Leap into Literature – Australian History

(old pic)

Last week we focused on Australian history, always a personal favourite of mine, though the children moan they know it all, not true. It was the third last week of the school year and a definite feeling of winding down. However we forged on and managed to continue with maths, independent studies for the older three, a little writing (emphasise little) and reading continued happily.

Independent studies included, Church History and Science Matters for Einstein, he loves Science Matters! Lots of maths for Michelangelo, he is trying to finish up a large portion of his maths CD. Princess is loving the freedom to read as much as she likes and continued reading World History. Jelly Bean’s reading is still going strong, gaining in confidence and a great attitude, we’ll need to keep up daily reading over the holidays.  Jack Jack is doing well too, though at a slower pace.

Our picture book fans enjoyed and discussed books about; the first wave of migration of Aborigines to Australia, Captain Cook and his achievement, white settlement and convicts, crossing the blue mountains, bushrangers, the gold fields, Eureka Stockade, environmental issues (Macquarie Island), refugees and Australian folksongs.  Our older children read and listened to books of their choosing. The older children’s reading focused on literature of their choosing.

*For the benefit of my local friends I have an asterix next to our local library books, all other titles are from our home library.


Audio Books
*The Penderwicks (Michelangelo & Princess)
Redwall (Michelangelo)

Einstein
Science Matters: Achieving Scientific Literacy – Robert Hazen (Highly Recommended!)
Pagan’s Vows – Catherine Jinks
Pagan’s Crusade – Catherine Jinks
I Am Mordred – Nancy Springer
Einstein pre-read these books for suitability for younger siblings, verdict; not certain.

Michelangelo
Penderwicks at Point Mouette
*Penderwicks on Gardam Street
The Saturdays
The Four Story Mistake
Then There Were Five
Spiderweb for Two
Extreme Adventures
*- Bushfire Rescue – Justin D’Ath
*-Crocodile Attack – Justin D’Ath
*-Devil Danger – Justin D’Dath

Princess
*Olympia Run Like The Wind – Shoo Rayner
Terry Deary’s Victorian Tales
*-The Fabulous Flyer
*The Secret of the Swords – Frances Watts
*A Penny to Remember – Kirsty Murray (Australian)

Picture Books
Aboriginal
Yellow Dog Dingo – Barbara Ker Wilson
*You and Me Murawee – Kerri Hashmi
*You and Me: Our Place – Leonie Norrington

Early Australia
The First Fleet – Alan Boardman & Roland Harvey
Great Events in Australia’s History – Alan Boardman & Roland Harvey
-The First Fleet
-The Crossing of the Blue Mountains
-Eureka Stockade

Exploration
*Meet Captain Cook – Rae Murdie
*The Great Expedition – Peter Carnavas (allegory)

Early – Mid 1800s
*The Castaways of the Charles Eaton – Gary Crew (not rec for the sensitive at all!)
*The Legend of Moondyne Joe – Mark Greenwood (Bushranger)
*To the Goldfields! – Rachel Tonkin

Early 1900s
Emily Jane – Sadie & Suzanne Pascoe
Papa & the Olden Days – Ian Edwards, Illust- Rachel Tonkin
Tin Lizzie and Little Nell – David Cox
*Nancy Bentley, The First Australian Female Sailor – Tracey Hawkins

Macquarie Island
*One Small Island – Alison Lester & Coral Tulloch

Refugees
*The Littlest Refugee – Anh Do & Suzanne Doo (True Story)

Early 2000s
*A Year on Our Farm – Penny Matthews
*Flood – Jackie French (Brisbane floods)


Poetry/Folksongs
Waltzing Matilda – AB Paterson, Illust- Desmond Digby
Mulga Bill’s Bicycle – AB Paterson, Illust- Kilmeny & Deborah Niland
The Man From Ironbark – AB Paterson, Illust- Quentin Hole
A Bush Christening – AB Paterson, Illust- Quentine Hole
“We’ll All Be Rooned” Said Hanrahan – John O’Brien, Illust- Geoff Hocking
The Teams – Henry Lawson, Illust – John Anthony King
The Wild Colonial Boy – Illust – John Anthony King
With my Swag all on my Shoulder – Illust – Neil Moore