Sky
OVERVIEW
In this unit of work, students will explore human/animal relationships by reading, analysing, debating and reflecting on societal views on the treatment of animals raised within Ondine Sherman’s coming of age novel Sky.
YEAR LEVEL
Year 7.
TEXT SUMMARY
Sky centres on the fictional teenage character Sky who after her mother’s death, moves in with her aunt and uncle in a small Australian town. After witnessing a case of animal cruelty, Sky is forced to question what is really important to her and who she wants to be.
Sky explores a diverse range of thematic concerns such as; identity, animal protection and tragedy. The novel has a strong focus on ethical understanding and sustainability and encourages readers to consider their actions and attitudes and how these can be harnessed to create a better world.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
This unit of work invites students to consider:
- How you can make a difference in the world with small acts.
- The fictional characters different perspectives regarding farmed animals within the novel as well as those which lay outside it – their own, the wider community and global perspectives.
- How actions and attitudes reflect societal views on the treatment of animals through drawing on a range of supporting fiction and non-fiction texts.
The novel itself, and the activities designed in this unit, have a strong focus on ethical understanding which encourages the development of personal values and attributes such as honesty, resilience, empathy, respect for others’, as well as the capacity to act with ethical integrity.
RESOURCES
- 8-week Unit of Work featuring five focus areas, complete with teacher instructions;
- Engaging student worksheets and handouts;
- Opportunities for extension;
- Interview with the author;
- Glossary and Quizlet;
- Formative and summative assessment tasks;
- Verbal, written, analytical, creative, research and reflective tasks;
- A range of additional resources including; videos, blogs, websites and other literary sources to complement the core text;
- Animal Protection Encyclopedia.
To access lessons and worksheets see the box on the right hand side of this page.
Read a preview of the text below:
Download the full Unit of Work HERE
Voiceless has Loan Kits of Sky (each containing up to 30 copies of the novel) available to Australian high school teachers free-of-charge.
Please email education@voiceless.org.au to apply for a Loan Kit of Sky.
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