Australian Animals Screen

Learning Areas
English: Texts and contexts (Everyday texts,
School) (Outcomes 2.4, 3.4), Language
Context
This topic is part of the
broader orientation
ESL Scope and
Scales
Working within Scales
Australian
(Outcomes 2.7, 2.8, 3.7, 3.8), Strategies in the New Arrivals
(Outcomes 2.11, 2.12, 3.11, 3.12)
Science
Program, to Australia,
which aims to build
socio-cultural,
2–7

Band
Primary and Middle
Animals
Life systems (Outcome 1.5)
environmental and Years
Essential Learnings
Identity
Students reflect and communicate with others
English language
knowledge. Year Levels
Year 4–7 New Arrivals
Developing
The understandings Program
developing a sense of belonging to learning
teams.
about Australia in this
program include: Evidence
an Information
Thinking • Oral and written
Students use a wide range of thinking modes
and develop metacognitive awareness.
- Which animals are
native to Australia? recount.
• Oral and written
Report
- What are the
Communication characteristics of information report.
Students develop skills to communicate in a some Australian • Response to
range of models to achieve identified outcomes. animals? reflection activities.
- Which Australian
Equity
animals are in danger
Multicultural perspective
of extinction?
The diversity of knowledge and experiences with
animals is valued.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’
perspective
Australian animals to Indigenous people is
acknowledged.

Timeline
8-10 weeks as an integrated program.

NAP New Arrivals Program Teaching, Learning and Assessment Programs Australian Animals Developing an Information Report

Teaching and Learning Cycle
Australian Animals – Developing an Information Report

ld Mo
Fie del
t he lin
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g
i l din • Connect to prior knowledge. ec
on
Bu • Develop simple concept map st
of Australian animals. • Examine purpose and structure of ru
• Read stories and poems about Australian information reports. ct
i
animals. • Deconstruct a model information report,

ng
• Read reports and watch videos about highlight text structure and language
Australian animals and extend vocabulary. features.
• Develop a description of an Australian • Activities to reinforce structure of a report.
animal. • Language based activities.
• Excursion to Zoo or wildlife
park and develop a recount. ontinu

fie l d C

e b ld
ui
in g
the
• Individual independent construction
of an information report on an
• Research an animal and construct
Australian animal to be presented as
a report with visuals and reference
an oral presentation with peer and self
list as a:
assessment.
- whole class
• Whole class reflection: Human graph.
nd - small group.
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New Arrivals Program Teaching, Learning and Assessment Programs Australian Animals Developing an Information Report

Overview of language taught in the
teaching, learning and assessing program
A summary of the language mostly pertaining to a description as taught in the following teaching, learning and assessing program.
The metalanguage that students may need in order to discuss the above language features is bolded.

Text in context Language
Genre Field Tenor Mode
• Explore purpose, intended • Note taking structure: • Noun groups with numbers • Speech functions: • Primary tense:
audience, structure and - subheadings and describers. - question (wh, yes/no) - timeless present
language features of an - dot points / numbers. • Verbs: - statement (simple and - simple past.
information report. compound).
• Recount structure: - action (doing) • Subject verb agreement.
• Oral and written reports. - mental (thinking) • Modality:
- orientation • Foregrounding:
• Stories have a similar purpose - events in sequence - verbal (saying) - possibility. - human – pronoun
across cultures. - relational (being).
- reorientation. • Interpersonal meaning: - non human – topic words.
• Note taking. • Circumstances and clauses: - feelings, attitudes,
• Report structure: • Coherence:
• Description. - introduction with - place (location). opinions.
- link between introduction,
• Recount. classification • Everyday and technical • Verbal elements: body, conclusion
- paragraphs dealing with vocabulary: - pronunciation - topic sentences.
specific aspects. - nouns - fluency • Print conventions:
• Language to build cohesion: - nominalisations. - listening quietly. - handwriting
- reference items • Facts and opinions. - punctuation
- articles - spelling patterns.
- pronouns.
• Visual literacy:
• Language to expand - labels to pictures
information:
- layout
- linking and binding
- diagrams, tables, graphs
conjunctions
- reference to visual texts.
- conjunctions between
sentences.


Building the Field
In Building the Field, the main objective is to connect with the prior knowledge of the students, develop cultural
understandings and the everyday and technical language related to Australian animals and information reports.

The activities on the left column will provide particular
development in these areas
Supplementary and extension
Activities Genre Field Tenor Mode activities. Comments are in italics
Connect to prior knowledge With beginners:
• Brainstorm and list the names of animals. • Everyday • Orally identify pictures of animals in
• Put animal names in alphabetic order. vocabulary: English and own language.
- names of
• Copy English words and write in first Use bilingual dictionaries if appropriate
animals, birds,
language/s. for students.
fish
• Group animals according to own - categories (eg
categories (eg with fur, with 4 legs, can animals, birds,
run). fish). Supplementary activities:
• Make a chart of animals under various • Reference items • Location (eg in • Simple • Simple present • Make a booklet illustrated by
categories (eg location, action). (eg this, it). the farm, in the statements. tense. students, using model English
• Using commercial and student pictures zoo, in the sea). sentence structures (eg This is a ...
• Punctuation.
of animals, create a Venn diagram (eg • Common action It can … ).
• Visual literacy:
animals in my country and animals in verbs (eg fly, • Unjumble simple sentences about
crawl, hop). - labels for
Australia). animals.
pictures.
• Use charts to compose sentences about Extension activities:
animals.
• Introduce technical vocabulary (eg
mammal, marsupial, reptile).
• Group pictures of animals using
these categories.


Building the Field continued...

Australian Animals With beginners:
• Alphabet chart: • Nouns (eg names • Sort word/picture cards in alphabetic
- label pictures of Australian animals of animals, birds, order.
- build up an alphabetic chart of fish).
• Copy names of animals on an
Australian animals. • Verbal elements: alphabet proforma.
• Games: - pronunciation.
• Visual elements: Students can support each other to
- bingo (eg match pictures/words of - link picture to identify animals during bingo game.
Australian animals to names) oral/written
- toss the ball (eg student A tosses soft Extension activities:
words.
ball to student B who says name of an • Review procedural language.
Australian animal). • Students follow instructions to make
• Human graph: bingo cards together.
- stand in a line to show how much • Variation for bingo: Say Australian
you think you know about Australian animals with a describer (eg fluffy
animals (from a lot to a little) koala, smooth platypus).
- tell the person next to you one thing you
already know about Australian animals.
• Concept map: • Technical • Speech
- on sticky notes, write 2 things you know vocabulary (eg functions:
and one question about what you want classification, - questions–wh
to find out appearance, (eg Where do
- stick notes on to large sheet, grouping behaviour, … live? What Use BSSOs to help scribe for students.
them in logical ways diet, prey, do … eat? What
reproduction, kind of babies
- provide headings for each group at the
habitat. do … have?). Provide technical terms for the
end of the process (eg appearance)
groupings after commonsense grouping.
- identify which of the questions are still This allows students prior learning to be
unanswered. acknowledged.


Build cultural knowledge Extension activities:
• Read a range of poems and stories from • Stories have a • Culturally • Punctuation: • Write sentences or shape poems
different cultures. similar purpose specific terms - capitals about Australian animals using action
• Read stories and poems about Australian across cultures. (eg Aboriginal - full stops verbs (eg emus running, green frogs
animals (eg Possum Magic, Wombat legend, Dreaming croaking).
- exclamations
Stew, Giant Devil Dingo) and Aboriginal stories).
- speech marks. • Variation on Wombat Stew:
legends involving animals (eg How the • Awareness
• Spelling patterns. - write a different Wombat Stew
Parrot Got Its Colours). of different
recipe
• Notice importance of Australian animals Aboriginal
groups. - cook stew
in Aboriginal stories and culture.
- write up the cooking activity as a
• Learn songs and rhymes about • Other cultural procedure.
Australian animals (eg Kookaburra sits knowledge (eg
• Research importance of Australian
on the old gum tree). gumtrees).
animals in Aboriginal culture.
Story vs factual tests
• Review purpose of stories and poems.
• Review features of story books. • Technical
• Discuss the purpose of different types of vocabulary (eg
factual books/texts. author, illustrator,
illustration, cover,
• Discuss structural features of how factual
title page, page,
books are organised. Extension activities:
index, contents).
• Predict audience, genre and language • Purpose of • Awareness of • Visual literacy: • Match title cards with genre name
for range of titles (eg Kangaroos, My Pet different genres. target audience. - layout of title cards.
Kangaroo Hoppy). page to suit • Photocopy covers of books and
genre and make posters with short book
audience. reviews explaining the purpose, type
and content of book.


Continued...

Build scientific knowledge Supplementary activities:
• Read Big books—scientific texts: • Technical • Questions and • Visual literacy (eg • Match question card with answer
- What is a mammal? vocabulary statements. how illustrations card.
- What is a marsupial? (eg mammal, support meaning
marsupial, reptile, in text). • Use pictures to group and paste
- What is a reptile? under headings.
omnivorous, • Print
- What is a bird? carnivorous, • Use a taxonomic structure to
conventions.
• Identify technical/scientific vocabulary. herbivorous, correctly label animals.
vegetarian). • Spelling patterns.
• Ask questions about texts (eg Do … lay Extension activities:
eggs? Can a … swim? Does a … swim • Everyday • Primary tense:
- present (eg • ‘My favourite animal’ oral statements
or fly? Where does a … live?). • Note taking lay- vocabulary
It lives, They (eg My favourite Australian animal is
• Use graphic organiser to classify out (eg sub head- (eg size, skin
swim). … because I like/because it’s ….).
Australian animals (eg mammals, ings, dot points or covering,
numbers). movement, diet). • Write the sentences and share with a
marsupials, reptiles, birds), reviewing
partner.
features of each group.
• Human graph:
• Note taking:
- Would you like to be a …or a …?
- use concept map to identify information
(eg a kangaroo or a kookaburra).
needed about Australian animals.
- decide, move, justify your decision
- watch video of Australian animals
to the person next to you.
- write two or more new facts on sticky
notes and add to concept map Include labelled pictures or labelled
- use headings to support note taking diagrams in note-taking activity.
(eg ‘mediated journal’—Little Book with
headings on each page).
- build a word bank chart from notes

Skin
Animal Size covering Colour Movement

• Use information from matrix chart to
construct compound sentences.


Description Extension activities:
• Language activities: • Reference items • Types of verbs: • Statements • Present tense. • Compile a table of comparatives (eg
(eg they, it, that, - relational (eg using simple • Subject verb long, longer, longest, fluffy, fluffier,
- build up noun groups by labelling
them). have, are) and compound agreement. fluffiest).
drawings or pictures of Australian
- action (eg fly). sentences.
animals with adjectives (describers), • Print • Write sentences using comparatives.
numbers, classifiers. • Noun groups • Verbal elements: conventions:
- pronunciation Supplementary activity:
- complete cloze activity blocking out with numbers - punctuation
describers, verbs or reference items and describers - fluency. • Write and/or illustrate descriptions of
- spelling.
- highlight noun groups in a descriptive (eg long sharp silly/imagined characters.
• Structure of claws, soft grey • Visual literacy:
text.
‘What am I?’ speckled fur, - label pictures.
• Description text:
description. three toes). • Foregrounding:
- read model of a short description (eg
What am I?) - pronoun (eg I).
- work in small groups to compose similar
brief descriptions to read to class
- take turns guessing the animal from the
description
- draw an animal from a description.
• Decide if statements are true or false.

True or false.
What am I?


Continued...

Preparation for excursion to Zoo or Supplementary activity:
Wildlife Park • Verbs: • Modality: • Build a Zoo wall or enclosure pen
• Discuss and predict what students will - mental (eg - possibility (eg out of paper bricks each brick has a
experience. think). maybe we will, word on it. One row could be verbs
• Use Mind Journey strategy to prepare • Topic words. we might). another describers or structural
students for the excursion by visualising headings, or nouns.
expected behaviour, and anticipated
experiences.
• Prepare a mediated journal with • Questions:
headings on each page (eg Food). - Yes/No
• Write questions to be answered including (eg Will we ..?
3-2-1- reflection strategy: Can we …?)
3 statements - Wh questions
2 questions (eg Where
will..? When
1 interesting.
will …? How do
…?).

NAP New Arrivals Program Teaching, Learning and Assessment Programs Australian Animals Developing an Information Report 0

During excursion
• Record the trip with digital camera or • Verbs: • Ask and respond
video. - action (eg saw, to wh and yes/no
• Complete mediated journal. touched) questions.

• Informal talking, naming, asking and - saying (eg said,
answering questions. told)
The mind journey strategy can be used
- mental (eg again now as a way of recalling the
After the excursion liked) experience of the excursion, tapping
• Use photos to compile a class record or - relational (eg into all the sensory input and peripheral
watch video of excursion. had, was). learning that took place. Various
• Vocabulary activities: recollections of sights sounds, smells
- add to word lists or zoo wall and tactile stimuli will prompt memory to
- match every day language with recall the learning that took place both
technical terms. consciously and unconsciously.
• Review understanding: • Technical • Feelings attitudes • Primary tense: Extension activities:
- each student writes a question using vocabulary (eg and opinions: - past (eg arrived, • Match answers to questions about
information learnt on the excursion, for night–nocturnal, - describers saw, touched). excursion.
a class quiz food–diet, gum (eg nice, soft)
tree–eucalyptus • Coherence: • Discuss how you would feel if you
- sort information about animals - verbs (eg like, - link between were a kangaroo in the zoo, bush,
tree, poisonous–
- add information to a class concept map. enjoyed). introduction, park.
venomous,
• Reflect on excursion using a PMI (plus, • Recount squeezes– • Verbal elements: body, • Invent a new breed of Australian
minus, interesting) chart in groups then structure: constricts, - pronunciation reorientation. animal describe and draw it.
share responses. - orientation boy–male, girl- - fluency. • Propose what would happen if….
• Review facts and opinions. - events in female).
- emus could fly
• Review structure and language of a sequence
- there were too many kangaroos.
recount. - reorientation.
• Design and make a jigsaw of an
• Prepare and present oral and written • Linking and Australian animal.
recount. binding
conjunctions. • Discuss conservation issues.


Vocabulary lists built from excursion to Cleland Widlife Park
Nouns Describers Verbs Verbs Verbs Verbs
action saying relational mental
fur marsupial held talked have enjoyed
wings nocturnal showed spoke had loved
pouch muscular closed said was liked
feathers carnivorous ran whispered were thought
parrots omnivorous crept told are hoped
bird herbivore walked called is wanted
seeds eucalyptus went shouted am knew
flowers poisonous listened sang guessed
bottlebrush tired waited
nectar ate
mammal drank
reptile washed
prey looked
lizard read
bones opened
possum closed
muscles heard
light saw
air sleep
snake slept
poison drew
camouflage wrote
pushed
pulled
sat
shed
changed
rode
constrict


Information Reports
Differentiated Texts
Emus Koalas Echidnas
Emus are Australian birds. Koalas are Australian animals. Echidnas are mammals. They are also
monotremes because they lay eggs. They are
They have feathers and lay eggs. Koalas are mammals because they have fur and
called spiny ant eaters.
feed their babies milk.
They are the largest bird in Australia but they
Echidnas have sharp spines on their back and
cannot fly. Koalas look like bears but they are marsupials.
tail. They are brown and have a long nose on
That means they are mammals that have a
Emus have two, long, strong legs and large feet their small head. They have four short legs and
pouch.
with thick toes. strong claws.
Koalas have fluffy brown and grey fur. They have
They have a large, oval shaped body. They have Adult echidnas can grow between 35-55
large, black, flat noses and small eyes. They
a small head and a long, thin neck. Their beak is centimetres long and weigh up to 5 kilograms.
have short legs and arms with strong claws on
short and pointy. Their feathers are black, brown Tasmanian echidnas are black.
their hands and feet which are used for climbing.
and white. Adults can grow up to 2 metres tall
Echidnas live in bush land. They hide under
and can weigh 60 kilograms or more. Koalas live in eucalyptus trees and they only eat
bushes, between rocks or in hollow logs.
these kinds of leaves. They only live in Australia.
Emus are only found in Australia and can live in
They spend most of their time at the top of gum Sometimes they make burrows to hide in. They
most areas.
trees. only live in Australia.
Emus can run very fast. As much as 50
Koalas only have one baby at a time. It is born Echidnas eat ant and termites. They dig into the
kilometres an hour.
without fur and is very tiny so it stays in the ants’ nest with their sharp claws and lick up the
Emus eat berries, leaves, seeds, flowers, fruit, mother’s pouch drinking milk. When the baby is ants with their long sticky tongues.
plants and even insects like grasshoppers. big enough to come out of the pouch it rides on
Female echidnas lay only one egg at a time.
the mother’s back.
The hen lays 6–12 large dark green eggs in a When the tiny baby hatches it is as big as a jelly
nest. Koalas are an endangered species in some bean. A tiny baby echidna is called a puggle. It
parts of Australia. stays in its mothers pouch until its spines grow.
The male sits on the eggs to keep them warm.
Then it lives in the burrow
They usually hatch after 8–10 weeks. The young
chicks have brown feathers with white stripes
which make it hard for them to be seen in the
grass.
The male protects the young chicks from
enemies such as dingoes and eagles.
Emus have been farmed since about 1970 for
their meat, feathers and also for oil which is
used for making cosmetics.

NAP
New Arrivals Program Teaching, Learning and Assessment Programs Australian Animals Developing an Information Report

Continued...

Information Reports
Emus Koalas Echidnas Lizards
Emus are birds because they have Koalas are Australian animals. Echidnas are mammals. They are also Lizards are animals and they belong to the
feathers and lay eggs. They are the largest They are mammals because they have fur monotremes because they lay eggs. They reptile family.
bird in Australia but they cannot fly. and feed their babies milk. are called spiny ant eaters. There are many different types of lizards.
Emus have two, long, strong legs and large Koalas are also marsupials because they Echidnas have sharp spines on their back Goanna, frill necked, gecko, blue tongue
feet with thick toes. They have a large, are mammals that have a pouch. and tail. They are brown and have a long and thorny devil are all types of Australian
oval shaped body, a long, thin neck, a nose on their small head. They have four lizards.
small head and a short, pointy beak. Their Koalas have soft brown and grey fur on short legs and strong claws.
their round bodies and white fur on their Some lizards such as skinks are tiny but
feathers are black, brown and white. The Adult echidnas can grow between 35- many are large. Goannas can grow up to
adults can grow up to 2 metres tall and can chest. It is thick and warm. They have fluffy
ears, large, black, flat noses and small 55 centimetres long and weigh up to 5 two metres long. Lizards usually have long
weigh 60 kilograms or more. kilograms. Tasmanian echidnas are black. tails.
eyes. Their mouth is also small.
Emus are only found in Australia and live Echidnas live in bush land. They hide Most lizards have four legs so they can
mainly in bushland and grassy areas. Large sharp claws on their feet and hands
are used for climbing trees. They also have under bushes, between rocks or in hollow move very quickly. They can run and climb.
However they are very hardy birds and can logs. There are some lizards called legless
live in most places. sharp teeth for chewing leaves.
Sometimes they make burrows to hide in. lizards that don’t have any legs. They slide
They can run very fast with their powerful Koalas live in eucalyptus trees in the bush. and move like snakes. Lizards have scaly
They only live in Australia. Koalas are They only live in Australia.
legs even up to 50 kilometres an hour. skin which is smooth. They also change
They often travel a long way each day nocturnal animals so they sleep in the high Echidnas eat ants and termites. They dig their skin when they grow.
looking for food. branches most of the day and are awake at into the ants’ nest with their sharp claws
night-time eating and moving around. and lick up the ants with their long sticky Lizards have cold blood so they lie in the
Emus eat berries, leaves, seeds, tongues. sun to keep warm. If it is too hot or too
flowers, fruit, plants and even insects like Koalas only eat gum leaves and they cold they hide under rocks or leaves for
grasshoppers. usually don’t need to drink water because Female echidnas lay only one egg at a protection.
they get enough moisture from the tender time. When the tiny baby hatches it is as
The male emu builds a nest of small sticks young leaves. big as a jelly bean. A tiny baby echidna Lizards have two small holes on their
and leaves then the hen lays between is called a puggle. It stays in its mothers heads that are used for hearing. Some
6–12 large dark green eggs. Usually Female koalas only have one baby at a lizards have hard tongues which are used
time. pouch until its spines grow. Then it lives in
female birds look after the eggs but emus the burrow. like teeth, but others have long thin ones.
are different. The tiny baby crawls up into the mother’s Lizards live in rainforests, deserts and they
The male sits on the eggs to keep them pouch. It is born without fur so it stays in can be found under rocks and in trees.
warm until they hatch. This usually takes the mother’s pouch drinking milk.
Some lizards can change their colour
about 8–10 weeks. The young chicks have When the baby is big enough to come out because they need to hide. This is called
brown feathers with white stripes which of the pouch it rides on the mother’s back. camouflage. Lizards use camouflage as
make it hard for them to be seen in the Koalas are an endangered species in protection from their enemies.
grass. some parts of Australia.


Continued...

Information Reports
Emus Koalas Echidnas Lizards
This kind of camouflage helps protect them Lizards eat insects, plants and tiny animals
from predators. The male also protects like snails, slugs and mice. Some lizards
the young chicks from enemies such as eat birds’ eggs. Gekos hunt insects at night
dingoes and eagles. The young emus stay and they are the only lizards that make a
with their father for about a year before noise. Blue Tongue lizards eat plants and
they leave to go and find a mate. small animals during the day.
Emus have been farmed since about 1970 Lizards lay eggs but when the eggs are
for their meat and also for oil which is used hatched they parents don’t look after the
for making cosmetics. babies. The young lizards must find their
own food.


Modelling/Text Deconstruction
In Modelling/Deconstruction, the main objective is to develop students’ understandings of the purpose, structure and
language features of the information report genre.

Purpose and audience
• Use extracts from recounts and reports • Purpose of a • Intended
to identify genre, discuss purpose and report. audience.
audience.
• Read a range of reports and reflect on
purpose, audience.

Deconstruct reports
• Identify and discuss: • Structure: • Verbs: • Factual • Primary tense:
- structure of reports - introduction with - action (eg sentences. - present (eg
- use of bold print, headings classification sleeps, eats) lives, eats).
- type of words that start the sentences - paragraphs - relational (eg • Foregrounding:
- linking and binding conjunctions dealing with has, is). - topic words (eg
specific snakes).
- types of verbs used Students have individual copies of the
aspects.
- whether facts or opinions included • Punctuation same text to highlight identified features.
• Conjunctions (eg (eg capitals, full
- tense
and, or, so, but, stops, commas).
- print conventions when, because,
- some spelling patterns after). • Visual literacy (eg
- use of diagrams, labels, tables, graphs. diagrams, labels,
tables, graphs).
• Cloze activities.


Lizards
Complete cloze activity
Lizards are ............................ . Lizards are reptiles.
There are ....................... different kinds of lizards.
Lizards have ....................... blood. They have ........................... skin.
Lizards have ............. holes. Most lizards have ................. legs.
Lizards .................. hard tongues. Lizards have ..................... tails.
Lizards .................... in the bush. Lizards live under .................. and in trees.
Lizards ............. insects, ................ and tiny animals. .......................... can climb.
Lizards change their .......................... when they grow.
Some lizards can change ................... to hide.
Lizards can crawl ................... run.
They move very quickly. Lizards .............. eggs.
Can you write these words where they belong.

can lay colour eat rocks
and skin Lizards scaly many
animals lots cold plants live
ear four have long


Cut into sections. Sort and paste in correct sequence or match Appearance Title Diet
sections to headings of the report.
Koalas
Koalas are Australian animals.
Koalas are mammals because they have fur and feed their babies milk.
Koalas look like bears but they are marsupials. General Classification

That means they are mammals that have a pouch.
Koalas have fluffy brown and grey fur.
They have large, black, flat noses and small eyes.
They have short legs and arms with strong claws on their hands and
feet which are used for climbing. Behaviour
Koalas live in eucalyptus trees and they only eat these kind of leaves. Reproduction
They only live in Australia.
They spend most of their time at the top of gum trees.
Koalas only have one baby at a time.
It is born without fur and is very tiny so it stays in the mother’s pouch Habitat
drinking milk.
When the baby is big enough to come out of the pouch it rides on the
mother’s back.
Koalas are an endangered species in some parts of Australia. Special features


Sort information Emus
Classification:
Emus have two, long, strong legs and large feet with thick toes. They have a large, oval shaped body, a long,
thin neck, a small head and a short, pointy beak. Their feathers are black, brown and white. The adults can
grow up to 2 metres tall and can weigh 60 kilograms or more. Appearance:
Koalas have soft brown and grey fur on their round bodies and white fur on their chest. It is thick and warm.
They have fluffy ears, large, black, flat noses and small eyes. Their mouth is also small. Food:
Female koalas only have one baby at a time.
Emus eat berries, leaves, seeds, flowers, fruit, plants and even insects like grasshoppers. Location:
Emus are birds because they have feathers and lay eggs. They are the largest bird in Australia but they cannot
fly. Reproduction:
Koalas only eat gum leaves and they usually don’t need to drink water because they get enough moisture from
the tender young leaves.
Care for young:
The male sits on the eggs to keep them warm until they hatch. This usually takes about 8–10 weeks. The
young chicks have brown feathers with white stripes which make it hard for them to be seen in the grass.
Other intersting facts:
The tiny baby crawls up into the mother’s pouch. It is born without fur so it stays in the mother’s pouch drinking
milk.
Large sharp claws on their feet and hands are used for climbing trees. They also have sharp teeth for chewing
leaves.
They can run very fast with their powerful legs even up to 50 kilometres an hour. They often travel a long way Koalas
each day looking for food.
Classification:
Koalas are an endangered species in some parts of Australia.
This kind of camouflage helps protect them from predators. The male also protects the young chicks from
Appearance:
enemies such as dingoes and eagles. The young emus stay with their father for about a year before they leave
to go and find a mate.
Koalas are also marsupials because they are mammals that have a pouch. Food:
Emus have been farmed since about 1970 for their meat and also for oil which is used for making cosmetics.
Location:
Koalas are Australian animals.
When the baby is big enough to come out of the pouch it rides on the mother’s back.
Reproduction:
They are mammals because they have fur and feed their babies milk.
Emus are only found in Australia and live mainly in bushland and grassy areas. However they are very hardy
birds and can live in most places. Care for young:
Koalas live in eucalyptus trees in the bush. They only live in Australia. Koalas are nocturnal animals so they
sleep in the high branches most of the day and are awake at night-time eating and moving around. Other intersting facts:
The male emu builds a nest of small sticks and leaves then the hen lays between 6–12 large dark green eggs.
Usually female birds look after the eggs but emus are different.


Follow up activities Use both common terms as well as
• Make a chart of structural and language • Cohesion: • Noun groups: • Spelling: technical language for headings (eg
features to display in class. - reference items - number (eg all - words with appearance—looks like, behaviour—
• Match chunks of information to structural (eg it, they, koalas, some same spelling what it does, habitat—place it lives,
headings. themselves) koalas, most pattern diet—prey food, reproduction—having
- conjunctions koalas). - words with babies).
• Cut two reports into sentences
strips. Sort and match sentences between • Verbs: same sound Supplementary activities:
under headings to form two separate sentences (eg - action (eg eats) pattern.
• Use an oral activity to organise
information reports about two animals. However, As a
- relational (eg sentences into structure:
result).
• Discuss sections of the report and has). - predetermine locations in class for
identify: each section of report
- order of information - each student reads aloud
- conjunctions between sentences information on a sentence strip
- use of reference items. - as a class decide where the student
should move to
• Create a glossary by matching meanings
to technical words. - each group decides order of
sentences
• Write simple sentences using action and
- paste strips on large structural chart
relational verbs and starting with topic
words. - as a class, check order.

• Join beginning and end of sentences • Reflect on process of sorting oral
emphasising recognition of verb types. or written sentences using “Sticky“
questions:
- What clues did you use?
- Where did you get stuck?
- How did you get unstuck?
Add to glossary regularly.

Matching facts to proforma


Lizards – Match beginings and ends of sentences
• Lizards are animals.

• Lizards have scaly skin.

• Lizards are reptiles.

• Lizards live in the bush.

• Lizards have hard tongues.

• Lizards can climb.

• Most lizards have four legs.

• Lizards have ear holes.

• Lizards lay eggs.

NAPNew Arrivals Program Teaching, Learning and Assessment Programs Australian Animals Developing an Information Report 2

Lizards – Match beginings and ends of sentences continued...

• Lizards have cold blood.

• Lizards have long tails.

• They can move very quickly.

• Lizards can crawl and run.

• Lizards change their skin when they grow.

• Lizards live under rocks and trees.

• Some lizards change colour and hide.

• There are lots of different kinds of lizards.

• Lizards eat insects, plants and tiny animals.


• Teach and practise process of • Nominalisation
nominalisation in text. Identify use in (eg move—
texts. movement,
• Introduce modal words and identify in reproduce— • Modality:
texts. reproduction,
- possibility (eg
describe—
• Check subject-verb agreement by Koalas can …. • Subject verb
description,
matching beginning and end of sentence Koalas might … agreement (eg It
classify—
(eg It …lives in, They … live in). Koalas will...). lives. They live).
classification).
• Complete cloze exercises where missing Actions and rhyme to remember
word is either action or relational verb structural features:
including both attribute and classification/ - Title: tap head. Say tap tap title
definition (eg Koalas are mammals. - Classification: clap. Say clap clap
Koalas have thick fur). classification
• Learn action rhyme mnemonic to - Description: do a little dance
remember the structural features. - Appearance: make a smiley face.
• Create own rap/mnemonic to remember Say app app appy appearance
the structural features of an information - Behaviour: bend. Say bend bend
report and behaviour
- Habitat: hop hop. Say hop hop
habitat
- Diet: drinking action. Say d d diet
- Reproduction: roll hands. Say roll
roll reproduction
- Interesting facts: point finger in.
Say interesting facts. Fold arms
when saying facts.

Mnemonic rhyme


Lizards
Lizards are animals and they belong to the reptile family. Lizards live in rainforests, deserts and they can be found under rocks and in
conjunction trees.
conjunction reference
There are many different types of lizards. Goanna, frill necked, gecko, blue
tongue and thorny devil are all types of Australian lizards. Some lizards can change their colour because they need to hide. This
conjunction is called camouflage. Lizards use camouflage as protection from their
enemies.
Some lizards such as skinks, are tiny but many are large. Goannas can
grow up to two metres long. Lizards usually have long tails.
conjunction modality reference Lizards eat insects, plants and tiny animals like snails, slugs and mice.
Some lizards eat birds’ eggs. Geckos hunt insects at night and they are the
Most lizards have four legs so they can move very quickly. They can run only lizards that make a noise. Blue Tongue lizards eat plants and small
and climb. There are some lizards called legless lizards that don’t have any animals during the day.
legs. They slide and move like snakes. Lizards have scaly skin which is
modality modality
smooth. They also change their skin when they grow.
reference conjunction manner-simile conjunction Lizards lay eggs but when the eggs are hatched. The parents don’t look
after the babies. The young lizards must find their own food.
Lizards have cold blood so they lie in the sun to keep warm. If it is too hot or
too cold they hide under rocks or leaves for protection.
Reference Modality
nominalisation
Conjunctions words words Similies Nominalisations
Lizards have two small holes on their heads, that are used for hearing. but they must like protection
because their very snakes
Some lizards have hard tongues which are used like teeth, but others have and ones usually
long thin ones. so this
also
reference if


• Make a Little Book of the organisational Some students could make the Little
and language features used to write an • Speech • Visual elements: Book bilingual. Some students may
information report about living things. functions: need the support of BSSOs.
- using concept
• Fill in a concept map using the - questions map. Practise note making while completing
information in a report. - statements. concept map.
Reflection
• Conduct a 3-2-1-activity about the
content of the model report, and another
one about the organisational and
language features of a report.

ce
Concept map
ha n
bi a ra
ta pe
t p
a
Name ...............
Name diet
ur
reproduction

cl
av
io as
si
be
h fic
at
io
n

Joint Construction
In Joint Construction, the teacher and students construct a written argument together. Through this process, the teacher
scaffolds the students’ choices and at the same time moves them towards independent construction.

Joint construction—whole class
• Negotiate which Australian animal to • Audience. • Design features
write about. (eg colour,
• Discuss how the report will be presented layout, headings,
to another class (eg a booklet/Big Book/ font, pictures,
poster). drawings).

• Discuss links between presentation and
audience.
• Research:
- use concept map structure to identify Supplementary activities:
what we know and what we need to find • Use questions as an organisational
out about aid in planning what information
- use resources provided to write notes needs to be collected for the report.
for missing information
• Use a Q Matrix or Q Cube to provide
- order information. a range of question starters.
• Writing:
Provide a selection of texts at suitable
- write notes as sentences on strips of reading level, to find information.
paper in single sentences Include visual texts.
- place these sentence strips on to large • Structural
sheet of paper which has the structural headings.
headings as a scaffold
- read and then reflect on the placement.


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