Nim's Island: English
English Content Descriptions
Understand differences between the language of opinion and feeling and the language of factual reporting or recording (ACELA1489)
Understand how texts are made cohesive through the use of linking devices including pronoun reference and text connectives (ACELA1491)
Understand that the meaning of sentences can be enriched through the use of noun groups/phrases and verb groups/phrases and prepositional phrases (ACELA1493)
Understand how adverb groups/phrases and prepositional phrases work in different ways to provide circumstantial details about an activity (ACELA1495)
Discuss how authors and illustrators make stories exciting, moving and absorbing and hold readers’ interest by using various techniques, for example character development and plot tension(ACELT1605)
Use comprehension strategies to build literal and inferred meaning to expand content knowledge, integrating and linking ideas and analysing and evaluating texts (ACELY1692)
Key Teaching Strategies
Listening to Reading: Students listen to the novel being read aloud to the class. Use questions from Higher Order Thinking Novel Study to develop comprehension strategies and reflect on the ways in which the author has used language features in the text.
Fact or Opinion: Review what students know about fact and opinion from earlier units (particularly Mystery unit). Students consider how they might know if something is fact or opinion and practise distinguishing between them using the Fact or Opinion worksheet.
Reading Fluency: Students read a passage from the text - running record sheet.
English Achievement Standard
Receptive modes (listening, reading and viewing)
By the end of Year 4, students understand that texts have different text structures depending on purpose and audience. They explain how language features, images and vocabulary are used to engage the interest of audiences.
They describe literal and implied meaning connecting ideas in different texts. They express preferences for particular texts, and respond to others’ viewpoints. They listen for key points in discussions.
Productive modes (speaking, writing and creating)
Students use language features to create coherence and add detail to their texts. They understand how to express an opinion based on information in a text. They create texts that show understanding of how images and detail can be used to extend key ideas.
Students create structured texts to explain ideas for different audiences. They make presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, varying language according to context. They demonstrate understanding of grammar, select vocabulary from a range of resources and use accurate spelling and punctuation, editing their work to improve meaning.
Understand differences between the language of opinion and feeling and the language of factual reporting or recording (ACELA1489)
Understand how texts are made cohesive through the use of linking devices including pronoun reference and text connectives (ACELA1491)
Understand that the meaning of sentences can be enriched through the use of noun groups/phrases and verb groups/phrases and prepositional phrases (ACELA1493)
Understand how adverb groups/phrases and prepositional phrases work in different ways to provide circumstantial details about an activity (ACELA1495)
Discuss how authors and illustrators make stories exciting, moving and absorbing and hold readers’ interest by using various techniques, for example character development and plot tension(ACELT1605)
Use comprehension strategies to build literal and inferred meaning to expand content knowledge, integrating and linking ideas and analysing and evaluating texts (ACELY1692)
Key Teaching Strategies
Listening to Reading: Students listen to the novel being read aloud to the class. Use questions from Higher Order Thinking Novel Study to develop comprehension strategies and reflect on the ways in which the author has used language features in the text.
Fact or Opinion: Review what students know about fact and opinion from earlier units (particularly Mystery unit). Students consider how they might know if something is fact or opinion and practise distinguishing between them using the Fact or Opinion worksheet.
Reading Fluency: Students read a passage from the text - running record sheet.
English Achievement Standard
Receptive modes (listening, reading and viewing)
By the end of Year 4, students understand that texts have different text structures depending on purpose and audience. They explain how language features, images and vocabulary are used to engage the interest of audiences.
They describe literal and implied meaning connecting ideas in different texts. They express preferences for particular texts, and respond to others’ viewpoints. They listen for key points in discussions.
Productive modes (speaking, writing and creating)
Students use language features to create coherence and add detail to their texts. They understand how to express an opinion based on information in a text. They create texts that show understanding of how images and detail can be used to extend key ideas.
Students create structured texts to explain ideas for different audiences. They make presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, varying language according to context. They demonstrate understanding of grammar, select vocabulary from a range of resources and use accurate spelling and punctuation, editing their work to improve meaning.
Nim's Island: Geography
Geography Content Descriptors
The importance of environments to animals and people, and different views on how they can be protected (ACHGK022)
The natural resources provided by the environment, and different views on how they could be used sustainably (ACHGK024)
Represent the location of places and their features by constructing large-scale maps that conform to cartographic conventions including scale, legend, title and north point, and describe their location using simple grid references, compass direction and distance (ACHGS029)
The importance of environments to animals and people, and different views on how they can be protected (ACHGK022)
The natural resources provided by the environment, and different views on how they could be used sustainably (ACHGK024)
Represent the location of places and their features by constructing large-scale maps that conform to cartographic conventions including scale, legend, title and north point, and describe their location using simple grid references, compass direction and distance (ACHGS029)
Key Teaching Strategies
Points of View: As students listen to the story, students are given opportunities to identify different points of view about the island and how it should be used and cared for. Students could use Bitstrips or Comic Life or PowerPoint to create a comic strip depiction of the different points of view.
Natural resources: Students recall the natural resources that can be obtained from the Earth (Year 2 Science). They identify the natural resources provided by the island, creating a list. They consider that different groups may have different views about the protection and use of these resources.
Make a Map: Students create a map of the island based on the descriptions in the book. They conform to cartographic conventions including grid references, legend, title and north point. The map may be hand drawn or created using software such as PowerPoint.
Points of View: As students listen to the story, students are given opportunities to identify different points of view about the island and how it should be used and cared for. Students could use Bitstrips or Comic Life or PowerPoint to create a comic strip depiction of the different points of view.
Natural resources: Students recall the natural resources that can be obtained from the Earth (Year 2 Science). They identify the natural resources provided by the island, creating a list. They consider that different groups may have different views about the protection and use of these resources.
Make a Map: Students create a map of the island based on the descriptions in the book. They conform to cartographic conventions including grid references, legend, title and north point. The map may be hand drawn or created using software such as PowerPoint.
Geography Achievement Standard
By the end of Year 4, students describe and compare the characteristics of places in different locations at the national scale. They identify and describe the interconnections between people and the environment. They describe the location of selected countries in relative terms and identify simple patterns in the distribution of features of places. Students recognise the importance of the environment and identify different views on how to respond to a geographical challenge.
Students develop geographical questions to investigate and collect and record information and data from different sources to answer these questions. They represent data and the location of places and their characteristics in simple graphic forms, including large-scale maps that use the cartographic conventions of scale, legend, title and north point. They describe the location of places and their features using simple grid references, compass direction and distance .Students interpret data to identify spatial distributions and simple patterns and draw conclusions. They present findings using geographical terminology in a range of texts. They propose individual action in response to a local geographical challenge and identify the expected effects of their proposed action.
By the end of Year 4, students describe and compare the characteristics of places in different locations at the national scale. They identify and describe the interconnections between people and the environment. They describe the location of selected countries in relative terms and identify simple patterns in the distribution of features of places. Students recognise the importance of the environment and identify different views on how to respond to a geographical challenge.
Students develop geographical questions to investigate and collect and record information and data from different sources to answer these questions. They represent data and the location of places and their characteristics in simple graphic forms, including large-scale maps that use the cartographic conventions of scale, legend, title and north point. They describe the location of places and their features using simple grid references, compass direction and distance .Students interpret data to identify spatial distributions and simple patterns and draw conclusions. They present findings using geographical terminology in a range of texts. They propose individual action in response to a local geographical challenge and identify the expected effects of their proposed action.