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Camp Canberra

Apr4
Camp Canberra

Camp Canberra

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Camp Canberra

Krys Saclier

Cathy Wilcox

Wild Dog, 2022

40pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781742036120

About this time of the year excitement begins to ramp up as students anticipate their school excursion to the national capital, Canberra – perhaps even moreso as there is a federal election due and government, its purpose, politics and people become a curriculum focus.  And so it is with the Mount Mayhem Primary School students, as readers are reunited with Farrel, Kira and Jack who introduced them to the mysteries of Australia’s preferential voting system in Vote 4 Me. 

Written in a diary format, the class has been divided into three groups – the Menzies, the Gillards, and the Holts, names worth investigating in themselves – and each visits a number of Canberra’s attractions including

Using Wilcox’s signature cartoon characters overlaid on to photographs of each location, this is a thumbnail tour of what to see in this city that makes it unique as the nation’s capital – having spent 30years living and teaching there, each was familiar so it became a trip down memory lane.

Thus the quiz at the end was rather easy but what wasn’t included is that under PACER, (Parliament and Civics Education Rebate) those students who come from more than 150km (calculated by road using the “most favourable” routes) can have their costs subsidised provided their visit includes an educational tour of Parliament House and where possible, an immersive learning program with the Parliamentary Education Office, the Museum of Australian Democracy, the National Electoral Education Centre at Old Parliament House, and the Australian War Memorial.

Any excursion sparks excitement as it is a break from the ordinary routine of things and IMO, those who come to Canberra should also include a trip to the top of Telstra Tower (although it is temporarily closed for refurbishment) or Mt Ainslie so the layout of this planned city with Walter Burley Griffin‘s vision of the National Triangle and the lake at its heart can be clearly seen.

Teachers beyond the realm of Canberra cannot be expected to know their way around this city nor the must-see destinations or even the fun recreational places like Commonwealth Park and other playgrounds  (my favourite is Boundless Park in the centre built for all ages and abilities)  on offer where kids can just romp and play so this book offers a valuable introduction so the itinerary can be planned so everyone gets the most from it. While there are teachers’ notes to accompany the book itself. hopefully the links in this review will add a little more to the physical experience. 

What Is An Election?

Mar1
What Is An Election?

What Is An Election?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Is An Election?

Caryn Jenner

DK, 2020

48pp., hbk., RRP $A12.99

9780241439920

So far this year, in my little part of the planet, we have had both local government elections and a state by-election, and a federal election looms within the next three months,  So local young readers have been bombarded with advertising and so forth with vocabulary like ‘party’, ‘candidate’, ‘vote’ and ‘polling booth’. But do they understand what an ‘election‘ is?

This book, part of the DK FindOut series, provides a simple but comprehensive explanation of where and how democracy began and how it has developed over the years and just what happens when people are required to exercise their vote every so often.  Beginning with a close-to-home scenario of school elections for class president, it moves beyond to national elections and while the photographs are predominantly from the US, it does embrace the procedures in other parts of the world.

Because this is a levelled reader, ostensibly for ‘beginning readers”, the explanations are clear yet comprehensive giving the young person who at least has an awareness of the process being undertaken an insight into what actually happens. Therefore, IMO, the target audience would be those who might be involved in class elections who know that it is more than a popularity contest. Rather than an individual read, its importance lies as an introduction to that which will dominate our news bulletins in coming months shared and discussed by the class teacher, so students begin to understand what is meant by “Let’s have a vote” and the concepts of ‘majority rules’ and living with the consequences of the choices, 

As we mature we begin to realise what a precious thing a vote is, and the need to exercise our rights in an informed manner. This book begins our students’ understanding of that privilege.