Getting Started
Overview
'Ziba came on a boat. A soggy old fishing boat that creaked and
moaned as it rose and fell, rose and fell, across an endless sea.
Even while Ziba is travelling to another place, she remembers her
home – playing, eating and working.
She remembers her father telling stories and poems of long ago.
And she remembers gunfire and running away.
Her dream is full of welcoming, smiling people.
And her mother hopes for freedom as their
boat 'rose and fell, rose and fell, across an endless sea...'
This is a story of refugees for young
readers.
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Author profile
Liz was born in Perth and still lives
there with her husband and their two daughters. After graduating from teachers'
college she spent several years working in local schools before heading off to
travel the world.
While she was living and working in London she met her husband, a budding photographer. She now teaches at a local primary
school and has worked in a volunteer capacity with local refugees. This is her
first picture book.
Source: Penguin Books (used with
permission)
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Illustrator profile
In his 30-year career, internationally
accomplished artist Robert Ingpen has illustrated more than 100 books for
children and adults. In 1986 he became the only Australian to be awarded the
highest honour in the children's book world, the Hans Christian Andersen Medal,
for his lasting contribution to children's literature. In 1989, Robert was
awarded the Dromkeen Medal for significant contribution to the appreciation and
development of children's literature. Robert Ingpen first rose to prominence
with his illustrations for Colin Thiele's Storm Boy, winning the first
Visual Arts Board award for children's book illustration.
Source: Penguin Books (used with
permission)
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Useful websites
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Focus questions
Before reading the book
- Who do you think Ziba is?
- From the front cover, how do you think she is
feeling?
- Why do you think there are two images – the face
and the boat – on the front cover?
- What might the story behind the boat be?
- The title is written in a 'wave' shape. Why do
you think this shape is used?
- The blurb at the back of the book talks about
refugees from Afghanistan. What are refugees? What do you know about Afghanistan?
During and after reading the book
- Who are 'boat people'? Why is the boat so
crowded?
- What does Ziba remember about Afghanistan? How is Afghanistan different from Australia?
- Where might Ziba's father be?
- Why do you think Ziba couldn't go to school?
- What might have happened after the gunfire?
- What might happen when the boat lands?
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Activities
Responding to text
Shaped writing
Class
The title could be described as being
written in a 'wave' shape. Why do you think this shape is used? What is another
reason it might have been written in this shape?
Individuals
Select other words in the text to write
in a way or shape that shows their meaning. An example is 'up and down'.
Gaps in the text
Class
What isn't this story telling us? Start
by thinking about what we weren't told between the sections where 'Ziba and her
mother are running from the gunfire' to when 'they are on the boat'. Then find
other 'gaps'. Why may there be gaps in these places? List other books
where there are 'gaps'.
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Responding to images
Robert Ingpen's Illustrations
The illustrator is known throughout Australia and the world for his art. The beautiful illustrations are a very important part
of this book.
Class
Look at and
discuss the following features:
- Lines and shapes – for example, these are
'curved' for Ziba's father and 'straight' for the boat.
- Colour
- Light sources and shadows
- Positioning – for example, when the viewer is
close, or distant from the scene
Discuss why these features have been used
and how they make you feel.
Individuals
Draw or colour your own artwork using
some of these techniques. This could be a design using both straight and curved
lines.
Boat people
Class
For most of the book we see the boat in the distance.
After what event does the illustration place us almost in the boat itself? What
can you see about the people in the boat now you're close to them?
How do you feel about them now you seem to be so
close?
Create your own class collage of close-up pictures
of refugees or boat people. Use pictures from newspapers, the internet and
other sources. They could be enlarged. The people could be placed in a sketched
or painted picture of a boat.
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Making connections
A history of childhood
Individuals
You
- What do you remember from when you were younger?
- Think about where you lived.
- What you played.
- How you helped your family.
Small groups
Ziba
- What does Ziba remember about her home?
- What did it look like?
- What did she play?
- How did she help her family?
Make and present 'A History of
Childhood'. Make a slideshow contrasting your childhood, an Afghan childhood
and another childhood from further back in history. Use writing, photos and
drawings, where you can.
Refugees
Class
Much of Australia's history is about immigration
– people moving here to live.
As a class, talk about the following:
- What country were you born in?
- What country were your parents born in?
- Who are your friends? Where were they born?
- Who are refugees?
- Who do you know who is a refugee? Where are they
from?
- From what other countries have refugees come to Australia now? In recent history? Since Australia existed?
Graph the results of question 1. Then
make a large timeline (perhaps along the classroom wall) showing approximately
when large groups of immigrants or refugees have come to Australia. Include Aboriginals, Afghans, Europeans, Asians, Africans and other nationalities.
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Events of the past
Stories and poems of long ago
Class
Ziba's father told her stories and poems of long ago.
Find and read or tell some of these from Afghanistan.
Find and read or tell some from other countries.
Find and read or tell some from Australia, such as Aboriginal stories.
- How do these stories tell us about these people in history or the
past?
- If possible, find out date spans or time periods from when these
stories originated.
Which stories show something about the
history or past of the country they came from?
Beyond the classroom
Invite a member of the community to be a
guest speaker and tell a story or poem of long ago from their ethnic group or
cultural background. They could be an immigrant, recent refugee or
Indigenous Australian. Make an audio recording. Talk about what this story or
poem shows about the history of some of Australia's people – in Australia or overseas.
Joint construction
Class
An important part of Australia's recent history is the 'wave' of immigrants to Australia who were refugees. Australia's treatment of these people is seen to have been both fair and unfair. In Ziba
Came on a Boat we don't know if the ending when Ziba and her mother arrive
in Australia (or somewhere else) will be happy or not. It is open-ended.
Write a joint construction about either Ziba or another child who arrives
in Australia, telling a fictional story about some of Australia's recent history.
Assessment
- Students self-evaluate the research skills used
to complete a research investigation. Adapt the example to reflect the
requirements of the research task.
- Self-assessment of a writing task. Adapt the
writing proforma as required.
- Students evaluate their contribution to a group
task. See example.
- Peer-assessment of a PowerPoint slideshow. Adapt
the artwork proforma as required.
- Students choose a selection of work samples that
they feel represent a high quality of work to put into a portfolio or
ePortfolio. Students annotate each piece of work selected to explain or reflect
on the piece.
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