Teachers Notes Forward March OMNIBUS BOOKS Written by Christobel Mattingley Illustrated by David Kennett Teachers Notes by Rae Carlyle OMNIBUS BOOKS Contents Category Picture Book Title Forward March Author Christobel Mattingley Illustrator David Kennett Publication date March 2014 Format 280 x 210 mm Extent 32 pp Binding Hardback Printing Colour Introduction... 2 About the Author.. 2 About the Illustrator. 2 Activities... 2 Previous publications978 1 74299 080 4 ISBN Christobel Mattingley Tucker s Mob (Omnibus Books, 1993) David Kennett Author and illustrator Forest of Bones (Omnibus Books, 2014) Pharaoh: Death and Life of a God (Omnibus Books, 2008) Solo Wildlife series (6 titles) Illustrator Howzat! A Celebration of Cricket (Omnibus Books, 2005) The Roman Army (Omnibus Books, 2004) Olympia: Warrior Athletes of Ancient Greece (Omnibus Books, 2000) OMNIBUS BOOKS Previous publications (Bob Brown and Ben Wood) Give Me a Home among the Gum Trees (Omnibus Books, 2007)
Introduction Forward March is an exploration of Anzac Day, of what it means, where it came from, and who is honoured by it. Mattingley and Kennett take the reader on a journey that starts with the modern day ceremony of remembrance before moving into the past, introducing us to the people, places and events that we recall on 25 April each year. They show us the conflicts and the participants, and paint a picture with both words and illustrations of just how much we today owe all those who fought, struggled, and died. Forward March is both thought- provoking and intricate enough to appeal to and teach senior primary and high school students while also being accessible to much younger readers. About the Author Christobel Mattingley is a distinguished and award- winning Australian author who has been writing since she was eight years old. She has written extensively for children and for adults, and her work is characterised by a strong sense of community. Survival in Our Own Land told the stories of Aboriginal people in South Australia, and more recently she has written about the wartime experiences of individuals caught up in conflict. In 2015 Christobel received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from her alma mater, the University of Tasmania. About the Illustrator David Kennett is a full- time artist, book illustrator and author whose previous books include Forest of Bones, Olympia: Warrior Athletes of Ancient Greece, The Roman Army and Pharaoh: Death and Life of a God, which he wrote and illustrated. Many of his books have been published internationally. Olympia: Warrior Athletes of Ancient Greece was the winner of the Eve Pownall Award for Information Books in the Children s Book Council of Australia Awards in 2001, and in 2003 David was awarded the Centenary of Federation Medal for services to Australia through literature. David s work reflects his deep passion for ancient history and mythology; he draws his characters and scenes from his imagination. Activities English and Literature Older Students 1) Forward March might be considered to be either a graphic novel or a sophisticated picture book. As a class, discuss which genre you consider that it best fits in. 2
Some things to include in your discussion are: What is a picture book? What is a graphic novel? How do they differ? Who are graphic novels written for who is the intended audience? Who are picture books written for who is the intended audience? How much text would you expect to find in a picture book, and in a graphic novel? What do the illustrations contribute to the storyline of a typical picture book, and how does this differ from a graphic novel? What are the layout and design of the illustrations in Forward March? Compare the layout and design choices to other books from both the genres you are discussing which group of books show the most similarity to the illustration choices made in Forward March? 2) In pairs, or in small groups, discuss the conclusions that you personally came to during the class discussion in exercise 1) above. Individually or in your groups, write an argument for or against Forward March being a graphic novel as opposed to a picture book. Include in your argument: Definitions of both picture book and graphic novel. A discussion of the various features of picture books and graphic novels. Examples of these features taken from the text and illustrations of Forward March. Any evidence within the book that counteracts your argument and why you think it is not as convincing as the evidence that supports your argument. 3) The language used in Forward March is deceptively simple. It bears features of both prose, and of poetry. As a class discuss the text of the book, and whether it should best be classified as a poem or as prose. Younger Students 4) In Forward March the author uses sequences of words starting with the same letter such as treacherous terrain and precious parachutes. When two or more words start with the same sound it is called alliteration. What other examples of alliteration can you find in the book? Why do you think an author will use alliteration? Individually or in pairs, create some alliterative phrases of your own. Look at the pictures in the book. Choose one picture that you really like, and write a descriptive paragraph or caption for it that uses alliteration. 5) As a class discuss the descriptive language used in the passage: Over rocky hillsides and treacherous terrain, in scorching desert sands, through squelching jungles and steep valleys, in mud and snow and rain, across endless oceans, in dark night skies What is an adjective, and which words in this paragraph are adjectives? Make a list of all the adjectives you can identify in this passage. 3
What is the emotional impact of the adjectives what feelings do you get from reading them all together, and why? In small groups think of some adjectives that could be used to describe some other types of landscape that aren't mentioned, such as mountains, rivers, and valleys. Try to choose adjectives that have the same emotional impact as the ones used in the book. What information do we get from words such as over, in, through and across? What do they tell us about what is happening? How does having so many different location words like this in a single passage affect how you feel? History and Geography As a class discuss what everyone knows about Anzac Day already. Some things to include in your discussion are: When is Anzac Day? When was the first Anzac Day? What are people commemorating on Anzac Day? How do people commemorate it? What do you and your family do on Anzac Day? How else do we commemorate Anzacs? Which countries have Anzac Day ceremonies? 6) Reread the book and make a list of all the different places that are mentioned in the text. On a map of the world mark the places mentioned. As a class discuss the widespread nature of all the battles that Anzacs have been involved in. 7) Research Gallipoli. What can you find out about the battle of Gallipoli, where it is, why Anzac soldiers were there, and what happened to them? There are many stories about famous Anzacs who participated there. Learn one of the stories (such as that of Simpson and his donkey for example) and share it with the class. 8) Anzacs have been involved in many conflicts over the years. As a class reread the book and make a list of all the wars and conflicts that are mentioned. In pairs or small groups choose one of these conflicts and research it, focusing on the part played by Australian soldiers. Use your findings to prepare a presentation to share with the class. Some points to discuss in your presentation are: Where was the war or conflict? What was it called at the time and what do we call it now? When did it start and when did it end? What precipitated the outbreak of hostilities? What happened afterwards? How many Anzacs participated and served there? Why were Anzacs involved? What do maps of the region look like now compared to maps from before the conflict 4
Art 9) The illustrator David Kennett has used two very distinct palettes in the illustrations of Forward March. As a class, discuss the features of the two palettes he has chosen. Some possible points for discussion include: What are the two distinct palettes that Kennett has used in his illustrations how can you describe the colour choices he has made, and what differentiates them from other possible choices? How does the subject matter of the two collections of artwork differ? What are the similarities and differences between them? What other artistic features differ between the two groups of artwork in the illustrations? Why do you think that Kennett might have made these choices? Hypothesise as to what he might have been trying to achieve. Think about things such as emotive impact upon the viewer and subconscious viewer associations when you are forming your hypothesis. Look at the last few pages of the book can you identify which palette Kennett has used for these pages? Why do you think the palette choice is less clear for the final scenes what effect might Kennett have been trying to create? 10) What motifs and recurrent themes within the imagery can you identify in Kennett s illustrations? What do you think they represent? Create a motif of your own that you think embodies some aspect of Anzac Day, and paint or draw an artwork featuring this motif. 11) As a class discuss the importance of the dual narrative how the words and pictures work together to create a coherent story, and how one reinforces the message of the other. Creative Activities 12) Attend an Anzac Day ceremony or service in your town. 13) As a class plan and host an Anzac Day commemorative school assembly. 14) Research the songs that were popular among Australian soldiers and citizens during either the First or the Second World War. As a class learn one or more of these songs and perform them for another class or at a school assembly. 15) Look online or in the library for photos and pictures of Anzac Day marches. Who can you see in the photos, and what are they doing? Compare the photos to the illustrations of Anzac day in the book what similarities can you see? Paint a picture of your own based on one of the photos that you have found. 5
16) Look at photos of Anzac Day from before 1960, and at recent photos. What differences can you see in the images from the two eras, and what similarities? Why do you think there are changes? 17) Visit your local war memorial. During your visit, some things you may like to consider and investigate are: Why do we have war memorials? Whose names are on it what roles did they play during times of conflict and war? Where are the people whose names are on it from? How many names are on your local memorial? Do any of the names belong to family members, relatives or neighbours of students in the class? What sort of people were also involved on Australia s behalf during conflicts and wars whose names are not listed? Which wars and conflicts are represented among the listed names? Why are war memorials important to a community? 18) Make a crayon rubbing of a section of a commemorative plaque at a local war memorial. 19) Research the relevance of the poppy, create an artwork featuring poppies and caption your artwork with information you found out from your research. 20) Volunteer to help sell badges and poppies before Anzac Day or Remembrance Day. Information on volunteering can be found at http://www.remembranceday.org.au/contact-us/ 21) Read Laurence Binyon s poem For the Fallen. What is the relevance of the fourth stanza (quoted below) to Anzac Day ceremonies in Australia? Discuss how and why this famous refrain is echoed within the text of the book, most especially on the last page. They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them. 22) Research The Last Post. Write a brief piece detailing where the tradition of playing it at Anzac Day ceremonies comes from, and the origin of the music. 6