- Story
- Touchdown, Year 6
- Issue 6, 2019
The First Brumbies
Learning resource
Outcomes
Worksheet: Add descriptive detail
Understanding EN3-3A
Narrative: Create a story arc to find and summarise the main events of ‘The First Brumbies’, to highlight the conventions of a narrative used by the author, Katherine England. For information on how to use a story arc, read Using a Story Arc or watch this Introduction to the Story Arc YouTube clip. How does the author create empathy toward Sophie? (The author invites students into Sophie’s shoes, to feel her pain.) What role do sympathy and empathy play in the story to carry the plot? How did the author make students understand Sophie’s choice to leave the yard? How did the author engage students in the story? Explore further the English Textual Concept ‘Narrative’.
Mini book review: Using the scaffolded ‘Mini Book Review’ worksheet students can complete and share a review of the story, ‘The First Brumbies’.
Engaging personally EN3-5B & EN3-8D
Character: Create a character map or attribute web about the type of character Sophie is portrayed as in the story, using one of these Character Map and Attribute Web worksheets. Explore how the author constructed the narrative in such a way as to invite an emotional response to evoke empathy, sympathy and/or empathy, and how she interwove point of view as another textual concept. Explore further the English Textual Concept ‘Character’.
Point of view: Write a diary entry from the boy’s point of view, when Sophie and the foal escaped from the yard. Have students re-read page 30 to orientate themselves with the boy’s character. How would he have felt, knowing that it was his fault the gate was left open? How would he explain it to his parents? What emotions would he be feeling? He was trying to help another injured animal when Sophie and the foal escaped … Explore further the English Textual Concept ‘Point of View’.
Connecting EN3-8D
Text-to-self connections occur when we make connections between personal experiences and the text.
Text-to-Self: Have a class discussion on how do the ideas in this text relate to students’ own lives, ideas and experiences. Ask students to consider:
- What I just read reminds me of the time when I …
- I agree with/understand what I just read because in my own life …
- I don’t agree with what I just read because in my own life …
Students complete this Double-Entry Journal worksheet to record connections during the reading.
Discuss as a class.
Teaching Strategy explained: Text-to-Text, Text-to-Self, Text-to-World Rationale.
Engaging critically EN3-7B
Conduct a Circle of Viewpoints visible thinking routine to help students consider and perceive different and diverse perspectives presented in the story. Brainstorm a list of different perspectives and then use this script skeleton to explore each one:
- I am thinking of... the topic ... From the point of view of ... the viewpoint you’ve chosen.
- I think... describe the topic from your viewpoint. Be an actor—take on the character of your viewpoint.
- A question I have from this viewpoint is... ask a question from this viewpoint.
Wrap up: What new ideas do you have about the topic that you didn’t have before? What new questions do you have?
Students could record their responses on these Circle of Viewpoints worksheets.
Write a persuasive speech to convince students either that the brumbies should remain free/feral or not. Scaffold arguments using this Persuasion Map worksheet to organise thinking.
Experimenting EN3-7C
Create an infographic, using Canva, about feral animals in Australia.
Create five questions where the answer is brumby/brumbies. For example: Q: What do Australians call feral horses? A: Brumbies.
Animate ‘The First Brumbies’ using Comic Life or draw a simple film strip using this Story Board worksheet.
Reflecting EN3-9E
Conduct an I used to think ... But now I think … routine. This routine helps students to reflect on their thinking about a topic or issue and explore how and why that thinking has changed. It can be useful in consolidating new learning as students identify their new understandings, opinions, and beliefs. Record responses on this I Used to Think … Now I Think … worksheet.
Exit Slips are a formative assessment that can be used to quickly check for understanding. The teacher poses one or two questions in the last couple minutes of class and asks student to fill out an ‘exit slip’ (e.g. on an index card) to ascertain student thinking and understanding. Here are Instructions on filling out an Exit Slip and two Exit Slip worksheets.