Action Rhymes by Teacher Superstore

RIC-6277 4.3/88

Teac he r

ew i ev Pr

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

w ww

. te

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super

Foreword I can dance the barramundi is an imaginative aid for teachers of young children to help develop learning outcomes associated with the creative arts, using action rhymes.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Contents

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Young children will enjoy participating in the suggested rhythmic actions and can also be encouraged to improvise their own movements for the rhymes.

Teachers notes ........................................ ii

Veranda ............................................ 40–41

Bush dance .......................................... 2–3

Southern Cross ................................ 42–43

Joey ................................................. 44–45 © R . I . C . P u b l i cat i ons Emu feather ......................................... 6–7 Hills Hoist ....................................... 46–47 Pet cat .................................................. Walking bus ..................................... •f orr evi ew 8–9 pur p ose s onl y• 48–49 Echidna ................................................ 4–5

Kakadu ............................................. 50–51

Dugite............................................... 12–13

Bunyip .............................................. 52–53

Gum tree .......................................... 14–15

Sandcastle ....................................... 54–55

w ww

m . u

Getting up ........................................ 10–11

Bush damper ................................... 16–17

Matilda waltzing............................... 56–57

Wombat ........................................... 18–19

Karri .................................................. 58–59

Crossing a creek .............................. 20–21

Platypus ........................................... 60–61

Trolley .............................................. 22–23

A bird’s-eye view ............................. 62–63

Where am I?..................................... 24–25

Windmill ........................................... 64–65

Old house ........................................ 26–27

Dingo................................................ 66–67

Jackaroo .......................................... 28–29

Tin roof ............................................ 68–69

Cane toad ......................................... 30–31

Crocodile.......................................... 70–71

Magpie ............................................. 32–33

Daintree............................................ 72–73

Koala ................................................ 34–35

Rottnest ............................................ 74–75

Spring things ................................... 36–37

Bush tales ........................................ 76–77

Ducksailing ...................................... 38–39

Possum ............................................ 78–79

. te

o c . che e r o t r s super

Phillip Island seal ............................. 80–81

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

iii

I can dance the barramundi

Teac he r

ew i ev Pr

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

w ww

. te

I can dance the barramundi

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Teachers notes Action rhymes serve many functions in early childhood education. They develop speaking and listening skills, particularly awareness of rhyme and rhythm, and early drama skills, such as role-play. They develop motor skills and serve as lesson breaks. They can be used to gain attention. They develop the students’ awareness of their bodies and link them to the world around them. Action rhymes lead the student along the path to literacy and better self-awareness.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Teachers page Student page

Information and activities are included with each rhyme to extend the students’ enjoyment and experience, as well as developing their knowledge of Australian creatures and places.

Preparation gives any information needed before introducing each rhyme to the class.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

The rhymes and associated information and activities may also be adapted as source material for such activities as classroom discussion and school assembly items.

Illustrations help to explain the actions.

The action rhyme is given.

m . u

w ww

. te

Presentation provides complete lesson plan information for presenting each rhyme.

o c . che e r o t r s super

Additional activities/ information offer suggestions for extending the lesson beyond the actual teaching of the rhyme. R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

A description of the actions relating to each line of the rhyme is provided.

A full-page illustration is given on some student pages for students to colour or as a means to initiate discussion. v

I can dance the barramundi

BUSH DANCE Preparation •

Copy the words on the invitation onto a poster as a stimulus for or introduction to the lesson.

Bush dance for all bush families Saturday 3 September

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

4 pm – 7 pm

at Gum Tree School, Wattle Road

Ringo Possum’s Band & bush tucker supper

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

ALL WELCOME!

Presentation

•

Share the poster with the class and discuss the term ‘bush dance’.

•

Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

•

Ask the class to relate experiences involving the animals mentioned in the rhyme. Stimulus questions may include the following:

–

How does a kookaburra sound? Do you think it is as jolly as it sounds? Why/Why not?

–

Do you know the names of any other Australian animals—especially those with unusual names? (Examples may include numbat, bilby, dugong, bandicoot, mopoke, babbler, dollar bird and barking owl.)

Has a possum ever come to live in your roof? What happened?

the class.

w ww

•

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme.

•

The class says the rhyme with the actions.

Additional activities/information •

. te

o c . che e r o t r s super Lines

Change the words of the rhyme using the names of other Australian animals. Add suitable actions. For example: I can dance The willy wagtail I can dance The quokka hop.

Waggle tail.

3&4

Rest chin on paws and hop.

5&6

Gallop hands on thighs.

Clap twice.

Clap once. Drop.

In 1696, when Dutch explorer Willem de Vlamingh saw quokkas on an island off the mouth of the Swan River, Western Australia, he described a quokka as a ‘kind of rat as big as a common cat’. He named the island ‘Rottenest’ (Rat nest). The island is now known as Rottnest.

•

‘Brumby’ is an Australian name for a wild bush horse.

I can bush dance ’Til I drop!

1&2

•

I can dance The brumby gallop

I can dance the barramundi

m . u

–

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Bush dance I can dance

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S I can dance

The possum hop.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

The barramundi

w ww

. te

Lines

m . u

The kookaburra

o c . cheI can bush dance r e o t r s su r e p ’Til I drop!

1 & 2.

Palms together. Swim hands.

3 & 4.

Rest chin on paws and hop.

5 & 6.

Flap elbows.

Clap twice.

Clap once. Drop.

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

I can dance the barramundi

ECHIDNA Preparation •

Collect pictures of echidnas.

Presentation

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Share and discuss the echidna pictures with the class.

•

Say the rhyme with the actions again for the class.

•

Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

•

Discuss facts about echidnas (see ‘Additional activities/information’).

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme.

•

The class says the rhyme with the actions.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

•

Additional activities/information •

The echidna is an egg-laying mammal. Sharp spines cover its back and sides. Its front legs are very strong and it has claws shaped like garden spades which can dig under large heavy rocks to loosen them so the echidna’s long tongue can search for food. The echidna forages for up to 18 hours a day, probing the ground with its snout and using its sense of smell to ﬁnd its food—ants, termites, worms, beetles and earthworms—which it gathers and crushes with its long, sticky, roughly-textured tongue. The echidna has a purposeful gait and is a good swimmer. It sleeps under bushes or in hollow logs, rock crevices, rabbit or wombat burrows. When disturbed, the echidna curls into a ball, making it almost completely covered with spines; however, its belly remains vulnerable to attack from wild dogs. Echidnas, however, are survivors. They are generally solitary and have been known to live to 45 or 50 years of age.

Where:

under the coolibah trees by the Matilda Billabong

When:

on Saturday 4 March at 7 am

Menu © R. I . C.Pub l i cat i ons barbecued worm sausages with termite sauce •f orr evi ew pufresh r pbeetle ose sonl y• bread rolls

•

homemade ant-ﬂavoured ice-cream birthday cake

m . u

w ww

. te

earthworm salad

Discuss what might have happened at the party. For example, ‘Great-granny loved her birthday presents, especially a little silver coin with a picture of an echidna on it, wrapped in a fresh green gumleaf. The little echidnas played “Pass the parcel” and the older echidnas played “Marco Polo” in the billabong’.

o c . che e r o t r s super

Great-granny echidna will soon be 50 years old! Write and decorate an invitation asking family and friends to her birthday party and then decide on a menu for the party. For example: Who:

The family of Great-granny echidna are pleased to invite you

What:

to Great-granny echidna’s 50th birthday party

I can dance the barramundi

•

Discuss how to play ‘Marco Polo’.

•

Discuss Australian money. View ﬁve-cent coins and discuss the design of the echidna.

•

The design of the echidna (also known as the spiny anteater) on the Australian ﬁvecent coin was created by Stuart Devlin.

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Echidna Rustle

Rustle

Hustle

Through the bush

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Echidna bustles.

w ww

. te

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super

Lines

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

1, 2, 3 & 4.

Bustle busily through the bush.

I can dance the barramundi

EMU FEATHER Presentation •

Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

–

What are the qualities of a good friend?

•

Discuss how the emu feather in the rhyme is friendly. Use this fact to introduce a discussion on friendship. Stimulus questions may include the following:

–

Would you want YOU to be your friend? Why/Why not?

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

What makes someone friendly?

–

What do you like to do with your friends? (sleep overs, birthday parties, picnics, building a cubby etc.)

Say the rhyme with the actions again for the class.

•

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme.

•

The class says the rhyme with the actions.

•

If the students are familiar with the story of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, share this rhyme with them:

Additional activities/information •

Write an acrostic poem about your closest friend. For example: Finds lost things Reads a lot Is often late Earns pocket money Never tells tales Doesn’t like pumpkin

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

–

•

Snugglepot and Cuddlepie Lived in the bush together And Snug said to Cuddle And Cuddle to Snug ‘I know we’ll be friends forever’.

Discuss best friends from books or movies and the things they like to do together; e.g. Winnie the Pooh and Piglet; Marlin and Dory (Finding Nemo); Shrek and Donkey (Shrek), Ariel and Flounder, Sebastian and Scuttle (The little mermaid)

•

Discuss other well-known friends from stories, movies or television. How do you know they were best friends?

w ww

•

I can dance the barramundi

. te

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Teac he r

ew i ev Pr

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

w ww

. te

As I was ﬂoating In the sky An emu feather

m . u

Emu feather

o c . cheAnd he was such r e o t r s s r u e p A friendly feather Floated by.

We two ﬂoated On together. Lines

1, 2, 3 & 4. Float alone. 5 & 6.

Smile.

7 & 8.

Float together.

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

I can dance the barramundi

PET CAT Preparation •

If the stories listed in the additional activities are shared with the class, pictures of each type of animal could be collected to show the students.

Presentation

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

•

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme.

•

The class says the rhyme with the actions.

Teac he r

•

ew i ev Pr

Additional activities/information

Rat the rat belongs to Christopher. Rat lives in his cage in Christopher’s bedroom. When Christopher comes home from school, he and Rat play in the garden. Rat keeps away from Horse the cat and Bella the border collie puppy and spends a lot of his time curled up on Christopher’s shoulder. Rat’s face is all black, except for a white stripe from the top of his head down his nose to his chin. He has a black body and a long, pale, hairless tail. He eats rat pellets.

Share the following stories with the students to stimulate discussion about pets. The pet cat in the rhyme is a very independent cat. She likes to do things for herself. Her owner knew she didn’t like having to meow for the door to be opened each time she wanted to stroll in and out, so he made her a special cat door. He cut out a square hole in the bottom of an outside door and put a ﬂap on it so she could push it open. This makes pet cat very happy. She loves her special door.

What special things do you do/could people do to make pets happy?

m . u

Minnie is a Jack Russell dog. When Minnie was a puppy, she had a very sad life. Her owner wanted a big, well-behaved, quiet dog. Minnie was small, naughty and noisy. When her owner gave her to Carolyn, everyone was happy. Carolyn had always wanted a Jack Russell dog. Minnie gets hysterical in a thunderstorm, bossy when her blankets are not tucked properly into her basket, cheeky when she meets a bigger dog in the park, ecstatic when she catches a cockroach and crazy when she chases a soccer ball!

w ww

Justa was a bush brumby. One day, she came in from the bush to a paddock to eat the green grass. Then she found she could not get out of the paddock and wandered around and around. Jack, the farmer’s 12-year-old son, saw the little black mare, caught her and took her up to the house paddock. He broke her in to a bridle and saddle and rode her happily along the bush tracks near his home. Because she was small and not very strong, he called her ‘Justa’ as a friendly joke, meaning she was just a horse.

. te

o c . che e r o t r s super

Minnie lived happily ever after. Make up a story about another pet that lives happily ever after.

Jack called his special pet ‘Justa’. What special pet would you like? What special name would you give it?

I can dance the barramundi

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Pet cat My lady cat strolls In and out In and out

r o e t s Bo r e pMy lady cat strolls ok u S In and out

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

And round about.

And winks her eye At me.

w ww

. te

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super

Lines

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

Stroll in time with the rhyme.

7 & 8.

Wink.

I can dance the barramundi

GETTING UP Presentation •

Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

•

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme.

•

The class says the rhyme with the actions.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Additional activities/information

A WOKE-UP-OUT-OF-BED-QUEASY-TUM-DIZZYHEAD-DAY Charlie felt dizzy and queasy. His mother tucked him up in bed just as his grandad arrived to look after him. ‘G’day, Charlie’, said Grandad. ‘Hello, Grandad’, said Charlie.

•

What is your favourite game? Explain to a partner how you play it.

•

Play the game ‘In Grandad’s Toolshed’.

‘In Grandad’s Toolshed there’s a hammer’, says Grandad. © R. I . C.Pub l i cat i ons ‘To get to the other side’, said Charlie, grinning at Grandad’s Toolshed there’s a hammer Grandad. •f orr evi ew pu‘Inand r p se sCharlie, onl y• ao ladder’, says adding a SECOND object. ‘Why did the chicken cross the road, Charlie?’ asked Grandad.

w ww

Charlie and Grandad love jokes and riddles. Students collect jokes and riddles from the children’s pages in local newspapers, tell them to their friends and pin to the jokes corner of the class noticeboard.

‘In Grandad’s Toolshed there’s a hammer, a ladder and a tin of paint’, says Grandad, adding a THIRD object.

m . u

•

‘No thanks, Grandad,’ he said, ‘but I’m a bit thirsty’.

‘In Grandad’s Toolshed there’s a hammer, a ladder, a tin of paint and a saw’, says Charlie, adding a FOURTH object. When Grandad or Charlie reach the fourth object, they start the game again.

‘Righto’, said Grandad. He fetched a glass of water and a large tray from the kitchen.

‘Fancy some lunch, Charlie?’ asked Grandad. ‘How about soldiers?’

‘Here’s your sky juice, Charlie’, said Grandad. He took a pack of cards from his pocket and placed the tray exactly between Charlie and himself.

‘Yes please, Grandad. I do feel a bit peckish now.’

‘Let’s play ‘Snap’, said Charlie.

In two ticks, Grandad returned with Charlie’s boiled egg, a plate of toasted soldiers and a glass of sky juice on a tray.

‘Feeling peckish, Charlie?’ asked Grandad. Charlie knew ‘peckish’ was one of Grandad’s old-fashioned words. It meant ‘hungry’.

. te

•

ew i ev Pr

face up in the middle of the tray. Then Grandad has his turn. He places one card face up on top of Charlie’s card. They play like this until there is a matching pair. Then the ﬁrst player to call ‘SNAP!’ takes all the cards on the tray. The player who ﬁnishes with the most cards is the winner.

Share the following story with the students to stimulate discussion about the rhyme.

Teac he r

•

o c . che e r o t r s super

‘You have a bit of shut-eye while I get your tucker ready.’

Do you know how to play ‘Snap’? This is how Charlie and Grandad play. Charlie shufﬂes the cards and deals one to Grandad and one to himself until all the cards are dealt. Charlie turns one card from his cards

I can dance the barramundi

‘Tuck in, Charlie!’ said Grandad. •

What happens when you have a woke-upout-of-bed-queasy-tum-dizzy-head-day?

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Getting up Woke up

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Queasy tum

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Out of bed

Dizzy head

w ww

. te

Lines

m . u

Mum said

o c . che e r o t r s s Back r uptoebed. Good Good

Stretch.

5 & 6.

Shake head.

Jump.

Clap hands twice.

Rub tummy.

Close eyes. Hold head.

Jump. Pull up covers. Snuggle.

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

I can dance the barramundi

DUGITE Preparation •

Collect pictures of dugites.

•

If possible, an old snake skin could be brought in to show the students during the discussion.

Presentation

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Share and discuss the dugite pictures with the students.

•

Say the rhyme with the actions for the students.

–

Where does a snake shed its skin? (The snake sheds its skin in secret places around tree branches and in shrubs.)

–

What does an old snake skin look like? (It looks like a long, thin, empty sausage made from tissue paper. It is very pale, but the pattern of the scales can be seen.)

–

What do you know about dugites?

–

Do you know the names of other Australian snakes?

Discuss facts about snakes. Stimulus questions may include the following: –

–

Why does a snake shed its skin? (A snake’s skin does not grow with its body so as the snake grows bigger, it has to keep shedding its skin. Also, when a snake has grown up and glides on its belly, the skin underneath begins to wear out, so it regularly sheds its skin and grows a new one.)

ew i ev Pr

•

Teac he r

•

Say the rhyme with the actions again for the students.

•

Share the following rhyme about dugites with the students. The students can listen for the rhyming words.

© R. I . C.Pu bl i cat i ons • The students clap the beat while saying the How does a snake shed its skin? (The rhyme. • or v e wp u r posesonl y• snake rubs itsf nose on r ae rock ori branch • The students say the rhyme with the actions.

•

w ww

Additional activities/information A dugite has a small head and a slender body and grows up to 1.85 metres. On top, it is greenish-brown speckled with black scales. Underneath, it is a creamish-grey colour. Dugites are found in south-western Australia in sandy places where house mice are plentiful. House mice are the dugite’s favourite tucker. Dugites also eat birds, reptiles, small mammals and amphibians. In spring, the female lays up to 20 eggs in a hole in the ground. The young hatch in late summer and are left by their mother to fend for themselves. Dugites are alert, quickmoving snakes and are very aggressive if approached. The dugite is one of Australia’s deadliest snakes.

I can dance the barramundi

. te

m . u

and sheds its skin head ﬁrst, like peeling a banana.)

o c . che e r o t r s super

LITTLE DUGITE My dugite life in the bush all day Is far from a happy one. Slithering around on the ground I ﬁnd Is terribly rough on my tum. And I’m always alone without any friends And it isn’t a lot of fun. What I really want is to be with my mum On a lovely hot rock in the sun.

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Teac he r

ew i ev Pr

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

w ww

m . u

te Dugite

o c . c e r Br-ea-th-ing h in e o t r s s r u e p Th-ink-ing th-in Du-gite sn-ake

Is shedd-ing its sk-in. Lines

1, 2, 3, 4. Lie on tummy. Squeeze and slither.

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

I can dance the barramundi

GUM TREE Presentation •

Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

•

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme.

•

The class says the rhyme with the actions.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Additional activities/information

•

Discuss what sort of gum trees grow in the local area.

•

Read the following story to the class. If possible, the students could sit under a gum tree while they are listening.

Teac he r

Gum trees of different kinds grow in various parts of Australia; for example, the sugar gum in South Australia, gum-topped ironbark in Queensland, blue mountain mallee in New South Wales, Tasmanian snow gum in Tasmania, Grampians gum in Victoria, jarrah in Western Australia and weeping box in the Northern Territory.

One day, some other humans with notebooks arrived. They pointed to Jack Jarrah. They walked around him and said such words as ‘good specimen’, ‘dining table’ and ‘ﬂoorboards’ and went away. Some time later, a big truck pulled up along the bush track nearby. Men with axes and chain saws got out. They chopped and sawed at Jack until he crashed down. They cut off Jack’s top branches, leaving him lying there as a big bare log. Then they carted him away on the back of the big truck.

•

ew i ev Pr

•

Discuss the issues in the story above; e.g. ‘Who do gum trees belong to?’

© R. I . C.Pu bl i cat i ons • Visit a gum tree in the school grounds or in GERTIE AND JACK a nearby park or street. Share, view, smell • f o r r e v i e w p u r posesonl y• and stroke its leaves. Suggest words which Gertie Gum and Jack Jarrah grew in the forest

describe how the leaves look, smell, feel and sound.

. te

I can dance the barramundi

•

Create a gum tree out of paper and cardboard and make it ‘grow’ right up the classroom wall. Give the gum tree lots of branches. These can be ﬁlled with a variety of Australian birds and animals that call a gum tree home.

m . u

w ww

with lots of other gum trees. Gertie and Jack had grown up together. Their leaves often whispered to each other. The bush creatures who lived in their branches, trunks and roots were neighbours and the humans who worked in the forest were their friends and cared for them.

o c . che e r o t r s super

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Gum tree Diddledy diddledy

An eggr ran up o e t s Bo r e p A gum tree ok u S Broke his crown As he ran down

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Dumpty

w ww

. te

Lines

Guess who?

m . u

Dumpty

o c . che e r o t r s super Humpty!

1 & 2.

Palms together. Tap ﬁngertips. 7 & 8.

3 & 4.

Run ﬁngers up toes, stomach, shoulders and head.

Pat knees twice.

Roll hands over and over.

10.

Clap hands twice.

5 & 6.

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Palms together. Tap ﬁngertips.

I can dance the barramundi

BUSH DAMPER Presentation •

Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

•

Discuss bush damper and how it is made from ﬂour and water mixed to a scone dough and cooked in a camp oven over the hot coals of a bush camp ﬁre.

Say the rhyme with the actions again for the class.

•

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok Additional activities/information u S Teac he r

•

The class says the rhyme with the actions.

with lots of honey and listen to the grown-ups talk around the camp ﬁre while Uncle plays his mouth organ.

Read the diary entry below to the students.

ew i ev Pr

•

CAMPING WITH DAMPER ‘Today we go camping! We get up early. First Uncle and Auntie and our two cousins arrive in their truck, then Grandma and Grandpa. We are all going camping at the Gardner River! We close and lock the farm gate and drive south along the gravel roads through jarrah and red gum forests. Then we eat our lunch and drive on through the karri forest until we bump onto a sandy track and we know we are almost there!

Our fathers fill the buckets from the well, heat the water on the fire and pour it into the bathtub. Each of us has a hot bath before bed then we talk and talk and talk and the grown-ups let us talk until we fall asleep one by one. Next morning we rush out of bed, get dressed, rush over to the fire to eat breakfast and rush to the sandhills to play. The grown-ups are going fishing so we fetch our fishing lines and rush after them. We fish on the morning rocks at low tide. We swing our fishing lines round and round and let the sinker and the baited hooks fly out to sea.

We eat the ﬁsh for lunch and later we go up the river with the grown-ups to catch marron. Marron are delicious black freshwater shellﬁsh. We use drop nets with old meat for bait and drop the nets near an underwater log where marron like to hide. We are allowed to pull up the nets. We pull them up fast. It’s so exciting! Sometimes we get one marron, sometimes two and sometimes more.

m . u

w ww

green grass with the Gardner River running through the sandhills to the sea and little creeks running into the river. In the green grass is an old well. We fill the water bag with water and tie it to a branch with an enamel mug to drink from. We help the grown-ups put up the four tents. One is especially for us children. Then we unload the camping things except for a bag of flour. It is too heavy. We always bring flour to make damper. And we bring axes, rope, fishing lines, camp stretcher beds, a tin bathtub, buckets, a camp oven, marron nets, torches, hurricane lamps, honey, tea, salt, sugar, apples, billies, frying pan, cricket bat, tennis balls and bait.

. te

o c . che e r o t r s super

Back to the camp for tea. We boil the marron in a large bucket of hot water with a spoonful of salt and a pinch of sugar and pour them onto a large clean cloth, shell them and eat the tails. They are really good.

The grown ups take their fishing lines to the beach at high tide to catch fresh fish for tea. We play cricket with an old wooden box for a wicket. The fish is very good and Grandma makes damper in the camp oven on the camp fire. We cook our own damper, twisted around long sticks and turned over and over in the hot coals of the fire. We eat it

I can dance the barramundi

Then it’s hot baths before bed and we try to talk but we fall asleep.’ J L Summer 1928 Discuss what the family did while they were camping. Ask the students to compare the events to what happens when they go camping.

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Bush damper Flour and water Pinch of salt Mix it round

r o e t s Bo r e p Roll it ﬂat ok u S Not too thick

Twist it round A long clean stick.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

And round a lot.

w ww

. te

A crusty gold.

m . u

’Til it cooks

o c . cheWith runny honey r e o r st su r Our bush damper pe Eat it hot

Tastes so YUMMY! Lines

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

1, 2, & 4.

Mix the dough.

13.

Bite. Chew.

5 & 6.

Roll it.

14.

Bite. Chew.

7 & 8.

Twist it.

15 & 16. Rub tummy.

9, 10, 11 & 12.

Turn it over. 17

I can dance the barramundi

WOMBAT Preparation •

Collect pictures of wombats.

Presentation

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Share and discuss the wombat pictures with the class.

•

Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

•

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme.

•

The class says the rhyme with the actions.

Additional activities/information •

Discuss why the wombat in the rhyme might have lost its way.

•

Role-play being a vet examining the wombat before it is pronounced unhurt and healthy enough to return to the forest.

•

Share the following scenario with the class: That night, the wombat decides to build a burrow. Wombats build their burrows close to each other with pathways in between to make a kind of wombat village. The wombat ﬁnds a place to build its burrow, loosens the soil with its front paws, shoves the soil backwards out of the burrow with its back legs, lies on its side to scratch and scrape at the walls and roof and compacts them with its body. A burrow may be about 30 metres long. The wombat builds tunnels and rooms to sleep in and a small room inside the entrance. Here the wombat sits in the evening and waits until dark before it emerges to forage in the forest.

When a baby wombat is born, it is the size of a bean and weighs about one gram. It crawls into its mother’s pouch, drinks its mother’s milk and falls asleep. After seven months, it leaves the pouch and stays at its mother’s side for another seven months until it is grown up and leaves home. By this time, the baby wombat has grown to a length of 90 cm and weighs 35 kg. It has a bulky build with short strong legs and powerful claws for burrowing. It has small eyes and poor eyesight, acute hearing and a strong sense of smell. It is mainly nocturnal and forages at night for grasses, rushes, fungi and roots of shrubs and trees.

w ww

•

Tell the class that a wombat’s burrow is like its cubby house. Ask if they have ever built a special place for themselves and their special friends. Where? When? How? Who visits? What happens?

o c . che e r o t r s super Share the following rhyme:

The wombat spends most of its time underground building and renovating its burrow, except when it trundles along the pathways to visit its wombat friends in their burrows.

I can dance the barramundi

m . u

. te

•

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

•

Cubby My cubby is my castle. My cubby is my cave. And when I am inside it I’m safe and strong and brave.

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Teac he r

ew i ev Pr

Wombat r o e t s Bo r e p Ito was a wild and u k S Windy night

When Wombat lost his way. Through the bush He stumbled on

Lonely and afraid. © R. I . C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• We found him on

w ww

Lost and cold and wet.

. te

Lines

m . u

Our doorstep

o c . che e r o And t r s telephoned the vet. super So we made him warm And comfy

1, 2, 3.

Raise arms. Sway.

4, 5, 6.

Feel your way.

10 & 11. Rock Wombat gently.

7 & 8.

Open door. Look surprised. 12.

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Shiver. Press buttons of telephone. I can dance the barramundi

CROSSING A CREEK Presentation •

Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

•

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme.

•

The class says the rhyme with the actions.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Additional activities/information •

Discuss the story, asking ‘Do you think Myra was embarrassed when she fell in the creek? Why/Why not?’

Share the following story with the students:

Teac he r

•

Ask the students if they have ever had an embarrassing moment (for example, falling over and losing a race, leaning against wet paint, being late for a school assembly, treading on the cat’s tail). Discuss other embarrassing moments.

•

Students whisper into a partner’s ear their most embarrassing moment.

‘Careful’, said Dad. ‘Those stepping stones are slippery.’ Nick crossed the stepping stones. Harry crossed the stepping stones. Then it was Myra’s turn … Oops! SPLASH! Myra slipped and fell in.

ew i ev Pr

On Sunday, a family had a picnic in the hills. Mum, Dad, and their children Nick, Harry and Myra had lunch under a tree near a creek. After lunch, the boys took off their shoes and socks to paddle in the creek. But Myra refused to take off her shoes.

w ww

. te

I can dance the barramundi

m . u

Myra was now very wet and when she walked her shoes went ‘squelch, squelch, squelch’.

o c . che e r o t r s super

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Crossing a creek Stepp-ing o-ver stepp-ing st-ones Stepp-ing care-full-y.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Stepping over stepping stones Stepping over stepping stones

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Easy as can be.

Lookatme! SPLASH!

w ww

. te

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super Lines

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

1 & 2.

Wobble a lot.

3 & 4.

Wobble a bit.

5 & 6.

Show off.

Splash into water. I can dance the barramundi

TROLLEY Presentation •

Tell the class you are going to give them clues that describe a mystery object. When they have heard all the clues, they can guess what the object is. I am used in shops. I am made of metal. I am one metre high.

I have a strong handle which customers use to steer me around the shop.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S What am I ?

I am half a metre wide.

I am half a metre deep.

•

Discuss the class’s experiences with shopping trolleys.

•

Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

•

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme.

•

The class says the rhyme with the actions.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

I am one metre long.

I have a wire basket attached to four wheels.

Additional activities/information •

‘Thank you, Robert’, said Mrs Mattie. ‘It’s a very strong rosebush. I’ll just tidy it up a bit.’

Read the following story to the class. TROLLEY

‘The trolley comes from my store,’ said Robert. © R. I . C.Pub i c t i on s ‘It’sl an old,a tired trolley. Its wheels wobble and its handle is broken.’ •f orr evi ew pu‘What r phappens ose l y?’ Mrs •Mattie tos youro old n trolleys

Trolley trundled out the door of the store to start a wonderful new life. It was a very windy day and the wind blew Trolley across the car park, along a footpath and down a very steep hill towards a row of houses far below.

asked Robert.

‘We donate them to organisations who have them repaired and put them to good use’, said Robert.

. te

m . u

w ww

‘This IS fun!’ thought Trolley. ‘It feels like flying.’ The next moment Trolley WAS flying! Faster and faster down the hill he flew until he sailed over a white picket fence and landed upside down on a rosebush in Mrs Mattie’s front garden. Mrs Mattie and her granddaughter, Rosie, had been to the park. They stopped and stared at Trolley. Simon arrived to mow Mrs Mattie’s lawn and he stopped and stared at Trolley.

‘Rosie goes to a mothers’ group’, said Mrs Mattie. ‘I’m sure they would ﬁnd a trolley very useful.’ The mothers’ group was delighted to have Trolley. He could carry the children’s books to the library, buckets and spades to the beach, lunches and water bottles to the zoo and the children’s fruit for morning tea to the park. He was painted bright ﬁre-engine red and he had new wheels and a new strong handle and the mothers decided he should have a new name as well.

o c . che e r o t r s super

‘Where could it have come from, Simon?’ asked Mrs Mattie.

‘Probably from the supermarket on High Street’, said Simon. ‘I know Robert the owner. I mow his lawns. Would you like me to phone him, Mrs Mattie?’

‘I think he should be called “Wally”’, said Rosie, ‘because Wally rhymes with Trolley’.

‘Yes please, Simon’, said Mrs Mattie.

Everyone agreed and that is how Wally Trolley began his wonderful, new, busy and useful life and lived happily ever after.

When Robert arrived, he looked at the rosebush and he looked at Trolley and at Trolley’s wheels, which had fallen off.

•

‘I’m very sorry about your rosebush, Mrs Mattie’, said Robert. ‘If you tell me its name I’ll replace it.’

I can dance the barramundi

After the story, ask the class ‘Do you know the names of other “happily ever after” stories? What about stories that end unhappily?’ The class can then talk about their favourite stories. R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Trolley Shopping trolley trundling Trundling through the store Trundling up and down the aisles Trundling round the ﬂoor.

r o e t s Bo r e pTrundling round once moreok u S THEN ... ‘Enough’s enough!’ cries Trolley And he trundled out the door.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Trundling on for miles and miles

w ww

. te

Lines

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

Trundle arms.

Stop.

Shake ﬁnger.

Wave.

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

I can dance the barramundi

WHERE AM I? Presentation •

Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

•

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme.

•

The class says the rhyme with the actions.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Additional activities/information

Mrs Brown:

Morning please, early if possible.

AT THE DENTIST

Kerry:

Would Friday, the third of May, at 8:30 suit you?

Mrs Brown:

That’s ﬁne, Kerry. Thank you.

Kerry:

We’ll see you then. Goodbye, Mrs Brown.

Mrs Brown:

Goodbye, Kerry.

Benjamin Brown is four years old. When his mother goes to the dentist, Benjamin and Granny go with her. They say ‘Hello’ to Kerry, the dentist’s receptionist, and sit in the waiting room until Janet, the nurse, calls his mother into the surgery. Benjamin goes too.

•

‘Hop up on the chair, Benjamin,’ says Dr Tyler, the dentist, ‘while I have a chat with your mother’. Benjamin loves sitting in the dentist’s chair. There are lots of interesting things to look at in the surgery. When Janet takes Benjamin back to the waiting room, Granny reads him a story. •

‘Hop up on the chair, Benjamin’, said Dr Tyler. Janet ﬁlled the plastic cup near the little bowl next to the chair, and fastened a bib around Benjamin’s neck.

. te

‘Open wide’, said Dr Tyler. He used a mirror and a tool that looked like Granny’s crochet hook. ‘This is called a sickle probe’, Dr Tyler told Benjamin. ‘It helps me check your teeth.’ After a little while Dr Tyler said, ‘All done, Benjamin. Your teeth are in good shape. I’ll just give them a thorough clean’. When he had ﬁnished, Dr Tyler said, ‘Sip some water from the cup, Benjamin, rinse your mouth and spit into the bowl’.

m . u

w ww

In the waiting room is a table with magazines for mums and dads to read. Along one wall is a bookcase ﬁlled with children’s books as well as a box of games and puzzles and a bigger box of toys and puppets. When Granny ﬁnishes reading the story to Benjamin, he chooses a game they can play together.

o c . che e r o t r s super

What does your dentist’s waiting room look like? One day, Mrs Brown telephones her dentist to make an appointment for Benjamin.

•

Discuss with the class the need to speak clearly and listen carefully on the telephone. Benjamin is early for his appointment. It is his ﬁrst REAL appointment.

invites Benjamin to sit in the dentist’s chair?

•

ew i ev Pr

Read the following story to the class.

Teac he r

•

‘So that’s what that’s for’, thought Benjamin. Last of all, Dr Tyler showed Benjamin how to clean his teeth properly, and everyone said ‘Goodbye’ to Benjamin and his mother.

Using toy telephones, play the roles of Mrs Brown and Kerry, the dentist’s receptionist. Kerry:

Good Morning, Dr Tyler’s dental surgery, Kerry speaking.

Mrs Brown:

Hello, Kerry. This is Kylie Brown, Benjamin’s mother. I’d like to make an appointment for him.

Kerry:

Hello, Mrs Brown. Would you prefer a morning or afternoon appointment?

I can dance the barramundi

On the way home Benjamin thought quietly to himself, ‘I think I’ll be a dentist when I grow up’. •

Can you remember your ﬁrst visit to the dentist? What happened?

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Where am I? Feeling funny Squirm in seat Fidget ﬁngers

r o e t s Bo r e p o u k Walk inside S Voice says

Shufﬂe feet

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Name called

‘Open wide!’

w ww

. te

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super

Lines

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Frown.

Point to self.

Twist and turn.

Take one step.

Tap ﬁngers.

Look up.

Push feet from side to side.

Open mouth.

I can dance the barramundi

OLD HOUSE Preparation •

Collect pictures of older houses—preferably those from the 1940s – 1950s.

Presentation

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Share and discuss the house pictures with the class.

•

Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

•

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme.

•

The class says the rhyme with the actions.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

•

Additional activities/information •

The laundry, which was part of the back veranda, had a large copper for boiling clothes and a cement trough and a door which led from the laundry into the toilet. There was also a clothes ringer with a handle which was turned by hand to drain the clean washing.

Read the information to the class. In 1950, Jack Smith and his wife and family moved into their new war service home in Boronia Street. Their house had two bedrooms and a sleep-out. One bedroom was for the mother and the father, the other bedroom was for the younger children and the sleep-out on the back veranda was for the two older boys.

In the backyard, Mrs had a very long © R. I . C.Pub l i cat i oSmith ns clothes line and a prop she used to hoist the up to catch the breeze. Mr and Mrs •f orr evi ew puwashing r po sesonl y• The kitchen had a gas stove and an ice chest. The smith were saving up to buy a Hills hoist. ®

The Smith family had no air-conditioning, no car, no garage, no washing machine, no refrigerator, no vacuum cleaner and no power mower. Such luxury items were too expensive for most families at that time.

There were no shops nearby and every Monday Mrs Smith telephoned the butcher and the grocer and gave them the weekly orders. The butcher and grocer delivered the orders to the house on Fridays. The baker and the milkman who drove carts which were pulled by horses, called at the house each day.

. te

m . u

w ww

ice chest was used to keep food like butter and milk cold on hot days. Twice a week the iceman would come to the back door of the house with a fresh block of ice and put it in the top of the ice chest for Mrs Smith.

•

Discuss the difference between old houses and houses of today.

o c . che e r o t r s super

The family would sit in the lounge room and listen to the wireless and on cold winter nights they would sit around the open ﬁreplace to keep warm.

I can dance the barramundi

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Old house Old house

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Rusty Hills® hoist Dusty ﬂoor.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Creaking door

w ww

. te

Lines

m . u

Grew before

o c . che e r o t r s Anymore su per No-one lives here

Touch ﬁngertips.

Droop ﬁngers.

Sway arm slowly.

Open ﬁngers.

Stretch arms out stifﬂy.

7 & 8.

Shake head slowly.

Spread ﬁngers.

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

I can dance the barramundi

JACKAROO Presentation •

Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

•

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme.

•

The class says the rhyme with the actions.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Additional activities/information •

Share the following information with the class.

machinery. They learn to be early birds because stock do not travel well in the heat of the day. Jackaroos and jillaroos work in very hot dry weather, in dust and sometimes in ﬂoods. Flies and mosquitoes are troublesome too. So jackaroos and jillaroos need wide-brimmed hats, long-sleeved shirts, sunglasses and sunscreen, jeans, strong elastic-sided boots and a swag.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

A jackaroo is a man who works on a station in the Outback of Australia. A woman who does the same job is called a ‘jillaroo’. Jackaroos and jillaroos work very hard all day and need to be ﬁt. They gather the stock together to drive them into yards for food and water. They check windmills, water tanks and troughs. They make sure that gates are shut at all times so the stock cannot wander. They check the tracks of wild dogs and foxes. They repair station

Jackaroos and jillaroos must be able to ride horses and motorbikes. After work, their horses have to be washed down and given a feed and a drink. Their motorbikes must be refuelled, punctures mended with a puncture kit and their helmets hung on the motorbike’s handlebars.

w ww

Clues

. te

Jackaroos and jillaroos enjoy barbecues, country dances, rodeos, ﬁshing and swimming in waterholes.

m . u

After the information has been discussed, copy the word ladder below onto a large sheet of paper and complete it with the help of the class.

o c . che e r o t r s super

1. A man who works on a station is called a j_ _ _ _ _ _ _ . (down)

2. A jackaroo works in the O_ _ _ _ _ _ of Australia. (across)

Answers 1

3. A jackaroo must be able to ride a horse and a m_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . (across)

a r

o 3

4. A jackaroo enjoys r_ _ _ _ _ . (down)

r o

e o 5

5. A jackaroo works on a s_ _ _ _ _ _ . (across)

i t

d m

6. A jackaroo checks water tanks, troughs and w_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . (down)

i l l

7. A jackaroo needs a s_ _ _ . (across) I can dance the barramundi

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Jackaroo I crack my whip I gallop my horse I drive the cattle Across the plain.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

r o e t s Bo r e p ok I crack my whip u Shorse I gallop my

In the dust and the sun

And the wind and the rain. I crack my whip

I gallop my ©horse R. I . C.Publ i cat i ons

’Cos ar jackaroo •I’m f o r evi ew pur posesonl y•

w ww

. te

m . u

Of course.

o c . che e r o t r s super

Lines

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

1–12.

Gallop hands on thighs.

I can dance the barramundi

CANE TOAD Preparation •

Collect pictures of cane toads.

Presentation •

•

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme. The class says the rhyme with the actions.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok Additional activities/information u S •

Teac he r

•

Share and discuss the cane toad pictures with the class. Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

CANE TOAD

The cane toad’s body is covered with dry rough blotchy skin. Many large warts cover the body, particularly behind the head where poisonous glands bulge from the toad’s neck. The head is large with protruding eyes and thick eyelids covered with warts. It has a broad thick body, short legs, stubby ﬁngers on the front legs and webbed toes on the back legs. • HOW large is the cane toad?

ew i ev Pr

and designed a trap which lures the cane toad through a one-way door into a trap equipped with lights that attract insects. Then the cane toads are carefully collected from the trap and placed into plastic bags and destroyed. Cane toads are still poisonous to touch even after they are dead. They cannot be buried because their poison will seep through the ground and perhaps get into water that animals (or people) might want to drink. Toad traps can be effective in some places but scientists continue to work to ﬁnd other solutions to exterminate cane toads.

• WHAT does the cane toad look like?

A cane toad can grow up to 23 cm and weigh up to 3 kg.

• Share the following story with the class. TOAD TRAP

• WHERE does the cane toad live?

Early one morning, Bully the cane toad hitched a ride on a fruit and vegie truck. He found his way into a box of fruit and was gobbling away when the truck pulled up in a parking bay.

The cane toad thrives in rainforests, sandy dry areas and in suburban gardens, but it prefers to live in grassy lowlands. The cane toad hops along tracks and roads. It can also hitch rides in fruit crates and luggage.

‘Frogs for brekky!’ thought Bully.

w ww

• WHAT does the cane toad eat?

Then he heard a peculiar sound.

The cane toad eats everything it can swallow, including insects, reptiles, small birds and mammals.

. te

‘Brrrm Brrrm, Brrrm Brrrm’, went the sound and there, sitting on the bank, was a plump little motorbike frog.

• HOW poisonous is the cane toad?

‘You’ll do for starters’, thought Bully and he smiled horribly at Brrrm Brrrm.

The poison of the cane toad is so venomous it can kill crocodiles and tiger snakes.

o c . che e r o t r s super Brrrm Brrrm trembled with fright.

The cane toad is toxic at every stage of its life—even as an egg or tadpole and even when it is dead.

Then, just as Bully was about to pounce, Swamp Tortoise saw him, scooped Brrrm Brrrm up in its mouth and took him down to the safe muddy bottom of the swamp.

If you ever see a cane toad, DON’T TOUCH IT. • WHEN does the cane toad breed?

Bully decided he didn’t want frogs for breakfast after all.

The female cane toad lays up to 35 000 eggs twice a year.

‘Waterbirds lay their eggs around swamps’, remembered Bully. ‘Duck eggs! Egret eggs! Heron eggs! YUM!’

• WHY don’t we want the cane toad in Australia?

Soon he was hopping from nest to nest, gobbling and gorging until he could eat no more.

The cane toad doesn’t really belong in Australia. It was brought into Queensland in 1935 to eat beetles that were damaging the crops of sugar cane. The cane toad is now spreading from Queensland across the Northern Territory to Western Australia

‘Time for a nap’, thought Bully. It was dark when he woke up. He noticed a light through the trees. He hopped towards it. Inside a toad trap, insects were ﬂying about the light.

• HOW can we save Australia from the cane toad?

‘Insects!’ thought Bully. ‘My favourite tucker!’

Two well-known Western Australians, Tim Winton and Luc Longley, believe a toad trap would be the best way to catch cane toads. Some people in the Northern Territory formed a group called ‘Frog Watch’ I can dance the barramundi

m . u

Bully hopped off the truck and into a nearby forest. A winding track led him through the trees to a busy frog bog in a shady swamp.

• HOW does the cane toad travel?

He pushed the door open and hopped inside and the door of the trap closed fast behind him ...

• What do YOU think happened next to Bully the cane toad? 30

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Cane toad It chomps up the middle It chomps up the top And whatever is left

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

It will chomp up the lot!

w ww

. te

Lines

1, 2, 3 & 4.

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super

Chomp.

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

I can dance the barramundi

MAGPIE Preparation •

Collect pictures of magpies.

Presentation

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Share and discuss the magpie pictures with the class.

•

Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

•

Share the following information with the class:

shaped and lined with grass, bark, hair, fur and wool. The nests can be built with wire– even barbed wire is used in the construction.

Nesting begins in July. Instead of defending their nests in pairs, magpies form groups of three to 20 individuals to patrol their territory. They live permanently in their particular area and are very aggressive and swoop at anyone intruding too close to their nests.

Magpies live in tall trees in the bush and in parks and suburbs. They have striking black and white feathers and they love to sing together, especially in the early morning. This dawn carolling also conﬁrms their territory. Magpies build their nests in forked branches of tall trees, more than 15 metres above the ground. Their nests are large and bowl-

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

•

Say the rhyme with the actions again for the class.

•

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme.

Additional activities/information basket to the canteen. I went with Thomas and magpies dived on us. We tried to run but they kept diving and clicking their beaks. We put the basket over our heads. It was hard to hold up because we had the bag too. We could see the magpies through the holes in the basket. Then we got to the canteen and we were safe.

Read the recounts below to the class.

w ww

m . u

•

MARIE’S MAGPIE NEWS – Year 1 We went to a special bush place for a picnic and magpies swooped on us. Dad said they were looking after their babies in the nest so we packed up and had a picnic at Nanna’s. •

. te

o c . che e r o t r s super •

What can we do to help people understand about magpies’ behaviour? Discuss. MAGPIE STORY by Angela, Year 2

I am in Year 2 and every day our teacher puts our lunch orders and money in a bag that goes into a big plastic basket and we take turns taking the

I can dance the barramundi

If there are magpies nesting in trees near YOUR school, what can the school community do to help stop people being swooped by magpies? Discuss.

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Magpie I love

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Full of warble chortle

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

My dappled magpie tree

But

w ww

. te

I think

m . u

When they dive on me

o c . che e r o t r s super Magpies are awful.

Lines

1 & 2.

Raise arms. Flutter ﬁngers.

Open and close ﬁngers and thumbs of each hand.

4, 5, 6. Swoop hands. 7 & 8. R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Pull a face. 33

I can dance the barramundi

KOALA Preparation •

Collect pictures of koalas.

Presentation •

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Koalas get their water from the gumleaves they eat and from dew and rain showers.

Share and discuss the koala pictures with the class. Ask the students to share their experiences with koalas.

•

Share the following information with the class:

Teac he r

Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

The koala in the rhyme is enjoying its lunch. Koalas, however, are said to be fussy eaters because they prefer to eat the leaves from just a few eucalypts. The koala mostly lives on its own, high above in the treetops, snoozing for up to 18 hours a day! It wedges its small tail into the fork of a branch of a gum tree, settles, and when it is hungry, helps itself to gumleaves growing nearby. Sometimes it has to climb along a branch to ﬁnd more leaves, often snifﬁng a leaf before munching one!

ew i ev Pr

•

The koala’s arms and legs are very strong for climbing. Rough pads on the paws and sharp pointed claws help the koala to climb and cling to the smooth branches of the eucalypts.

The koala’s thick furry coat keeps it snug in winter as it curls up into a ball to keep warm. In the summer it keeps cool by lying on its stomach on a branch and dangling its arms and legs over the branch! •

Say the rhyme with the actions again for the class.

w ww

•

m . u

Additional activities/information

Who were they? Did they offer to help Cutie? How did they take Cutie home? Ending: When they reached Cutie’s gum tree: How did Cutie feel? How did her mother feel? Did they remember to thank the bush creatures?

Read the following news item to the class. KOALA DISAPPEARS

. te

o c . che e r o t r s super

Before breakfast this morning, while her mother was asleep, Cutie Koala climbed down their gum tree and disappeared. A search for her has begun. •

Through questioning, encourage the children to create a story sequence.

Beginning: Where did Cutie live? Who did she live with? Did Cutie like living there? Why/Why not? How far did Cutie wander? After a while, how did she feel? Middle: When Cutie sat down to have a rest, some bush creatures came along. I can dance the barramundi

•

The koala is Queensland’s faunal emblem.

•

Koalas are precious Australian animals. In as little as 15 years, they may disappear from the wild. Remember to record ‘Save the koala month’ (July) in the class diary/ calendar.

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Teac he r

ew i ev Pr

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Koala

Crunch Crunch Munch Munch

Yummy gumleaves

w ww

. te

Lines

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super

Bite. Chew.

3 & 4.

Rub tummy.

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

I can dance the barramundi

SPRING THINGS Preparation •

Collect pictures of animals, plants or other images associated with spring.

Presentation

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S •

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme.

•

Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

•

The class says the rhyme with the actions.

•

Write a class diary of things that happened in spring; e.g. ‘James helped his dad spring clean the shed’, ‘Rory’s cat had ﬁve kittens’, ‘Lia brought her skipping rope to school’.

•

Make spring butterﬂies using the procedure below.

Teac he r

Share and discuss the spring pictures with the class.

Additional activities/information •

Say the rhymes below to the class. Have the students listen for rhyming words. BUTTERFLY A gentle little Butterﬂy Spread its wings And ﬂuttered b ___.

SPRING Cough cough Sneeze sneeze Something sniffy On the bree __ .

ew i ev Pr

•

. te

•

1 butterfly template scissors pencil glue paper scraps – wrapping paper, doily paper, tissue paper etc. HOW YOU MAKE IT: 1. Fold the origami square in half. Place the butterfly template along the fold. 2. Draw around the template with the paper still folded. 3. Cut out the shape of the butterfly half and unfold the paper. You will have two symmetrical halves. 4. Cut the scrap paper into different shapes. 5. Decorate the butterfly by gluing on the pieces of scrap paper. Allow to dry.

m . u

w ww

DANGER - BEES AT WORK Beware the bees On spring days sunny Busy making Yummy hon __.

o c . che e r o t r s super

Make a class springtime display by tying ﬁshing line around the body of your butterﬂy and hanging it. Enjoy your lovely spring thing!

I can dance the barramundi

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Teac he r

Butterﬂies Buzzy bees Baby birds Sneezy breeze –

ew i ev Pr

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u Spring things S

w ww

. te

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super Lines

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Link thumbs. Flutter ﬁngers.

Watch a bee buzz by.

Flap elbows.

Sneeze twice.

Twirl around. I can dance the barramundi

DUCKSAILING Preparation •

Collect pictures of ducks and ducklings.

Presentation

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Share and discuss the pictures with the class.

•

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme.

•

Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

•

The class says the rhyme with the actions.

Teac he r

•

ew i ev Pr

Additional activities/information

‘Perhaps the mother duck left the nest to ﬁnd a safe place where her ducklings could feed’, said Wendy. ‘She might have been taken by a fox. A fox is a duck’s main predator.’

Read the following story to the class. DUCKLINGS – A TRUE STORY One day under a palm tree by the river, Grandfather was raking leaves when he heard ‘plop!’ then ‘plop! plop!’ then ‘plop! plop! plop!’ He looked around and found six little ﬂuffy yellow ducklings behind him.

‘What will happen to the ducklings now?’ asked Grandfather.

‘Tomorrow they’ll have their ﬁrst swim in our special duckling pond’, said Wendy. ‘Soon they’ll be swimming and feeding and grooming themselves in the water. They eat lots of insects and juicy water weeds.’

Gran could not believe her eyes!

Wendy smiled at Grandfather and Gran.

‘Six little ﬂuffy yellow ducklings!’ she said. ‘But where can their mother be?’

‘In three months,’ she said, ‘your six little ﬂuffy yellow ducklings will have grown into six big beautiful white ducks!’

w ww

So Gran rang the Council and they told her about a lady on a farm who cared for injured and deserted birds. The lady, whose name was Wendy, told Gran she was very happy to have the ducklings.

. te

•

‘Keep them warm’, she said, ‘and bring them over right away.’

Read the following rhyme to the class. Have the students listen for the rhyming words.

o c . che e r o t r s super As Grandfather was raking leaves PLOP! He heard a sound And looking down Grandfather saw A duckling on the _ ! (ground)

Wendy had prepared a large hot water bottle and tucked it up in a soft blanket in the shape of a mother duck. The six little ﬂuffy yellow ducklings snuggled up to their new mother and fell asleep. ‘How old are the ducklings?’ asked Grandfather.

Then PLOP! and PLOP! and PLOP! PLOP! PLOP! Grandfather stood and stared As ﬁve more ﬂuffy ducklings Came plopping through the _ ! (air)

‘A mother duck lays her eggs in the spring’, said Wendy. ‘She lays them in a warm nest lined with her own feathers. The eggs hatch in four weeks. The ducklings are wet and wobbly. If they get cold they will die so they cuddle up under their mother and sleep for several days. When they wake up, their feathers are dry and ﬂuffy and they can stand without wobbling. I think your ducklings are about six days old’, said Wendy.

They snuggled round his wellies And smiled at one another For they had quite decided that Grandfather was their _ ! (mother)

‘What could have happened to their mother?’ asked Gran. I can dance the barramundi

m . u

Grandfather went to tell Gran and the six little ﬂuffy yellow ducklings waddled in an obedient line after him. They thought Grandfather was their mother!

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Ducksailing On the water Crumpled, wavy

r o And duckling navy e t s Bo r e p Sailing slowly ok u S Smooth and sleek But paddling madly underneath!

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Sails a duck

w ww

. te

Lines

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super Float arms up and down. Ripple ﬁngers.

Tuck hands behind back and paddle legs madly!

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

I can dance the barramundi

VERANDA Presentation •

Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

•

The class says the rhyme with the actions.

•

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme.

•

Hold a class discussion about the student’s grandparents.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Additional activities/information

GRANDPARENTS

Emily:

Lia:

Peter:

My Grandad learns the computer. He goes to classes. Granny helps him at home. She went to computer classes last year. She makes him pumpkin scones after his lessons.

© R. I . C.Pu bl i cOnamyt i ons Christopher: bookshelf I have a photograph of my grandfather in his air force uniform. was in theo Royal Australian •f orr evi ew pur poHefors es nl y•Air force My Poppie is very friendly. He chats to ﬁve years in the Second World War.

Mei and Ho and their mother on their way home from school when he is watering his roses. They worry he is lonely in his house by himself so they asked him to their house. They had stir-fry. It had pork with bok choy, noodles and soy sauce. Poppie liked it so much Mei and Ho wrote out the recipe for him.

w ww

Amanda:

When we were sitting on the veranda chatting, my grandfather told me about his father, who was a trooper in the 10th Light Horse Regiment in the 3rd Light Horse Brigade in the First World War. He wore an Australian soldier’s hat with emu feathers in the band, a khaki uniform and riding boots. He carried a riﬂe with a bayonet. His horse’s name was Ned.

. te

My nan sold her car and she bought a motorised wheelchair with a little ﬂag on a stick. When she wants to cross the road she uses special places called ‘on and off ramps’.

Sarah:

My grandmother saves paper and takes it to our school. They shred it and then she takes it to the pet shop. She grows her own vegies. She has a lemon tree in her backyard and some grapes and an old mulberry tree. We helped her build a frog pond. She has an earthworm farm. She is saving up to buy a secondhand windmill.

o c . che e r o t r s super

On Anzac Day on the 25th April I march with the other Brownies down the main street of our town to the war memorial. We wear the medals belonging to our fathers and grandfathers. We wear the medals on the top right side of our shirts.

Patrick:

My grandma is very organised. Our family always gives her a big diary for Christmas with her other Christmas presents. She writes her appointments under the dates in her diary to remind her.

I can dance the barramundi

Thomas:

m . u

Russell:

ew i ev Pr

She uses a blue biro. When she has been to the doctor, she ticks the date in red biro. She ticks the date on the calendar after she has taken her medicine each morning. My grandma has a birthday book with EVERYONE’S name in it.

Read some of the stories below to the class. The students can then write stories about their own grandparents and illustrate them.

Teac he r

•

My grandad tapes TV programs about famous people and battles. We gave him a Walkman™ for his birthday. He listens to the news and football and cricket while he is cooking and washing up. He cleans his shoes every morning. On Saturday nights when he is watching the news and weather he gives himself his treat for the week – a block of milk chocolate.

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Veranda When I stay with Grandpa And Tom, that’s Grandpa’s cat. We three sit on the veranda

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

And chat and chat and chat.

w ww

. te

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super Lines

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Point to self. Point to Grandpa.

Stroke Tom, the cat.

Point to self, to Grandpa, to Tom.

Open and close ﬁngers and thumbs of each hand. 41

I can dance the barramundi

SOUTHERN CROSS Preparation •

Collect an Australian ﬂag.

Presentation

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Share the ﬂag with the class and discuss its history, design, colour and number of stars.

•

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme.

•

Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

•

The class says the rhyme with the actions.

Additional activities/information

The first national Australian flag was flown in Melbourne in September 1901. The flag has a blue background and features three symbols: (i)

(ii)

look to where the earth meets the sky. From there, measure two hand spans up and look for a kite-shaped set of stars. •

The Commonwealth Star, which has seven points, one for each state and one for the territories.

• b Discuss what stars ares and why they are not © R. I . C.Pu l i c a t i o n as visible during the day. Learn the names of other constellations and individual stars. The Union Jack, which can be seen in •f ocorner rr e u r posesonl y• the top left-hand of v thei ﬂe ag.w p • Find examples in the community where the

w ww

(iii) The Southern Cross has five white stars on the blue background of the flag. The four large stars all have seven points and the smallest star has five points. The Southern Cross gets its name from its four brightest stars which form the outline of a cross. It is the brightest constellation in the Southern Hemisphere. •

Discuss ways of viewing stars at night. If possible, visit an observatory or planetarium.

. te

Southern Cross is displayed; e.g. Australia Post. •

Using an atlas and a map of Australia, discover how many places in Australia are called ‘Southern Cross’.

•

Discuss – ‘If you could make a wish upon a star, what would it be?’

m . u

•

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

•

o c . che e r o t r s super

Encourage the students to view the stars at night with their parents and grandparents. To ﬁnd the Southern Cross, face south and

I can dance the barramundi

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Southern Cross I’m looking for

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S It’s in the sky Somewhere.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

The Southern Cross

w ww

To ﬁnd it?

. te

m . u

o c . There are so many stars c e her r o t s super Up there.

Lines

1, 2, 3, 4. Circle eyes with ﬁngers and thumbs. 5 & 6.

Shake head.

7 & 8.

Stretch arms high. Twinkle ﬁngers.

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

I can dance the barramundi

JOEY Preparation •

Collect pictures of young kangaroos.

Presentation

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

•

Share and discuss the pictures with the class. Have the class members discuss their experiences with kangaroos.

•

Read the following to the students:

When a joey is eight months old, its mother decides it is old enough to leave the pouch and learn the ways of the bush, although it still stays close to its mother as she teaches it which grasses and herbs and shrubs to eat and where there is danger.

Teac he r

A joey will live in its mother’s pouch for a long time—about 240 days! After 18 weeks its eyes open and it climbs out of the pouch—but it soon hops back in!

•

Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

•

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme.

•

The class says the rhyme with the actions.

Additional activities/information

kangaroos was created by Stuart Devlin.

w ww

the students listen for the long vowel sound ‘oo’, then say the rhyme again. The students can hop to the beat of the rhyme and twitch their noses when they hear the ‘oo’ sound. Hop, hop, kangaroo All the way to Paraburdoo. Hop, hop, kangaroo Say ‘G’day’ to a jackaroo. Hop, hop, kangaroo Catch a wave at Ningaloo. Hop, hop, kangaroo Hop on a ferry to Sydney Zoo.

. te

•

The red kangaroo is the Northern Territory’s faunal emblem.

•

Ask the students where they may have seen a ﬂying kangaroo. (QANTAS logo)

m . u

•

ew i ev Pr

When a baby kangaroo is born it is very tiny. It must climb up its mother’s furry tummy and crawl into her pouch. It is safe and warm in there. It has a drink of its mother’s milk and falls asleep.

o c . che e r o t r s super

Discuss Australian coins. Current Australian coins and notes are produced by the Australian government in the Royal Mint. In 1965 a new mint was established in Canberra especially to produce decimal currency.

I can dance the barramundi

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Joey In his mother’s pouch When he was new Grew little Joey Kangaroo.

r o e t s Bo r e And cosy too p ok u S

Teac he r

He was safe and warm

ew i ev Pr

And when he was bored

He could look at the view

And sometimes he’d wave

To Joeys he knew

He grew and grew

. te

m . u

w ww

Little Joey Kangaroo.

o c . che e r o t r s super Lines 1, 2, 3.

Rock Joey gently.

4 & 5.

Close eyes. Snuggle.

6 & 7.

Rest chin on paws. Peep left and right.

8 & 9.

Wave.

10, 11, 12. Rock Joey gently. R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

I can dance the barramundi

HILLS

HOIST

Presentation Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

•

Read the following information to the class:

•

Lance Hill was an Australian soldier in World War II. In 1945 the war ended and Lance Hill came home. Before the war he had been a motor mechanic and one day his wife asked him to think of something better than the old clothes line and ‘prop’ she used when she hung out the washing.

Now many Australian homes have a Hills® hoist. •

Count the homes you know which have a Hills® hoist.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Lance set to work and designed a handle that could be turned round and round to hoist the washing up to catch the breeze.

•

Ask your grandparents and parents about props and old clothes lines.

•

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme.

•

The class says the rhyme with the actions.

ew i ev Pr

•

Teac he r

•

Additional activities/information •

Another Australian invention is the Victa mower, invented by Mervyn Victor Richardson in 1951. He called it the Victa after his middle name. Some grandfathers call their Victa mower their ‘toy’.

•

Invent a toy you can play with on a ﬁne day, a rainy day, in the car, at the beach, in bed when you aren’t feeling well etc. Draw a diagram of your invention, label it and give it a name.

•

© R. I . C.Publ i cat i ons Many years ago, in 1907, Frederick Peters arrived in Australia and began making ice-cream each •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• morning to sell in the afternoon. Peters ice-cream became one of Australia’s favourite brands of ice-cream. Invent a new ice-cream. Draw a picture of it, list the ingredients and give it a name. Yum!

w ww

. te

I can dance the barramundi

m . u

•

o c . che e r o t r s super

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Hills® hoist Washing on the Hills® hoist Flapping up and down

r o e t s B r e oo Washing on the Hills hoist p u k S whizzing round and round Washing on the Hills® hoist

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

w ww

. te

Round and round

m . u

Up and down

o c . che And to and fro r e o r st super We go!

Lines

1 & 2.

Flap arms.

3 & 4.

Whizz around.

5 & 6.

Sway.

9 & 10. Sway.

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

I can dance the barramundi

WALKING BUS Presentation •

Read the following story to the class and discuss how a Walking Bus is a safe and friendly way of keeping us healthy and active.

•

Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

•

Ask the students ‘Have you ever been on a walking bus? Where? When? Why? Who were you with? Do you feel safe on the walking bus? Who keeps you safe on a walking bus?’

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Children and their families are being encouraged to walk part or all of the way to school.

Teac he r

On weekday mornings, the Walking Bus comes along on its way to school.

•

Say the rhyme with the actions again for the class.

•

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme.

•

The class says the rhyme with the actions.

The children say ‘Hello’ to Winkie and Chummy and to Mrs Poppy and Mr Berry. Then Mrs Poppy and Mr Berry and Winkie and Chummy join the bus and walk along with the children and the mums and dads and grans and grandfathers to school.

ew i ev Pr

Every morning, old Mrs Poppy tucks her little cat, Winkie, in an old doll’s pram and takes her for a walk with their neighbour, old Mr Berry and his dog, Chummy.

Read the following rhymes to the class.

m . u

•

FRIENDLY BUS Often on our walking bus Friends and family walk with us. Sophie’s mum and Mandy’s gran And Tom’s dad pushing the baby’s pram. Today we stop at number eight Two children wait there at the gate. We don’t know them, I think they’re new We smile at them and they smile too. And then they start to walk with us And off we go on our walking bus.

w ww

LOLLIPOP LADY Lollipop lady Smiles ‘Hello’ She stops the cars And across we go!

•

. te

o c . che e r o t r s super

Discuss how the Lollipop lady or man keeps the walking bus safe.

I can dance the barramundi

•

Discuss who helps to make your walking bus friendly. ‘How do they help?’

•

The walking bus is a safe and friendly way to keep active and healthy. Discuss other ways.

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Walking bus Off we go On the walking bus

r o e t s Bo r And a dad p ande us. ok u S

Teac he r

With a mum or two

ew i ev Pr

And sometimes a gran and a grandad too

And there’s lots of room On the bus for YOU!

As we walk down the street And we say ‘Hello’

w ww

m . u

To people we meet.

. te o Our safety rules c . c e he r On the walking bus o t r s super On the way to school.

And of course we learn

Lines

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

1–16.

Walk hands on thighs.

I can dance the barramundi

KAKADU Preparation •

Collect pictures of Kakadu National Park.

Presentation

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

•

Share and discuss the pictures with the students. Share some information about Kakadu with the class (see ‘Additional activities/information’).

•

WHERE is Kakadu? Kakadu is located at the top end of the Northern Territory of Australia, 250 kilometres by road, east of Darwin. WHAT is Kakadu? Kakadu is a famous Australian national park. It covers almost 20 000 square kilometres of wilderness, wildlife, wetlands, waterfalls, plunge pools, billabongs, lagoons, high sandstone cliffs and deep rocky gorges. WHERE can YOU see wildlife in Kakadu? From the deck of a boat you can see ﬂocks of birds including pelicans, herons, egrets, redlegged jabiru, magpie geese, cormorants and sea eagles living on the wide ﬂat shallow wetlands and on billabongs and lagoons.

•

Hop in your four wheel drive and discover kingﬁshers and cockatoos making their homes in open woodland where eucalypts offer shelter and nesting places. Here are some tips you should follow when visiting Kakadu: • Tread softly. Do not disturb the kangaroos, brushtail possums, sugar gliders, bandicoots and bats in the open woodlands. • Take care! You are in CROCODILE country. You may see a saltwater crocodile, the largest living reptile on earth. • You may see geckos and skinks during the day, but snakes are silent night creatures rarely seen by visitors.

• Say the rhyme with the actions again for the © R. I . C.Pu b l i cat i ons class. • The class claps the beat while saying the •f orr evi ew p urhyme. r posesonl y• •

The class says the rhyme with the actions.

w ww

m . u

•

Teac he r

Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

ew i ev Pr

•

Additional activities/information •

. te

to be ﬂoating on a ﬁeld of waterlilies. We saw lots and lots of birds and some crocodiles. Some were sunbaking on sandbanks and others were just drifting underwater with just their eyes and nostrils above the surface. We had bush tucker for lunch, billy tea, damper and bush stew! Tomorrow we are going to see the wonderful waterfalls at Jim Jim and Twin Falls. We are having a great adventure! Kakadu is a wonderful place. Will write again soon.

Have each child bring an item from a recent holiday to share with the class; e.g. souvenirs, photographs, badges, maps, diaries. The following postcard could be read as an example:

o c . che e r o t r s super

Dear Liam We hope you had a lovely birthday and we hope you liked your birthday present! We enjoyed our train trip on the Ghan to Darwin. Last night we watched the sun set over Darwin Harbour, which is three times bigger than Sydney Harbour! Today we went to a Crocodile Park. Poppie held a tiny baby crocodile in his hands. It will grow into a HUGE saltie one day! Later we are going on a cruise on a very old pearling boat (called a lugger). Diving for pearls was very dangerous work in the olden days. We left Darwin very early this morning and drove to Kakadu National Park. We went on a boat trip on a billabong called Yellow Water. There was so much water everywhere. We seemed I can dance the barramundi

Lots of love from Nan and Poppie x x

•

Play ‘I am going on a holiday’ with the class. One player begins ‘I am going on a holiday and I packed a toothbrush’. The next player repeats the sentence and adds another item. Continue the game until four or ﬁve students have had a turn, then start over again. R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Kakadu Skip with me

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Mum and Dad

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

To Kakadu

And Baby too.

w ww

. te

Lines

m . u

Of the didgeridoo

o c . che e r o t r s super To Kakadu All the way

Pat knees. Clap hands.

Pat shoulders. Pat head.

7 & 8.

Wave.

Rock baby gently.

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

I can dance the barramundi

BUNYIP Presentation •

Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

•

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme.

•

The class says the rhyme with the actions.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Additional activities/information

•

Read the following rhyme to the class. Have the children perform the actions indicated.

ew i ev Pr

•

The bunyip is said to be a wild and wily creature. At night it can be heard prowling through the bush, bellowing, grunting and growling horribly. By day it lurks in its lair deep down on the bed of a river, emerging to haunt nearby swamps and waterholes, creeks and billabongs.

Teac he r

•

BABY BUNYIP Little baby bunyip (Skip in a small circle Skip Skip Skip on the spot.) Skipping round a billabong Yip Yip Yip Little baby bunyip (Skip heavily on the spot.) Skip Skip Skip Skipping through a sloshy swamp Yip Yip Yip Little baby bunyip (Skip on toes on the spot.) Skip Skip Skip Skipping down a gurgly creek Yip Yip Yip Little baby bunyip (Skip slower and slower.) Skip Skip Skip Skipping home to bunyip bed (Lie down.) (Curl up and sleep) Yawn Y - aw - n --- Yip

The bunyip is said to be scary. Write an acrostic poem about a different kind of bunyip; for example:

w ww

. te

I can dance the barramundi

m . u

Best friend is a teddy bear Understands people-talk Never frightens children Yabbies are its favourite food Is frightened of thunder Plays the guitar

o c . che e r o t r s super

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Bunyip Rompa Stompa Rompa Stompa

r o e t s BoRompa Stompa r e p o u k Stompa Rompa S Bunyip on the prowl.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Bellow, grunt and growl.

w ww

. te

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super

Lines

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

Stomp and grunt.

I can dance the barramundi

SANDCASTLE Presentation •

Read the following to the class and ask them to guess where you are. Hot sand Summer sky Salty sea breeze Where am I?

Why are beaches special?

•

Discuss various aspects of visiting beaches; e.g. having fun, sun protection, playing safely on the beach and in the water.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

•

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme.

•

The class says the rhyme with the actions.

•

Encourage the students to talk about their experiences with waves and sandcastles.

•

Discuss the questions:

Additional activities/information •

•

Write a recipe for a sandcastle. Include a list of ingredients and utensils and instructions. Illustrate the recipe and then share it with a friend.

ew i ev Pr

•

Ask the students to tell what a beach is.

Teac he r

•

Why do children love the beach?

Share the following rhymes with the class. Have the students listen for the rhyming words to complete each one.

Why do parents love the beach? © R. I . C.Pub l i cat i ons Why do grandparents visit the beach? Sea breeze •u Collect reusable materials toy create • f orr evi ew p r po ses onl •threeThe sea is asleep dimensional pictures of the beach. Display

the pictures during National Recycling Week in November.

w ww

m . u

On a hot summer’s day ’Til the sea breeze whispers ‘It’s time to pl___! Waves Waves swell And surge and roar And crash and splash Upon the sh___.

. te

I can dance the barramundi

o c . che e r o t r s super

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Sandcastle I built a castle On the beach

r o e t s B r e Next morning it hado p ok u Disappeared S Wherever can it be?

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Beside the bright blue sea.

w ww

. te

Lines

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super

1 & 2.

Dig sand. Shape castle.

Float arms.

4 & 5.

Circle eyes with ﬁngers and thumbs.

Shade eyes with hand. Look into the distance.

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

I can dance the barramundi

MATILDA WALTZING Presentation •

Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

•

The class says the rhyme with the actions.

•

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme.

•

Discuss the meaning of the word ‘billabong’.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Additional activities/information

•

Create a class book of special Australian words and their meanings; e.g. jumbuck, billy, boomerang, G’day, arvo, brekkie, ugg™ boots. Some are given below.

Teac he r

Waltzing matilda is a well-loved Australian song. The words were written by Australian poet Banjo Paterson in 1895. A swagman was a man who wandered the Outback looking for work. He carried his belongings in a swag, which he called ‘Matilda’. The swag swayed or ‘waltzed’ on his back as he walked.

Billabong

a waterhole in a river or creek which dries up during the dry season

Jumbuck

a sheep

are another Australian product. In the 19th century, early settlers in Australia used sheep hides and wool to make their clothes, including boots. Today, ugg™ boots are sold around the world.

Coolibah tree Billy

Ugg™ boots

ew i ev Pr

•

a eucalypt

Snaggers

sausages

Joey

a young kangaroo

Barbie

a barbecue

Barramundi

a large perch. It is found in the waters of Northern Australia

‘G’day mate’

‘Hello, friend’

Boomerang AFL

Vegemite

. te

‘Goodo’ and ‘Righto’ in agreement Arvo

an Aboriginal tool used for hunting, ﬁshing and music

afternoon

o c . che e r o t r s super

The Australian Football League

will be 85 years old on 30 May 2008! In 1923 Fred Walker, a shopkeeper, employed Dr Cyril Callister, a chemist, to create a tasty spread made from vegetable and yeast extract. A public competition was held to ﬁnd a name for the product and the prize-winning name was Vegemite

I can dance the barramundi

m . u

food

w ww

Tucker

Cocky

cockatoo or farmer

Maggie

magpie

Mozzie

mosquito

Tassie

Tasmania

Brekkie

breakfast

Chrissie

Christmas

Prezzies

presents

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Matilda waltzing I saw Matilda waltzing In the bush today.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

r o e t s Bo r e I hurried through the plong grass ok u To catch S her on her way. I ran along the billabong

To where we used to play.

And called her name ... pu •f orr ev i ew r posesonl y•

w ww

. te

m . u

Matilda waltzed away.

o c . che e r o t r s super Lines

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

1 & 2.

Sway.

3 & 4.

Rub palms together.

5 & 6.

Pat thighs quickly

7 & 8.

Wave.

Sway. I can dance the barramundi

KARRI Presentation •

Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

•

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme.

•

The class says the rhyme with the actions.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Additional activities/information

‘People from local timber mills are coming here today to inspect our forest to decide which karri trees they will cut down and carry away to their timber mills.’

ew i ev Pr

Read the story below and discuss the student’s opinions on what happened. The story could be used as a script for an assembly item.

Teac he r

•

The forest creatures could not believe their ears. Silence fell in the forest.

HARRY THE KARRI

The dragonﬂies and beetles trembled. The skinks and tiger snakes slithered quietly away.

The karri forest has always been beautiful and peaceful. Every day the branches of the karri trees whisper the news of the forest to each other. Early one morning, Harry the karri, the oldest, wisest and tallest karri tree in the forest, heard some dreadful news.

But the other birds and animals were FURIOUS! ‘CUT DOWN OUR TREES?’ bellowed a possum.

‘DESTROY OUR FOREST?’ squeaked an echidna.

‘If this is true,’ he thought, ‘it will change our forest forever’.

‘TURN OUR TREES INTO LOGS?’ howled a bandicoot.

So he sent for Mopoke, the boobook owl.

‘AND WOODCHIPS?’ shrieked a noisy scrub bird.

‘Gather the forest creatures together, Mopoke,’ said Harry the karri, ‘and bring them to me’.

‘This way, Joe’, said a voice. ‘Over here.’

Timber mill people could be seen through the trees. They stopped and stared in silence at Harry the karri and the forest creatures gathered about him.

‘Mopoke! Mopoke! Mopoke!’ echoed Mopoke’s call through the karri trees as she gathered the forest creatures to her.

m . u

w ww

‘I’ve worked in this forest for many years’, said one of the timber mill people. ‘It’s like home to me.’

Fairy wrens, honeyeaters, cockatoos and parrots, mopokes and robins, barking owls and a noisy scrub bird followed Mopoke and settled in the branches of Harry the karri.

. te

‘If we chop everything down it’s gone forever’, said another.

o c . che e r o t r s super

‘But I need a job. I’ve got a wife and family’, said a third.

Possums and quokkas, echidnas and numbats, bandicoots and wallabies, dingos and bats and rats followed Mopoke and gathered about the great trunk of Harry the karri.

‘Bushwalkers come to this forest all the time’, said a fourth timber mill person. ‘They love it here. Why don’t we talk to the tourist people to see if they can arrange jobs for us?’

Tiger snakes curled up on warm rocks and skinks rested in the cool grasses. Dragonﬂies hovered and beetles scuttled under leaves. Frogs sat quietly on lily pads. Marron in a nearby stream poked their whiskers out of the water to listen.

The timber mill people nodded their heads and stood talking together for some time, then they turned back and disappeared through the trees. The forest creatures were ECSTATIC! Harry the karri and the other karri trees waved their branches with delight and all the birds and animals jumped with joy.

When everyone was assembled, Harry the karri spoke to them.

‘Friends of the forest,’ said Harry the karri at last, ‘I think we all agree that this karri forest is kept as an old growth forest to be protected and never felled for timber’.

‘Friends of the forest,’ he said, ‘I welcome you all here this morning. I have something to tell you’. Then Harry the karri announced the news he had heard that morning.

I can dance the barramundi

•

What do YOU think?

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Karri We love The giant karri trees So high r o e t s Bo So strong. r e p ok u S

When next we went

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

So old

To visit them

The karri trees Had gone.

w ww

. te

Lines

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super

1, 2, 3, 4 & 5. Stand on tiptoe. Wave to the karri trees. 6 & 7.

Pat thighs gently.

8 & 9.

Shade eyes with hand. Look into the distance.

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

I can dance the barramundi

PLATYPUS Preparation •

Collect pictures of platypus and 20-cent coins.

Presentation •

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Read the following to the class, telling them they must guess which Australian animal you are.

Share and discuss the pictures with the class.

•

Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

•

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme.

•

The class says the rhyme with the actions.

• I am a warm-blooded Australian mammal. • I lay eggs.

• I live in a burrow in a riverbank. • I have a bill like a duck’s. • I am a strong swimmer because I have a tail like a paddle and webbed feet. • I have waterproof fur that keeps me warm in the freezing river in winter.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

WHAT AM I ?

•

w ww

When the platypus dives underwater, it closes its eyes, ears and nostrils. However, receptors in its bill detect tiny electric currents from molluscs and worms concealed in the rocks and mud of the river bed. The platypus catches the worms and molluscs with its bill and stores them in its cheek pouches. When it swims to the surface, it grinds up the catch and swallows it. The platypus eats molluscs, worms, shrimps, frogs and insects. It fossicks and ﬁshes from dusk to dawn. The platypus is a vulnerable little animal. Its survival is threatened by pollution and destruction of its home.

. te

I can dance the barramundi

•

View 20-cent coins, which feature the platypus swimming underwater. The design was created by Stuart Devlin.

•

The platypus is the faunal emblem of New South Wales.

m . u

•

o c . che e r o t r s super

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Platypus Dig your burrow Deep and dry Safe from scary passers-by.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok Your secret stream u S Where the water’s cool and green.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Frolic in

Catch a worm

Or two for tea

Watch a leaf fall lazily.

w ww

. te

m . u

Curl up, Platypus, and sleep.

o c . che e r o t r s super

Lines

1 & 2.

Dig.

Bite. Chew.

Look left, Look right.

Look high. Look low.

4, 5 & 6. Roll hands over and over.

10 & 11. Wriggle.

12.

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Bite. Chew. 61

Curl up. Close eyes. I can dance the barramundi

A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW Preparation •

Collect pictures of Uluru.

Presentation

•

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme.

Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

•

The class says the rhyme with the actions.

Uluru is a giant rock towering over the desert in the centre of Australia.

•

Uluru is 348 metres high.

•

The Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is included in the United Nations World Heritage list.

•

quietly at work. Ants, butterﬂies, bees, wasps, termites, grasshoppers and spiders forage, build nests, mounds and hives, collect pollen and wild honey and spin webs and cocoons. –

Fly over Uluru for a bird’s-eye view of reptiles which live there. Among them is a blue-tongued lizard with a waddling walk, rummaging for its tucker. On a ﬂat warm rock, a large snake sunbakes. It is a mulga or king brown snake, venomous and dangerous. From its rocky outcrop, the perentie, the largest lizard in Australia, hunts mice and wrens and skinks.

–

Fly over Uluru for a bird’s-eye view and listen to the birds—the noisy, screeching parrots, the mournful cawing of crows, early morning carolling of magpies and the hooting of boobook owls. You will see pink cockatoos, turquoise wrens, red-capped robins and green and yellow budgerigars.

Have the students close their eyes and read the following to them. They can then draw some of the images they imagined. –

–

w ww

ﬂying over Uluru for a bird’s-eye view of the colours of the rock. By day, Uluru is a brilliant red against the blue Australian sky, but as the light changes Uluru becomes the colours of the desert – yellow, orange, brown, purple. In the evening, Uluru turns grey then black under the starry sky. –

ew i ev Pr

•

. te

o c . che e r o t r s super

Fly over Uluru for a bird’s-eye view of its surface. Uluru is covered with lumps and holes—huge boulders, caves, potholes and hidden hollows. The scarred surface of Uluru is ﬂaky and scaly like a dinosaur’s skin. Uluru is marked with grooves that look like cracks running down its sides. When black storm clouds gather and lightning and thunder and wind ﬁll the sky, the showers of rain which run down the grooves become waterfalls tumbling and crashing to the ground.

–

•

Fly over Uluru for a bird’s-eye view of the creatures that live there. Insects are

I can dance the barramundi

m . u

•

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Additional activities/information Share and discuss the pictures of Uluru with the class.

Teac he r

•

Fly over Uluru and on your way home to roost, glimpse a hopping mouse. It appears cautiously from its burrow to forage for insects and seeds for its evening meal. Euros, red kangaroos and black-footed wallabies gather around a waterhole to drink at dusk, and night falls silently on Uluru.

Discuss what Australian animals the students like to see when they go to a wildlife sanctuary, national park or zoo. R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

A bird’s-eye view I spread my wings And away I ﬂew

r o Of Uluru e t s B r e ooRed rock p u k S Sky blue

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

For a bird’s-eye view

The wonder in me Grew and grew.

w ww

. te

Lines

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Spread wings wide and ﬂy.

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

I can dance the barramundi

WINDMILL Preparation •

Collect pictures of Australian windmills.

Presentation

• •

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Additional activities/information Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme. The class says the rhyme with the actions.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

•

Share the following information with the class.

‘I’m going to check the windmills this afternoon’, said Uncle. ‘Would you like to come Josie?’

•

Why does a farmer need a windmill?

‘Yes, please’, said Josie, and after lunch they set off in the ute over the paddocks.

A farmer needs to pump water from under the ground for his/her stock to drink and to irrigate his/her property. •

‘How many windmills have you got, Uncle?’ asked Josie.

‘We’ve got twot windmills’, © R. I . C.Pub l i ca i onsaid sUncle. ‘One windmill for each dam.’ The wind turns the blades of the windmill seen windmill. around; the wind creates which •f orenergy r ev i ew puJosie r phadonever se sao nl y• drives the blades. How does a windmill go around?

‘They are so high’, she said.

•

How does a farmer use wind energy?

‘Our windmills are about eight metres high’, said Uncle. ‘That’s about as high as the power post in front of your house in the city. On a farm a windmill has to be the right height for the right wind.’

. te

m . u

•

w ww

A farmer uses this wind energy to pump water from the ground into dams, water tanks and drinking troughs for thirsty animals.

‘Who looks after the windmills?’ asked Josie.

Read the following story to the class. The students could then make up or talk about their own windmill stories. WINDMILL

‘I check them regularly’, said Uncle. ‘If something’s not working properly I take my tools up and ﬁx it.’

o c . che e r o t r s super ‘Is it scary up there?’ asked Josie.

‘It’s scary when the wind changes’, said Uncle. ‘I have to hang on with everything, including my toes and ﬁngernails!’

‘Nearly there Josie’, said Aunty, as they turned off the main road and drove along the winding bush track to the farm. The two kelpies, Tia and Bailey, jumped off the veranda and rushed to the car, barking and wagging their tails.

That night Josie cuddled up with her teddy in the little bed in the spare room. In the distance across the paddocks she could hear the windmills turning ... turning ... turning ... in the wind.

‘Kettle’s on!’ said Uncle as he kissed Aunty and hugged Josie. Josie was eight years old and this was her ﬁrst visit by herself to the farm.

I can dance the barramundi

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Windmill Windmill turning

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Pumping water

From the ground.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Round and round

w ww

. te

Lines

m . u

So deep

o c . che e r With water for o t r s sup r e The thirsty sheep. 1 & 2.

5 & 6.

Stand tall.

Raise arms slowly.

Turn right arm round and round. 3 & 4. R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Pump left arm up and down. 65

Arms at sides.

7 & 8.

Drink. I can dance the barramundi

DINGO Preparation •

Collect pictures of dingoes.

Presentation

•

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme. The class says the rhyme with the actions.

ew i ev Pr

•

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Additional activities/information •

Share and discuss the pictures with the class and discuss facts about dingoes (see ‘Additional activities/information’). Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

Teac he r

•

or an old rabbit warren. Dingo pups drink their mother’s milk until they are about four months old then their mother forages for food for them for another month, when they will leave the den to hunt for themselves. Older brothers and sisters in the pack help the parents to rear the young pups, guarding them and coaching them to hunt. On hot days, dingos shelter in caves and under shady trees. A dingo will hunt alone for small prey such as rats, rabbits, reptiles and birds. Dingos hunt in packs for larger prey such as kangaroos, cattle and sheep. In some places in Australia, special fences are built to prevent dingos from hunting sheep. Dingos howl at night to keep contact with their pack.

The dingo is a carnivore. Dingos resemble domestic dogs although dingos have ﬂatter, larger skulls, larger canine teeth and narrower noses. Most dingos are yellow in colour but some are ginger-brown and others are black. The dingo has a bushy tail and large pointed ears, which are held erect. The mother dingo has her pups in a den. This could be in a small cave or a hollow log

w ww 5

. te

Answers 1

•

t 8

Clues

5. A dingo hunts alone 1. Dingos hunt in packs for larger for small prey such prey such as as r _ _ _ _ _ _ . s _ _ _ _. (across) (across) 2. A dingo has large p _ _ _ _ _ _ ears. (down)

i 4

e 3

3. The mother dingo has her pups in a d _ _ . (across)

After the information has been discussed, copy the word ladder below onto a large sheet of paper and complete it with the help of the class.

o c . che e r o t r s super

m . u

v o r

e s

s 8

h o

4. The dingo is a c________. (down)

w l

I can dance the barramundi

6. Dingos shelter during the hot days in caves or under shady t _ _ _ _ (down)

7. Most dingos are y_ _ _ _ _ in colour. (across) 8. Dingos h _ _ _ at night. (down)

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Dingo Lost dog dingo Running down the track Ten k’s there

r o e t s Bo r e p ok Lost dog dingo u Shis pack Looking for

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

And ten k’s back

Lost dog dingo

Running down the track.

w ww

. te

Lines

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Pat thighs gently.

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

I can dance the barramundi

TIN ROOF Preparation •

Collect pictures of tin roofs.

Presentation •

•

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme. The class says the rhyme with the actions.

r o e t s Bo r e p o u k Additional activities/information S •

Discuss the sound the rain makes; e.g. drip-dropping, pitter-pattering, gushing and rushing along the gutter, gurgling down the drainpipe, and splashing into a rainwater tank. • Read the following rhyme to the class. Once the students are familiar with the rhyme, organise a performance in the following way: – The students speak the title and the last line in unison. – Groups speak verses in sequence and cumulatively. The students use the suggested movements or improvise appropriate movements to accompany the verses. (Unison) RAIN (Flick foreﬁnger Drip – drop Group A: and thumb of each Drip – drop hand.) Drip – drop Drip – drop

ew i ev Pr

•

Share and discuss the pictures with the class. Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

Teac he r

•

Discuss what sounds you might hear at night in the city and the country; e.g. sirens, horns, footsteps in the street in the city and possums in the roof, wind in the trees and owls in the country.

•

Say the following rhymes to the class. For ‘Sounds in the city’, have the students improvise appropriate actions. For ‘Sounds in the country’, have the students identify the animal sounds.

Group A, B and C:

Group A, B C and D:

(Unison)

Down the street Trainers jogging Down the street High heels tapping Down the street

Gurgle - gurgle Gurgle – gurgle Gurgle – gurgle Gurgle – gurgle SP – L – A – SH!

I can dance the barramundi

(Click ﬁngers)

o c . che e r o t r s super Thongs ﬂip-ﬂopping

(Flip ﬂop hands on thighs)

Down the street.

Pitter – patter (Wiggle ﬁngers.) Pitter – patter Pitter – patter Pitter – patter Gush – rush Gush – rush Gush – rush Gush – rush

(Jog on the spot and pump elbows.)

m . u

w ww

Group A & B:

. te

(Thump chests)

COUNTRY SOUNDS

(Move arms forward gradually while clenching ﬁsts and spreading ﬁngers.)

(Roll hands over and over. Start at your nose and stop at your knees.)

What says ‘Baa’?

What says ‘Quack’?

What says ‘Moo’?

What says ‘Neigh’?

What says ‘Cock–

What says ‘Buzz, buzz, buzz,’

a–Doodle-Doo’?

All day?

What says ‘Cluck’?

And when at last

What says ‘Meow’?

It’s time to sleep

What says ‘Bow wow

What says ‘Cheep cheep,

wow, wow, wow, wow’?

cheep, cheep, ch- ee- p’?

(Wave arms.) 68

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Tin roof

Int my soft bed r o e s Bo r e p ok u S I heard a sound

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Snug and warm

Above my head

w ww

. te

m . u

Drip Drop Drip Drop

o c . che... drip-drop! e r o t r s super Lines

1 & 2.

Close eyes. Snuggle.

Hand to ear.

Look up.

5, 6, 7. Flick foreﬁnger and thumb of each hand. 8. R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

... give a quick ﬂick-ﬂick! I can dance the barramundi

CROCODILE Preparation •

Collect pictures of saltwater crocodiles.

Presentation

•

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme.

Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

•

The class says the rhyme with the actions.

•

The mother crocodile opens the nest and very gently lifts the hatchlings in her huge jaws and carries them to a quiet pool. There she can protect them from predators. In this haven, the hatchlings hunt for tadpoles, insects and shrimps.

•

For some weeks the baby crocodiles keep together by calling to their mother and to each other. When their mother leaves them they become vulnerable and most perish.

Share the following information with the class. THE SALTWATER CROCODILE

•

A reptile is a crawling animal. Snakes, lizards, crocodiles, turtles and tortoises are reptiles. An amphibian reptile is a reptile that lives on land and in water. Saltwater crocodiles are the largest amphibian reptiles on our planet.

© R. I . C.Publ i cat i ons •crocodile f or ev i e wp ur posesonl y• A large saltwater canr weigh about 600 • As a young crocodile grows, it hunts turtles and kilograms and grow to about 5 metres long.

Reptiles need to warm their blood to live and hunt. In the north of Australia, saltwater crocodiles are often seen basking in the sun on the banks of rivers and billabongs.

•

At nesting time a female crocodile collects grasses and water reeds, leaves and sticks and prepares a nest shaped like a mound. She chooses a quiet sandy place on the bank of a river. The nest must be high enough to be safe from ﬂooding waters. She makes a hole in the nest and lays her eggs. She will lay about forty or so eggs. She then covers the eggs carefully with the grasses and reeds and guards them from such predators as goannas and snakes.

•

w ww

•

. te

waterbirds. Later it hunts feral animals, cattle, kangaroos and horses as they drink at the water’s edge. Silent unseen hunters, crocodiles patrol the waterways, watching and waiting, only their eyes and nostrils above the water.

•

m . u

•

ew i ev Pr

•

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Additional activities/information Share and discuss the pictures with the class.

Teac he r

•

When a crocodile has selected its prey, it swims closer and closer then lunges, vaulting from the water, its powerful back legs and feet levering the huge body upwards. It seizes its prey in its strong jaws, rolls it in the water until it drowns and then devours it.

o c . che e r o t r s super •

Have students who have seen crocodiles in zoos, wildlife parks and crocodile farms talk about their experiences.

Inside the nest, the reeds and grasses and leaves begin to decay and the nest grows warmer. The warmth incubates the eggs. About 12 weeks later, the mother crocodile hears faint grunts and yelps from inside the nest. The eggs are beginning to hatch.

I can dance the barramundi

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Crocodile Deep down on the riverbed Lurking in the ooze

r o e t s Bo r e His after-dinner snooze. p ok u S

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

A prehistoric monster takes

w ww

. te

Lines

1, 2, 3 & 4.

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super Lie on tummy. Extend arms, one on top of the other, as jaws. Clench ﬁngers as teeth. Close eyes and feel the ooze. between the ‘tooze’.

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

I can dance the barramundi

DAINTREE Preparation •

Collect pictures of rainforests, particularly the Daintree.

Presentation

•

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Share and discuss the pictures with the class. If any students have visited a rainforest, ask them to talk about their experiences.

•

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme.

•

The class says the rhyme with the actions.

Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

•

Additional activities/information •

Share the following information and rhymes with the class.

•

If you visited the Daintree tropical rainforest, you would see huge trees growing high above your head. Their branches overlap to form a canopy over the trees and ferns, which grow below.

Little drips Drip and drip And drip and drip and drop Big drips Drip and drip And drip and drip and pl-op.

Grow so tall We cannot see Their tops at all. Say the rhyme for the class and have the children improvise the actions.

•

The Daintree is a deep green forest of giant trees, tangled thickets and woody vines that twist and twine; but somehow sunshine ﬁnds its way down to the ground so you can walk through the forest safely.

. te

Be gentle with Each branch and stone It could be Some small creature’s home.

o c . che e r o t r s super •

Between the leaves And shadows too The dappled sunshine Filters through. •

Say the rhyme for the class and have the students improvise the actions.

•

The Daintree is moist and misty. Everywhere, droplets of water drip from the tips of leaves.

I can dance the barramundi

When we visit the Daintree tropical rainforest, we should remember . . .

m . u

w ww

•

Creatures of all kinds make their homes in the Daintree tropical rainforest. They include the Daintree River ringtail possum and the musky rat-kangaroo, the golden bowerbird which builds its nest three metres high, the flightless southern cassowary and the rainbow bee-eater, lorikeets and kingfishers. Frogs, skinks, geckos and snakes live there as well as insects, including the bird-wing butterfly and the Hercules moth, waterbeetles and dragonflies.

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Daintree Come with me Take my hand Step inside

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Rainforest land.

w ww

. te

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super Lines

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Beckon.

Offer hand.

Take one step.

Look left. Look right. I can dance the barramundi

ROTTNEST Preparation •

Collect pictures of Rottnest Island and quokkas.

Presentation

•

‘Do not wander away again’, said Elder Quokka. Ocker meant to obey Elder Quokka, but two nights later while he was foraging for food, he found a ‘Boogie Bug’ three-wheeled trike on a path that led down to the beach. He hopped on the seat and the wheels began to turn faster and faster until the Boogie Bug bumped into a sandhill and Ocker ﬂew over the handlebars. ‘Wow!’ said Ocker as he brushed himself off. ‘Wow!’ The sun was coming up and Ocker watched sea lions ducking and diving through the waves. A family of dolphins frolicked past and waved their ﬂippers and Ocker waved back. He decided to have a quick paddle in the rock pools when ... Ouch! A crab made a grab at Ocker’s paw with its claw. His paw hurt and it took him a long time to hobble home. Trusty, a little girl quokka who always smiled at Ocker and said ‘Hello’, hopped up to him. ‘Elder Quokka’s looking for you’, she said. ‘He’s worried about you.’ But Ocker was already planning his next adventure. Would he climb the Wadjemup Lighthouse or explore the guns and tunnels at Battery Point? The next night, Ocker set off but his paw hurt and he curled up in a quiet place and fell asleep. A loud noise woke him. It was morning and an aeroplane was circling round and round overhead and men were running towards him ... Ocker had fallen asleep on the airport runway! The men caught him, wrapped him in a blanket and drove him to the quokka retreat. ‘Does this quokka belong to you?’ one of the men asked Elder Quokka and Trusty. ‘He does’, said Elder Quokka. ‘I hope he hasn’t been troublesome.’ The men told him what had happened at the airport. Then they drove away. Ocker stood there looking very foolish and ashamed. ‘Ocker’s real name is Oscar’, Elder Quokka told Trusty. ‘It is a grown-up name and I think Oscar has grown up at last. What Oscar needs now is not an adventure but a buddy.’

Rottnest, a holiday island, is 19 km from Fremantle off the west coast of Western Australia. It takes about 30 minutes to get there by ferry. Rottnest is 11 kilometres long, 4.5 kilometres at its widest point and the land area measures 1900 hectares. The quokka is a small Australian marsupial that lives on Rottnest Island. It is a quiet, furry little creature with gentle dark eyes, a small round head, a short thick tail and strong hind legs and bounds along in long and short hops. The quokka is a herbivore and eats grass, leaves, shrubs and succulents. It is active at night and shelters during the day in small groups in dense low scrub. Share the following story with the class, then discuss being a friend or buddy.

w ww

•

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme. The class says the rhyme with the actions.

ew i ev Pr

•

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u Additional activities/information S •

. te

m . u

•

Share and discuss the pictures with the class. Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

Teac he r

•

o c . che e r o t r s super

OCKER THE QUOKKA Little Ocker the Quokka lived in the quokka retreat on Rottnest, a holiday island. One night he decided to have an adventure. He saw some bright lights in the distance and hopped towards them. Humans were everywhere. Ocker hopped up to a doorway and peeped inside. Humans were sitting together laughing and talking. Ocker took one step inside, then another step and another—and suddenly he was tangled up in two long legs! The legs belonged to a human who was carrying a large tray. Cups and cakes and the tray and the human went flying through the air and there was a terrific CRASH! ‘Oops!’ said Ocker. He grabbed a cake from the floor, hopped out the door and back to the retreat as fast as he could. ‘You have cake crumbs on your whiskers’, said the quiet voice of Elder Quokka. ‘Where have you been?’ Ocker licked his whiskers and told Elder Quokka all about his adventure. I can dance the barramundi

‘I’ll be Oscar’s buddy’, said Trusty. ‘If he wants me to.’ ‘Yes, please’, said Oscar. And Oscar Quokka and Trusty Buddy lived happily ever after in the quokka retreat on the holiday island of Rottnest. 74

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Rottnest

Teac he r

r o e t s Bo r e Cuddly little quokkas p ok u Snoozing Sin the sun

ew i ev Pr

While the humans Rush about

Having lots of fun.

w ww

. te

Lines

1 & 2.

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super

Fold paws. Close eyes.

3, 4 & 5. Run on the spot. Wave arms Wiggle ﬁngers. SMILE! R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

I can dance the barramundi

BUSH TALES Presentation •

Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

•

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme.

•

The class says the rhyme with the actions.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Additional activities/information

•

Help the students to create an Australian bush tale based on the story; for example, Red Riding Hood and Feral the Fox. Some ideas are given below:

Teac he r

Tell or read the fairytale Little Red Riding Hood. Discuss stranger danger.

He lifted Grandmother from the cupboard, put her gently into her wheelchair and tucked a rug around her. Then he turned to Red Riding Hood and said, ‘Always remember you could be in danger, so never, never talk to a stranger’. ‘I will remember’, promised Red Riding Hood. The ranger picked up the sack, waved goodbye to everyone and disappeared between the gum trees. Red Riding Hood’s kind bush friends took her and her grandmother safely home to Red Riding Hood’s mother.

– Develop the original story’s sequence – Use Australian characters, names and locations.

•

– Improvise situations, dialogue and actions.

ew i ev Pr

•

Tell or read the tale of Jack and the beanstalk. Discuss the bully in the story – the giant. Talk about bullying and child protection.

An example is given below.

. te

I can dance the barramundi

happens, who it happened to, why it happened, what happened and how it ends. An example is below. This could be used as the basic story sequence, then dialogue and characterisation could be added.

m . u

w ww

RED RIDING HOOD AND FERAL THE FOX. One morning, Red Riding Hood was walking through the bush. She stopped to pick some wildflowers. High in a gum tree, Kookaburra saw Feral the Fox following Red Riding Hood. ‘Where are you going, Red Riding Hood?’ asked an unpleasant voice. Red Riding Hood turned around and there stood Feral! She was startled but she answered politely. ‘I am going to visit my grandmother’, she said. ‘Are you indeed?’ thought Feral the Fox as he sped away through the scrub. Kookaburra flew from tree to tree. ‘Red Riding Hood is in danger!’ he told everyone. Possum, Joey, Wombat, Echidna, Wallaby and Koala hurried after her and Kookaburra, Mopoke, Willy Wagtail and Magpie flew overhead. Meanwhile, Feral the Fox reached Grandmother’s cottage. He shut her in a cupboard, jumped into her bed, put her nightcap on his head, pulled up the covers and waited. When Red Riding Hood and her bush friends arrived at the cottage, she knocked on the door and went in. ‘Oh, Grandmother, what big eyes you have!’ she cried. ‘And what big ears! And what big teeth!’ Just as Feral sprang upon her, the door flew open and there stood the ranger! He seized Feral and tossed him into a sack.

BILBY, BUNYIP AND BULLY DINGO Bully Dingo bullied the new boy, little Bilby, by making him climb the tall prickletree that grew beside the small bush school. Bully Dingo did this because he knew that there was a bunyip at the top of the prickletree who would frighten poor little Bilby. Bunyip saw little Bilby and he roared and bellowed and chased little Bilby down the prickletree. But when little Bilby reached the bottom of the prickletree, his teacher came out of the school, stood between little Bilby and Bunyip and told Bunyip to go away. She gave little Bilby a piece of sweet fruit to eat and took him back to the classroom so everyone could look after him. Then the teacher said to Bully Dingo, ‘Come with me to the principal’s ofﬁce’.

o c . che e r o t r s super

•

Record the stories for the class listening corner.

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Bush tales Tiptoe out Tuck yourselves in Time for a story

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Let’s begin!

w ww

. te

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super Lines

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Tiptoe.

Sit comfortably.

Nod twice.

Close palms. Open palms to form a book. 77

I can dance the barramundi

POSSUM Preparation •

Collect pictures of the common brushtail possum.

Presentation The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme. The class says the rhyme with the actions.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok Additional activities/information u S •

The common brushtail possum is a marsupial. A baby possum lives in its mother’s pouch for about ﬁve months then for another month it rides on its mother’s back and learns how to live in the bush. It has silver-grey fur, large ears, a little pointed foxy face and luminous eyes. It is an agile climber and has a long bushy tail capable of grasping branches and strong claws for gripping tightly.

humans. A class diary of what the students eat could be kept.

ew i ev Pr

•

YOUNG POSSUM’S DIARY • Monday 1 March: On my ﬁrst night away from home I climbed a gum tree all by myself! I was hungry so I looked for a fresh green leaf to eat. First I smelt it. Then I ate it. DELICIOUS! • Tuesday 2 March: I woke in my rabbit hole and made my way in the moonlight to the creek for a drink. Blackberries grew in a hollow nearby. ‘Blackberries for breakfast,’ I thought, ‘but watch out for thorns’. Juicy blackberries. YUM! • Wednesday 3 March: On hot nights my mother would take me to a cool, quiet thicket where trees and shrubs grew close together over sweet, green grasses. I found the thicket and was munching away when a grasshopper jumped out at me. It gave me a fright so I ate it. VERY TASTY! • Thursday 4 March: There was a big yellow moon in the night sky, perfect for an insect hunt! I ate a huge breakfast of one cicada, three midges, two small moths, one caterpillar and a praying mantis. CRISP and CRUNCHY! • Friday 5 March: It was just after sunset when I climbed a gum tree, perched on a branch and helped myself to nectar, pollen and blossoms. I ate so much I got the HICCUPS! • Saturday 6 March/Sunday 7 March: No time to write! I am going with my cousins to visit a place called a ‘city’. I hope I can get bush tucker there!

The common brushtail possum lives in Australian rainforests, eucalyptus forests and open woodland and has adapted to living in gardens and parks in suburbs and cities. Like all possums it is nocturnal and sleeps during the day in hollow trees, logs and rabbit holes. In suburbs, possums climb into the ceiling space of houses where they create a nightly nuisance screeching, quarrelling and chasing each other.

•

In the bush, common brushtail possums eat eucalyptus leaves, fruits, blossoms, grasses and insects. On city streets they scavenge for food from rubbish bins and in gardens they eat rosebuds, geraniums, grapes, passionfruit, mulberries and other homegrown fruits and ﬂowers. One desperate gardener set up a scarecrow to frighten possum invaders away, but they took turns to run up the scarecrow and sit on its hat!

w ww

•

. te

o c . che e r o t r s super

•

When a baby possum grows into a strong young possum it leaves its mother and looks after itself.

•

Read the diary of a young possum. After reading, discuss how the possum had a balanced diet of vegetables and fruit. Discuss what makes a balanced diet for

I can dance the barramundi

m . u

•

Share and discuss the pictures with the class. Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

Teac he r

•

Make fruit and vegetable recipes such as the ones below. Crunchy vegie kebabs – Wash hands. Wash crunchy vegies, cut into chunks and thread on wooden skewers. Fruit faces – Wash hands. Select and wash fruit for eyes, lips, cheeks, nose, hair and eyebrows. Arrange fruit faces on paper plates. R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Possum Brush-tailed possum Ran away From her gum tree home

r o e t s Bo r e p o u k What will she do? S Will she come and live with One day

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Where will she go?

YOU?

w ww

. te

Lines

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super

1, 2, 3 & 4.

Run paws lightly on thighs.

Look left.

Look right.

Run paws lightly on thighs.

Point.

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

I can dance the barramundi

PHILLIP ISLAND SEAL Preparation •

Collect pictures of seals.

Presentation

•

The class claps the beat while saying the rhyme.

Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.

•

The class says the rhyme with the actions.

ew i ev Pr

•

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Additional activities/information Share and discuss the pictures with the class.

Teac he r

•

My mum is beautiful. She is silver all over except for her brown tummy.

Share the baby seal family album below with the class, then have the students draw pictures of their families and write their favourite memories. Make them into an album.

My mum likes to keep herself tidy with her front flippers. My mum and dad eat lots of fish and squid and octopus and cuttlefish. My mum says she will teach me to fish when I am older.

BABY SEAL’S FAMILY ALBUM

w ww

. te

m . u

My dad is huge and fierce. He has lots of muscles and a big mane of long, rough, thick hair on his neck and shoulders. My dad says fur seals have coats that are water repellent. I think that means they keep the water out. My dad tells me to take care in the water and watch out for fishing lines that could tangle me up. My dad says never swallow plastic bags and bottles that are floating about in the sea, and I don’t.

o c . che e r o t r s super

I am a little fur seal. I live in a colony of fur seals on Victoria’s Phillip Island. My mum feeds me yummy, thick, rich milk. She is teaching me to swim. Instead of hands and feet I have front and back flippers and I use my front flippers like oars to swim through the water. When I sit on the rocks with my mum, I rest on my front and back flippers and when we go for a walk I bounce along on my tummy. We watch the seabirds and sometimes we see scary great white sharks.

I can dance the barramundi

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Phillip Island seal Flap Flip Flip Flap

r o e t s Bo r e Is learning p to ok u SCLAP!

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Baby seal

w ww

. te

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super

Lines

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

1, 2, 3, 4.

Flap ﬂippers.

Clap! I can dance the barramundi