Extract from Sean Dorney’s book, The Sandline Affair, giving details of how the Bougainville War emerged and developed. The student activity uses this information to complete a mind map.

Lesson on the concept of Intertextuality and use of this concept in The Broken Shore to give a depth to character motives, allusion to previously explored problems and issues and culturally significant issues.

Analysis of the 1945 speech by Australian Army Staff Sergeant G.G. Rickwood to the Rotary Club of Cessnock in which he narrates his experiences as a POW on the Thai-Burma Railway. Students analyse: Who gave the speech? What do we know about his background? Why did he deliver the speech? What was his purpose in giving the speech? Who was the audience? Where were they located? What was their reaction to the speech? What words and phrases would we now see as racist or antiquated? How would this language be received in 1945, when the speech was given? List the incidents that made this speech a “story of hardship and horror, of death, disease, and suffering.” What values, beliefs and humanitarian acts were displayed by the Australian and British POWs? Is mere survival and kindness enough in situations of extreme abuse?

Activities for The Narrow Road to the Deep North Book 3 Chapters 1-9.

Metalanguage mix and match activity using key words and concepts from Richard Flanagan’s The Narrow Road to the Deep North.

Analysis of a passage from Richard Flanagan’s novel, The Narrow Road to the Deep North. Students examine the words and phrases employed to paint a picture of an Australian Army camp in 1942, the portrayal of the character’s feelings, the specific use of concise statements to convey a stolen conversation held in secrecy and the use of ‘bookending’ to begin and conclude an incident.

Close study of a passage from Richard Flanagan’s The Narrow Road to the Deep North. Students examine the language features used to describe physical action, character intent, changes in tone and reaction of t reader.

Activities for Book 2 Chapters 10-19

Activities for The Narrow Road to the Deep North - Book 2 Chapters 20-27.

Close study of a passage from Richard Flanagan’s novel, The Narrow Road to the Deep Northto examine descriptive language, setting, characterisation and atmosphere.

The Narrow Road to the Deep North - Activities for Book 3 Chapters 10-19.

Activities for Book 2 Chapters 1-9

The Narrow Road to the Deep North - Activities for Book 4 Chapters 1-7.

The Narrow Road to the Deep North - Activities for Book 3 Chapters 20-27.

Analysis of an article by Dave May, Richard Mockler and Annika Blau, John Marsden’s journey from psych ward to author to school founder. Published on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation website. The article looks at John Marsden’s life, his inspiration in writing the Tomorrow series and in establishing a school with an alternative curriculum.

Dave Rebb is a swaggie, a homeless man who Detective Cashin takes in. Dave Rebb brings an outsider’s perspective into the insular world of Port Monro and Cromarty. He also is instrumental in Cashin rebuilding his shattered life. The author uses Rebb to develop crucial themes: dysfunctional society, small town secrets, social class and police corruption. This resource is part of a unit of work on Peter Temple’s novel, The Broken Shore.

Peter Temple’s novel, The Broken Shore deals with the issue of the complex issues around small town secrets. From the protagonist, Joe Cashin suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, to the issues of police corruption and the historic operation of a pedaphile ring, characters discover secrets and use these for their own advantages. This resource outlines the many secrets held by the Port Monro community and the dangers these secrets can have. This resource also provides students with an outline of the themes in the parallel text, Joseph Conrad’s Nostromo, and invites comparison of the issues.

Worksheet to accompany the Australian Broadcasting Corporation 7.30 Report mini-documentary, Worldwide Paedophile Ring Busted in Sting Operation. The video outlines the 2014 work of Taskforce Argos which cracked the largest child pornography internet site and led to the arrest of thousands of criminals worldwide. Students are then asked to reflect on the impact that highly emotive investigations such as Argos have on the police officers involved. The resource is part of a unit of work on Peter Temple’s novel The Broken Shore.

Analysis of the issue of war crime in Richard Flanagan’s novel, The Narrow Road to the Deep North. Student activities included.

Close study of a passage to identify structural and language features including the use of ‘clipped’ language, building atmosphere and tension, the use of third person narrative, the employment of thought and flashback to provide an understanding of the protagonist, reference to light and darkness as a metaphor for uncovering the truth, intertextual connection and the use of short paragraphs and conversation to create the impression of fast-paced action. This resource is part of a unit of work on Peter Temple’s novel, The Broken Shore.