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BLUEBACK
by Tim Winton
1. BEFORE READING
FIRST Think about the title:
Blueback is written as one word. What does this suggest? What might the novel be about?
What do you know about Tim Winton? Has anyone read any of his books? If yes, can you suggest something that Tim Winton might use in this book?
Look at the relative sizes and positions of the images. Look at the expressions on their faces. Look at the colours, lines and general atmosphere. Use all of the information you have learned about the cover to predict what you think the novel might be about.
WHILE READING
Choose at least one activity from each section and begin to think, plan, make notes and write first drafts. Keep records of reading and research activities as you do them. These will be added to your assessment file.
AFTER READING
Work out which activities you want to present to the class and which ways might be best to present them. Plan, draft, revise, edit, format and publish your chosen pieces. Remember to keep all drafts so that your teacher can assess the processes you have used. Present your work, gain feed back and plan future learning goals.
RESEARCH
3. SEA CREATURES
As you read make a list of the names of sea creatures mentioned in the book. Choose several of the most interesting creatures or form a group and divide them up. Find out about the appearance habitat unusual features location around Australia. Extension activities Work in a group to prepare a frieze for the classroom which shows the information you have found. Include illustrations, too. Contact the Fisheries Department and find out the rules about taking creatures from the sea. Investigate the danger in the deep. That is, find out which sea creatures pose threats to people. In what circumstances are they dangerous? How likely are they to harm people?
which products were manufactured from the animals. where and why they were valued. what damage occurred to the environment. Extension activities Find out where collections of whaling artefacts are housed. The museum seems the logical place to start. Organise a class visit. Prepare a wall chart which shows visually both the benefits and the dangers of whaling or sealing. Find out the location of marine sanctuaries around Australia. Send away for information about the sea life that has been saved. Share your findings with the class.
6. Record your thoughts about issues from the novel in a reading journal.
Spend some time writing while you read or you might even like to revisit some of the sections that you found to be particularly interesting. Think carefully about the issue you have selected and share your thoughts, feelings and reflections. Some of the experiences that might be suitable for a journal response include page 8 - Learning to dive page 20 - Abel's unusual life style page 30 - Making friends with a wild animal page 32 - Learning of his father's death page 45 - An accident in a boat page 52 - Going to boarding school page 77 - Thinking about the destructive acts of the divers. NOTE: While those pages numbers have been given as examples, you should choose any section which interests you. In the same way you might like to avoid some sections which bring forth very powerful emotions that you might not wish to share with others. Write to develop your own understanding of the issues to link your reading with your own experiences explore your own attitudes and values about the issue to reach new understandings
7. Is this a book for children or a book for adults? Does it really matter?
The following quote from an internet interview with the author outlines the situation:
That yarn about a boy called Abel Jackson, his sea-loving mother, a giant blue groper and the fight to preserve their idyllic Longboat Bay environment has been released in separately packaged adult and childrens editions in Australia. In the U.S., it will be published for adults, in the U.K. for children. Go figure, laughs Winton. I had enormous pleasure writing it,. he allows, probably more than anything Ive written in years. And it is about things close to my heart. (From Tim Winton Into the Blue http://www.ozemail.com.au/)
Now that you have finished reading the book, what do you think? Which aspects of the writing might appeal to children and which to adults? If you were a publisher, which audience would you target? Why? Explain your answer as fully as you can giving examples from the text to support your opinions.
Write down each of the expressions you have chosen and explain what each tells us about the groper. What effects do the words create? What does Tim Winton want us to think about the groper? In what ways do the words has he chosen, build up his picture of the fish.
RESPOND by WRITING
Your teacher will tell you which of these tasks are essential and which ones are optional. Keep a record of the writing tasks you do.
10. Chart Abel's life as the story develops. Plan an approach - a flow chart, graph, dot points, plot profile should work. Draft the work in your book. Make a larger chart for classroom display when you reach the end of the book. See how inventive you can be in presenting this information in a way that will encourage others to read and understand it quickly.
11.
Choose a newsworthy topic from the book. Possibilities include Mad Macka's death Abel's father's death the declaration of Long Boat Bay as a marine sanctuary. Remember to set out your published work as a newspaper. 12. Write a poem Re-read Abel's dream in chapter 5. Write a poem which develops some of the key images from his dream. OR Choose a sea creature. Make a quick collection of published poems about sea creatures and write a journal entry about the ways in which words and phrases have been used. Use the ideas you have gained to write a poem of your own about the creature you have chosen. OR Make a list of the words Tim Winton uses to describe the relationship between Abel and Blueback. Write a poem which creates similar feelings.
13.
Write a letter
Write a letter from Abel to his mother at an important stage in his life. It might be his first week at boarding school or his success with his studies. Re- read this section from the book before planning your letter.
OR Write at least two of the letters that Dora sent to politicians, scientists and businessmen as part of her quest to save Longboat Bay. Suit each letter to its audience. (Use words which suit the type of person to whom the letter will be sent.)
RESPOND by TALKING
Choose ONE of the following suggestions to present to the class. Remember to prepare and plan your talk. First find and re-read the section in the book that relates to your talk. Next, use the assessment sheet to help you with your preparation.
16.
A charming business man arrives with flowers, chocolates and a bottle of champagne. He hopes he might convince Dora to sell her land. He wants to build a hotel, golf course, swimming pool and marina on the Jackson land. Work with a partner to present their conversation.
17.
As Blueback's fame grows, visitors arrive to dive with him. Abel watches an oil tanker accident on TV and worries about Longboat Bay. Work with a partner to present one of their conversations at that time in their lives.
18. Abel tells his daughter about his first meeting with Blueback.
As a three year old, young Dora dons a wet suit and ventures into the sea to meet Blueback. Imagine that the night before Abel tells the little girl about his first meeting with the extraordinary fish. Give Abel's talk to the class.
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
Negotiate with your teacher to select activities for individuals, groups and/or the whole class. 19. Prepare a tourist brochure.
You have been employed by the developers to draft a brochure showing the facilities that the company wants to provide for tourists at Longboat Bay. Plan, draft and publish the brochure seeking feedback from class members at each stage.
This activity is limited only by the amount of time available, your interest in the tasks and your own imagination. You might like to prepare leaflets advertising the meeting, placards to wave at the meeting, pamphlets representing the views held by both sides, letters to the editors of the local newspaper expressing individual views, maps, diagrams and charts which show aspects of the development.
Once everyone has thought his of her position through, conduct the meeting. Conclude with a vote or even a value line to determine the outcome.
Speaking Assessment
Name of speaker: Topic:
Did the speaker
Choose a topic that interested you? Stay on the topic? Give enough information about the topic (e.g. Tell you about who, what, when, where, why, how etc?) Give you too much information on the topic or a part of it? Organise the information clearly so that you could follow it easily? Did he/she give a clear introduction? main ideas & supporting details? a conclusion or summary?
Yes/No
Use words that you understood or explain unusual words? Express himself or herself using clear sentences & linking words? Speak loudly enough? Speak at about the right speed? Vary his or her speed & tone of voice? Make eye contact with you? Use objects, charts or pictures to illustrate what she or she was talking about? Rephrase the parts where he or she got mixed up or were too difficult to be understood? Where necessary stop to think about what to say next? Ask for questions & answer them?
Do you think he or she prepared & rehearsed the presentation well? What makes you think this? Signed:
BLUEBACK
READING & WRITING ASSESSMENT
Name:
READING No.
Not Yet
Some times
COMMENTS
Written responses Spoken responses
2.2
3.2
Shows understanding of different styles of writing Speaks & writes about own ideas of what is read Knows what information is needed for research & why Knows how & where to find information needed for research Shows a positive attitude to reading
Journal
Research Poem Journal Research
Chart
Newspaper report Letter
4.1
5.1
Research
5.2
Research
6.1
WRITING
1.1 Uses different styles of writing Plans, drafts, shares, revises & redrafts to make the meaning clear. Uses writing to help thinking & learning Uses understanding of writing rules to make meaning clear. Correctly spells words used often and can correct & learn new words.
Journal
2.1
Research Newspaper report Poem Letter Passes up all drafts & planning work
Chart
2.2
Journal
3.1
Grammar Punctuation Style of writing Uses have a go card Underlines words that might be mis-spelled Uses dictionary
3.2
4.1