Duration

45 minutes

This lesson is an introduction to the text, 'Blueback'. Students will discuss the author, the different covers of the book and engage in a shared reading of the first chapter.

Preparation

This lesson is an introduction to the text Blueback. There are multiple subsequent lessons as outlined in the Unit: Blueback.

You will require –

  • a class set of the book, Blueback by Tim Winton,
  • images of the different book covers of Blueback (there are at least 8 different covers – search in your internet browser),

Western Australian curriculum

LEARNING AREA STRAND SUB-STRAND CODES
English Literature Responding to literature ACELT1620
English Literacy Interacting with others ACELY1699, ACELY1709, ACELY1719

Steps

  1. Introduce the book Blueback, by Tim Winton. Ask students if they have previously read the text, have the heard of the author (and if so,) what do they know about the author. From simply looking at the cover, what do you predict the text is about? What type of text is it?
  2. Share the myriad of cover designs with your class. Discuss why there may be so many cover designs for one book. Do all of the covers lead you to the same prediction about what the text is about? Share the book blurb with your students.
  3. Begin reading the text as a shared whole class reading. Engage students in a variety of reading styles – silent, individual; shared group reading; shared whole class reading – to complete the text.
  4. After reading Chapters 1 and 2, ask students to predict what they think will happen in the story and make notes predicting the ending. Discuss predictions as a class including why those predictions may or may not be feasible and what leads them to thinking that way. (You will revisit these upon completion on reading the text.

 

Keywords

blueback, tim winton, fiction text, western australia, western blue groper