The Gaita family migrate to Australia after World War II, part of the massive migration of European and Middle Eastern peoples into the country in the 1950s and 1960s. They personally experience the discrimination against these “New Australians”. This resource includes background notes, passages from the text and student activities.

Activity requiring students locate which chapter key events occur in the text, Romulus, My Father.

Activity requiring students to locate the chapter that key events occur in the text, Romulus, My Father.

Activity requiring students locate the chapter that various events that place in the text, Stasiland.

Set of activities exploring the theme of childhood trauma, its impact on later life and the concept of resilience.

Background notes, passage from the text and student activities on the theme of the relationship between animals and people.

Crossword based on key words, characters and concepts in Susan Cooper’s King of Shadows.

Crossword using key terms and concepts from the non-fiction text, Stasiland.

Crossword based on Lloyd Jones’ novel, Mister Pip.

Ezine article from The Monthly entitled ‘From Frogmore, Victoria’ and written by Helen Garner. She describes a visit to the sites in the text, Romulus, My Father with the author and the reactions of Raimond Gaita and herself to each of the sites in the light of the events that took place there. Student activities included.

Photographs of Raimond, Romulus and Christine to support student understanding of the characters in Romulus, My Father.

Analysis of a photograph of Raimond Gaita’s childhood home of Frogmore. Students examine the details and make assumptions about the impact of poverty on the ideas and writings of Raimond Gaita.

Romulus, My Father Crossword

Romulus is a common man, but a man of extraordinary character, craftsmanship and endurance. His resilience to the beatings at the hands of the Gestapo, migration to a new country, wife who becomes incurably insane, his own battle with mental illness and deprivations of living in poverty in rural Victoria is a testament to the human spirit’s ability to overcome at all odds. This set of resources includes background notes on Romulus, passages from the and student activities.

As a moral philosopher, Raimond Gaita introduces the reader to many philosophical ideas and beliefs, relating these to the people and events of his childhood. This activity identifies 9 of these and asks students to research what they are and how they relate to the text: humanism, stoicism, moral absolutism, fatalism, multiculturalism, communism, relativism, spiritualism and puritanism.

Book review and student activities based upon the review. Students analyse teh features of an effective review.

Information Report on the text, Romulus, My Father. Students select one of the following themes: mental illness, moral philosophy, relationships between humans and animals, inter-personal relationships, experiences of migrants and write an information report. The task includes elements, language and structure of an information report and a marking guide (rubric).

Word search on the text, Romulus, My Father.

Quotes activity for the memoir, Romulus, My Father.

Both narrator and child/teen character, Raimond Gaita’s relationships with family and friends form the basis of this tragic memoir, along with the almost unreal objectivity in which the text is narrated. This set of activities includes background notes on Raimond, passages from the text and student activities