed it away. The air was thick with foam and sand and spray.
Wind gusts screamed till she covered her ears. The old house rattled and
rocked like an old lugger at sea. Dora Jackson lay in bed until it was all over.
Late in the morning she got up to see the ... She walked down to the
shore to see a .. jumble of white stumps on the beach. As she.. close she saw they were whale bones, thousands and .. of
them all along the bay. They stood like .. and broken teeth and
tombstones where the storm had .. them. Dora Jackson stepped
over and under and around ... It was like walking through a
graveyard. These bones .. lain here under the sand of Longboat Bay
for .. century or more. Shed walked over them for forty ..
without knowing. It was a terrible feeling having history .. itself so
suddenly.
She sat all day with bones .. her, bones the Jacksons had left there
in their .. days. It was whaling and sealing that brought the
.. here in wooden ships last century. Blubber oil and .., seal
fur and fish had paid for this land .. time. The Jacksons were all
dead now, generations of.., women and children and only Abel and
her were left. .. had come down to them. They had lived from the
.. all this time. Dora saw what must be done. .. it was time
to help the sea live. She .. protect the bay for all time.
Now, find pages 124 to 126 and compare the words the author used with the
ones you had chosen.
Discuss the differences in meaning with your partner. Which words make
the writing more effective? Why?
Choose three examples. Make notes and share your findings with your class.
7/29/2019 blueback (1)
8/15
RESPOND by WRITING
Your teacher will tell you which of these tasks are essentialand which ones are optional. Keep a record of the writing
tasks you do.
10. Chart Abel's life as the story develops. Plan an approach - a flow chart, graph, dot points, plot profile should
work.
Draft the work in your book.
Make a larger chart for classroom display when you reach the end of thebook.
See how inventive you can be in presenting this information in a way that will
encourage others to read and understand it quickly.
11. Write a newspaper report.Choose a newsworthy topic from the book. Possibilities include
Mad Macka's death
Abel's father's death
the declaration of Long Boat Bay as a marine sanctuary.Remember to set out your published work as a newspaper.
12. Write a poem Re-read Abel's dream in chapter 5. Write a poem which develops some
of the key images from his dream.
OR
Choose a sea creature. Make a quick collection of published poems about
sea creatures and write a journal entry about the ways in which words
and phrases have been used. Use the ideas you have gained to write apoem of your own about the creature you have chosen.
OR
Make a list of the words Tim Winton uses to describe the relationship
between Abel and Blueback. Write a poem which creates similar feelings.
13. Write a letter Write a letter from Abel to his mother at an important stage in his life.
It might be his first week at boarding school or his success with his
studies. Re- read this section from the book before planning your letter.
7/29/2019 blueback (1)
9/15
OR
Write at least two of the letters that Dora sent to politicians, scientists
and businessmen as part of her quest to save Longboat Bay. Suit each
letter to its audience. (Use words which suit the type of person to whom
the letter will be sent.)
7/29/2019 blueback (1)
10/15
RESPOND by TALKING
Choose ONE of the following suggestions to present to the class.Remember to prepare and plan your talk. First find and re-read the
section in the book that relates to your talk. Next, use the assessment
sheet to help you with your preparation.
14. Abel confronts Mr CostelloImagine Abel meets Mr Costello on the jetty when he returns from one of
his fishing trips. Work with a partner to present the conversation that
might take place.
15. Abel talks to school students.As an adult, Abel travels widely and gives lectures about marine life.
Imagine he comes to a school assembly to talk to the students. What might
he speak about? Give his talk to the class.
16. Dora talks with a property developer
A charming business man arrives with flowers, chocolates and a bottle ofchampagne. He hopes he might convince Dora to sell her land. He wants to
build a hotel, golf course, swimming pool and marina on the Jackson land.
Work with a partner to present their conversation.
17. Abel and Stella discuss their future.As Blueback's fame grows, visitors arrive to dive with him. Abel watches an
oil tanker accident on TV and worries about Longboat Bay. Work with a
partner to present one of their conversations at that time in their lives.
18. Abel tells his daughter about his first meeting with
Blueback.As a three year old, young Dora dons a wet suit and ventures into the sea to
meet Blueback. Imagine that the night before Abel tells the little girl about
his first meeting with the extraordinary fish. Give Abel's talk to the class.
7/29/2019 blueback (1)
11/15
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
Negotiate with your teacher to select activities forindividuals, groups and/or the whole class.
19. Prepare a tourist brochure.You have been employed by the developers to draft a brochure showing the
facilities that the company wants to provide for tourists at Longboat Bay.
Plan, draft and publish the brochure seeking feedback from class members
at each stage.
20. Conduct a town meetingImagine that everyone from the local community and others who have an
interest in wanting to develop the area gather in the town hall to debate the
issue.
Provide each class member with a role to act. These might include
the local mayor or shire president
Dora and Abel Jackson
Mr Costello
state and federal politicians from all political parties local shopkeepers and small business owners
lawyers, accountants and architects who represent the interests of the
developers
leavers from the nearest school
the unemployed
independently wealthy people who have moved to the area from the city
university students who are very interested in conservation issues
people who have retired to the area seeking solitude
people who have developed a self-supporting community eating onlyorganically grown produce.
You might also like to include a news team. A camera person, reporter and
interviewer will add an extra dimension, especially if they are able to video
the meeting and replay it as a TV news item.
7/29/2019 blueback (1)
12/15
This activity is limited only by the amount of time available, your interest in
the tasks and your own imagination. You might like to prepare
leaflets advertising the meeting,
placards to wave at the meeting,
pamphlets representing the views held by both sides,
letters to the editors of the local newspaper expressing individual views, maps, diagrams and charts which show aspects of the development.
Once everyone has thought his of her position through, conduct the meeting.
Conclude with a vote or even a value line to determine the outcome.
21. Create a collageLook carefully at some of the picture books that use collage techniques.
Jeannie Baker has several examples of this type of work including Where
the Forest Meets the Sea. Try to find the Storymakers video TheIllustratorsin which Jeannie Baker explains how she developed the collages.
Reread key scenes from the book and then make your own collages to show
what happened. Work on each scene in pairs, then combine them to create a
visual representation of the ideas from the book.
22. Write a sequel or an epilogue.Think about what might happen after the events that are told in the book.
EITHERImagine that you are either Abel or Stella or Dora Abel and Stellas
daughter. You are an old person, now, and you are looking back, telling
stories to one of your young friends. Write the conversation that might
have happened.
OR
Imagine you are Tim Winton. Use the same style of writing to create a
sequel.
7/29/2019 blueback (1)
13/15
Speaking Assessment
Name of speaker:
Topic:
Did the speaker Yes/No Suggestions for improvement
Choose a topic that interested you?
Stay on the topic?
Give enough information about the topic
(e.g. Tell you about who, what, when,where, why, how etc?)
Give you too much information on the topic
or a part of it?
Organise the information clearly so thatyou could follow it easily?
Did he/she give
a clear introduction?
main ideas & supporting details?
a conclusion or summary?
Use words that you understood or explainunusual words?
Express himself or herself using clear
sentences & linking words?
Speak loudly enough?
Speak at about the right speed?
Vary his or her speed & tone of voice?
Make eye contact with you?
Use objects, charts or pictures to
illustrate what she or she was talking
about?
Rephrase the parts where he or she got
mixed up or were too difficult to beunderstood?
Where necessary stop to think about what
to say next?
Ask for questions & answer them?
7/29/2019 blueback (1)
14/15
Do you think he or she prepared & rehearsed the presentation well?
What makes you think this?
Signed:
BLUEBACKREADING & WRITING ASSESSMENT
Name:
No.
READING Not
Yet
Some
times
COMMENTS2.2 Understands what is read Written responses
Spoken responses
3.2 Shows understanding of
different styles of writingJournal ChartResearch Newspaper report
Poem Letter
4.1 Speaks & writes about own
ideas of what is read
Journal
Research
5.1 Knows what information is
needed for research & why
Research
5.2 Knows how & where to findinformation needed for
research
Research
6.1 Shows a positive attitude to
reading
Chooses to read
Contributes ideas about what has been read
WRITING1.1 Uses different styles of
writingJournal ChartResearch Newspaper report
Poem Letter
2.1 Plans, drafts, shares, revises
& redrafts to make themeaning clear.
Passes up all drafts & planning work
2.2 Uses writing to help thinking
& learning
Journal
3.1 Uses understanding of writing
rules to make meaning clear.
Grammar
Punctuation
Style of writing
3.2 Correctly spells words used
often and can correct & learn
new words.
Uses have a go card
Underlines words that might be mis-spelledUses dictionary
7/29/2019 blueback (1)
15/15
4.1 Shows a positive attitude to
writing
Chooses to write
Edits own work
Contributes to discussions about writing
Recommended