Activities
The
following activities can be used in the classroom and involve
not only Selby, but Duncan’s other books and characters
as well.
Got
new ideas?
If you would like to share Duncan Ball-based activities you have
used at home or in the classroom with other teachers or parents,
please email your ideas to Kate Green at HarperCollins Publishers,
and we'll list them on this page. Please include your name and
school address in your e-mail. If you have any photos we'll try
to include them too. Email: jessica.post@harpercollins.com.au
The
Selby Series
Selby is the only dog in Australia who can talk, read and write.
Each collection of uproariously funny stories recounts Selby’s
efforts to conceal his remarkable talent.
Draw
a comic strip of an episode involving Selby and the Trifles.
Write an imaginary dialogue between you and your pet.
Draw a map of how you think Bogusville looks. Put in houses, the
council chambers, the newspaper office and any other places mentioned
in the Selby books.
Write and perform a TV script for Dry-Mouth Dog Biscuits.
Collect pictures of dogs. Choose a playmate for Selby and give
it a name.
For
more great ideas on teaching with the Selby series, download this
resource file:
selby_series.doc (Microsoft
Word document, 59KB)
selby_series.pdf (Adobe
Acrobat document, 260KB)
Selby
Splits
Download
the Selby Splits literacy unit (zipped MS Word files,
520KB)
This document features talking and listening, reading and writing
activities.
You will need WinZip (or similar) to extract the files.
Emily
Eyefinger
Download the
Emily Eyefinger literacy unit (Microsoft Word document, 78KB)
This document features talking and listening, reading and writing
activities.
Download
the accompanying worksheets (zipped jpg images, 728KB)
There are 9 images (jpg files) that have been zipped.
You will need WinZip (or similar) to extract the files.
Comedies
for Kids
A collection of ‘preposterous plays, silly skits and daft
dramas’ designed for performing or reading aloud. Write
a stage play of one of Duncan’s novels. Perform the play.
Piggott
Place and Piggotts in Peril
The eccentric Piggott family is threatened with eviction from
their neglected mansion.
- Paint
a picture of how you imagine Piggott Place to be.
- Use
a story ladder to examine the novel’s key plot points.
- Prepare
a ‘wanted’ poster for each of the Piggott family
members.
Download
teaching notes for Piggotts in Peril Microsoft
Word | pdf
The
Ghost Series
A reclusive ghost, Arnold Taylor, haunts successive tenants of
his former Wattle Street terrace house. In each book — The
Ghost and the Goggle Box, The Ghost and the Gory Story
and The Ghost and the Shutterbug — Arnold attempts
to drive everyone away so he can live in peace.
- Debate
the pros and cons of staying in a haunted house.
-
Make a list of titles for scary horror stories.
-
Design a device for capturing ghosts.
-
Hold an Arnold Taylor look-alike and sound-alike contest.
Links
to Duncan Ball Resources
Below is a list of links to other resources for Duncan Ball on
the web. If you know of any sites that you think we should add,
please email your suggestions to jessica.post@harpercollins.com.au.
Have
a look at Duncan's publisher! HarperCollins
Australia's web site features author profiles on lots of
children's authors that you might find useful.
Visit http://www.harpercollins.com.au.
dMag
for kids is a fun monthly kids magazine that features articles,
games, puzzles and competitions. The dMag website is at http://www.dmag.com.au.
Duncan
is involved in Write Around Australia with a
number of other well-know children's authors. See how you
can get your class involved.
Visit
http://www.writearound.com.au.
The
Curriculum Materials Information Services is
an Education Department of Western Australia official site featuring
information on the West Australian Young Reader's Book Award which
Duncan has won on a number of occasions, in the Especially for
Libraries section. Visit http://www.eddept.wa.edu.au/cmis.
VocalEyes
Productions is a new kind of publisher, a publisher of
audio books, books you can read with your ears. VocalEyes Productions
continues to record books for the blind and vision impaired, but
most of their books are now available to anyone.
Their website is http://www.vocaleyesproductions.com.
See
the children's fiction audio books available through VocalEyes
Productions.
Awards
Below is a list of the major children's
literature awards in Australia.
View the awards for which Duncan's books
have been nominated.
- KOALA
– Kids' Own Australian Literature Award (NSW)
- YABBA
– Young Australians Best Book Awards (Victoria)
- WAYRBA
– West Australian Young Readers’ Book Award (WA)
- COOL
– Canberra’s Own Outstanding List (ACT)
- KROC
– Kids Reading Own Books (Northern Territory)
- CROW
– Children Rate Outstanding Writers and Illustrators (South
Australia. Inactive).
- CYBER
– Children’s Yearly Best Ever Reads (Tasmania)
- BILBY
– Books I Love Best Yearly (Queensland)
- YARA
- Young Australian Readers’ Awards (National)
- Children’s
Book Council of Australia - Children’s Book of the
Year Awards
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