Lesson 1- WAR: Introducing the book and discussing war time heroes and the

participation of students families in Australian wars.

Estimated timing: 45minutes

Lesson objectives:
ii. View and read written, visual and multimodal learning area texts.

v. Use interaction and communication skills to contribute to and
extend discussions by:
clarifying ideas
offering explanations for a point of view
introducing topics using agreed protocols

Classroom Organization: Whole class, teacher led discussion with all students
participating.

Resources:
Greenwood, M., & Lessac, F. (2008). Simpson and His Donkey
Australia: Walker Books


Learning experiences:

1. The teacher will bring the students to the reading corner, discuss with
students what they know of Australia participating in past wars.
Encourage students to go home and talk to parents and grandparents
about whether any of their family members have participated in Wars.
2. Inform students that this term they will be reading and focusing on
Simpson and his donkey by .
3. Flip through book
4. Discuss what they think the book is about


















Lesson 2- Simpson and his Donkey: Reading of the book and focal questions,
also watch the youtube version

Estimated timing: 60minutes

Lesson objectives:
ii. View and read written, visual and multimodal learning area texts
i. View, read, navigate and select texts for specific personal, social and
learning purposes

Classroom Organisation: Teacher led lesson, through the reading of the book
and discussing the roles of soldiers. Pair work when researching roles of
soldiers.

Resources:
Simpson and his donkey
Worksheet
Youtube clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=398BlpdZnzo

Learning experience

1. Teacher will again flip through the book and ask focus
questions/referring to pictures. Teacher will record answers
2. Read text, ask focus questions and answer any questions that students
may pose.
3. Give them worksheet to record answers
4. Once worksheet is completed, have students discuss what they chose to
write down.
5. Show the youtube clip, ask students to compare the two
6. Complete venn diagram comparing youtube video to the book


















Lesson 3- Reasons for war.

Estimated timing: 55minutes

Lesson objectives:
iv. Independently view and read and demonstrate understanding of
learning area texts by:
synthesising information to link ideas across texts
interpreting, analysing and justifying ideas from literal and inferred ideas and
information

Classroom organization: Teacher led discussion, students working in pairs
through research on laptops.

Resources:
laptops

Learning experience:

1. Teacher will introduce all participants in (simpson war), explain both
sides had different opinions. (discuss only main parties)
2. Run through the worksheet and that they will be going to specified
websites to research and find answers to the set questions.
3. Students will research and answer questions in pairs
4. Students will then discuss their findings with the whole class, forming
their own opinions and idea on the World War.























Lesson 4- Soldier qualities

Estimated time: 1hour and 30minutes

Lesson objectives: read and demonstrate understanding of
learning area texts by:
synthesising information to link ideas across texts
interpreting, analysing and justifying ideas from literal and
inferred ideas and information


Classroom Organisation: Teacher led discussion and individual work set.

Resources:
Worksheets

Learning experience:

1. Teacher will ask a focus question, which will lead students into a
discussion about War time heroes (mainly Australian). And the qualities
they posses, student answers will be written on the board to be referred
back to.
2. Teacher will remind students of the previous work theyve done on
soldier roles etc.
3. Inform students that they will be creating their own soldier, that
possesses heroic qualities, and they will have a background story before
enlisting into the war.
4. Students to fill in the worksheet at their desks, teacher will allow quiet
discussion on topic.
5. Teacher to collect sheets, as this will lead into assessment pieces.



















lesson 5: construct a mock interview questions to John Simpson.

Estimated time: 1hr 20mins

Lesson objectives:
ii. Write and create learning area texts
Classroom organisation: teacher led, with individual work set.

Learning experience:

1. teacher will go over prior knowledge of open and closed questions and
how to set interview questions.
2. Write up structure on the board
3. Introduce to the students that they will be creating mock interview
questions, and the person that they would be interviewing is John
Simpson. What would they like to know etc etc
4. Motivate students, on what topics they should be covering
5. Students to go back to their desks and to start their interview questions
6. Work to be glued into their literacy books.






























Lesson 6: creating an enlistment poster

Estimated time: 55minutes

Lesson objectives:
ii. View and read written, visual and multimodal learning area texts
Classroom organization: Group work with teacher input.

Learning experience:

Create a poster to encourage young Australians to enlist in war

1. Teacher to discuss with students on how Australians were enlisted to go
to war/volunteer.
2. How do you think men were encouraged to go to war? For posters, what
language would have been used, images etc
3. Assign different roles to table groups, each to come up with a different
slogan or reason to enlist with the Australian army
4. Once all groups have finished, piece together the poster






























Lesson 7: Book review

Estimated time: 70mins

Lesson objectives: vi. Independently read with fluency words of significance,
specialized learning area vocabulary and terminology

Classroom organization: pair work with teacher led discussion

Learning experience:

1. teacher to pair students and allow students to move to the back of the
classroom
2. inform students that they will be writing a book review on a picture book
that focuses on war
3. discuss the format of a book review, and what it should contain allow
students to share their thoughts as they should confidently be able to
write a book review with a partner.
4. Allow time for students to read book
5. Students are to work together in creating the review, firstly completing
the worksheet that will help students plan and prepare.
6. Students to create and complete book review, using Microsoft powerpoint
7. Once completed the students will present it to the class.



























Lesson 8: looking at newspaper articles from World War 2

Estimated time: 65minutes

Lesson objectives: iii. Use text-processing strategies when viewing and reading,
including:
skimming and scanning texts
comparing content from sources

Classroom organization: teacher led, with student discussion in small groups
about language differences.

Resources:
Newspapers taken from:
http://www.nla.gov.au/what-we-collect/newspapers


Learning experience:

1. The teacher is to print off a3 front cover news paper articles that were
written during ww2
2. Students are to view newspapers that were released during World War 2
3. Compare the newspapers to front cover news today, is the language
different? Images used etc
4. Table discussion, at the end of the lesson allow for a small class discussion
























Lesson 9: impact on families at home, whilst fathers/sons serving at war.

Estimated time: 65minutes

Lesson objectives: iv. Independently view and read and demonstrate
understanding of learning area texts

Classroom organization: research based, pair work with teacher led group
discussion

Learning experience:

1. discuss with students that when the men went to war women had to take
over the roles at factories amongst other things to help with the war
effort.
2. Students to go to the library and find books that highlighted the effort as
well as suitable websites with either the teacher or library assistant
watching their internet usage.
3. When students have found sufficient information, they are to return to
the back of the library to discuss with students what they found out, what
surprised them etc.




























Lesson 10: discuss those in charge of the war/figureheads
As groups write up posters.

Estimated time: 1hour and 30minutes

Lesson objectives: ii. Write and create learning area texts, demonstrating
increasing control and using modeled structures to organise information

Classroom organization: group work based learning activity (indigenous
students to be put in a group together, gifted learner to take charge of one group
to be director)

Learning experience:

1. Students to be assigned groups by the teacher, these groups will sit at the
back of the classroom whilst the teacher instructs them on the activity
2. Group to choose, speaker, leader or runner, these students are to wear a
name badge to avoid confusion (see resource).
3. Groups are to research one main figurehead who were in charge during
world war 1 and create a poster on who they were, what country they
were from and what decisions they made during the war.
4. Selection of books available to students to look through and gather
information, 1 laptop per group to research information.
5. Teacher is to walk around helping students with their work
6. Students to present their posters to the class/hang them up






















Lesson 11: Re-cap on soldier qualities

Estimated time: 30minutes

Lesson objectives:
iii. Communicate to:
summarise and analyse information relevant to key ideas or concepts
refine ideas and information

Classroom organization: student led discussion with some teacher led
questions.

1. Students to sit in a circle at the back of the classroom
2. Teacher will revisit the questions posed to them in the worksheet handed
out in a previous lesson
3. Allow discussion to flourish and write some responses on the board

































Lesson 12: How to write a letter

Estimated time: 45minutes

Lesson objective: i. View, read, navigate and select texts for specific personal,
social and learning purposes

Classroom organization: Teacher led learning

Learning experience:

1. students to sit at desk with english workbook out
2. teach the structure of a letter
3. allow students to write down notes on the structure
4. teacher to leave the format up on the board
5. ESL students will be given the format to be glued into their book
6. Examples of letters will be handed out, structure will be highlighted
7. Allow students to complete silently































Lesson 13: Putting a letter together

Estimated time: 35minutes

Lesson objective:
i. View, read, navigate and select texts for specific personal, social and
learning purposes.

Resources:
Letters cut into sections

Classroom organization: Pair work, gifted student can have the choice of doing
it individually with more structured work or stay in a pair but after completing
their activity, go around to help other students.

Learning experience:

1. teacher to give instruction on lesson
2. students to work in a pair independently






























Lesson 14: practice letter writing

Estimated time: 60minutes

Lesson objectives:
vi. Use words and word groups in increasingly complex sentences,
including correct verb tense
iii. Use text-processing strategies when viewing and reading, including:
skimming and scanning texts
comparing content from sources
analysing similarities and differences
Resources: theme cut outs.

Classroom organisation: Independent learning

Learning experience:

1. students will go to the back of the classroom, teacher will instruct that
they will each be given a topic, and with that topic they have to write a
letter to their mum about it. Go over how to write a lesson, and give a
quick overview on correct grammar.
2. Students to work independently or work with the teacher aide/parent
helper.


























ASSESSMENT:
Estimated time: 60mins (not included in the total 15hrs)

Lesson objective: to demonstrate the learning of the unit content.
iii. Plan, draft and publish texts using strategies including:

understanding how writers innovate on text structures
organising main ideas and supporting details using key
questions or graphic organisers
using features such as text boxes, topic sentences, home
pages and subpages to aid navigation and usability
editing for meaning and structure using agreed criteria


Resources: assessment sheet

Classroom organization: independent work.

1. students will be informed that they will be writing a letter home, from the
perspective of the soldier they created.
2. Students are to describe the soldiers duties, the rations they are given and
people they have met.
3. To be completed in letter format

























Lesson 15: discussing and sharing what students have learnt, final reading of
simpson and his donkey


Estimated time: 65minutes

Lesson objectives:
v. Use interaction and communication skills to contribute to and extend
discussions by:
clarifying ideas
offering explanations for a point of view
introducing topics using agreed protocols

Resources: Simpson and his Donkey

Classroom organization: teacher and student involvement

Learning experience:

1. students to sit at the back of the classroom, teacher reads the book
2. discuss what students have learnt, what theyve enjoyed etc.