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During Middle Childhood, students'
... sense of themselves and their world expands.
They begin to see themselves as members of larger communities.
They are interested in and like to speculate on other
times, places and societies. They begin to understand
and appreciate different points of view and develop the
ability to think in more abstract terms. |
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| As children develop during these
years, fascination with their personal world quickly extends
to exploration of the wider environment... They can see
themselves as members of groups: their family, their class,
their school, their club, their community. They begin
to see things from others’ points of view and like
to work collaboratively, planning and discussing what
they are doing with their peers. They are usually interested
in adventure stories, science fiction and the work of
scientists, both past and present. They enjoy field trips
and excursions and readily make links between what they
know and experience in their lives and what they experience
vicariously through the media, including books, TV, videotapes
and computer programs. |
In essence, students at this phase, with their growing ability
to look beyond themselves and evolving ability to reason, are
able to empathise with others and see the funny or disturbing
side of things. They are endlessly curious, constantly asking
'why?' and so are easily motivated to try new things and find
answers to their questions.
©CorelDRAW®9 |
Stimulate
students' imagination and arouse their thirst for knowledge
by immersing them in oceans of stories.
Offer a wide choice of reading, ranging from sea myths and fantasies
about mermaids to pirate adventures, shipwrecks and stories
about marine animals.
A myriad
of approaches to the ocean theme are possible. Most children
in Middle Childhood are fascinated by animals and many become
impassioned by the plight of endangered species. With many excellent
stories available focusing on sea creatures, this is one obvious
choice of study.
Adventure stories are also popular, particularly
with boys, so fiction and nonfiction about pirates, sunken treasure,
smugglers or sailing have the potential to hold students spellbound.
- Search the CMIS Resource Bank for
a complete list of related stories:
[Use the Middle Childhood restrictor
to just see titles appropriate for this phase]
- Explore the Ocean Pathfinder
for nonfiction print and digital resources.
- Develop your literature-based program.
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Students can:
- Brainstorm a list of marine animals.
- Locate the Coorong, Kangaroo
Island, Cape Jervis on a map of Australia while
reading Storm
Boy. Describe how to
get to the Coorong from where they live.
- Debate: Hunting and fishing
for sport is justified.
- Collect interesting words
and phrases to describe the different moods
of the ocean after reading a selection of the
Focus
Books.
- Write a poem using some of the
words collected.
- Discuss the techniques
writers use to make a book funny or exciting.
Write a humorous or thrilling story about an
ocean adventure after reading Horrendo's
Curse and Fort
Island.
- Investigate why the health of
the ocean environment is important to the survival
of the earth.
- Find a story related to the ocean
theme and present a persuasive book talk to
encourage others to read it.
- Collate a list of endangered
sea creatures.
- Design a poster to encourage
responsible ocean use (ie rubbish disposal,
pollution, boating, fishing, tourism).
- Show the journey of Gandali
the Whale on a map of the world. Calculate
the approximate distance travelled.
- List other pirate or sailing
stories available in the school library, after
reading Pirate
Diary or How
the Finnegans Saved the Ship.
Ask readers to give each book a star rating
to discover the favourite class story.
- Investigate the marine ecology
of the Ningaloo or Great Barrier Reef.
- Construct a coral reef or a
model of a pirate ship in the classroom.
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BAKER,
Jeannie. The
Hidden Forest
Walker, 2000
Picture Book. Ben's fear and ignorance of the sea and
sealife change dramatically when his friend Sophie gives him
an appreciation of the beautiful underwater kelp forest. Superb
double-page illustrations in glorious hues of colour are irresistible
and provide an art lesson in themselves. Suitable for younger
and older students. Highly recommended.
ALSO AVAILABLE:
BAKER, Jeannie and others. The
Hidden Forest Education Kit
CLARK, Margaret. Seal
With a Kiss
Hodder Headline, 1999
Novel. This novel is part of the Aussie Angels series
that revolves around Animal Haven, a temporary home for a variety
of Australian wildlife and the Green family who run the haven.
The books in the series contain a large amount of factual information
that is interesting and will expand children's general knowledge.
In Seal with a Kiss, Mark, who is
the youngest in the family becomes attached to a young fur seal
that his older siblings have rescued. Events escalate when the
gate is left open and the young fur seal disappears and Mark
becomes involved in tracking down the robbers who took the seal.
Well-written in language appropriate to capable
young readers, the mystery, information about animal conservation
and incidental references to Australia will maintain interest.
GRINDLEY,
Sally. Peter's
Place
Andersen Press, 2001
Picture Book. Peter's special place is a wild windswept piece
of coastline that is home for Guillemots, Shags, Eider ducks
and seals. Superb, large watercolour illustrations realistically
portray the beauty of the coastline and the devastation it suffers
after an oil spill. The book has a strong conservation message
making it ideal as an introduction to the topic. Highly recommended.
HOOPER, Meredith & MERTZLIN,
Anita. Gandali
the Whale
Random House, 2000
Picture Book. This story tells of Gandali the humpback whale's
journey down the east coast of Australia to Antarctica. Fabulous
full-page illustrations are great for viewing activities and
the descriptive text is a good discussion motivator.
THIELE, Colin.
Storm
Boy
New Holland, 2002. (First published 1963)
Paperback Novel. A moving, classic Australian story of
Storm Boy who lives a solitary life with his father in a shack
on the Coorong wilderness in South Australia. They live near
a bird sanctuary and Storm-boy develops a special relationship
with an orphaned pelican he calls Mr Percival.
Commended CBCA Book of the Year, 1964
See Storm
Boy Activities, developed by Barbara
Braxton.
[Click on Activities from the
top Menu, scroll down to senior activities.]
THIELE, Colin.
Wendy's
Whale
Lothian, 1999 (Takeaways)
Novel. Wendy, who lives on Kangaroo Island, develops
an interest in a pod of whales that visit her part of the island.
She feels especially close to one particular whale that she
calls Misty. The story follows the relationship between Misty
and Wendy until the bond is severed by Misty's tragic but realistic
demise. In traditional Colin Thiele style, there is a strong
environmental message in this narrative that nevertheless ends
on a note of hope.
WINTON, Tim. Blueback
Bolinda Audio, 1998
Audiobook. Ten-year-old Abel Jackson lives with his mother at
Longboat Bay. Abel who loves to dive, has used a mask and snorkel
for as long as he can remember. When Abel meets Blueback, an
enormous blue groper one day while diving with his mother, he
learns some valuable lessons from nature and makes a friend
for life.
CBCA Notable Book 1998
Also available in paperback:
WINTON, Tim. Blueback
Illustrated by Andrew Davidson.
Sydney : Picador, 1999. 151 p.
ISBN 0 330 36162 7
SCIS No: 986623
WINTON, Tim. Lockie
Leonard Scumbuster
Pan Macmillan, 1993
Age 11+ Lockie Leonard returns!
This time he is sans Vicki Streeton, the love of his
life from Lockie Leonard, Human Torpedo.
Lockie is now thirteen, still surfing, trying not to pine over
Vicki, and enduring the embarrassment of having a policeman
for a father.
He gets dumped badly by a wave, getting hit in the genitals
by his surfboard, and is beached. There he lays gasping until
Egg, a bogan (and therefore the complete opposite to the surfing
crowd) comes to his rescue. The last thing Lockie wants is to
be seen with a bogan like Egg, but he realises that Egg has
probably saved his life. As with many friendships born of necessity,
this on e becomes very firm; despite obvious differences in
appearance they actually have quite a lot in common and develop
an easy camaraderie.
One day Lockie and Egg take a canoe down to the harbour and
discover large amounts of muck pouring into it from a fertiliser
factory and a woollen mill. They are enraged and seek the help
of parents and other adults. Lockie becomes a 'Scumbuster'.
He also falls in love again - this time with Dot, a spunky surfrat
herself, who can actually outdo Lockie's prowess on a surfboard,
and she's only eleven and three-quarters.
As with Tim Winton's earlier novel, Lockie endears himself to
the reader. As a snapshot of a sector of teenage life in Australia
in the 1990s, this can't be beaten.
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FIENBERG, Anna. Horrendo's
Curse
Allen & Unwin, 2002
Novel. Horrendo's first twelve years of life are too
good to be true, to the chagrin of his parents. However, it
is his unfailing positive nature and good cooking that win the
day when he is taken away by pirates. Vividly written in Fienberg's
recognisable style, full of wonderful imagery, amusing dialogue
and interesting vocabulary. Kim Gamble's sketches enhance the
lively text.
This entertaining adventure will engage students
and challenge thoughtful readers to examine values, problem
solving, creative thinking and peaceful resolution to conflicts.
FRENCH, Jackie. How
the Finnegans Saved the Ship
Angus&Robertson, 2001
Novel. Mrs Finnegan and her seven children travel by sea from
Ireland to Australia in 1913 to join Mr Finnegan in a new life.
Mrs Finnegan is a worrier. However, when the ship hits an iceberg
she responds magnificently to the emergency.
Children will develop an affinity with the Finnegan family in
this easy-to-read story. Additional historical information,
recipes and a glossary are included at the end of the book.
HÄNEL, Wolfram. Rescue
at Sea!
Illustrated by Ulrike Heyne.
North-South Books, 1999
Short Novel. Paul is desperate to own a dog. However, his father
says he has to prove himself worthy of the responsibility of
owning a dog. A storm at sea and a fishing boat in trouble provide
Paul with the opportunity he has been seeking. Rescue efforts
by the local lifeboat crew are slow and the situation is fraught
with danger. The crew is safely rescued but there is an animal
left aboard. Paul's pleas to rescue the dog fall on deaf ears
and he takes matters into his own hands.
The plot is well constructed and the characters satisfactorily
developed. The language is appropriate for the target audience.
A satisfying, meaty read for capable younger readers.
LESTER, Alison. The
Quicksand Pony
Allen & Unwin, 1998
Novel. When Biddy loses her horse, Bella, in the quicksand she
is devastated. Returning the next day, she and her parents discover
footprints in the sand. Bella is alive and has been led away
by a child. This can only be Joe, who disappeared nine years
ago. Biddy finds Joe by tracking the footprints and is reunited
with her beloved horse.
Readers who have become familiar with Alison Lester's much-loved
picture books will recognise her ability to capture the essence
of a story in pictures. In this, her first novel, this ability
is translated into words. Wonderfully evocative descriptions
acknowledge her affinity with the Australian bush and coastline.
Characters are well developed and the book is easy to read.
It is a heart-warming story and an enthralling adventure that
will appeal to both boys and girls.
METZENTHEN, David. Fort
Island
Puffin, 1998 (Aussie Bites)
Early Chapter Book. While on a beach holiday Patrick is delighted
when Lou, the girl next door, teaches him to sail. When Lou's
brother, stranded on an island, suffers a bad asthma attack
Lou and Patrick risk sailing in bad weather to save him.
Tension is well maintained in this exciting story for readers
from Years 3 to 6. The language is appropriate to the theme
and characters. Clear, good size print and short sentence structure
enables the young or reluctant reader to read smoothly and with
comprehension. Black and white illustrations throughout add
clarity and excitement and encourage the reader to turn the
page. The plot is exciting yet subtly conveys the need to observe
safety rules when sailing and commonsense rules if an asthma
sufferer.
ORR, Wendy. Nim's
Island
Allen & Unwin, 1999
Novel. Nim lives on a remote island with her father, Jack, a
sea lion named Selkie, a marine iguana named Fred and a turtle
named Chica. Their only contact with the outside world is via
email. When Jack disappears at sea Nim contacts her hero, the
famous author, Alex Rover. Alex helps Nim through a number of
emergencies before the two finally meet during a treacherous
storm. In the process of survival and rescue each realise that
they possess the heroic qualities previously only attributed
to their storybook heroes.
Children will become thoroughly immersed in this delightful
adventure/fantasy. They will have no trouble identifying with
Nim, the brave, resourceful yet vulnerable main character. The
plot has been carefully thought out to make the unlikely appear
believable and the very original characters make short shrift
of the stereotypes often found in stories of lesser value.
PLATT, Richard. Pirate
Diary: The Journal of Jake Carpenter
Illustrated by Chris Riddell
Walker, 2001
Illustrated Story. This is the story of Jack Carpenter and his
adventures as a sailor on the ship Greyhound. Written
in journal form, Jake's entries give wonderful insights into
every aspect of life on the high seas.
A wide range of students fascinated by pirates will be engrossed
by this superbly presented book with its revealing and vivid
illustrations. The diary can be read in parts and interest is
maintained by the range and excitement of Jake's adventures.
The book is supported by a table of contents, a map of Jake's
journey, an index and a notes section on pirates at the end
of the book. Highly recommended.
Kate Greenaway Medal, 2001
THIELE, Colin. The
Sea Caves
Lothian, 2000 (Takeaways)
Novel. A gripping adventure of two twelve-year-old boys, whose
search for treasure results in them being trapped in a sea cave
fall-in. This story, of timeless appeal, features an exciting
plot with many twists and turns maintaining reader interest.
Search the CMIS Resource Bank
Ocean
- Fiction
[Use the Middle Childhood restrictor
to just see titles appropriate for this phase]
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Need more titles for wide reading?