Rain Picture Book

Learning Sequence:

Note: This activity is designed to take place around the end of April/early May, when the first rains are (hopefully) coming, and farmers are seeding new crops.

1. Begin the activity in the yarning circle or on the mat. Ask students to think about and share anything they have noticed happening with the weather. If you have students from farming families, ask them to share what’s happening on their farm.

2. Introduce the book: we’re going to read a story about what happens when the rains come up north, then think about what happens when the rains come to our country.

3. Read the story to the class.

4. Check for comprehension: ask students to repeat some of the things that changed when the rains came.

5. If possible, take students for a short walk outside to a natural space. Encourage them to observe (listen, smell, look) the ways the bushland/ environment is responding to the rain. They might notice the leaves holding drops of rain, new shoots emerging, birds bathing, and smells of petrichor, damp earth and fresh eucalyptus.

6. In the yarning circle, create a list of the changes you have noticed after the rain.

7. Introduce the activity: As a class, you will be creating your own picture book about what happens when the rain comes. Brainstorm and choose a title for the book.

8. Pair students up and allocate one of the changes to each pair (or adapt to suit your class size/ needs). They are responsible for writing one page of the picture book in English and/or Noongar language, then using watercolours to create illustrations that show the rain coming to country. Demonstrate using a paintbrush to create a drip effect with the watercolours.

9. While students are working, you may like to create a cover for the book or choose a student to do so.

10. Once the pages are complete and dry, staple or bind them into a book, then have each pair read out and share their page with the class. You may also like to share the book with the Kindy/Pre-Primary class or display it in the library.