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First Tuesday Book Club: The Great Gatsby

How do authors develop their characters? In 'The Great Gatsby', F Scott Fitzgerald creates characters through others' impressions of them rather than by creating an inner, or 'interior', world of thoughts for them. We never really get to know Gatsby except by how others see him. Find out what the First Tuesday Book Club ...

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The Merri Creek Project

Find out about the native plants and animals found at a local creek, and about introduced plants (weeds) that are impacting this natural habitat. View this clip called 'The Merri Creek Project', created by young reporters from North Fitzroy Primary School, Victoria. The clip was developed as part of the ABC Splash Live ...

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Representing Sydney's suburbs, 1965

In this clip from the mid-60s, explore how words and images can be combined to encourage particular interpretations and influence audience response. Explore how some of the inner suburbs of Sydney have been represented in history.

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Heywire: Country towns: all drop bears and skate rats?

Why might you use humour when presenting your local community to a national audience? In this Heywire clip, an 'ex-bushranger and survival expert' (in reality Hayden Laube) introduces us to the wilds of Port Pirie. After several adventures including fighting off ferocious wildlife, he reflects on the value of life in a ...

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Sustainable forests, 'lockups' and happy bees

What's a forest lockup? Why is the Tarkine forest special, and how does Tasmanian Forestry attempt to manage activities in the Tarkine forest sustainably? View this clip called 'Tarkine Forest', created by young reporters from Circular Head Christian School, Tasmania. The clip was developed as part of the ABC Splash Live ...

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Heywire: Digging for diprotodons

Ever dreamed of finding buried treasure in your own backyard? For Natasha Camp, this is a reality. Her 'treasure' is not gold or silver, but the bones of ancient Australian megafauna. In this Heywire photo story, Natasha describes the latest dig at Floraville Station, Queensland, her family's property. It was on this dig ...

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From sewage to reclaimed water

Discover the benefits of recycling sewage, or waste water, to create 'reclaimed water'. View this clip called 'Reuse your pooh!', created by young reporters from Willunga Primary School, South Australia. The clip was developed as part of the ABC Splash Live 'Making the news!' project, which featured local sustainability ...

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George Orwell’s '1984'

1984 is a novel by British author George Orwell, published in 1949. How has that period - the late 1940s - shaped the novel? What world event and its consequences led to Orwell writing such a dystopian novel? Professor Bowen claims the Senate House, formerly Ministry of Information, is the basis for the novel's Ministry ...

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The Book Club: Class and gender roles in 'Wuthering Heights'

'Wuthering Heights' is considered by many to be a great romance novel. Jeanette Winterson, however, thinks it is anything but. What does she think the book is about? Do you agree?

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Radio National: The Great Gatsby meets Willy Loman

Different writers can use quite distinct ways to make similar comments about their culture. In this audio clip, explore the connection between F Scott Fitzgerald's novel, 'The great Gatsby' and Arthur Miller's play, 'Death of a salesman'. At first the two texts might seem very different, but are they more similar than we ...

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Characters in Woolf's 'Mrs Dalloway'

Virginia Woolf's 'Mrs Dalloway' is set in London over a period of a single day in June 1923. What other novel, mentioned in this video, is set over a period of a single day? What might be the consequences of setting a novel over such a short period of time? Other than Mrs Dalloway, name an important character in the novel. ...

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First Tuesday Book Club: Memory in 'My Place'

Sally Morgan's autobiography, 'My Place', recounts the experiences of the author, her mother and her grandmother. Why do the panellists in this video think it is such an important book? What issues does it address?

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Sculpting ideas into stories with Andy Griffiths

Watch this clip to learn how Andy Griffiths turns his ideas into stories. In particular, listen to the way Andy describes how his collaboration with illustrator Terry Denton works. Now team up with a friend or family member and take on the roles of author and illustrator. What ideas can you come up with by working together? ...

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Jane Eyre: The role of women

What does Jane Eyre tell us about the role of women in 19th century England? Charlotte Bronte's best-known character is, according to Professor John Bowen, an 'assertive heroine ... who speaks the truth'. How does this distinguish her from other women of her time, especially those who serve as governesses? This clip from ...

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The Invisible War: A tale on two scales

The Invisible War is a graphic novel set on the Western Front in 1916. The novel is an interdisciplinary text that includes a large science-history reference section (hyper-linked within the novel). Told from two points of view – human and microbial – the story describes a deadly infection by dysentery-causing Shigella ...

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Journey to the west - part 2

This is the second part of a Chinese folk story dating back 1,300 years called the Journey to the west: preparing for the great journey. The story is about finding three magical companions - a monkey, a pig and a strongman - for a monk who is going on a dangerous journey. The resource is 15 web pages and includes text, ...

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The king stands up

This is a traditional Buddhist folktale from Tibet called The king stands up. The story is about a king trying to find an intelligent and trustworthy advisor; the message of the story is about mindfulness. The resource is 15 web pages in length and includes text, illustrations, arrows at the top of the resource to turn ...

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Sustainability of a historic community garden

Discover the history of a local community garden and find out about some of its new sustainable features. View this clip called 'Sustainability in Edinburgh', created by young reporters from North Fitzroy Primary School, Victoria. The clip was developed as part of the ABC Splash Live 'Making the news!' project, which featured ...

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A sustainable vineyard - with sheep!

Find out about the sustainable and organic practices that have been put in place at a vineyard. View this clip created by young reporters from Willunga Primary School, South Australia. The clip was developed as part of the ABC Splash Live 'Making the news!' project, which featured local sustainability stories by students ...

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Great Expectations: Victorian and Gothic

How does Charles Dickens weave Gothic elements into his classic Victorian novel, Great Expectations? Listen as Literary Professor John Bowen explains some of the ways in which Dickens draws on the Gothic tradition to challenge the conventions of Victorian literature. Consider the importance of time, repetition, violence, ...