Environment and animals
Animal stories all rely on the environment in which they are set, and basically fall into three areas:
- educational, life-cycle nature studies disguised as a story
- indirect explorations of reality via talking animals
- investigations of human-animal relations.
(1976), Every year has its special film - this year it's... [picture] : Storm Boy, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-133752089
(1976), Every year has its special film - this year it's... [picture] : Storm Boy, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-133752089
Learning activities
The world of animals is as mysterious to us as it is intriguing; we often wonder what animals get up to when we’re not around. Ask students to think about their favourite animal (you could use a theme, such as an Australian land animal, sea animal or bird). Have students research the animal, its habitat, its behaviours and other characteristics, then ask them to develop a fictional story around that animal.
Some questions to prompt stories might include:
- What does the animal do when there are no people around?
- What might this animal be talking about with others of its kind?
- How does it interact with other species?
- What problems might face that animal and how might that animal find ways to resolve them? Can humans help?
More to learn and do
Kathy Weeden reading her book Phonobet, illustrated by Kim Drane and published by NLA Publishing, at Enlighten at the Library 2024
