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Dancing to My Own Beat - Worksheet
F 1 2 Standard Membership Worksheets English Literature & Contexts Analysing, Interpreting & Evaluating Language for Interacting With Others 6 Pages

Dancing to My Own Beat - Worksheet

This differentiated worksheet set explores character strength, self-belief and overcoming challenges through Giraffes Can't Dance. Foundation students identify brave actions and emotions shown by Gerald. Year 1 students examine Gerald's challenge, how he overcomes it and how his feelings change throughout the story. Year 2 students analyse Gerald's journey of self-belief, compare his growth from beginning to end and reflect on the lessons he learns about confidence and perseverance.

Learning goals

  • We are learning to use comprehension strategies, such as visualising, predicting, connecting, summarising and questioning to make meaning.
  • We are learning to use comprehension strategies to find literal and inferred meaning in texts.
  • We are learning to use comprehension strategies to find literal and inferred meaning in texts and begin to analyse texts by drawing on our knowledge.
  • We are learning to use appropriate interaction skills to respond to others in a familiar environment.
  • We are learning to recognise the impact that facial expressions and gestures have when asking for and providing information, making offers, exclaiming, requesting and giving commands.
  • We are learning to recognise formal and informal language and understand the appropriate use of each.
  • We are learning to understand how authors develop characters, settings and events in a variety of texts.
  • We are learning to discuss depictions of characters in well-known fairytales, e.g. children in forests, royalty in castles.
  • We are learning to use comprehension strategies, such as retelling, making inferences and finding key words to make meaning from multimodal texts.
  • We are learning to recognise the impact that facial expressions and gestures have when interacting with others.
  • We are learning to explore different ways of expressing emotions.
  • We are learning to understand the difference between commands, statements and questions (both open and closed).
  • We are learning to understand how authors develop characters in texts.
  • We are learning to use comprehension strategies to find literal and inferred meaning in texts.
  • We are learning to discuss depictions of characters in print, sound and images which reflect the contexts in which they were created.

Curriculum alignment

AC9E2LE01 9 Discuss how characters and settings are connected in literature created by First Nations Australian, and wide-ranging Australian and world authors and illustrators AC9E1LE01 9 Discuss how language and images are used to create characters, settings and events in literature by First Nations Australian, and wide-ranging Australian and world authors and illustrators AC9E2LA01 9 Investigate how interpersonal language choices vary depending on the context, including the different roles taken on in interactions AC9EFLY05 9 Use comprehension strategies such as visualising, predicting, connecting, summarising and questioning to understand and discuss texts listened to, viewed or read independently AC9E1LA01 9 Understand how language, facial expressions and gestures are used to interact with others when asking for and providing information, making offers, exclaiming, requesting and giving commands AC9EFLA01 9 Explore how language is used differently at home and school depending on the relationships between people AC9E2LY05 9 Use comprehension strategies such as visualising, predicting, connecting, summarising, monitoring and questioning to build literal and inferred meaning AC9E1LY05 9 Use comprehension strategies such as visualising, predicting, connecting, summarising and questioning when listening, viewing and reading to build literal and inferred meaning by drawing on vocabulary and growing knowledge of context and text structures ACELY1670 8.4 Use comprehension strategies to build literal and inferred meaning and begin to analyse texts by drawing on growing knowledge of context, language and visual features and print and multimodal text structures ACELT1587 8.4 Discuss how depictions of characters in print, sound and images reflect the contexts in which they were created ACELA1444 8.4 Understand that language is used in combination with other means of communication, for example facial expressions and gestures to interact with others ACELA1461 8.4 Understand that language varies when people take on different roles in social and classroom interactions and how the use of key interpersonal language resources varies depending on context ACELY1660 8.4 Use comprehension strategies to build literal and inferred meaning about key events, ideas and information in texts that they listen to, view and read by drawing on growing knowledge of context, text structures and language features ACELT1581 8.4 Discuss how authors create characters using language and images ACELA1446 8.4 Understand that there are different ways of asking for information, making offers and giving commands ACELA1787 8.4 Explore different ways of expressing emotions, including verbal, visual, body language and facial expressions ACELY1650 8.4 Use comprehension strategies to understand and discuss texts listened to, viewed or read independently ACELA1428 8.4 Explore how language is used differently at home and school depending on the relationships between people
EN1-11D old Responds to and composes a range of texts about familiar aspects of the world and their own experiences EN1-4A old Draws on an increasing range of skills and strategies to fluently read, view and comprehend a range of texts on less familiar topics in different media and technologies EN1-1A old Communicates with a range of people in informal and guided activities demonstrating interaction skills and considers how own communication is adjusted in different situations ENe-4A old Demonstrates developing skills and strategies to read, view and comprehend short, predictable texts on familiar topics in different media and technologies ENe-6B old Recognises that there are different kinds of spoken texts with specific language features and shows an emerging awareness of some purposes for spoken language ENE-RECOM-01 new Comprehends independently read texts using background knowledge, word knowledge and understanding of how sentences connect EN1-UARL-01 new Understands and responds to literature by creating texts using similar structures, intentional language choices and features appropriate to audience and purpose EN1-RECOM-01 new Comprehends independently read texts that require sustained reading by activating background and word knowledge, connecting and understanding sentences and whole text, and monitoring for meaning EN1-VOCAB-01 new Understands and effectively uses Tier 1, taught Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary to extend and elaborate ideas EN1-OLC-01 new Communicates effectively by using interpersonal conventions and language to extend and elaborate ideas for social and learning interactions ENE-VOCAB-01 new Understands and effectively uses Tier 1 words and Tier 2 words in familiar contexts ENE-OLC-01 new Communicates effectively by using interpersonal conventions and language with familiar peers and adults
VCELA200 Understand that there are different ways of asking for information, making offers and giving commands VCELA201 Explore different ways of expressing emotions, including verbal, visual, body language and facial expressions VCELT205 Discuss how authors create characters using language and images VCELA199 Understand that language is used in combination with other means of communication VCELY153 Use comprehension strategies to understand and discuss texts listened to, viewed or read independently VCELY186 Use comprehension strategies to build literal and inferred meaning about key events, ideas and information in texts that they listen to, view and read by drawing on growing knowledge of context, text structures and language features VCELA235 Understand that language varies when people take on different roles in social and classroom interactions and how the use of key interpersonal language resources varies depending on context VCELA165 Explore how language is used differently at home and school depending on the relationships between people VCELT240 Discuss how depictions of characters in print, sound and images reflect the contexts in which they were created VCELY222 Use comprehension strategies to build literal and inferred meaning and begin to analyse texts by drawing on growing knowledge of context, language and visual features and print and multimodal text structures

Australian Curriculum covers QLD / SA / WA / NT / TAS / ACT.

Differentiation

Modifications

Teacher scribing, oral responses, sentence starters, visual supports, partner discussion, reduced writing expectations, drawing responses, shared writing activities, guided completion.

Extensions

Create a new dance for Gerald, write a diary entry from Gerald's perspective, design a poster about self-belief, retell the story from the cricket's perspective, create a comic strip showing Gerald's journey, compare Gerald with another story character.

Teach it your way

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