Water and Life
Learning Area:
English, Visual Arts
Relevant Content Descriptions:
Year 5: AC9E5LA06 AC9E5LA07 AC9E5LA08 AC9E5LE02 AC9E5LE05 AC9E5LY06
Year 6: AC9E6LA07 AC9E6LA08 AC9E6LE05 AC9E6LY03 AC9E6LY06
Years 5/6 (Visual Arts): AC9AVA6E01 AC9AVA6C01
Learning Outcome:
Create a story book detailing the ways water supports animal and plant life in their local area, and the ways animals and plants have adapted to aridity and other environmental factors.
Learning Areas:
English, Science, Art
Prompt Text:
Pamela Freeman and Liz Anelli (2016) Desert Lake: The story of Kati Thanda – Lake Eyre.
Resources:
The story book can be created using photographs from the on-country excursion, illustrations or paintings. Students can produce the book by hand or digitally using PowerPoint or similar.
Noongar Vocabulary:
Kabi / Kep: Water
Kap Wari: Water in a pool/puddle
Ngamar: Water in a rock hole
Baat: Water Rushes
Dilabert: Wading Bird
Balyan: Wet
Djabooly-Djabooly: Swimming
Bilya: River
Koonak: Marron
Before Reading:
• Explain that this book will provide a template for the class to create their own picture book about the role of water in the area studied during on-country learning.
• Optional: show Kati Thanda/Lake Eyre on a map.
During Reading:
• Draw students’ attention to the ways the text combines scientific information with storytelling. Prompt them to consider ways they might like to do the same with the information they’ve gathered.
• Pause and reflect on your favourite illustrations. Ask students what they like about the ways the watercolour paint has been used to represent patterns in the landscape, and the ways the colours change throughout the text.
After Reading:
• As a class, create a list of ideas to guide the development of the storybook.
• Discuss how the roles will be divided up, for example:
• Students might create their own page based on one part of the cycle, or
• Students could work in small groups to research, write, edit, and illustrate a page or section, with one student leading each task.
• Divide up the information gathered about the water cycle and create a storyboard or plan to sequence the book into the appropriate number of pages for the class to create. Remember to include the cover.
• Discuss time frames with the class and set a production standard and purpose for the finished work, for example, you may like it to just be a class activity that day, or you may like to spend more time and make a book that could be displayed in the school library or shared with another class.
Production Steps:
• Draft and edit the text for each page. Apply knowledge of poetic techniques and grammatical conventions to create vivid descriptions, and to refine and enhance the written text.
• Draft the layout of each page of illustrations and text on A3 paper (or double-spread size of final book), remembering the page will be folded and there will be a slight gap where the book is stapled.
• Display the layout designs in order and review them as a class. Discuss how to achieve consistency across the book. Finalise the title and cover art.
• Create the final artworks and add text for the good copy.
• Glue consecutive pages back-to-back, bind and cover the book.