•

•

•

SAMPLE

After what seemed like an eternity on our ship, the Charlotte, I heard word that we had nearly reached our destination, the land of ‘New Holland’. The conditions of the London jails were terribly unsavoury – cramped and extremely overcrowded – but overwhelmingly better than what we were subjected to on this ship. What had become my home for the past eight months was a gloomy, dank and unsanitary place, where disease was rife. We were confined to the lower decks, locked behind bars for most of the day, and rarely given the chance to venture out onto the deck and breathe in some much-needed fresh air. Nutrition was exceptionally poor, with us convicts only being given limited supplies of food (often stale and tasteless) such as mouldy bread and biscuits and salted meats. I longed for some fresh fruits and vegetables. The combination of this nutritionally-lacking food and very little fresh air resulted in the outbreak of much disease and illness. My good friend Mary, a young pregnant girl, died of scurvy in the last few days of our voyage, and I feared there were many more close to me who were not far behind; either a result of scurvy or other common diseases on this ship, including typhoid, smallpox and dysentery. With a severe outbreak of such infectious diseases, I was fortunate enough to escape suffering the same fate as many of my fellow convicts. I felt myself growing weaker by the day however, and longed for freedom from the ghastly ship. The smell on the lower decks was nauseating, with the stench of rotting timber, human faeces and bile constantly in the air. Sometimes I tried to remember what fresh air smelt like. The ship masters treated myself and my fellow convicts horrifically – flogging us, depriving us of our rations and refusing to treat those who were dying. I certainly hoped the land of New Holland was better than this horrible place.

their

Read the following passage from the diary of Elizabeth Smith and underline the words

that place it in first person format. Then, using the lines provided, write the third-person

version of the same word. An example has been done for you.

Q1

SAMPLE

1. Helen’s hair is...

Simile: _________________________________________________________

Metaphor: ______________________________________________________ 2. The sand at Kuta Beach was…

Simile: _________________________________________________________

Metaphor: ______________________________________________________ 3. The boy’s teeth were…

Simile: _________________________________________________________

Metaphor: ______________________________________________________ 4. When dancing her ballet routine, Samantha is...

Simile: ______________________________________

______________________________________

Metaphor: ___________________________________

___________________________________ 5. Max’s room was…

Simile: _________________________________________________________

Metaphor: ______________________________________________________ 6. Her elderly hands were…

Simile: _________________________________________________________

Metaphor: ______________________________________________________ 7. My sister’s fingernails are…

Simile: _________________________________________________________

Metaphor: ______________________________________________________

Similes and metaphors are both literary techniques that draw a comparison between two

typically unlike things. From the sentence beginnings provided, construct a simile and a

metaphor (using the same comparisons).

Q1

• A simile describes one

things as being like another.

Example: The house was

like an island in the middle

of the street.

• A metaphor says that one

thing is another.

Example: The house was

an island in the middle of

the street.

Remember

SAMPLE

In 1788, the First Fleet landed in Botany Bay, NSW. This fleet of ships came from

Britain and carried with them around 1530 people. This included convicts and their

families, marines and their families, and officers. They established a colony in NSW; this

was the beginning of European settlement in Australia.

The convicted criminals who embarked upon the journey to Australia – which was at the time referred to as ‘New Holland’ – left Britain in 1787. On January 26th, 1788, they reached Botany Bay; however, deciding that it didn’t suit their purposes, moved to Sydney Cove. With less than 2000 people, the convicts and officers laid the foundations for present-day Australia. In the subsequent years, two more fleets of convicts and another fleet of free settlers arrived.

When the settlers – people who go to a land that isn’t theirs to start a new community – got to Australia, they found that the land was already taken by people they called the ‘Aboriginals’. Unfortunately, it is very hard to come into somebody else’s land without fighting. The following years saw many Aboriginals and convicts die or get hurt.

Mrs Gould found the information below in a historical journal and wants to use it to teach

her Year 4 class about the convicts. However, it is not targeted to such young children –

rewrite the passage so that Mrs. Gould can use it in her class.

Q1

Sarah has to write an essay for her History assignment. However, the information she has

collected is too simple to use. Rewrite the information to make it more sophisticated. Q2

SAMPLE

•

•

•

SAMPLE

Firstly, thank you for your support of Mighty Minds and our resources. We endeavour to create high-

quality resources that are both educational and engaging, and results have shown that this approach

works.

To assist you in using this resource, we have compiled some brief tips and reminders below.

About this resource

This Mighty Minds ‘Fundamentals’ Lesson focusses on one subtopic from the NAPLAN Tests and

presents this skill through a theme from the Australian Curriculum (History, Science or Geography).

This lesson is also targeted at a certain skill level, to ensure that your students are completing work

that is suited to them.

How to use this resource

Our ‘Fundamentals’ Lessons are split into two main sections, each of which contain different types of

resources.

The student workbook contains

• The main title page; and

• The blank student worksheets for students to complete.

The teacher resources section contains

• This set of instructions;

• The Teacher’s Guide, which offers information that may be needed to teach the lesson;

• The Item Description, which gives a brief overview of the lesson and its aims, as well as extension

ideas;

• The student answer sheets, which show model responses on the student worksheets to ensure

that answers to the questions are clear;

• The teacher’s answer sheets, which provide a more detailed explanation of the model responses

or answers; and

• Finally, the ‘end of lesson’ marker.

We suggest that you print the student workbook (the first set of pages) for the students. If students

are completing this lesson for homework, you may also like to provide them with the student answer

pages.

Feedback and contacting us

We love feedback. Our policy is that if you email us with suggested changes to any lesson, we will

complete those changes and send you the revised lesson – free of charge.

Just send your feedback to resources@mightyminds.com.au and we’ll get back to you as soon as we

can.

SAMPLE

Person

Depending on whether it represents the person speaking, the person spoken to, or the person

spoken about, a text can be written in either first, second or third person.

First Person: A text written in first person represents the person speaking. It uses pronouns such as

‘I’, ‘me’, ‘my’, ‘we’, ‘us’ and ‘our’. First person is commonly used in autobiographical accounts such as

personal essays or memoirs.

Example: I was running late for school and nearly missed the bus.

Second Person: A text written in second person represents the person spoken to. It uses pronouns

such as ‘you’ and ‘your’. Second person is commonly used in marketing ploys and advertising.

Example: You will lose 10kg with Big Barry’s Weight Loss Plan, guaranteed!

Third Person: A text written in third person represents the person spoken about. It uses pronouns

such as ‘he’, ‘she’, ‘him’, ‘her’, ‘they’, ‘them’ and ‘theirs’. Third person is commonly used in non-fiction

pieces, such as academic essays and newspaper articles.

Example: He was one of the greatest AFL players of the 20th century.

Audience

For writing to be effective, it is essential that the intended audience is addressed appropriately.

Changing the tone, sentence structure and vocabulary can alter who a text is aimed at. For instance,

a piece of writing using complex language and lengthy sentences would be aimed at an older, more

educated audience whereas a piece of writing with short sentences and simple wording would be

aimed at a younger audience.

Example: The sentence, “The African Elephant, of the genus ‘Loxodonta’, derives from the

taxonomic family ‘Eliphantidae’ ; collectively elephants and mammoths” uses complex terms

and extensive sentences, as such, would be aimed at scientists or others who are highly

educated.

Example: The sentence, “Elephants are huge. They can grow up to four metres high!” uses

simple language and short sentences so would be aimed at a younger audience such as

small children.

Identifying Figurative Language

The ability to identify figurative language in texts is an important literary technique. Such devices

includes similes and metaphors.

Similes: Similes draw a comparison between two things that are typically unlike. They use words

such as ‘like’, ‘than’ or ‘as’ to liken one thing to another.

Example: Her hair was as soft as silk; My teacher has eyes like a hawk.

Metaphors: Like similes, metaphors draw a comparison between two typically unlike things.

However, whilst a simile describes one thing as being like another, a metaphor states that one thing

is another.

Example: The girl was a playful monkey; Her eyes were glistening diamonds.

SAMPLE

Please note: any activity that is not completed during class time may be set for homework or

undertaken at a later date.

‘Dear Diary’, ‘Similes & Metaphors’ and ‘The First Fleet’

• Activity Description: • The first activity consists of a passage from the Diary of Elizabeth Smith, which is written in

first-person format. Students are required to read the passage, underline the words that

place the passage in first person format, and rewrite the passage so that it is written in the

third person.

• The second activity requires students to construct both a simile and a metaphor from the

provided sentence beginning.

• The final activity consists of two passages. Students are required to rewrite each passage

so they more appropriately fit the stated target audiences.

• Purpose of Activity: • These activities are designed to hone students’ appreciation for literary

techniques, including their ability to differentiate between person, identify

tone and thus audience, and recognise similes and metaphors.

• KLAs: • English, History.

• CCEs: • Recognising letters, words and other symbols (α1)

• Interpreting the meaning of words or other symbols (α4)

• Comparing, contrasting (β29)

• Analysing (θ43)

• Using correct spelling, punctuation, grammar (π9)

• Suggested Time Allocation: • This lesson is designed to take an hour to complete, however, it can also be broken into

three twenty-minute sessions.

• Teaching Notes: • Read the instructions and passage as a class to ensure students know what is expected of

them.

• Allow students time to respond, then share the answers as a class at the end.

• Students may need dictionaries or thesauruses to complete The First Fleet.

Item Description

SAMPLE

she/Elizabeth their

they their

they

her/Elizabeth’s

they

the convicts

she/Elizabeth

her/Elizabeth’s

their she/Elizabeth

her/Elizabeth

she/Elizabeth

herself

her/Elizabeth’s she/Elizabeth

she/Elizabeth

her/Elizabeth her

them them

their she/Elizabeth

After what seemed like an eternity on our ship, the Charlotte, I heard word that we had nearly reached our destination, the land of ‘New Holland’. The conditions of the London jails were terribly unsavoury – cramped and extremely overcrowded – but overwhelmingly better than what we were subjected to on this ship. What had become my home for the past eight months was a gloomy, dank and unsanitary place, where disease was rife. We were confined to the lower decks, locked behind bars for most of the day, and rarely given the chance to venture out onto the deck and breathe in some much-needed fresh air. Nutrition was exceptionally poor, with us convicts only being given limited supplies of food (often stale and tasteless) such as mouldy bread and biscuits and salted meats. I longed for some fresh fruits and vegetables. The combination of this nutritionally-lacking food and very little fresh air resulted in the outbreak of much disease and illness. My good friend Mary, a young pregnant girl, died of scurvy in the last few days of our voyage, and I feared there were many more close to me who were not far behind; either a result of scurvy or other common diseases on this ship, including typhoid, smallpox and dysentery. With a severe outbreak of such infectious diseases, I was fortunate enough to escape suffering the same fate as many of my fellow convicts. I felt myself growing weaker by the day however, and longed for freedom from the ghastly ship. The smell on the lower decks was nauseating, with the stench of rotting timber, human faeces and bile constantly in the air. Sometimes I tried to remember what fresh air smelt like. The ship masters treated myself and my fellow convicts horrifically – flogging us, depriving us of our rations and refusing to treat those who were dying. I certainly hoped the land of New Holland was better than this horrible place.

Read the following passage from the diary of Elizabeth Smith and underline the words

that place it in first person format. Then, using the lines provided, write the third-person

version of the same word. An example has been done for you.

Q1

SAMPLE

Dear Diary

Question One:

Students were asked to read through the passage, underline the specifically first-person words and

then replace them using the third person. Below is an explanation of the changes made.

Original word: our

Replaced with: their

Reasoning: the pronoun ‘their’ is the third-person version of ‘our’. Note that the replacement word

must be plural.

Original word: I

Replaced with: she/Elizabeth

Reasoning: the pronoun ‘she’ and the noun ‘Elizabeth’ could both replace the first-person word ‘I’ as

they are both in third person. (Students should try to alternate their use of the pronoun (‘she’) and the

noun (‘Elizabeth’) in order to achieve a flowing passage.)

Original word: we

Replaced with: they

Reasoning: the pronoun ‘they’ is the third-person version of ‘we’. Note that the replacement word

must be plural.

Original word: my

Replaced with: her/Elizabeth’s

Reasoning: the pronoun ‘her’ and the noun ‘Elizabeth’ could both replace the first-person word ‘my’

as they are both in third person. However, the replacement word must indicate possession – ‘my’ is a

possessive word and ‘Elizabeth’s’ has a possessive apostrophe-s on the end. (Students should try to

alternate their use of the pronoun (‘her’) and the noun (‘Elizabeth’) in order to achieve a flowing

passage.)

Original phrase: us convicts

Replaced with: the convicts

Reasoning: while not a pronoun like most of the replacements, ‘the convicts’ is the replacement for

‘us convicts’ as it refers to them from an outsider’s perspective.

Original word: me

Replaced with: her/Elizabeth

Reasoning: the pronoun ‘her’ and the noun ‘Elizabeth’ could both replace the first-person word ‘me’

as they are both in third person. (Students should try to alternate their use of the pronoun (‘her’) and

the noun (‘Elizabeth’) in order to achieve a flowing passage.)

Original word: myself

Replaced with: herself

Reasoning: the pronoun ‘herself’ is the third-person version of ‘myself’.

Original word: us

Replaced with: them

Reasoning: the pronoun ‘them’ is the third-person version of ‘us’. Note that the replacement word

must be plural.

SAMPLE

1. Helen’s hair is...

Simile: _________________________________________________________

Metaphor: ______________________________________________________ 2. The sand at Kuta Beach was…

Simile: _________________________________________________________

Metaphor: ______________________________________________________ 3. The boy’s teeth were…

Simile: _________________________________________________________

Metaphor: ______________________________________________________ 4. When dancing her ballet routine, Samantha is...

Simile: ______________________________________

______________________________________

Metaphor: ___________________________________

___________________________________ 5. Max’s room was…

Simile: _________________________________________________________

Metaphor: ______________________________________________________ 6. Her elderly hands were…

Simile: _________________________________________________________

Metaphor: ______________________________________________________ 7. My sister’s fingernails are…

Simile: _________________________________________________________

Metaphor: ______________________________________________________

as wild as an unkempt lion’s mane.

a wild, unkempt lion’s mane.

like a golden blanket covering the ground.

a golden blanket covering the ground.

as glistening as a row of precious jewels.

a glistening row of precious jewels.

lighter than a feather floating in the breeze.

a feather floating in the breeze.

like a war zone of mess and destruction.

a war zone of mess and destruction.

as wrinkled as dried prunes.

wrinkled, dried prunes.

sharper than a row of metal spikes.

a row of sharp metal spikes.

Similes and metaphors are both literary techniques that draw a comparison between two

typically unlike things. From the sentence beginnings provided, construct a simile and a

metaphor (using the same comparisons).

Q1

• A simile describes one

things as being like another.

Example: The house was

like an island in the middle

of the street.

• A metaphor says that one

thing is another.

Example: The house was

an island in the middle of

the street.

Remember

SAMPLE

Similes and Metaphors

Question One:

Students were asked to use the beginnings of the sentences to write similes and metaphors. Below

are the sentence beginnings and model answers, as well as explanations.

1. Helen’s hair is…

Simile: as wild as an unkempt lion’s mane.

Metaphor: a wild, unkempt lion’s mane.

In this instance, Helen’s hair is compared to a lion’s mane. A simile is constructed by describing her

hair as being as wild as an unkempt lion’s mane, whereas the metaphor states that her hair actually is

a wild, unkempt lion’s mane.

2. The sand at Kuta Beach was…

Simile: like a golden blanket covering the ground.

Metaphor: a golden blanket covering the ground.

In this instance, a similarity is drawn between the sand at Kuta Beach and a golden blanket. For the

simile, it states that the sand is like a golden blanket covering the ground, whereas the metaphor

implies that the sand is a golden blanket covering the ground.

3. The boy’s teeth were…

Simile: as glistening as a row of precious jewels.

Metaphor: a glistening row of precious jewels.

In this instance, a comparison is being drawn between the boy’s teeth and precious jewels. A simile is

constructed by describing how his teeth are as glistening as a row of precious jewels, whereas his

teeth are a glistening row of precious jewels for the metaphor.

4. When dancing her ballet routine, Samantha is…

Simile: lighter than a feather floating in the breeze.

Metaphor: a feather floating in the breeze.

In this instance, Samantha’s dancing is compared to a feather. For the simile, it describes her as

being lighter than a feather floating in the breeze when she dances, whilst the metaphor states that

Samantha, when dancing, actually is a feather floating in the breeze.

5. Max’s room was…

Simile: like a war zone of mess and destruction.

Metaphor: a war zone of mess and destruction.

In this instance, a similarity is drawn between Max’s room and a war zone. In order to create a simile,

his room must be described as being like a war zone of mess and destruction, whereas a metaphor

implies that his room is a war zone of mess and destruction.

This answer guide is continued on the next page...

SAMPLE

...This answer guide is continued from the previous page.

6. Her elderly hands were…

Simile: as wrinkled as dried prunes.

Metaphor: wrinkled, dried prunes.

In this instance, a comparison is made between the lady’s elderly hands and dried prunes. A simile is

constructed by describing how her hands are as wrinkled as dried prunes, whereas the metaphor

states that her hands are wrinkled dried prunes.

7. My sister’s fingernails are…

Simile: sharper than a row of metal spikes.

Metaphor: a row of sharp metal spikes.

In this instance, the sister’s fingernails are compared to metal spikes. For the simile, it states that her

fingernails are sharper than a row of metal spikes, whereas the metaphor implies that her fingernails

actually are a row of sharp metal spikes.

SAMPLE

In 1788, the First Fleet landed in Botany Bay, NSW. This fleet of ships came from

Britain and carried with them around 1530 people. This included convicts and their

families, marines and their families, and officers. They established a colony in NSW; this

was the beginning of European settlement in Australia.

The convicted criminals who embarked upon the journey to Australia – which was at the time referred to as ‘New Holland’ – left Britain in 1787. On January 26th, 1788, they reached Botany Bay; however, deciding that it didn’t suit their purposes, moved to Sydney Cove. With less than 2000 people, the convicts and officers laid the foundations for present-day Australia. In the subsequent years, two more fleets of convicts and another fleet of free settlers arrived.

When the settlers – people who go to a land that isn’t theirs to start a new community – got to Australia, they found that the land was already taken by people they called the ‘Aboriginals’. Unfortunately, it is very hard to come into somebody else’s land without fighting. The following years saw many Aboriginals and convicts die or get hurt.

The convicts, or criminals, left Britain to come to

Australia in 1787. At that time, Australia was actually

called ‘New Holland’. On January 26th, 1788, they got

to Botany Bay but didn’t like it and moved to Sydney

Cove instead. With less than 2000 people, the

convicts and officers started to build Australia as we know it. In the years afterwards,

two more fleets (groups of ships) of convicts and another fleet of free people came to

Australia as well.

When the settlers arrived in Australia, they discovered

that the land was already inhabited by the Aboriginal

people of Australia. Unfortunately, colonisation of

another race’s land seldom occurs without violence, and

this was no exception. During the subsequent years, many

Aboriginals and convicts died or were wounded.

Mrs Gould found the information below in a historical journal and wants to use it to teach

her Year 4 class about the convicts. However, it is not targeted to such young children –

rewrite the passage so that Mrs. Gould can use it in her class.

Q1

Sarah has to write an essay for her History assignment. However, the information she has

collected is too simple to use. Rewrite the information to make it more sophisticated. Q2

SAMPLE

The First Fleet

Question One:

Students were asked to read Mrs Gould’s passage and ‘translate’ it into simpler terms (suitable for a

Year 4 student). This should have involved the usage of easier words, and could have also included a

slight change in sentence structure. Students could have also included brief definitions of the

essential harder words. Below is the original passage, the model answer and a brief explanation.

Original Passage: The convicted criminals who embarked upon the journey to Australia – which was

at the time referred to as ‘New Holland’ – left Britain in 1787. On January 26th, 1788, they reached

Botany Bay; however, deciding that it didn’t suit their purposes, moved to Sydney Cove. With less

than 2000 people, the convicts and officers laid the foundations for present-day Australia. In the

subsequent years, two more fleets of convicts and another fleet of free settlers arrived.

Model Answer: The convicts, or criminals, left Britain to come to Australia in 1787. At that time,

Australia was actually called ‘New Holland’. On January 26th, 1788, they got to Botany Bay but didn’t

like it and moved to Sydney Cove instead. With less than 2000 people, the convicts and officers

started to build Australia as we know it. In the years afterwards, two more fleets (groups of ships) of

convicts and another fleet of free people came to Australia as well.

This passage has been changed to include less complicated words and a simpler sentence

structure. It also includes a few definitions to explain the harder words used.

Question Two:

Students were asked to read Sarah’s simplistic information and make it more sophisticated. This is

the opposite of the preceding question and requires students to use more complex words (a

thesaurus may have been necessary) and remove all definitions, as it is assumed that the audience

understands the terms used. Below is the original passage, the model answer and a brief

explanation.

Original Passage: When the settlers – people who go to a land that isn’t theirs to start a new

community – got to Australia, they found that the land was already taken by people they called the

‘Aboriginals’. Unfortunately, it is very hard to come into somebody else’s land without fighting. The

following years saw many Aboriginals and convicts die or get hurt.

Model Response: When the settlers arrived in Australia, they discovered that the land was already

inhabited by the Aboriginal people of Australia. Unfortunately, colonisation of another race’s land

seldom occurs without violence, and this was no exception. During the subsequent years, many

Aboriginals and convicts died or were wounded.

This passage has been changed to include more complex words such as ‘inhabited’ and

‘colonisation’. The definitions included in the original passage have also been removed.

SAMPLE

SAMPLE