Resource+2


 * ‘//Australian Habitats: Rainforests’// by Greg Pyers **



** __Explanation of Resource__ ** The text by Greg Pyers on the ‘Australian Habitats: Rainforest’ is a factual text which provides information about the natural habitats in Australia. The text provides systematic introduction to content information about the different aspects of the natural environment including habitats, plants and animals and the interaction between people and the environment. The resource is rich in factual information and visual literacy which makes literacy learning the more meaningful as they are able to discover and learn about the environment and the world in which we live in. This text also contains technical vocabulary and abstract concepts which is important in developing students visual, scientific and field knowledge about the unit topic. The text also provides information about the Daintree Rainforest which has direct links with Jeanne Bakers text on //‘Where the forest meets the sea’.// Hence this text can be used as a reference point in gathering information about the context of Jeanne Baker’s book.

**__Rationale and Relevance to Unit Outcome__** The resource will provide students with the field knowledge in learning about the topic of unit on rainforest. The resource can directly be linked to the RS2.8 English and LTS2.3 Science outcome for it allows students to learn about the functions of natural environments and the interactions between living things within its environment (BOS Science, 1998, p26). This is important in building the field so students can conceptualise the information about the topic and gain an understanding of what a rainforest entails and its significance to the environment. Students are introduce to the text of an information report where they will be expose to text structure and the grammatical features that characterises this particular text (BOS English, 2006, p18). Explicit scaffolding of instructions in learning about the text type will lead to students writing an information report.

Through the resource students will be exposed to the textual features of an information report. Students will explore the text through the visual and written elements of how these are combined to enhance meaning. The lesson will also concentrate to develop students skills in analysing and synthesising information. Routman (2000) states that ‘being able to skim, scan, interpret, summarise, visualise and understand nonfiction texts is critical to becoming a well educated, thoughtful citizen’ (Bryce, 2011). Thus the importance of teaching students these skills is critical when analysing factual text. The written grammar is explored through the explicit scaffolding of technical vocabulary and science knowledge. Teaching of these features is important in building students semantic knowledge of the factual text. It is a resource that will allow students to explore the written and visual grammar that is contained in an information report to create meaning.
 * __Aspect of Literacy Explored__**

Board of Studies NSW (2006). //English K-6 Syllabus.// Sydney: Board of Studies NSW. Board of Studies NSW (1998). //Science and Technology K-6 Syllabus.// Sydney: Board of Studies NSW. Bryce, N (2011). Meeting the reading challenges of sciences textbooks in the primary grades. //The Reading Teacher//. 64, p474-48
 * __Reference__**