Big Rain Coming - Australia

Big Rain Coming
Katrina Germein
Illustrated by Bronwyn Bancroft
1999 Roland Harvey Books
Albert Park, Victoria

Big Rain Coming is set in the northern Australian aboriginal community of Minyerri. The story focuses on one family living in this remote area waiting for the dry season to end. The book reflects on how the people feel while they deal with hot temperatures and how the weather affects their way of life.

"A Season with no Rain"

Standards:
English Language Arts
2-1 The student will read and comprehend a variety of literary texts in print and non-print formats.
2-1.1 Analyze the details that support the expression of the main idea in a given literary text.
2-1.4 Find examples of devices of figurative language (including simile) and sound devices (including onomatopoeia and alliteration).
2-1.6 Explain the effect of the author’s craft (for example, word choice and the use of repetition) on the meaning of a given literary text.
2-1.7 Create responses to literary texts through a variety of methods (for example, writing, creative dramatics, and the visual and performing arts).
2-4 The student will create written work that has a clear focus, sufficient detail, coherent organization, effective use of voice, and correct use of the conventions of written Standard American English.
2-4.1 Generate ideas for writing using prewriting techniques (for example, creating lists, having discussions, and examining literary models).
2-4.2 Use complete sentences (including simple sentences with compound subjects and predicates) in writing.
2-4.3 Create a paragraph that follows a logical sequence (including a beginning, middle, and end) and uses transitional words.
2-4.4 Use grammatical conventions of Standard American English, including
• personal pronouns,
• common and proper nouns,
• singular and plural nouns,
• proper adjectives, and
• conjunctions (and, but, or).
2-4.5 Revise the organization and development of content and the quality of voice in written works.
Social Studies
2-2 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the local community and the way it compares with other communities in the world.
2-2.2 Recognize characteristics of the local region, including its geographic features and natural resources.
2-2.5 Compare the history and features of the local community with those of different communities around the world.

Objective: The student will use rich language to describe what it would be like to live through a season with no rain.

Materials: Paper, writing and drawing materials.

Procedure: After reading Big Rain Coming the teacher will lead a discussion about the author’s use of language. Through questions the teacher will lead the students to recognize that the author was able to paint a very clear picture of life in rural Australia without using very many words. The teacher should also point out how the author used the same phrase many times to make her point clear. The teacher will also as the students to reflect on the illustrations in the book concluding that they are not very realistic but they portray how the characters really must feel.
The students will then write a few sentences describing what they think it would be like to live in a place where it didn’t rain for a whole season. The students should focus on using descriptive words, not many words.
Then the students will draw a picture to represent what they wrote. The teacher should remind the students that the drawing does not have to be realistic as long as it expresses the idea of their writing.