I am excited to announce that comprehensive Teaching Notes for my second novel, The Half-Child, are now available, thanks to Michael Blenkins, Executive Teacher, English and the Arts.
In terms of genre, content and style, The Half-Child is accessible to mature students in Year 10 studying in a teacher-directed learning context, though probably best suited to English students in Years 11 and 12, especially those studying crime fiction genre or undertaking humanity studies in Asian Studies, Geography or Modern History. He notes that studying The Half Child will enable students to satisfy the Cross-curriculum priority Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia.
Michael’s teaching notes outline a variety of ways in which The Half-Child can be studied to address both the language and literature requirements of the Australian Curriculum (English), and provide teaching and learning activities to address a range of specific learning outcomes.
The notes also suggest different levels on which The Half-Child can be studied as an independent text or in conjunction with other texts, namely:
- Close study of text
- Critical reading
- Comparative study
- Genre study
I particularly like Michael’s suggestion that the novel’s “complex content will also accommodate teaching strategies underpinned by broad thematic or conceptual approaches. Ethics and Justice, for example, would function as a plausible theme to be explored in and through the narrative.” Michael’s other ideas that could be examined through a thematic study of The Half Child include:
- Deception & Corruption
- Wealth & Power
- Social & Professional Facades
- Culture & Thailand (in conjunction with other texts linked specifically to Thailand e.g. Bangkok Hilton, documentaries).
A comparative study between The Half-Child and the miniseries Bangkok Hilton? — Bring it on, I say!
Heartfelt thanks to Michael for having developed this fantastic resource, and for allowing me to make it available as a free download here: Teaching Notes_HALF CHILD.
Wonderful to be a part of the secondary syllabus. Here’s to justice and awareness of our Asian neighbours. Great, Angela. Xx
Sent from my iPhone
>
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Jen. The Half-Child is only part of the secondary syllabus in one or two schools so far. But I’m hoping the availability of Michael’s excellent teaching notes will help it to get a wider take up.
LikeLike
Oh, this is great, Angela! I’m so excited that your work will be available in schools like that. I think if more young people got the chance to read contemporary fiction as good as yours, they’d read more. And in The Half Child, you take up some really important topics that I think young people need to understand better, so that just adds to it all. I am really happy for you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for your encouragement, Margot. I hope the availability of Michael’s excellent teaching notes might encourage teachers to try out The Half-Child in the classroom.
LikeLiked by 1 person
WOW !!
LikeLiked by 1 person
extraordinary news and well deserved xxdadxx
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s great. Congratulations!
Maybe your other two books will be studied, too. They raise important social issues, as well as information on Thai culture, economic problems and environmental realities. All this with an interesting detective and wit.
LikeLike