Right Under Your Nose: FOUNDATION - HASS - Elaborate

When the power goes off, Big Cuz, Nanna, Little J and Old Dog go to the beach. They use bread to catch hermit crabs, which in turn are used to catch a ‘bluebone’ fish. Big Cuz learns how to fish, Nanna makes a fire to cook the fish, and Little J finds a large clam shell to take to school the next day.

Elaborate - Present narratives, information and findings in oral, graphic and written forms using simple terms to denote the passing of time and to describe direction and location

Theme - TERRAIN

Revisit Little J & Big Cuz, Episode 4 ‘Right Under Your Nose’, and concentrate students’ attention on the beach environment. Talk with students about their observations and recall the different beach environments that Little J, Big Cuz, Nanna and Old Dog discovered and encountered.

Have students suggest the different zones of the beach, such as the sea, the shoreline, the rocks/rock pools, the dunes and vegetation, the nature strip terrain, the human habitat. Divide students into groups and have each group elect one of the beach zones.

Ask students to list the type of marine animals and others for each environment. Share the list with other groups and add any further suggestions.

To assist students’ thinking about beach environments, read a selection of books (or view story video clips) and discuss the various environments they focus on:

  • Andreae, G. & Wojtowycz, D. (2001). Commotion in the ocean. New York: Scholastic.
  • Burarrwanga, L. & Ganambarr, R. & Ganambarr-Stubbs, M. & Ganambarr, B. & Maymuru, D. & Wright, S. & Suchet-Pearson, S. & Lloyd, K.  (2013). Welcome to my country.  Crows Nest, NSW:  Allen & Unwin.
  • Carle, E. (1990). A house for Hermit Crab. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.
  • Harvey, R.  (2013). Everything we ever saw: from the beach to the bush and more!.  Sydney:  Allen & Unwin.
  • Honey, E. (1996). Not a nibble! St. Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin.
  • McKinnon, K., (2016) Wild Australia, Australian Geographic.  ACP Publishing Pty Ltd ACP Publishing Pty Ltd ACP Publishing Pty Ltd
  • Pascoe, B.  (2015). Seahorse.  Broome, WA:  Magabala Books.
  • Pfister, M & James, J. A. (1992). The rainbow fish. New York: North-South Books. (animation)
  • Pfister, M & James, J. A. (1992). The rainbow fish. New York: North-South Books. (book reading)
  • Russell, E.  (2004). The shack that dad built.  Surry Hills, NSW:  Little Hare Books.
  • Wild, M. & Tanner, J.  (1989). There's a sea in my bedroom.  Camberwell, Victoria:  Puffin Books. (kids reading - with English subtitles: animation (Scootle TLF ID R6776)

Allocate a space in the room to build a beach profile. Spread a sheet on the ground and conduct an internet search for images of the land and marine animals (and their habitats) that live in a beach environment. Provide a WebQuest for students to locate suitable images, starting with the websites listed in the resources section of this module.

Divide the beach map as if it were an aerial view of the beach. Divide the class into a number groups that equates to the beach terrain divisions, e.g. Backshore, Foreshore, Nearshore, and Offshore. Have students attach the images of their land/marine animals to the sheet to form a beach collage. Invite students to bring small 3-dimensional objects to add to the collage, such as shells, toy fish and marine animals, etc.

Once all images and objects are secured, hang the sheet over a pole and suspend the beach collage vertically. Students can elect to add any animal name labels, personal drawings and other images they find about the beach. Throughout the activity, pupils are building up a sense of place and of the specific features that constitute that place. Invite each group to share their ideas on the environment they built, and justify their decisions for their selection.

Suggested resources:

View:

  • Australasian Gazette – Some Sunday morning 1920
  • A Day at the Beach 1955
  • At the Beach 1971
  • Fun Beach Facts for Kids, Earth Facts, Science Kids