4)+Courtney's+Resource

Written Grammar Lesson Resource 

**Picture Book: Bundoola **  []



**Explanation of the Resource** Bundoola is a picture book that retells one of the stories from the Aboriginal Dreamtime. On the book's first page it clearly acknowledges the Aboriginal people to which this story belongs. The actual Dreamtime story outlines the disastrous relationship between different Aboriginal spirits and how it led to the creation of lightning and thunder.

The HSIE focus outcome requires students to describe different belief systems of different communities within Australia. This resource appropriately stimulates discussions about the Aboriginal Dreamtime. It allows students to read one of the many stories that form the foundation of the belief system of Aboriginal people.
 * Relevance to the Focus Outcome **

This picture book is an example of a narrative text type. The aspect of literacy that was the focus of the lesson that utilised this narrative was written grammar, in particular, the use of text connectives and conjunctions when constructing a narrative.
 * Aspect of Literacy Suitable to be Explored **

Droga and Humphrey (2005) explain that cohesion is a very important attribute to the construction of a well organised text (pp.85-108). Two grammar features that contribute to cohesion within a text are text connectives and conjunctions. They provide the writer with the appropriate vocabulary that is necessary to structure, sequence and connect ideas within their story. Conjunctions allow writers to link ideas within sentences; however text connectives allow ideas to be linked within sentences and also within paragraphs. Students need to be explicitly taught the value of these written grammar features, as it will enable them to produce a more structured and sequenced story. This will inevitably enable students to effectively show the passing of time which is an important feature of a well developed story line.

Derewianka (1998) explains that there are six different types of text connectives. Bundoola predominately uses text connectives to indicate the passing of time. Examples of text connectives that indicate time include: long ago, soon, one day, during the night, then and finally. Therefore, using this book as a resource is relevant, as it appropriately models to students how to effectively use time text connectives within a narrative. It also allows students to see their importance in creating meaning. Breaking the story down and allowing the students to identify the text connectives is a worthwhile activity because it shows that students are independently able to identify the appropriate vocabulary.

Conjunctions are also effectively used in the picture book. The book provides students with examples of how conjunctions can be used within sentences to create either a simple or complex sentence. This inevitably also shows how the writer’s ideas can be linked within a sentence. An example of how a conjunction is used to create a compound sentence is, ‘Silently he slipped past the Doowanga and fled back north towards his home’.

These examples show how this book is a valuable resource when teaching students about the role and use of text connectives and conjunctions within a narrative.