The Rainbow Serpent Stage Two - "A Book a Week" Complete MEGA Unit - Dreamtime

This is a HUGE, no-prep, 80-page unit of work based on the Dreaming story “The Rainbow Serpent”.

I used the Dick Roughsey version of this text, however any version of this text could be adapted.

This unit is based on the “A Book a Week” model, whereby students examine one book throughout the week, examining the text deeply to build a range of literacy skills on a more sustained and integrated level.

Students explore the book “The Rainbow Serpent” through a range of structured reading, writing and speaking and listening tasks. Daily slides are provided with all prompts and student directions needed to teach all elements of the literacy block for the week.

This book was taught as an integrated text to support the teaching of the history strand “Community and Remembrance” whereby students examine the importance of Country and Story to the Indigenous Peoples of Australia. All teaching notes for culturally appropriate content are included, as well as resources to support the teaching of the History unit.

The unit was designed for a Stage Two classroom but could easily be modified for both a Stage One class (by simplifying the response tasks) or a Stage Three class (by extending the written component).

Students will examine the story of The Rainbow Serpent and then plan, draft and publish a narrative of their own.

The unit includes:

• A comprehensive step-by-step daily teaching guide, including real-world examples from my classroom. This contains all elements of the literacy block designed to support a full week of English teaching (speaking and listening, reading and writing)

• Australian Curriculum and NESA Links for Stage Two

• Daily Speaking and Listening Prompts

• A comprehension guide at different ability levels (general and advanced) which can be printed and used as an independent worksheet in reading groups or used to supplement questioning during shared reading lessons. Questions are at a literal and inferential level as well as text-to-world connections

• A slideshow containing a background to the text about the importance of Country and Story to Indigenous People

• A history of the Rainbow Serpent as an ancestral being

• A slideshow about the author, Dick Roughsey

• Useful links to support the teaching of this unit

• A step-by-step modelled writing guide and week long writing task for students, whereby they research a plant/animal/local geographical landmark as a basis for a narrative

• an editing checklist for students to edit and proofread their work

• Eight linked, high-interest creative response tasks for students to complete independently as part of Literature Circle time

• All associated printables

I have many similar resources available in my store, including the complete “Community and Remembrance” unit for Stage Two.

Happy reading!