Inspired by: The Arrival - Week 3

In the educational material inspired by Shaun Tan's "The Arrival," students delve into the exploration of themes such as human rights and personal attributes through the stories of two immigrants depicted in the book. The task involves reading Part 3 and identifying similarities in the characters' experiences with oppression, persecution, and their quest for freedom. Students are encouraged to provide reasoned justifications for their views on what life might have been like for these characters had they remained in their homelands. Additionally, the mood shift at the end of Part 3 serves as a basis for discussion on adaptation and integration, examining the blend of old and new cultural elements, such as food and music. The activity also prompts students to contemplate the symbolism of an origami cat-like creature made by the protagonist, encouraging them to think critically about its significance within the narrative.

The educational content continues with a focus on the Human Rights Charter, specifically the rights of children as outlined by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Students are tasked with examining a young girl's story from the book, interpreting images that suggest the denial of her rights, and discussing the broader concept of children's human rights. They are guided to think about the rights of their peers within their own school and to create age-appropriate leaflets that communicate these rights, which are then presented to the school council. Furthermore, the material introduces the use of passive verbs to affect the presentation of information, providing exercises that help students understand the difference in focus between active and passive sentences. This linguistic exploration is tied in with the book's illustrations, where students create 'Who done it?' scenarios using the passive voice to obscure the agent of the actions, enhancing their understanding of the passive form's effect on writing style.