'Biami and Bunyip': cloze exercise

This exercise, suitable for a Year 8 class, explores the narrative structure and language of Oodgeroo’s story ‘Biami and Bunyip’ from the collection Stradbroke Dreamtime (Oodgeroo, illustrated by Bronwyn Bancroft, Angus & Robertson, 1999, ISBN 978-0207198656). The story retells a myth from Australian Indigenous culture.

Answers have been included.

Suggested curriculum relevance

Australian Curriculum - English (Year 8)

• ACELT1767 - Interpret and analyse language choices, including sentence patterns, dialogue, imagery and other language features, in short stories, literary essays and plays
• ACELY1733 - Apply increasing knowledge of vocabulary, text structures and language features to understand the content of texts

National Curriculum in England - English programmes of study: key stage 3
Pupils should be taught to … read critically through:

• knowing how language, including figurative language, vocabulary choice, grammar, text structure and organisational features, presents meaning
• recognising a range of poetic conventions and understanding how these have been used.

Please provide a rating. Comments and suggestions are welcome.

Cover image: Wonnarua cave painting of Baiame near Milbrodale, New South Wales. Photograph taken by Tammin Wright in March 2007. Attribution: Faithy05, via Wikimedia Commons.