Program and planning Stage 2
Introductions
Rap point 1
Rap point 2
Rap point 3
Rap wrap up
Resources
Credits
Using ICT capabilities in teaching and learning
This rap assists Stage 2 students to work towards English K–6 syllabus outcomes in reading and writing, and to use ICT to:
- locate, access, evaluate, manipulate, create, store and retrieve information
- express ideas and communicate with others.
This book rap becomes live for the beginning of Term 3, 2006. Participating class groups and teachers subscribe to the book rap and the concurrent teachers’ supporting rap in order to take part in the rap.
The six books which form the focus of this Book Week rap are:
- BOURKE, N. & DANALIS, N. (2005) What the sky knows, University of Queensland Press. SCIS 1261005
- DUBOSARSKY, U. & MACKINTOSH, D. (2005), Rex,Viking, Penguin Books Australia. SCIS 1234535
- MATTHEWS, C. & BLACKWOOD, F. (2005), Emily’s Rapunzel hair, ABC Books. SCIS 1209941
- NILAND, D. (2005), Annie’s chair, Viking, Penguin Books Australia. SCIS 1239220
- SHANAHAN, L. & QUAY, E. (2005), Daddy’s having a horse, Hodder Children’s (Hachette Livre Australia). SCIS 1215722
- WATTS, F. & LEGGE, D. (2005), Kisses for Daddy Little Hare Books. SCIS 1229548
Program and planning for introductions
Focus outcome
Learning about reading – context and text
RS2.7 Discusses how writers relate to their readers in different ways, how they create a variety of worlds through language and how they use language to achieve a wide range of purposes.
Linked outcome
Learning to read – reading and viewing texts
RS2.5 Reads independently a wide range of texts on increasingly challenging topics and justifies own interpretation of ideas, information and events.
Introductions
Term 3, Week 2: week beginning 24 July 2006
Class or group introductory messages are sent and read during this week. Participating schools can be located on Rap maps in response to introductory messages.
Rap activities
- During this first week rappers send a short introductory message about their class or group and give some information about their school and its location. Students discuss other rappers’ introductory messages, and discuss the effects they wish to create in their own introductory message.
- After reading other schools’ introductions, rappers locate schools on their Rap map
- Read and enjoy as many of the six texts as possible in the short listed 2006 Book of the year: Early Childhood books. These six books are the focus of this book rap, although it is not necessary to have access to the complete set to participate. Teachers may choose to focus on a different book for each rap point, or alternatively, may choose just one short listed book to use throughout the rap.
- Having subscribed to the teachers’ rap, teachers also send a message during this week, introducing themselves, describing their circumstances and expectations of the rap.
Syllabus content |
Possible sequence of teaching activities |
Learning about reading – context and text
Discuss with students how the structure of a particular text type being read relates to its purpose and how readers can use their knowledge of text organisation to predict and extract meaning from texts.
Learning to read – reading and viewing texts
Students will be provided with opportunities to: select, read, interpret and use a wide variety of material with increasing autonomy.
Learning to write – producing texts
WS2.9 Drafts, revises, proofreads and publishes texts that are more demanding in terms of topic, audience and written language features.
- Uses other texts as models for aspects of text organisation.
- Uses some effective planning strategies.
- Contributes to joint text-construction activities.
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In order to construct a whole class introductory email, discuss the purpose of this introductory email, and its audience.
To explore models of introductory rap messages, view and discuss introductory messages sent to previous raps through the archives of selected Raps. Decide on the appropriate voice, modality, greeting and signature to be used. Discuss email etiquette, the need for accurate subject, etc. Construct a joint message of introduction. The email message would include the school’s name, location, size of group and any other interesting features of the school or class. Discuss the impression the class wishes to create with this email message and how this might be achieved.
Access, read and discuss email introductions from other rappers as they arrive, and locate these schools on the Rap maps
Read and enjoy the short listed Early Childhood books.
Make entries in Rap journal.
If time is available, complete optional activities.
If they have not already done so, teachers subscribe and introduce themselves to the teacher rap. |
Optional activities:
- Visit the official Children’s Book Council of Australia website and discuss book categories and the process of short listing books. If desired, read reviews of the short listed books.
- Investigate the biographical background of authors and illustrators of the six short listed Early Childhood books. Visit author and illustrator sites for background information.
- Commence Rap journal writing.
Program and planning for Rap point 1
Term 3, Week 3: week beginning 31 July 2006
Home and families are part of each of these Early Childhood books.
(a) Choose one short listed book and, using both text and illustrations, investigate how the family is represented, and what the author and illustrator have done to give us these ideas about the family. Write a paragraph describing what you find out, and send it to the rap.(Rap sheet 1 and/or Rap sheet 2 or Rap sheet 3 may help you.)
(b) Compare this family you have just studied with that in another picture book (either another short-listed Early Childhood book, or a favourite you know well). Write a paragraph explaining how the families are similar and different, and compare the techniques the different authors and illustrators have used to represent the family. (Rap sheet 4 will help you)
Focus outcome:
Learning about reading – context and text
RS2.7 Discusses how writers relate to their readers in different ways, how they create a variety of worlds through language and how they use language to achieve a wide range of purposes.
Linked outcome:
Learning to write – Producing Texts
WS2.9 Drafts, revises, proofreads and publishes well-structured texts that are more demanding in terms of topic, audience and written language features.
Syllabus content |
Possible sequence of teaching activities |
Learning about reading – context and text
RS2.7 Discusses how writers relate to their readers in different ways, how they create a variety of worlds through language and how they use language to achieve a wide range of purposes.
Responding to texts
- Talks about different interpretations of written and visual texts (p.33).
- Discusses the ways different groups of people are represented in texts (p. 33).
- Offers an opinion about a story or aspects of it (p. 33).
Learning to write – producing texts
WS2.9 Drafts, revises, proofreads and publishes well-structured texts that are more demanding in terms of topic, audience and written language features.
Joint and independent writing
- Identifies key words and phrases (found in short-listed text and also from rap sheet work).
- Contributes to joint text-construction.
- Writes fuller descriptions of people.
Subject matter
- Selects relevant information to use in own writing.
- Researches specific topics to write about.
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Discuss concepts of family and point out different compositions, and cultural perspectives represented in the families of students in the class. Explain the terms role, typical behaviours, stereotype, and other related concepts, and discuss these as they apply to students’ own family situations.
Display or introduce Rap point 1 and use skills in the defining step of the information process to decide what this Rap point is asking rappers to do. Underline key phrases e.g. family, text and illustrations, author and illustrator, paragraph. Ensure students know what each of these terms means.
Choose one of the Early Childhood short listed books set in a family situation and read this again carefully to the students. Some of the titles will work better than others for this rap point. It may be best to select from: Daddy’s having a horse, Emily Rapunzel’s hair, Annie’s chair or Kisses for Daddy. Explain that Kisses for Daddy contains human family features despite the main characters being bears. You may wish to discuss why Frances Watt chose bears for her main characters and how the satisfactory resolution depends on this representation.
Discuss all the references to a family made in the chosen book, including words, phrases, direct speech, and illustrations. Use visual literacy components, especially the use of colour, camera angle, non-verbal features, and position of family members, to help read the way the author wishes us to feel about the family or home. Identify describing words and phrases used in the text which colour and inform our perception of this particular family.
Use Rap sheet 1. This is two pages; not all aspects will be relevant to each title, but use the empty boxes to add more examples. Use Rap sheet 2 or Rap sheet 3 (as suited to text and learning and teaching styles) to focus on further aspects of the family, as depicted in the chosen title.
Using the information gathered, jointly construct a class group response, forming a paragraph which gives details of the techniques used to create this representation of a family. Refer to the text, page numbers and events, to justify opinions and conclusions drawn by the group.
Ask students to suggest other books they know which are set in a family context that is similar, or different to the one being studied in the short listed books. Re-read one of these texts and, using Rap sheet 4, complete a Venn diagram, showing similarities, and differences created by the authors and illustrators.
Jointly construct these ideas into a paragraph which clearly communicates discoveries made: similarities, differences in the families represented, and common or different techniques used by the authors and illustrators in both cases.
Proofread the final paragraphs, considering the impact phrases and words may have on the rap audience. Consider careful wording and construction of the final rap message, creating an exemplary response in form and content. Send the response to the rap once the teacher has approved the final response.
Read responses from other rappers, noting new information and understandings. If time is available, send an additional message to the rap, giving examples of new understandings formed through other rappers’ observations.
Record experiences and learning in Rap journals, either individually, or as a class group log. |
Program and planning for Rap point 2
Term 3, Week 4: week beginning 7 August 2006.
As we enjoy these short listed books, we see a little of how the characters think and how they work through their experiences. Choose one character (or characters) and using Rap sheet 5 as a guide, decide which habits of thinking the character shows and when.
Send a message to the rap, explaining which thinking habits the character uses and the results of this, justifying your opinions from the text itself.
What might have happened if the character had used different ‘habits of mind’?
Focus outcome
RS2.5 Reads independently a wide range of texts on increasingly challenging topics and justifies own interpretations of ideas, information and events.
Linked outcome
WS2.9 Drafts, revises, proofreads and publishes well-structured texts that are more demanding in terms of topic, audience and written language features
Syllabus content |
Possible sequence of teaching activities |
RS2.5 Reads independently a wide range of texts on increasingly challenging topics and justifies own interpretations of ideas, information and events.
Shared, guided and independent reading
- Contributes to a class summary after reading or viewing (p. 29).
- Makes some inferences about ideas implicit in a text (p. 29).
- Shows empathy with characters in literary texts (p. 29).
Responding to texts
- Retells and discusses interpretation of texts read or viewed, with attention to main ideas and supporting details (p. 29).
WS2.9 Drafts, revises, proofreads and publishes well-structured texts that are more demanding in terms of topic, audience and written language features.
Joint and independent writing
- Identifies key words and phrases.
- Understands and creates notes for relevant writing purposes.
- Contributes to joint-construction activities.
- Writes for a chosen audience.
Subject matter
- Selects relevant information to use in own writing.
- Researches specific topics to write about.
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Discuss habits or types of thinking that might be familiar to students, or may have been displayed by a class member class that day e.g. empathy (care of another student), persistence (to finish a task), thinking creatively or flexibly (a student who showed initiative).
Encourage students to give real life examples of other thinking habits. It might be helpful to view Rap sheet 5 and give real life examples of each habit listed.
Note: The phrase, habits of mind, was termed by Arthur L.Costa and Bena Kallick. For more information refer to Habits of mind.
Choose one of the short listed Early Childhood books. Texts that could work well with this rap point include: What the sky knows, Emily’s Rapunzel hair, Rex, Kisses for Daddy. Select a character who shows distinct habits of mind.
Study the chosen text carefully, then work through Rap sheet 5 with this character’s behaviour, words, actions and choices as the focus. Encourage students to justify their opinions by making specific references to the text, recording these on Rap sheet 5.
Students review their notes and construct a group response, giving details of their findings. Send the response to the rap once the teacher has approved the final response.
If time permits, explore other habits of mind the character may have used, and the possible results, using Rap sheet 6 as a guide. This activity is mere speculation, but may encourage students to consider the impact of their ways of thinking, on day to day experience. If some interesting ideas emerge, add this to the previous jointly constructed response and send it to the rap.
Read responses from other rappers, noting new information and understandings. If time permits, send an additional message to the rap, giving examples of new understandings formed through other rappers’ observations.
Record experiences and learning in Rap journals, either individually, or as a class group log. |
Program and planning for Rap point 3
Term 3, Week 5: week beginning 14 August 2006
Now that we know these characters and how they live, what further experiences might they have? What might happen next?
After brainstorming ideas and planning your work (Rap sheets 7 and 8 might help), write a short narrative, telling a new story about one of the characters that fits with the background we know.
(Be adventurous, but make sure your story has an introduction, a complication, and finishes with a good resolution. Your new story should be at least three paragraphs in length.)
Focus outcome
RS2.7 Discusses how writers relate to their readers in different ways, how they crate a variety of worlds through language and how they use language to achieve a wide range of purposes.
Linked outcomes
WS2.9 Drafts, revises, proofreads and publishes well-structured texts that are more demanding in terms of topic, audience and written language features.
WS2.10 Produces texts clearly, effectively and accurately, using the sentence structure, grammatical features and punctuation conventions of the text type.
Syllabus content |
Possible sequence of teaching activities |
RS2.7 Discusses how writers relate to their readers in different ways, how they crate a variety of worlds through language and how they use language to achieve a wide range of purposes.
Purpose
- Recognises and describes the purpose of a narrative.
- Compares the way texts are organised into stages to achieve different purposes.
- Recognises how different literary texts are organised according to their purpose.
Subject matter
- Selects texts relevant to topic under discussion.
RS2.8 Discusses the text structure of a range of text types and the grammatical features that are characteristic of those text types.
- identifies in stories main elements of structure such as orientation, complication and resolution
Grammar
- identifies language used to develop cohesive links
- identifies and uses various noun groups
WS2.9 Drafts, revises, proofreads and publishes well-structured texts that are more demanding in terms of topic, audience and written language features.
Joint and independent writing
- Uses other texts as models for aspects of writing such as text organisation, grouping of information (p.37).
- Uses some effective planning strategies (p.37).
- Understands and creates notes for relevant writing purposes (p.37).
- Contributes to joint text construction activities (p.37).
- Structures text types in appropriate stages (p.37).
- Writes simple short stories (p.37)
Audience
- Writes for a chosen audience (p. 37).
Subject matter
- Selects relevant information to use in own writing (p. 37).
- Writes on both familiar and researched topics (p. 37).
WS2.10 Produces texts clearly, effectively and accurately, using the sentence structure, grammatical features and punctuation conventions of the text type.
Grammar and punctuation
- Builds word families in preparation for writing.
- Uses past tense in recounts and narratives.
- Combines clauses by using a variety of conjunctions e.g. when, because.
- Uses a variety of time connectives in recounts and narratives.
- Identifies theme and beginning focus of clause and discusses how choice of theme affects meaning.
- Uses correct punctuation in published version of own writing.
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Consolidate students’ understanding of series and sequels by referring to popular, familiar titles, such as Anna Fienberg’s Tashi series, or sequential picture books such as Margaret Wild’s The midnight gang and The midnight feast, or Pamela Allen’s Mr McGhee series. If necessary, read examples to demonstrate that subsequent titles reflect the characterisation and language patterns of the first publication.
Use one or more of these titles to revise the structure of a narrative, and its components of orientation, complication, resolution and coda (see English K–6 syllabus p. 203).
Display and discuss Rap point 3, clearly defining what this Rap point is asking rappers to do. Choose one of the short listed Early Childhood picture books and construct a further adventure narrative for one of the main characters. Rap sheet 7 and Rap sheet 8 provide a structure and stimulus for brainstorming ideas. Make a group decision as to which complication will be adopted for the purposes of Rap point 3, and decide on a suitable resolution for the narrative. Check that the details of this new story are consistent with the original text.
Use Rap sheet 9 to plan the narrative, creating a story board or a map of how the narrative will develop and resolve.
Check the original text for language structures that might be useful to employ, and note these. Check again that the planned narrative will be a fitting further adventure introducing new developments perhaps, but showing similarities in characterisation and language patterns to the original text.
Using the planning conducted on Rap sheet 9 or similar, jointly construct a narrative of not less than three paragraphs, which is a fitting sequel to one of the short listed Early Childhood books. Proofread the final construction, checking features of grammar and punctuation are consistent and accurate.
Send the new narrative to the rap, and read other rappers’ sequels. Discuss similarities and differences in the finished work of other rappers.
Record process and learning in individual or group log, noting particularly the strategies used to plan and proofread an effective narrative that might have been a new approach. |
Program and planning for Rap wrap up
Term 3, Week 6: week beginning 21st August 2006
Focus outcome: Learning about reading – context and text
RS2.7 Learning about reading – context and text
Discusses how writers relate to their readers in different ways, how they create a variety of worlds through language and how they use language to achieve a wide range of purposes.
Linked outcomes
Learning to read – reading and viewing texts
RS2.5 Reads independently a wide range of texts on increasingly challenging topics and justifies own interpretation of ideas, information and events.
Learning to write – producing texts
WS2.9 Drafts, revises, proofreads and publishes well-structured texts that are more demanding in terms of topic, audience and written language features.
During this rap we have looked closely at the books short listed for the 2006 CBCA Book of the Year, Early Childhood award. We have viewed the texts in terms of how the family is represented through illustrations and language, examined the thinking habits of main characters, and considered what may have resulted if these had been different. We have imagined further experiences and adventures that the main characters may have, and entertained other rappers with our creative responses. These activities have been quite demanding, but we hope you have enjoyed the challenge and discovered some wonderful aspects of these Early Childhood short listed books. Well done for getting this far!
It is now time to reflect on our learning during the past six weeks. The Rap wrap up focus question assists you to do this.
Rap wrap up focus question
What has been the highlight of this book rap for you and your class? What skills or insights have you learned during this rap that you would like to tell others about? How has participating in this rap changed you, enlarged your understanding of texts and widened your world view?
Post your final group response to the rap as a short comment, once the teacher has approved the final message. It would be a great idea to pay tribute to the work of other rappers and thank them for new insights you have gained from their responses as you conclude this Book Week rap.
Syllabus content |
Possible sequence of teaching activities |
RS2.7 Learning about reading – context and text
Discusses how writers relate to their readers in different ways, how they create a variety of worlds through language and how they use language to achieve a wide range of purposes.
Learning to read – reading and viewing texts
RS2.5 Reads independently a wide range of texts on increasingly challenging topics and justifies own interpretation of ideas, information and events.
Learning to write – producing textsWS2.9 Drafts, revises, proofreads and publishes well-structured texts that are more demanding in terms of topic, audience and written language features. |
Students reflect on their understanding of the books before the book rap, and brainstorm all they have learnt by participating. Students consult their Rap journals or the class log of learning to reflect on the steps of the rap.
Students brainstorm skills and concepts they have been introduced to and/or developed in the context of this book rap. Students check their Rap journals.
Together, students share insights gained through their own investigations and those they have learnt by reading other rappers’ responses. Revisit stored email messages or the class messages on the website if necessary.
Students reflect on the highlights of participating in this book rap, individually, and then as a group.
Construct a joint response to the Rap wrap up question and post it to the rap.
Read others rappers’ reflections and respect their opinions.
Teachers may wish to reflect on how well particular learning outcomes in the program and planning have been met, and post their thoughts on this, and other aspects of the rap to the teacher support rap.
Thank you for your participation. |
Credits
Thanks to Wendy Chapman, teacher-librarian, Wollondilly Public School, for developing the programming and support material for this rap, and to Catherine Thomson, Project Officer, English.
Additional resources provided by the School Libraries and Information Literacy unit.
This rap is a joint project of the School Libraries and Information Literacy, and English Units, Curriculum K–12 Directorate
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