Content copyright . JE Fison. All rights reserved.
Hazard
River series by J.E. Fison – Teachers’ Notes
Hazard
River is an adventure series for readers aged 8+.
The emphasis is on page-turning fun and action – perfect for reluctant readers,
but each story also has an environmental message that is worked into the
stories without being didactic. The stories work well in a cross curricular
unit involving topics related to the environment – habitat destruction,
endangered species and marine preservation are all covered.
The series is written in a fresh, vibrant, and accessible manner. The
humour and pace mean that it would be winner if read aloud to the class. The
stories would also be ideal for quiet
reading periods. There are six books in all: Shark Frenzy, Snake Surprise, Bat Attack, Tiger Terror, Blood Money and Toads’ Revenge.
Also see J.E. Fison’s tips for young writers at www.juliefisonwriter.wordpress.com . The Hazard River series is published by Ford
Street Publishing www.fordstreetpublishing.com . Front covers are done by
Deltora Quest illustrator, Marc McBride. To book J.E. Fison for a school visit,
see www.speakers-ink.com.au .
TOADS’
REVENGE
When Australia’s
best-known adventurer moves to Hazard River, Jack, Ben, Mimi and Lachlan want
to meet him. But instead of getting to know Just Orsum, the kids end up on his
most dangerous and daring mission ever. Where will they end up? And more
importantly, how will they ever get back?
Before Reading
Class
discussion
While reading
Comprehension
Questions
After
reading:
The characters
Make a
character chart like the following:
|
Character |
Description |
Quote |
|
Jack Wilde |
|
|
|
Ben Wilde |
|
|
|
Lachlan Master |
|
|
|
Mimi Fairweather |
|
|
Discussion
Questions:
The story
Discussion
Most
stories are based on a problem. What is the problem in Toads’ Revenge? How is it solved?
Is it
possible to travel to the future?
Do you
think it will ever be possible?
Activities
on Story
Activities - KLA Specific
SOSE
Activities
Research an
environmental disaster and answer the following questions:
Research
cane toads and answer the following:
1.
Why were they introduced to Australia?
2.
Did they do what they were meant to do?
3.
How far have they spread across Australia?
4.
What impact have they had on local wildlife?
5.
What efforts are being undertaken to control cane toads?
6.
What other animals have been introduced as biological control agents in
Australia?
7.
Have they been successful?
8.
What animals were introduced into Australia by European settlers? (rabbits and foxes)
9.
What impact did they have?
Science
Activities
· Cane toads
Media
Activities
In small
groups, put together a proposal for a film version of Toads’ Revenge. Include the following:
Propose
the film to your classmates in a presentation
Drama
Activity
In small
groups of four, choose one scene to present to the class. You will need to
write a script and consider the props and costumes you will need.
English
Activities
7. Have you
read other adventure stories involving children? Write about one of them. How
was it similar to Toads’ Revenge? How
was it different?
BLOOD
MONEY
Everyone
wants to have cool new stuff – right? So, when Jack Wilde and his friends find
a bag full of money at Hazard River, it looks like all of their dreams have
come true. But as they soon discover, money doesn’t always bring happiness.
Sometimes, it buys a whole lot of trouble.
Before Reading
Class
discussion
What does the title, Blood Money, tell you about the story?
Describe the cover. Does it give you any clues about the story?
What is your favourite place to holiday?
Why is it special?
While reading
Comprehension
Questions :
What is
Jack doing when Ben arrives in Chapter 1?
Who finds
the bag of money first?
What
distracts Ben when the boys are trying to find the bag?
Why does Jack
get angry with Ben?
What
happens when Jack and Ben try to hide the bag of money?
What
prank does Lachlan play on the boys?
Why does
the money divide the group?
Who wants
to hand the money to the police?
What plan
do they eventually settle on?
What
scares Jack in the bathroom?
Where do
the kids hide the money?
What do
they find in Cranky Keith’s house?
Where
does the money end up?
After
reading:
The characters
Make a
character chart like the following:
|
Character |
Description |
Quote |
|
Jack
Wilde |
|
|
|
Ben
Wilde |
|
|
|
Lachlan
Master |
|
|
|
Mimi
Fairweather |
|
|
|
Cranky
Keith |
|
|
Discussion
Questions:
What
would you do if you found a bag full of money?
How would
you spend $250,000?
Do you
think the kids were doing the right thing when they broke into Cranky Keith’s
house?
The story
Discussion
Most
stories are based on a problem. What is the problem in Blood Money? How is it solved?
Activities
on Story
In small groups decide on five important turning points in the story.
Find a key quote to support each of your examples. Share them with the rest of
the class.
Create a timeline of the events in the story
In small groups decide which part of the book is the most exciting and why.
Share your findings with the other groups. Are there any scenes that stand out?
Why?
Activities - KLA Specific
SOSE
Activities
The trade
in protected animals in Australia.
Research protected animals and discuss why people smuggle birds and
reptiles out of Australia and what impact this has on local wildlife.
Make a
poster warning people not to smuggle animals, eggs, or animal parts.
Science
Activities
Snakes
What do they look like?
How big are they?
Where are they found in Australia? Do they appear in any other countries?
What do they eat?
What snake group do they belong to?
There are many different kinds of snakes in Australia.
Choose one and make an informative poster with pictures and text. Display it in
your classroom.
Despite their reputation, many poisonous snakes are protected in Australia. For
instance, the maximum penalty for killing a Tiger snake in most states of
Australia is 18 months in jail! Why do we protect such dangerous creatures?
Write an expository essay that explores the issues surrounding the protection of
poisonous snakes in Australia. Make sure that you include the scientific
reasons for protection.
Media
Activities
Write a newspaper article about the events on Hazard
River and the role of Jack and his friends. Remember that the first paragraph
of a newspaper article always includes Who, What, Where, When, and some
indication of why the event is newsworthy.
An editorial is an opinion piece that states the newspaper’s position on a
newsworthy issue. Pretend that you are the editor of the Hazard River Tribune. Write
a piece on reptile smuggling and why you think penalties should be increased.
Draw a cartoon for the editorial page on the issue.
The film of the book:
In small
groups, put together a proposal for a film version of Blood Money. Include the following:
A brief outline of the story
A storyboard to show how you will film the story
Suggestions for casting. Who will play the various parts?
Suggestions for a soundtrack. What songs could be featured?
A poster advertising the film
Propose the film to your classmates in a presentation.
Drama Activities
In small
groups of four, choose one scene to present to the class. You will need to
write a script and consider the props and costumes you will need.
English
Activities
Blood
Money is based on a real story – two boys found a bag full of money in a creek
and decided to hand it in to the police. See if you can find a story in the
newspaper that inspires a story. Write your own story.
Write a
chapter of Blood Money from Ben’s
perspective.
Write
another chapter at the end of the book. What eventually happens to the money
and Cranky Keith?
Shark Frenzy is a fast-paced and often hilarious story that will grab young readers and hold them from the first page to the last. The self deprecating narrator, Jack Wilde, has a voice that will appeal to readers. There is something very down to earth about this boy who loves adventure but isn’t always totally sure if he is really brave enough to handle it. The scrapes that he gets into will remind young readers of their own adventures, imagined and otherwise. The holiday setting will provide a welcome bit of escape for students working their way through a long winter term.
Teaching
the book
Shark Frenzy is a story that might remind readers of Enid Blyton’s Secret Seven, Famous Five, and Adventurous Four series. The story takes place in during a family holiday at the aptly named Hazard River. The narrator Jack Wilde relates the story in a humorous manner. The other characters, his little brother Ben, and his two friends, Lachlan and Mimi, are well drawn and distinctive characters. Like Blyton’s stories, the plot revolves around a mystery. The children investigate and eventually foil the bad guys. But the writer, J.E. Fison, has updated the bad guys. Blyton’s German spies have been replaced by environmental criminals. In this story, grey nurse sharks are being mutilated for their fins and left to die in a cruel manner. The fact that this is taking place in a marine park makes the crime even more despicable. Thus, the story will work well in a cross curricular unit involving topics related to the environment, animal cruelty, or preservation. Fison provides interesting information on the sharks and the Queensland environment. Throughout the book, there are points where it would make sense to research further or develop some kind of project based around the sea life or the issues presented.
But it is also a book that will work well for the more reluctant readers in the class. It is written in a fresh, vibrant, and accessible manner. The humour and pace mean that it would be winner if read aloud to the class. But it might also be a good one to hand to a particular student in a quiet reading period.
Facts
The grey nurse shark is one of Australia’s
most endangered marine species. They were hunted almost to extinction in the
1960’s because people wrongly believed they were man-eaters. It is estimated
that there are fewer than 500 left along
Grey nurse sharks are threatened by
fishermen accidentally catching them and shark
finning. Shark finning, where
the shark’s fins are cut off (often while they are alive) and the carcass is
thrown overboard, is banned in
Before
Reading
Class discussion
While
reading
Comprehension Questions
After reading:
The
characters
Make a character chart like the following:
|
Character |
Description |
Quote |
|
Jack Wilde |
|
|
|
Ben Wilde |
|
|
|
Lachlan Master |
|
|
|
Mimi Fairweather |
|
|
Discussion Questions:
The
story
Discussion
Most stories are based on a problem. What is the problem in Shark Frenzy? How is it solved?
Activities on Story
Activities
- KLA Specific
SOSE Activities
Research Marine Parks and answer the following questions:
Create a poster for visitors to Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The poster should be both informative and attractive. Think about what information will appear on the poster and what images you will use. Consider the purpose of the poster. What is the best way to introduce the park to visitors, especially those from overseas?
Illegal fishing remains a serious problem. Research the issue and find an example of a sea creature that is illegally fished. Share your findings with the class and be sure to answer the following. Why do people fish illegally? Why do they want the sea creature you have chosen? Is it a culinary speciality? Why is it so prized? How much money do people make? What are the punishments for fishing this particular creature?
Science Activities
· Sharks
Share your findings with a partner who researched the other type of shark.
Sharks are very controversial creatures. In Shark Frenzy, Jack considers the idea that the ‘only good shark is a dead shark’ briefly before succumbing to Mimi’s ‘web of life’ argument. Divide into two teams with three members each and debate the following proposition:
“Sharks are too dangerous to be protected”
One side will agree and the other will disagree. The first speakers will introduce the main arguments. The second speakers will respond to the first speakers’ points and introduce further arguments. The third speaker will address the other sides’ arguments and summarize their own main points. The rest of the class will vote to determine the winning team.
Media Activities
In small groups, put together a proposal for a film version of Shark Frenzy. Include the following:
Propose the film to your classmates in a presentation
Drama Activity
In small groups of four, choose one scene to present to the class. You will need to write a script and consider the props and costumes you will need.
English Activities
7. Have you read other adventure stories involving children? Write about one of them. How was it similar to Shark Frenzy? How was it different?
Snake Surprise
Snake Surprise is part of a series of books involving Jack Wilde, his little brother Ben, and his friends Lachlan and Mimi. The stories have instant appeal primarily because they are set in the school holidays. In a long term at school, Snake Surprise will bring back good memories of the last holidays and get them thinking about the next set. The novel is fast paced and filled with gentle humour. The issue raised in the story pits the forces of construction and development against conservation and the protection of wildlife. It is an important issue and one that should inspire discussion and persuasive writing.
Teaching
the book
Snake Surprise would fit well into a themed cross curricular unit on the environment or the Australian landscape. Fison weaves plenty of information about Australian flora and fauna into the stories without ever coming across and heavy handed or didactic. The setting of the story, Hazard River, which is near an ocean beach, is described in richly evocative terms. Students who have visited Queensland or Northern New South Wales will immediately recognize the landscape. This element along with the fact that the story takes place during the holidays means that the book could be an excellent starting point for some descriptive or reflective writing. For teachers looking for a way to deepen the creative writing skills of their students, Snake Surprise should provide some inspiration. Fison’s writing style is highly accessible. The self-deprecating and humorous first person narration provided by Jack Wilde will provide students with a model for developing a personal writing style.
The problem that drives the narrative is the conflict that occurs when development and conservation collide. There are countless examples of these situations and it should be easy to find one in the newspaper or on line. It is an issue that students may even have some experience of in their own neighbourhoods. The protection of animals is a side issue that can also be explored. Fison’s detailed description of the snake might also be a starting point for a discussion of the kinds of fauna that are protected and in what manner.
But Snake Surprise is a good read too and one that might just grab the attention of a reluctant reader or a student who needs to build some confidence in this area.
Facts
Australia’s koala population has been devastated over the last hundred years and is currently under great threat due to urbanisation and massive, uncontrolled habitat destruction. Although Koalas are not listed as endangered by any Australian state, continued clearing eventually leads to koala populations being isolated in small, fragmented parcels of land. They become totally cut off from other populations and extremely vulnerable to dog attacks and motor vehicle accidents. Bushfires are another major threat, as they become trapped at the top of trees and have the exposed skin areas on their hands, feet and face burnt, and they often succumb to smoke inhalation. Those that do survive often starve to death as their food supply may take several weeks to re-grow. Local extinctions occur because these devastated areas cannot get replenished. The current koala population is believed to be between 40,000 and 100,000 animals.
Before
Reading
Class discussion
While
reading
Comprehension Questions
After reading:
The
characters
Make a character chart like the following:
|
Character |
Description |
Quote |
|
Jack Wilde |
|
|
|
Ben Wilde |
|
|
|
Lachlan Master |
|
|
|
Mimi Fairweather |
|
|
|
James Forsyth-Snugglebottom |
|
|
|
Money Mad Iggy |
|
|
|
Mr Beachball-Belly |
|
|
Discussion Questions:
The
story
Discussion
Most stories are based on a problem. What is the problem in Snake Surprise? How is it solved?
Activities on Story
Activities
- KLA Specific
SOSE Activities
· Protected Areas in Australia.
James Forsyth-Snugglebottom wants Breakneck Island to be a place where koalas and their natural habitat are protected. Australia has many areas that are protected.
Research Protected Areas in Australia and answer the following questions:
National Parks
Botanical Gardens
World Heritage Listed Sites
Historic Shipwrecks
Antarctic
Be sure to give examples of each and explain how and why they became protected areas.
Research Fraser Island and find out why it is a protected area. Create a poster for visitors to Fraser Island. The poster should be both informative and attractive. Think about what information will appear on the poster and what images you will use. Consider the purpose of the poster. What is the best way to introduce the island to visitors, especially those from overseas?
Science Activities
· Snakes
Media Activities
In small groups, put together a proposal for a film version of Snake Surprise. Include the following:
Propose the film to your classmates in a presentation
Drama Activities
In small groups of four, choose one scene to present to the class. You will need to write a script and consider the props and costumes you will need.
English Activities
A snake came to my
water-trough
On a hot, hot day, and I in pyjamas for the heat,
To drink there.
In the deep, strange-scented shade
of the great dark carob-tree
I came down the steps with my pitcher
And must wait, must stand and wait, for there he was at the trough before
me.
He reached down from a fissure in
the earth-wall in the gloom
And trailed his yellow-brown slackness soft-bellied down, over the edge of
the stone trough
And rested his throat upon the stone bottom,
i o And where the water had dripped from the tap, in a small clearness,
He sipped with his straight mouth,
Softly drank through his straight gums, into his slack long body,
Silently.
Someone was before me at my
water-trough,
And I, like a second comer, waiting.
He lifted his head from his
drinking, as cattle do,
And looked at me vaguely, as drinking cattle do,
And flickered his two-forked tongue from his lips, and mused a moment,
And stooped and drank a little more,
Being earth-brown, earth-golden from the burning bowels of the earth
On the day of Sicilian July, with Etna smoking.
The voice of my education said to me
He must be killed,
For in Sicily the black, black snakes are innocent, the gold are venomous.
And voices in me said, If you were
a man
You would take a stick and break him now, and finish him off.
But must I confess how I liked
him,
How glad I was he had come like a guest in quiet, to drink at my water-trough
And depart peaceful, pacified, and thankless,
Into the burning bowels of this earth?
Was it cowardice, that I dared not
kill him? Was it perversity, that I longed to talk to him? Was it humility, to
feel so honoured?
I felt so honoured.
And yet those voices:
If you were not afraid, you would kill him!
And truly I was afraid, I was most
afraid, But even so, honoured still more
That he should seek my hospitality
From out the dark door of the secret earth.
He drank enough
And lifted his head, dreamily, as one who has drunken,
And flickered his tongue like a forked night on the air, so black,
Seeming to lick his lips,
And looked around like a god, unseeing, into the air,
And slowly turned his head,
And slowly, very slowly, as if thrice adream,
Proceeded to draw his slow length curving round
And climb again the broken bank of my wall-face.
And as he put his head into that
dreadful hole,
And as he slowly drew up, snake-easing his shoulders, and entered farther,
A sort of horror, a sort of protest against his withdrawing into that horrid
black hole,
Deliberately going into the blackness, and slowly drawing himself after,
Overcame me now his back was turned.
I looked round, I put down my
pitcher,
I picked up a clumsy log
And threw it at the water-trough with a clatter.
I think it did not hit him,
But suddenly that part of him that was left behind convulsed in undignified
haste.
Writhed like lightning, and was gone
Into the black hole, the earth-lipped fissure in the wall-front,
At which, in the intense still noon, I stared with fascination.
And immediately I regretted it.
I thought how paltry, how vulgar, what a mean act!
I despised myself and the voices of my accursed human education.
And I thought of the albatross
And I wished he would come back, my snake.
For he seemed to me again like a
king,
Like a king in exile, uncrowned in the underworld,
Now due to be crowned again.
And so, I missed my chance with
one of the lords
Of life.
And I have something to expiate:
A pettiness.
Taormina, 1923
What is the narrator’s first reaction to the snake? How does it change?
Why does he lament his ‘accursed human education’?
Why does he call the snake ‘one of the lords of life’?
What does this poem say about our view of snakes?
HERE ARE SOME EXTRA FACTS ABOUT THE ANIMALS IN THE HAZARD RIVER SERIES:
GREY NURSE SHARKS:
The grey nurse shark is one of Australia’s most endangered marine species. They were hunted almost to extinction in the 1960’s because people thought they were man-eaters. In fact, grey nurse sharks aren’t considered dangerous to people. Their teeth are specially designed for catching fish, squid and crustaceans. Now there are fewer than 500 left along Australia’s east coast.
Grey nurse sharks are threatened by fishermen accidentally catching them and shark finning. Shark finning is where the shark’s fins are cut off (often while they are alive) and the carcass is thrown overboard. It’s banned in Australia, but it still takes place. Sharks without fins drown or die of starvation. If things don’t change, the grey nurse shark could be extinct within 40 years.
The tiger is one of the world’s most beautiful animals, it is also one of our most endangered. One hundred years ago more than 100,000 tigers roamed Asia, now the numbers have dropped to around 5,000. Three subspecies of tigers have become extinct. The rest live in isolated populations.
Poachers kill tigers to sell their skin and body parts for traditional medicine. Tigers are also threatened by the destruction of their habitat. As forests are bulldozed to make way for agriculture, roads and houses, tigers lose their habitat. They have nowhere to hunt and nowhere to hide when poachers come looking for them.
KOALAS:
The koala is an Australian icon, but it is under threat from the destruction of its habitat. The koala is not endangered animal, but conservationists are concerned because its numbers have declined dramatically in the past 100 years. Between 40,000 and 100,000 koalas are left in Australia.
As land is cleared for housing, roads and industry koalas are isolated in small populations. Those that live near housing can be killed by dogs, run over by cars and have even drowned in backyard swimming pools.
GHOST BATS:
It is estimated that there are only 5,000 ghost bats left in Australia. Our only carnivorous (meat eating) bats are threatened by miners destroying the caves where they live and developers clearing the land where they feed. Ghost bats are also easily disturbed by people visiting their roosts. Ghost bats get their name from their white appearance when they fly overhead. They have long ears and a flap on the end of their nose called a noseleaf. They roost in caves, old mines and deep crevices in rocks.
