Lesson 2: Writing a memoir

Lesson two may occur over several sessions.

Learning intention

We are learning to observe and identify the features that make up our community.

Success criteria

I can draw a map of my place and include some important features.

Lesson structure

  1. Students, teacher and parent helpers participate in a community walk. As students are walking, photograph and identify important features such as:
    • natural features e.g. hills, rivers, creeks, native vegetation, trees
    • managed features e.g. parks, gardens, ovals
    • constructed features e.g. roads and buildings.
  2. Print/view photographs of the community walk. Label the photographs. Sort and classify the photographs according to the features: natural, managed and constructed. Define what each feature means.
  3. Return to the 1978 double page spread of Mike’s story in My Place by Nadia Wheatley and Donna Rawlins. Focus on the map that Mike has drawn to visually represent his community and his place. Discuss how features have been represented noting the bird’s eye view perspective. For example:
    • the big tree
    • the old church
    • the buildings
    • train station
    • the tip
    • Mike’s place.
  4. On an interactive whiteboard or using a large monitor, visit Google Earth and locate the local community. Encourage students to label the features of their local area and compare to photographs taken on the community walk. Discuss the bird’s eye view perspective.
  5. The teacher and students read the success criteria. The teacher then models to demonstrate expectations. Draw a map of the school located within the local community. During the modelling, important features are discussed such as the roads and buildings nearby, the natural vegetation (trees, plants) and the managed features (parks, forests, recreation reserves).
  6. Students think about where they live and what features are located near their place. Students turn and talk to a partner about what they could include in their map.
  7. Students draw a map of their place in the community including labelling some important features. The teacher differentiates the task by asking:
    • students to complete individually
    • students to co-construct with the teacher
    • students to label a class exemplar
    • students to draw their house.
  8. Students return to the whole group and share. Display maps.
  9. Revisit the success criteria for self-evaluation of learning.