Every teacher can testify to the engagement received by their students when offered to be read a story. Whether it be from a picture book or novel, stories bring so much enjoyment to children’s lives. The added bonus is that they can also be great tools for linking various content areas of the Australian Curriculum.
I have gathered a list of books that I highly recommend for Year 4 Teachers to use as they are teaching to the Australian Curriculum throughout the year. I have sorted these books into curriculum content areas but you will quickly notice that most of the books link to other content areas making them great tools for the time-poor Australian Teacher. (please note the following list contains affiliate links)
Gary Asks for Help by Nyasha M. Chikoware The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper The Way I Feel by Janan Cain The Koala Who Could by Rachel Bright A Handful of Buttons by Carmen Parets Luque A Family is a Family is a Family by Sara O’Leary Hey Little Ant by Phillip and Hannah Hoose The Colors of Us by Karen Katz A Rainbow of Friends by P.K.Hallinan All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold
Let me know if you have any other suggestions to add to this list by commenting below. I’d love to hear from you!!
Every teacher can testify to the engagement received by their students when offered to be read a story. Whether it be from a picture book or novel, stories bring so much enjoyment to children’s lives. The added bonus is that they can also be great tools for linking various content areas of the Australian Curriculum.
I have gathered a list of books that I highly recommend for Year 1 Teachers to use as they are teaching to the Australian Curriculum throughout the year. I have sorted these books into curriculum content areas but you will quickly notice that most of the books link to other content areas making them great tools for the time-poor Australian Teacher. (please note the following list contains affiliate links)
This is How We Do It by Matt Lamothe I’m New Here by Anne Sibley O’Brien How Do Dinosaurs Play With Their Friends? by Jane Yolen What’s My SuperPower? by Aviaa Johnson Calvin Can’t Fly by Jennifer Berne
Let me know if you have any other suggestions to add to this list by commenting below. I’d love to hear from you!!
Reading, writing and analysing timelines is a requirement of the Australian Curriculum but it should not have to be a chore for you or your students!
Here are seven simple, yet effective, ways to get your students involved in practising timeline reading and writing skills while keeping them engaged and excited about what they are learning:
1. Timeline Bunting: You know the bunting you see in the party section of your local dollar store?
It can make a simple, yet effective timeline activity for your students. Depending on the age of your students and the outcome you wish to achieve: – you could have your students write the dates onto the bunting themselves to create their own individual timeline; – you could have each student write one date and event on their bunting and then come together as a class to put the timeline together; – OR you could add the dates and events on yourself and then have your students put the timeline back together after handing them a piece of bunting each.
2. Block Timeline: This idea is great for the lower grades but I can assure you the older grades will have no hesitation in having a go at this activity as well! Using wooden blocks, cheap building blocks or even an old jenga set you can write the dates and events on separate blocks. You can then either: – allow students in small groups to put the timeline back together – OR give each student a matching date and event and have them together as a class put the timeline back together.
3. Paperchain Timeline: This is a super simple timeline activity that can easily be prepared in minutes. Giving each student some strips of paper have them write the dates and events on each strip. Glue them together to create a chain. (Alternatively you could again do this as a whole class or in small groups by giving each student one strip and then have them work together to put the timeline together).
4. Coathanger Timeline: This activity could be done with the recommended coat hanger for individual timelines or a piece of string for a collaborative timeline. Students write the dates and events on pieces of paper/card and then tie the events onto their coathanger with string. Alternatively you could peg them on their coat hanger or a piece of string if doing a collaborative timeline.
5. Floor Timeline: Place a long piece of tape onto the floor (or depending on the surface you could just use chalk to rule a line). Mark certain dates on the timeline and have students add events that they have been given onto the timeline. Alternatively students could create their own timeline on the floor if they have been given multiple events to sequence (this would be space dependent though).
6. Puzzle Timeline: Using real puzzle pieces or the template found in our FREE RESOURCE LIBRARY, either you or your students can write the dates and events onto each puzzle piece and then put them back together.
7. Paper Cutout Timeline: Also from the dollar store you can often find pre-cut cards in various different shapes and sizes. These plane-shaped cards were perfect for creating a collaborative Transportation Timeline.
National Reconciliation Week is a great opportunity to learn more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and history. There are some great details about the purpose of this week, as well as ways of participating, on the National Reconciliation Week website.
Dreamtime stories have long been a favourite of my students. Not only do they capture the imaginations of the students, drawing their attention, but they also help reflect the culture and history of the original owners of this great land.
One of my personal favourites is the story of Tiddalick the Frog. In honour of National Reconciliation Week, I am sharing with you one of my favourite art pieces that my students enjoy year after year.
Templates for this artwork can be found in my Free Resource Library. Don’t have the password yet for the Library? Head to my Instagram account, check out my Story Highlights and inside the one titled FREE, you will find the password. Feel free to follow my Instagram account while you are there.
So here are the instructions on creating your own Tiddalick master piece.
You will need:
Glue stick
Scissors
Watercolour paints
Oil pastels or crayons (I personally prefer oil pastels as the colours are more vibrant
A3 paper
Tiddalick templates
Leaves (optional)
Note: Before I begin this art work I read to my students the story of Tiddalick the Frog. If you don’t have a picture book for the story here is a link to a video or a printable PDF with a simple story on it.
I also like my students to have completed their recount before beginning the art work as well.
Soooo….
Colour in your frogs. There are many ways you can go about doing this. Either colour them fully in crayon or oil pastel. Or partially colour them with oil pastel or crayon and then paint with water colours over the top (as I did for the spotty frog).
Cut out your frog. (Allow the water colour paint to dry if you painted them)
Putting your frogs aside, take your A3 paper. Students will now do rubbings on their A3 paper. This really can be of anything you like. I chose leaves, with the aim for students to paint them blue with watercolours, giving the illusion of a pond. For the other one we simply rubbed lines along the paper while resting the paper on concrete. This gave the lines a rough texture. This was then painted over in brown water colours to give the illusion of dirt or mud.
After rubbings are completed, students can was over the top with your chosen water colour paint.
Once the paint has dried, students can now glue their frog and recount onto the A3 paper.
Pretty simple hey?! You are welcome!
If you are looking for other activities to support Reconciliation Week, check out these resources:
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Indigenous Australians Reconciliation Timeline
Australian History Timeline
History of Toys Timeline
History of Technology Timeline
Timeline Puzzle Templates
History of Transportation Timeline
