CURRICULUM GUIDE
The following teaching guide has been designed to embrace shared curriculum values. Students are encouraged to communicate their understanding of a text through speaking, listening, reading, writing, viewing and representing.
The learning activities aim to encourage students to think critically, creatively and independently, to reflect on their learning, and connect it to audience, purpose and context. They aim to encompass a range of forms and include a focus on language, literature and literacy. Where appropriate, they include the integration of ICT and life skills.
SYNOPSIS
Hesse lives in a small coastal town, where a coalmine and power station are a part of the scenery, and a part of the ever-growing problem of climate change. His mum is a member of a local environmental group campaigning to close the mine and shut down the power station. It’s a no-brainer, of course, but Hesse is more interested in surfing ng—and in Fenna, the new exchange student from the Netherlands.
But when someone seems to be trying to derail the campaign, and his friends’ families face losing their jobs, Hesse begins to realise that things are complex.
The backrooms game learning activities empower students to think critically, creatively, independently, and relate their learning to audience, purpose, and context. They emphasise on language, literature, and literacy in many forms. They integrate ICT and life skills as appropriate.
If you enjoyed “If Not Us” by Mark Smith, you might also appreciate games that challenge your strategic thinking, like Papa’s Pizzeria. It’s a fun and engaging way to test your time management skills as you run your own pizza shop. Balancing orders and keeping customers happy can be just as rewarding as diving into a good book. Give Papa’s Pizzeria a try for a different kind of challenge!
Interesting notes! Smith’s exploration of youth activism resonates deeply. I think the book subtly connects individual action to wider social change. To build on this, has anyone considered using Wordle Unlimited as a fun way to analyze key vocabulary and themes from the text, like justice and community? Maybe track frequency of these words across chapters? It could spark some insightful discussions!