Australian Human Rights Commission

Teaching strategies

1. Predictions, reading, discussions activity

The prediction activity is designed to introduce the text to students and identify what they already know about the issues/ideas explored in the text. It also creates a framework for further study of the text.

1. Initially, students work on the prediction worksheet individually – identifying the title, author, publisher etc; exploring the images and illustrations included, and rating their interest in the text. They must also list five issues they predict will be explored in the text.

2. After completing the prediction worksheet, encourage students to share their predictions with the class. Construct a class ‘prediction list’ based on the issues raised during the discussion.

(During the discussion ensure that students recognise the connections between ‘Is that you Ruthie?’ and the information they have explored in other Bringing them home activities) .

3. After students have completed the prediction worksheet, teachers should read the Introduction and Chapter 1 – ‘Just a Little While’ – the Move to Barambah aloud to students (or students read in groups).

4. Follow the reading with a class discussion, focussing on the predictions identified in the pre-reading discussion. Revisit the ‘prediction list’ and identify which predictions were correct. (Some of the predictions will appear later on in the text).

The discussions could focus on: the story – setting, characters, language the historical context – the Bringing them home timeline is a useful resource for this the connections between Ruthie’s story and the personal stories reported to the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families. A series of discussion questions for each chapter of the book have been included on the worksheet. These can be used to debrief students after their reading of each chapter or during group and class discussion. To facilitate the process, ask groups to select one question they wish to answer for each chapter, or alternatively assign a chapter to each group of students and ask them to report back to their classmates with an overview of the issues in a visual or written format.

5. Students now work individually to finish reading the text. Dependent upon classroom objectives, teachers may wish to implement appropriate strategies to assist students during this process.

6. When students have completed reading and discussing the text, they revisit their predictions worksheets and assess which of their predictions were correct, noting down any new information they have learnt. This also a good opportunity to answer any questions which may have arisen – the Bringing them home resource sheets provide useful reference material. The following question can be used as a final point for discussion:

• 
  Is that you Ruthie? provides a very personal insight into the lives of Indigenous children who were removed from their families in the 1930s and 40s. Why is Ruthie’s story important? What can we learn from it?