English Stage 4
Cultural experiences in Australian literature
Resources
Title
No of
pages
Page
number/s
Part 1: Before reading activities
Student / teacher
information sheet 1
Unit overview: Cultural experiences
in Australian literature
2
3-4
OHT 1 / Worksheet
1
Worksheet 2
Cultural identity mind map
1
5
Cultural identity cloze passage
1
6
OHT 2
Answers to cloze passage
1
7
Worksheet 3
Interview questions
2
8-9
Worksheet 4
Representation
1
10
Worksheet 5
Stereotypes
3
11-13
Worksheet 6
Preparing a banquet group activity
1
14
Part 2: During reading activities
Worksheets 7a-f
Close study of Onion Tears
12
15-26
Worksheet 8
Food in Onion Tears
1
27
Worksheets 9a-f
Close study of The Burnt Stick
9
28-36
2
37-38
Part 3: After reading activities
Worksheet 10
Making links between the texts visual images
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Worksheet 11
Making links between the texts –
themes
1
39
Worksheet 12
Making links between the texts –
characters
2
40-41
Worksheet 13
Group activity and panel discussion
1
42
Assessment task requirements
1
43
Assessment task marking guidelines
1
44
Part 4: Assessment task
Student / teacher
information sheet 2a
Student / teacher
information sheet 2b
English Stage 4
January 2007
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Student / teacher information sheet 1
Unit overview: Cultural experiences in Australian literature
The work in this unit will involve you in the following activities:
Part 1: Before reading activities

defining the terms ‘cultural identity’ and ‘Australian literature’

exploring your own cultural identity as well as that of your classmates through
interview

learning about representation in texts and stereotypes

participating in a group project to design a banquet

learning about the language of comparison.
Part 2: During reading activities

studying closely the stories told in Onion Tears and The Burnt Stick through:
o reading and responding activities
o language activities
o extension tasks that include researching:
1. Bringing them home, the report of the National Inquiry into the
Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from
Their Families
2. Aspects of the Aboriginal Dreamtime
3. Life on an Aboriginal mission station
4. The history and importance of kites in different cultures
5. The funeral rituals of different cultures.
Part 3: After reading activities

using the language of comparison to make links between Onion Tears and The
Burnt Stick focusing on:
o visual images
o themes
o characters

participating in a panel discussion of the two texts.
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Part 4: Assessment task

Writing a composition comparing the stories told in Onion Tears and The
Burnt Stick. You will be assessed on your knowledge of the texts and your
ability to use the language of comparison in your composition. You must write
approximately 400-600 typed words and also submit a hand written plan and
draft of your work.
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OHT 1 / Worksheet 1
Cultural identity mind map
Cultural Identity
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Worksheet 2
Cultural identity cloze passage
Word bank
education
Language
belonging
aspects
generation
temple
traditions
religion
friends
cultural
children
sports
identity
political views
ethnic
origins
social
Our sense of __________________ to a particular cultural group is shaped by many
factors. One factor is the dominant country and __________________ group with which
we associate ourselves. Some people identify with more than one country or group and
this can sometimes lead to confusion about where they belong. Another factor is
__________________. As a particular cultural group often has a main religion shared
by most of its people, religion can also contribute to our sense of cultural
__________________. For some people this is a strong, unifying factor, whereas for
others is may mean nothing more than choosing to get married in either a church,
__________________ or mosque. __________________ is another powerful shaper of
cultural identity. Failure to learn the mother tongue of their parents contributes to the
__________________ losing a sense of their parents’ cultural __________________.
This can be hard for some parents to accept. In addition, connection with people from a
particular cultural group may also be fostered by a shared legal, political and
__________________ history and __________________ passed down from
__________________ to generation. Similar life experiences such as socio-economic
background, __________________, gender, occupation, __________________ and
age also shape our perception of our cultural identity. Life choices such as the
__________________ we make, our hobbies and the __________________ we play
can also be influenced by the cultural group with which we feel the most comfortable.
Various __________________ of our lives contribute to the way we feel about our
__________________ identity.
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OHT 2
Answers to cloze passage
Our sense of belonging to a particular cultural group is shaped by many factors. One
factor is the dominant country and ethnic group with which we associate ourselves.
Some people identify with more than one country or group and this can sometimes lead
to confusion about where they belong. Another factor is religion. As a particular cultural
group often has a main religion shared by most of its people, religion can also
contribute to our sense of cultural identity. For some people this is a strong, unifying
factor, whereas for others is may mean nothing more than choosing to get married in
either a church, temple or mosque. Language is another powerful shaper of cultural
identity. Failure to learn the mother tongue of their parents contributes to the children
losing a sense of their parents’ cultural origins. This can be hard for some parents to
accept. In addition, connection with people from a particular cultural group may also be
fostered by a shared legal, political and social history and traditions passed down
from generation to generation. Similar life experiences such as socio-economic
background, education, gender, occupation, political views and age also shape our
perception of our cultural identity. Life choices such as the friends we make, our
hobbies and the sports we play can also be influenced by the cultural group with which
we feel the most comfortable. Various aspects of our lives contribute to the way we feel
about our cultural identity.
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Worksheet 3
Interview questions
Interview your partner, and record their responses on the lines below.
1. What is your full name? (include your first name, middle name, if applicable, and your
surname.)
_____________________________________________________________________
2. How old are you? _____________________________________________________
3. Who do you live with? _________________________________________________
4 Were you born in Australia? If not, in which country were you born? How old were you
when you arrived here?
_____________________________________________________________________
5 What is your nationality? What is your religion?
_____________________________________________________________________
6. Have you travelled much? If so, tell me about some of your experiences. If you have
not travelled, where would you like to visit?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
7. What are your favourite activities / hobbies?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
8. What are two things which you like in life and two things you dislike?
Likes:
_____________________________________________________________________
Dislikes:
_____________________________________________________________________
9. What is your favourite season? Why?
_____________________________________________________________________
10. What are your favourite and least favourite colours? Why?
_____________________________________________________________________
11. What is your favourite music? __________________________________________
12. Describe a novel you have read recently or a film you have watched. What did you
like / not like about it?
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_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
13. Who are the most important people in your life? Why?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
14. Which emotion do you feel most often? Why do you often feel this way?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
15. What are some of your goals and ambitions for the future? How will you achieve
them?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
16. Choose a moment in your life which has played an important part in shaping who
you are as a person and explain why it had such an influence.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
17. What are three adjectives (describing words) which best describe you?
a) ______________________________________________________________
b) ______________________________________________________________
c) ______________________________________________________________
18. Who would you like to meet at some point in your life? Why?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
19. If you could be anyone or anything in the whole world who or what would you be?
Why?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
20. How would you describe your sense of cultural belonging? Do you feel all, mostly or
not at all Australian? If not, with what cultural background do you most strongly identify
with? Give reasons for your response.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
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Worksheet 4
Representation
A representation is the particular way a composer chooses to depict or portray a
person, place or thing using words, symbols or images for effect.
Now it is your turn to be a composer. In the boxes below depict four different types of
people, choosing them from the list on the left, using words, symbols or images.
student
doctor
nurse
mother
father
child
teenager
science teacher
art teacher
traveller
secretary
librarian
university professor
dancer
actor
musician
television presenter
accountant
bank manager
car salesman
journalist
computer technician
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Worksheet 5
Stereotypes
Sometimes representations are stereotypes. A stereotype is a representation based on
the 'typical' or commonly held 'picture' of the subject, an image of a group that often
labels members of that group in a particular, often narrow way. Composers sometimes
use visual stereotypes because the audience can easily recognise their meaning.
However, some stereotypes can be a misleading portrayal of a particular person or
culture, often giving a one sided viewpoint or perspective. Therefore, we need to be
careful when using stereotypical concepts or images. For example, the stereotype of a
feminist is an aggressive female who hates men and the stereotype of a librarian is a
middle-aged woman who wears glasses and a cardigan.
Look carefully at the four 'types' of people you have depicted on Worksheet 4.
Consider whether or not they might be stereotypes.
In the table below, write the title of each of the four people you have drawn in the
subject column. Then give a brief description of their representation in the column titled
'stereotypical visual representation'. The example of a doctor has been given for you.
In the last column, decide if your representation was a stereotype or not, discussing the
reasons for your answer with your partner.
Subject
Doctor
Stereotypical visual representation
Usually represented as a male, 40-50 years old,
wearing a white coat and a stethoscope around his
neck.
Stereotype?
Yes / No
Yes
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Why might stereotypes give a wrong or misleading impression of a person or
groups of people?
_____________________________________________________________________
Have you ever been stereotyped? If so, how did this make you feel?
_____________________________________________________________________
Do you think that stereotypes contain truthful or false information about people? Can
they contain a mixture of both? Give reasons for your answer.
_____________________________________________________________________
Why do you think stereotypes develop (come about)?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Stereotypes can also be cultural. For example, the stereotype of a person from
Scotland is a man wearing a kilt playing the bagpipes and the stereotype of a Japanese
tourist is a person with a camera.
Think of three other examples of cultural stereotypes. In what ways are they false or
misleading? Why do you think these stereotypes developed? Share your thoughts with
the class.
1. The stereotype of a ______________________ is a person who ______________
__________________________________________________________________
This can be misleading because
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
I think this stereotype developed because
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
2. The stereotype of a ______________________ is a person who ______________
__________________________________________________________________
This can be misleading because
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
I think this stereotype developed because
___________________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________
3. The stereotype of a ______________________ is a person who ______________
__________________________________________________________________
This can be misleading because
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
I think this stereotype developed because
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
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Worksheet 6
Preparing a banquet group activity
This task will require you to work in groups consisting of three to four members. Before
undertaking this assignment, you will need to visit the website, titled ‘Holidays &
Celebrations from Around the World’. This is the link you should follow:
http://www.topics-mag.com/internatl/holidays/festivals.htm
Description of task
Your group is to imagine that you are preparing an exotic banquet for a group of
extremely important guests from a particular cultural group, selected by you.
Task instructions
Total marks:
 Decide on the setting (country and venue) for the banquet.
Draw a map of where the event will take place. Include important places or
landmarks around the venue and a key to your map.
/20
/5
 Create an invitation for your guests. It must include the following information: Venue,
date, time, dress code, the reason for the celebration and RSVP information.
/5
 Design a menu for the evening – based on the research you found when viewing the
website: ‘Holidays and Festivals from around the World’.
The menu must include food from at least three different cultural groups and a
selection of:
 entrees/appetisers
 main meals
 deserts
 beverages
/10
 Your assignment is to be presented on A4 paper. Presentation is important, so
be sure to draft and edit your work before submitting your final copy. The map,
invitation and menu can be designed and illustrated by hand or using the
computer. Spelling, grammar and punctuation will be taken into account when
marks are distributed.
 Marks allocated will be of equal value, so all group members must share the
workload equally.
 Identify clearly the names of each group member on your final copy.
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Worksheet 7a
Close study of Onion Tears
Before reading
1. Who is the author of Onion Tears? _______________________________________
2. Who is the illustrator of Onion Tears? _____________________________________
3. Look at the Acknowledgements page where the author writes to thank all the people
who have helped her research and write this story. Use it to help you guess the country
in which this story is set. _________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Pages 7-14
1. Nam-Huong is the main character in this story. Can you guess her birth country?
______________________________________________________________________
2. Aunty is not really Nam-Huong’s aunt. In many cultures children refer to their parents’
close friends as ‘aunty’ or ‘uncle’, even if they are nor related by birth. Do you have any
‘aunties’ and ‘uncles’ who are not related to you by birth? ________________________
______________________________________________________________________
3. Make a list of the characters mentioned from Nam-Huong’s past and her present.
Past
Present
4. Why does Nam-Huong hate chopping smelly onions?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
5. Our names have meanings attached to them and these are often the reasons for the
choice of name given to us. Do you know the meaning of your name? Sometimes a
name is common to may cultures but they have different meanings. For example, Nara
in Old English means “the nearest and dearest one”; in Japanese it means “an oak
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tree”; and in one of the Aboriginal languages it means “a companion”. We don’t know
yet what Nam-Huong means, only that it was special to her mother. What meanings do
her schoolmates try to guess?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
6. We learn that Nam-Huong doesn’t speak. What three reasons are suggested for this
by the children at school?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
7. A simile is a way of comparing one thing with other using the words ‘like’ or
‘as’ to paint a picture in the reader’s mind. Nam-Huong uses a simile to describe
herself.
“I can never tell them why I am like the wooden bird that Grandpa carved for me so long
ago.” What do you think she means?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
8. How does this image compare to the little yellow canary Nan-Huong describes in her
letter?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
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Worksheet 7b
Close study of Onion Tears
Pages 15-23
1. Who makes Nam-Huong smile inside? Why? What does the expression “smile
inside” mean?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
2. Nam-Huong cries onion tears. What are onion tears? Why do you think she can’t cry
real tears?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
3. Danny described Nam-Huong’s food as “funny”. What did she have for lunch? Do you
know what this is?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
4. Describe Miss Lily, Nam-Huong’s teacher.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
5. Find the simile Diana Kidd used to describe the way she gets cross.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
6. Belief in ghosts is common to many cultures. What are ghosts?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
7. Where are the ghosts supposed to live in Nam-Huong’s present life? Where did she
think they lived in her past life?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
8. Who did Nam-Huong want to be like? Why?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
9. What do you think happened to Nam-Huong’s birth family? (Use the picture on page
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24 to help you.) Why do you think they don’t reply to her letters and the letters written by
her new aunty in Australia?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
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Worksheet 7c
Close study of Onion Tears
Pages 25-29
1. How does Aunty show she cares about Chu Minh?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
2. In the letter she writes to the little duck Nam-Huong uses an example of
onomatopoeia (a word that imitates the sound to which it refers). Can you find it?
______________________________________________________________________
Pages 29-30
1. Nam-Huong starts to connect with Miss Lily. Why is this?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Pages 31-39
1. Why do you think Nam-Huong doesn’t want to go to the beach with the other
children? (The picture of the boat will give you a clue.)
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
2. Write the example of personification (when a non-human thing is given human
characteristics) which is used to describe the giant waves Nam-Huong is afraid of.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
3. The author uses a simile to describe how Aunty would feel if Chu Minh does not
finish the soup on time. What is it?
______________________________________________________________________
4. Find the Australian word beginning with ‘y’ for this creature in the dictionary.
______________________________________________________________________
5. Why does Chu Minh use this expression? (Clue: Compare the colour of the uncooked
creature with the colour of the cooked creature.)
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
6. Why does Nam-Huong run away from Miss Lily's garden?
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______________________________________________________________________
7. What is a tip? __________________________________What did Chu Minh find
there? ________________________________________________________________
8. 'The music makes my heart blossom,' he said, 'It turns my blood into swirling rivers
and waterfalls - and only then can I make soups and dishes as fragrant and delicate as
jasmine petals.' Highlight the metaphor(s) (a comparison where one thing is said to
be another) and the simile used by Chu Minh in this quotation.
9. What did Chu Minh give Nam-Huong as a gift?
______________________________________________________________________
10. What did it remind her of?
______________________________________________________________________
11. What did Miss Lily ask Nam-Huong to help her do?
______________________________________________________________________
12. What did Miss Lily give to Nam-Huong to take to her Aunty and what did Chu Minh
do with it?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
13. In her letter to the little yellow canary Nam-Huong explains what happened the day
she said goodbye to her family. Explain in your own words how Nam-Huong’s family are
separated because of the war.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
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Worksheet 7d
Close study of Onion Tears
Pages 40-48
1. How does the note Tessa wrote about Nam-Huong's name make you feel? ________
______________________________________________________________________
2. How do you think Nam-Huong felt?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
3. Nam-Huong describes seeing ghosts everywhere in the house. Who or what are the
ghosts she is referring to? (Use the picture on page 43 to help you answer this
question.)
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
4a. Re-read the descriptions of Nam-Huong’s bike on pages 35 and 41 and then match
the following:
(a) Tyres
(
) like buffalo horns / little painted dragon
(b) Handlebars
(
) painted butterfly
(c) Mudguard
(
) fat
4b. How does it compare to the other children’s bikes?
(a) Mary’s
(
) ten gears
(b) Danny’s
(
) skinny tyres
(c) Tessa’s
(
) silver
4c. Now write a description of Nam-Huong’s bike, comparing it to the bikes belonging to
the other children. Use words which indicate comparions such as ‘whereas’, ‘however’,
‘similarly’ and ‘in contrast with’. Include the two similes Diana Kidd uses to describe
how Nam-Huong feels about it (see page 45).
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
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______________________________________________________________________
5. How does Danny describe her bike?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
6. What do the other children do to it?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
7. How does Nam-Huong react and how do you think she feels?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
8. What else do we learn about Chu Minh when he fixes Nam-Huong’s bike?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
9. Why did Nam-Huong want to stay on her bike forever when she went to the park with
Aunty and the Ngoc family?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
10. What else do we learn about Nam-Huong’s journey with her grandfather to escape
the war in her letter to the little duck?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
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Worksheet 7e
Close study of Onion Tears
Pages 49-57
1. Write the simile that describes Miss Lily’s appearance and tells us she is sick.
______________________________________________________________________
2. Chu Minh speaks in quite ‘flowery’ language. What is the hyperbole (exaggerating a
point for effect) he uses in the note he attaches to his dim sims for Miss Lily?
______________________________________________________________________
3. “…inside me there were tears – hundreds of them – crying for Miss Lily.” (Page 56)
What does crying on the inside mean?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
4. Why do you think Nam-Huong doesn’t cry real tears on the outside?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Pages 57-62
1. Nam-Huong climbs to the top of Miss Lily’s palm tree and sees the sea which brings
back memories for her. What else do we learn about her journey from Vietnam to
Australia with her grandfather in this letter she wrote to the little yellow canary?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
2. List all the similes and metaphors Nam-Huong used in this letter.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
3. Find an example of personification in this letter.
_____________________________________________________________________
4. Try to explain the meaning and the effect of this language technique. ___________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
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Worksheet 7f
Close study of Onion Tears
Pages 63-71
1. On the day Miss Lily comes home from hospital Nam-Huong follows Samson to the
beach. Her memories of her boat journey flood back…
‘And for a moment I was on the boat again, and the water was gold around the
silent bodies I saw floating there – floating on the saffron sea, staring at the
saffron sun – and I saw my Grandpa there, silently floating away.’
(a) Saffron is a spice which is yellow or orange in colour. Why would the sea have been
saffron in colour?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
(b) Alliteration is when words which begin with the same consonant (all the letters
in the alaphabet which are NOT vowels - A, E, I, O, U) are used either one after the
other or in the same sentence. It is a technique often used in poetry to give a
rhythmical effect. Give an example of alliteration from this passage.
_____________________________________________________________________
(c) Why do you think Diana Kidd chose to use this technique here? ________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
(d) What is the metaphor Diana Kidd used to describe the water?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
(e) Why do you think she chose to use this metaphor?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
2. ‘And all the world was crying…’ (page 63)
(a) Who is Nam-Huong thinking of?
___________________________________________
(b) What is the Vietnamese name for grandfather?
_______________________________
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(c) What happens next which causes Nam-Huong to cry real tears and speak again?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
3. “My tears poured out like monsoon rains.” (page 64) What is the meaning and effect
of this simile? (You will need to know what a monsoon is.)
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
4. Who does Nam-Huong cry for?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
5. Miss Lily comforts Nam-Huong. What does Nam-Huong tell her?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
6. At the top of the tree Nam-Huong remembers the little yellow canary and wishes it
was with her, singing. How is Nam-Huong feeling now?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
7. List the things Nam-Huong does on her camping trip with Miss Lily, Mary, Tessa and
Danny.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
8. How do you think putting flowers on the river and watching them float away helped
Nam-Huong?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
9. At the very end of the novel, what happens that tells us Nam-Huong has accepted
what happened to her family.
______________________________________________________________________
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______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
10. How does this compare to her previous questions about what happened to them?
(Clue: compare her questions, “Where are they?” to her statements, “Tell them…”)
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
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Worksheet 8
Food in Onion Tears
Traditionally food has been one of the main distinguishing features of culture. A sense
of belonging to a particular cultural group is fostered by the food we eat and the way it is
used in celebrations, customs and traditions. Food is mentioned throughout Onion
Tears. At the beginning of the novel it sets Nam-Huong apart from the Australian
students in her school; by the end, they are enjoying her Vietnamese food.
In the table below make a list of all the food mentioned in the story.
Vietnamese
“Australian”
Research each of these dishes on the Internet, or pool knowledge from
classmates who are from Vietnamese and Anglo-Celtic backgrounds to find out
what ingredients are used to make these dishes, what they look like and when
they are eaten.
At the beginning of the novel Nam-Huong had cha gio for lunch.
Danny sat next to me and poked his fingers in my lunch box and said, ‘What’s
that funny stuff?” (page 17)
1. Have you ever been teased at school for what you ate? If so, how did it make you
feel? If not, can you imagine how you would feel?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
2. How does Danny’s reaction here compare to his reaction at the end of the novel,
after he has been exposed to Vietnamese food. (See pages 67-68.)
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
3. Apart from exposure to the food, what other factors do you think have contributed to
his change of perspective?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
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Worksheet 9a
Close study of The Burnt Stick
Pages 1-9
Responding questions
Answer the following questions in your workbooks.
1. Where did John Jagamarra grow up?
2. Was he the son of an Aboriginal or a white person or both? Think about the
significance of his surname.
3. Explain why the author, Anthony Hill, describes the Pearl Bay Mission as ‘a very
beautiful place.’ (page 1)
4. What was the purpose of the Mission?
5. What did the Fathers teach the children at the Mission?
6. What did the Father not teach the children at the Mission? Why not?
7. The author says three times, ‘it was not like home.’ What is the effect of this
repetition? What reasons are given for why it was not like home?
8. What was felt to be the best thing for the children with light-coloured skin?
9. Why do you think this was the belief of many people at this time?
10. “Nobody asked the mothers before they took their children... And nobody asked
the children…” (page 9) Why were they not asked?
Language activities
1. Learn how to spell the following terms and use a dictionary to help you explain their
meanings.
Bay
______________________________________________________________________
Tropical sea
______________________________________________________________________
Trochus shells
______________________________________________________________________
Corrugated iron
______________________________________________________________________
Ancestor spirits
______________________________________________________________________
Aboriginal tongues
______________________________________________________________________
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2. When a writer wants to create pictures (images) of people places and things in a
reader’s mind he can use many different language techniques. Anthony Hill uses
adjectives to do this.
An adjective is a describing word which in English comes before the noun or the
pronoun to which it refers.
a) Find 10 adjectives from pages 1-3 and list them below. Make sure you know their
meanings.
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
b) Now re-read these pages leaving out the adjectives. What is the effect?
Extension activity
Find out what you can about the government policy of forcibly removing half-caste
Aboriginal children from their families and culture.
What is the name given to the generations of children who suffered because of this
policy?
Find out what you can about the Bringing them home, the report of the National Inquiry
into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from Their Families.
How has the Australian government responded in recent years?
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Worksheet 9b
Close study of The Burnt Stick
Pages 10-19
Responding questions
Answer the following questions in your workbooks.
1. Where was John Jagamarra born?
2. John is five years old when he is taken away but he is able to remember many
things about his life before his time at the Mission. List the 6 things he
remembered.
3. What can you remember about your life when you were this age?
4. When did he remember things most clearly? What specifically did he remember
at this time? Why do you think he would remember this so clearly?
5. Who is Mrs Grainger? What did she find difficult about life on a homestead?
6. Why is the word ‘always’ on page 16 written in italics?
7. How were the children in the camp told about the stories from the Dreamtime?
8. List some of the stories told to the children?
9. How was the remembrance of the camp comforting and soothing to John?
Language activity
Another language technique used by Anthony Hill to help readers visualise the world
within his story is his choice of words that appeal to the reader’s five senses. What are
the five senses?
_____________________________________________________________________
On pages 10-13 Anthony Hill is taking the reader into the traditional Aboriginal world of
John Jagamarra when he was young. Re-read these pages carefully and complete the
table below with phrases (parts of a sentence) that have been chosen to appeal to the
reader’s senses. Include also the senses being appealed to and the effect. Some have
been done for you.
Phrase
‘John Jagamarra remembered the
heat and the dust’ p10
‘red horizons of the inland desert
country’ p10
‘sweaty in the shirts and trousers’
p10
Sense
touch
Effect
The reader is able to experience
the climate of John Jagamarra’s
place of birth
Readers are able to visualise the
landscape
Extension activity
Research the stories from the Aboriginal Dreamtime which were told to Aboriginal
children, including the stories of the Barramundi, the Crow, the Eagle, the King Brown
Snake and the Frill-Necked Lizard.
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Worksheet 9c
Close study of The Burnt Stick
Pages 20-23
Responding questions
Answer the following questions in your workbooks.
1. Who was Charlie Warragin and what did he say to Liyan?
2. John Jagamurra felt his mother become very tense, “her fear flowing into
himself.” (page 20) What does this mean?
3. ”They cannot do this thing!”(page 21) What was the thing Liyan believed they
could not do?
4. Who was Jabel? Explain the meaning of his words, “They have been coming
from the day he was born.” (page 21)
5. How do the women in the camp respond to this shocking news?
6. Have you ever lost someone or had something you loved taken away from you?
Describe how this even made you feel.
Language activities
1. Anthony Hill, like many story tellers, uses direct speech as a way of recording
what the characters in a story actually say. It has the effect of helping the reader
imagine they are witnessing the conversation take place between the characters. The
exact words which are spoken by the characters are enclosed in quotation marks. This
helps to get the reader really involved in the story. Indirect speech simply reports
what was said, not necessarily how it was said or even using the exact words.
Complete the table below, changing the examples of direct speech into indirect speech.
The first one has been done as an example for you.
Direct speech
‘He will not be coming back,’ said Charlie
Warragin.
Indirect speech
Charlie told them that John Jagamurra
would not be coming back.
‘They cannot do this thing!’ cried Liyan.
‘I love my son! This is his family! They
cannot come to take him away!’ (Liyan)
‘They have been coming from the day he
was born,’ said Jabal.
2. Exclamation marks (!) are used to indicate an imperative or command, or to show
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strong emotion. Find an example from pages 20-23 and write it below. Why do you think
Anthony Hill has chosen to use an exclamation mark in this example?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Extension activity
Grief is experienced by people in all cultures when a loved one dies. However, the way
grief is expressed through rituals, traditions and expectations can be very different.
Compare the response of John Jagamarra’s grandmother and the other women in the
camp with the way grief is expressed in your culture. What are the similarities? What
are the differences? These traditions and expectations can change over time. For
example, wearing black at funerals is still common but it is not compulsory in Western
society as it used to be and women no longer have to continue wearing black for a
period of time following the death of their husband.
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Worksheet 9d
Close study of The Burnt Stick
Pages 24-33
Responding questions
Choose the best endings for sentences 1 to 10.
1. Liyan woke her son to:
a) give him a shower
b) tell him her idea
c) hand him over to the Big Man
d) console him as he was frightened.
2. John’s mother ground the soot into powder in order to rub it:
a) into his feet and up his legs
b) over his belly and chest
c) into his hands and along his arms
d) all over his body.
3. John Jagamarra’s grandmother:
a) was unable to recognise her grandson
b) was able to recognise him clearly
c) thought the white men would not recognise him
d) did not think her daughter’s plan was clever.
4. That morning, the men and the older children left the camp:
a) to avoid getting into trouble from the police
b) to avoid being questioned by the welfare people
c) because only the women and children could stay during the day
d) because it was going to be a hot day.
5. Paragraph two on page 30 is:
a) a description of the Big Man
b) an example of pigin English
c) a rhetorical question
d) a recount of events.
6. John Jagamarra has to go with the Big Man to Pearl Bay because:
a) the white men believed their way was best
b) his mother could no longer care for him
c) his father wanted custody of him
d) reading and writing in English is essential for survival.
7. The Big Man sounded impatient because:
a) Mrs Grainger apologised to him
b) the sun’s rays hurt his eyes
c) Liyan denied having a light-coloured boy
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d) he had a long way to go.
8. Mrs Grainger felt uncomfortable because:
a) she told the Big Man about John Jagamurra
b) her wedding ring hurt her finger
c) she was afraid of the Big Man
d) the sun was in her eyes.
9. John’s mother was very careful not to touch him because:
a) he would ache all over
b) the sun was behind him
c) the charcoal was hot
d) it could expose his real skin colour.
10. The Big Man and the two policemen drove away without John Jagamurra because:
a) he had run away
b) Mrs Grainger lied to them
c) Liyan’s trick had worked
d) they had made a mistake.
Language activity
As well as using adjectives and words that appeal to a reader’s senses, Anthony Hill
also uses metaphors to create images. Recall the term ‘metaphor’ and record the
definition.
______________________________________________________________________
An example of a metaphor he uses is on page 31, ‘His skin, where Liyan had rubbed it
with the burnt stick was the colour of earth when the shadow falls upon it’. Describe in
your own words the image this metaphor creates in your mind.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Extension activity
‘The two policemen and Harriet Grainger did not like what they were about to do. But it
was the law.’ (Page 30) Find out what you can about this ‘law’.
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Worksheet 9e
Close study of The Burnt Stick
Pages 34- 51
Responding questions
Answer the following questions in your workbooks.
1. How was Liyan’s trick celebrated by her own people?
2. Why did Mrs Grainger warn Liyan? What three things did she warn Liyan about?
3. Look at the picture spread across pages 34-35. What emotions is it trying to
convey? Contrast it with the picture on the next two pages.
4. Explain in 5-10 lines how Liyan saved her son from being taken away for the
second time.
5. How was her success in deceiving the Big Man from Welfare and the policemen
celebrated this time?
6. Explain Jabal’s warning about the Crow.
7. What was the terrible thing that happened that night after the camp went to
sleep?
8. Describe and explain the pictures on pages 44-45.
9. Describe briefly how Liyan and the others in the camp tried to save John
Jagamurra.
10. “‘They are not like us. They soon forget.’” (Page 50) Explain the implication of
this statement behind the Big Man’s words.
11. “But John Jagamurra did not forget.” What did he remember “during all those
long years he grew up at the Mission by the pearl-shell sea.” (page 51)
Language activity
Recall the definition of a simile and write it here.
______________________________________________________________________
Identify the simile used to describe the colour of John Jagamurra’s skin on page 47.
How is it compared to his mother’s skin?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Extension activity
Find out more about what life was like for those Aboriginal children who grew up on a
mission station like John Jagamurra.
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Worksheet 9f
Close study of The Burnt Stick
Pages 52-53
Responding questions
1. What were the changes John Jagamurra found at Dryborough Station when he
returned many years later?
2. What things did John Jagamurra tell his son?
3. What does John Jagamurra do to himself and his son the morning before they
left? Explain the message about cultural identity which is conveyed on the final
pages of The Burnt Stick.
Language activity
Choose a language or visual feature used on pages 52-53 and explain its effect.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Extension activity
Imagine you are John Jagamarra. Write a letter to your mother, Liyan, describing your
life at the Pearl Bay Mission and what you miss about your old life in the inland desert
country near Dryborough Station.
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Worksheet 10
Making links between the texts – visual images
Draw up the following table in your workbooks, allowing plenty of space to write your
responses.
The Burnt Stick
Onion Tears
Author and brief
biographical information
Illustrator and brief
biographical information
Audience
Purpose
Graphics Yes / No
Comment on the graphics,
considering the style of the
artwork, colours used on
the covers, recurring
images and the emotions
conveyed in the graphics
Choose one illustration and
explain its relevance to the
plot and themes
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Paragraphs
Now that you have identified and thought about the visual features used in Onion Tears
and The Burnt Stick you are ready to write about them. Use the table and the words
from the bank below to help you complete the following paragraphs demonstrating how
to write a comparison of the visual features used in the two texts.
Word bank
whereas
Both
Diana Kidd
chopsticks
smiling
Mark Sofilas
For example
differs from
young teenagers
boat
Similarly
Anthony Hill
frown
hip
waving
Dee Huxley
in contrast with
John Jagamarra
Graphics
thousands
1. The author of The Burnt Stick is ________________ its illustrator is
____________________________; the author of Onion Tears is
_________________________ and its illustrator is _______________________.
2. The target audience for Onion Tears is ____________________ interested in stories
about young people who have made Australia their home. This
_____________________ The Burnt Stick which explores the experiences of a
community of people whose links to Australia go back _____________ of years and
which has been targeted at “everyone who has wondered about the pain of separation,
and the strength of the human spirit…”
3. ______________ these novels share similar purposes: to entertain; and to tell a story
about cultural experiences.
4. ________________ are an important way meaning is communicated in each novel.
In Onion Tears the characters’ emotions described in the written text are also portrayed
in the illustrations. __________________, Miss Lily’s anger at Danny can be seen in
the __________on her face and open mouth and in her body language, one finger
pointing at him and the other hand on her _________ (page 18). _____________, in
The Burnt Stick, Mark Sofilas conveys the joy of the children when
____________________ is saved the first time in their _____________ faces and in the
way they are depicted running freely, arms _____________in the air (pages 34-35).
However, _________________ Onion Tears, The Burnt Stick does not repeat its
images for effect. One image in Onion Tears which is repeated throughout the novel is
the __________which reinforces the theme of the refugee journey Nam-Huong took
from Vietnam to Australia. It is a reference to her past life, _________________ the
other image which is repeated constantly is that of the ___________________,
reinforcing the cultural aspect of her life in Australia which she shares with her new
friends.
After checking your answers rewrite this comparison in your workbooks.
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Worksheet 11
Making links between the texts - themes
In your workbooks, make a list of the themes in each novel. Then, highlight the themes
which the texts have in common. Re-write these themes in the table below. Then for
each theme identify an example, quote or reference to a visual image which supports
this theme.
Common theme
Example/quote/reference from
Onion Tears
Example/quote/reference from
The Burnt Stick
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Worksheet 12
Making links between the texts - characters
This activity requires you to ‘step into the shoes’ of certain characters through role-play.
Place a chair, the “hot seat”, at the front of the classroom, facing the rest of the class.
You will each take a turn sitting in the hot seat where you imagine that you are actually
one of the characters. Other class members will ask you questions. You must assume
your character’s personality, body language, attitude and voice in your answer.
You may need to invent or make up some of the information in order to answer the
questions but you cannot say anything that is inconsistent with either story or
what has been learned from other “hot-seaters”. Use the language of comparison to
compare yourself with characters in the other novel.
To help you prepare for your performance in the hot seat, choose 2 characters from
Onion Tears and 2 characters from The Burnt Stick. Then select 3 questions to ask
each of these characters and consider the answers. Questions might include:






What is your full name
Where do you live now?
Have you ever lived in another country?
What do you enjoy doing?
How do you feel when…?
What do you think of…? (another character or event)
Onion Tears Character 1:
_________________________________
Question 1:
______________________________________________________________________
Question 2:
______________________________________________________________________
Question 3:
______________________________________________________________________
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Onion Tears Character 2:
_________________________________
Question 1:
______________________________________________________________________
Question 2:
______________________________________________________________________
Question 3:
______________________________________________________________________
The Burnt Stick Character 1:
_________________________________
Question 1:
______________________________________________________________________
Question 2:
______________________________________________________________________
Question 3:
______________________________________________________________________
The Burnt Stick Character 2:
_________________________________
Question 1:
______________________________________________________________________
Question 2:
______________________________________________________________________
Question 3:
______________________________________________________________________
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Worksheet 13
Group activity and panel discussion
This activity requires your group to revise and compare aspects of both stories, Onion
Tears and The Burnt Stick. Draw up the following table on a large sheet of butchers
paper, allowing plenty of space to write points discussed in your group about each
aspect listed in the table. Don’t forget to express your ideas using the language of
comparison.
Onion Tears
The Burnt Stick
Settings
Characters
Themes
Narrative style
(point-of-view)
Language
techniques
Visual
techniques
Lessons to be
learned
Panel discussion
When each group has finished collecting information from both stories there will be an
opportunity for everyone to participate in the sharing of ideas with the class in a panel
discussion.
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Student / teacher information sheet 2a
Assessment task requirements
Task description:
Compose a piece of writing that compares the stories told in Onion Tears and The Burnt
Stick. Your composition must be 400-600 words and include information from both
stories on:
 themes
 plot
 characters
 visual features
 one other aspect of story telling of your choice.
You will be assessed on your ability to:
 make connections between Onion Tears and The Burnt Stick, considering plot,
characters, visual features and one other aspect of story telling of your choice

show understanding that these texts express themes concerning cultural
experiences

use the language of comparison to make connection between the two texts.
Your composition must be 400-600 words in length, typed using black or blue 12 point
Ariel or Times New Roman font. You must also submit a hand written plan with dot
points addressing each aspect of story telling listed above and a hand written draft of
your composition.
Preparation: Use Worksheets 10-13 to help you gather information for your
composition. The cloze paragraphs on Worksheet 10 can be adapted and used as a
beginning for your composition and provide an example of how to structure your writing.
Stage 4 Outcomes:
8. A student makes connections between and among texts.
9. A student demonstrates understanding that texts express views of their broadening
world and their relationships within it.
10. A student identifies, considers and appreciates cultural expression in texts.
11. A student uses, reflects on and assesses individual and collaborative skills for
learning.
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Student / teacher information sheet 2b
Assessment task marking guidelines
A
B
C
D
A student in this band:
 shows comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the characters,
plot, visual features and one other aspect of story telling in each text
 makes detailed connections between texts using the language of
comparison effectively
 demonstrates insightful understanding of how themes of cultural
experiences are represented in each text
 organises writing effectively and demonstrates sustained control of
expression, spelling, punctuation and grammar.
A student in this band:
 shows sound knowledge and understanding of the characters, plot,
visual features and one other aspect of story telling in each text
 makes detailed connections between texts using the language of
comparison appropriately
 demonstrates sound understanding of how themes of cultural
experiences are represented in each text
 organises writing and demonstrates sound control of expression,
spelling, punctuation and grammar.
A student in this band:
 shows satisfactory knowledge and understanding of at least three out of
the four aspects of story telling in each text
 makes some connections between texts using the language of
comparison
 demonstrates some understanding of how themes of cultural
experiences are represented in each text
 demonstrates satisfactory control of expression, spelling, punctuation
and grammar.
A student in this band:
 shows elementary knowledge and understanding of some of the aspects
of story telling in each text
 attempts to make connections between texts
 attempts to demonstrate understanding of how themes of cultural
experiences are represented in one or both texts
 writes with varying control of expression, spelling, punctuation and
grammar.
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