THE SUGAR GLIDER:
A Cultural Webquest
Introduction | Task | Credits | Process | Resources | Evaluation | Conclusion | Teacher's Notes
 
Introduction

Cambridge English Readers offers you an exciting book of adventure in which two pilots and a young girl try to take a mysterious cargo from Brisbane to Melbourne but their journey across Australia will end up in a crash. Has this crash been an accident? It is time for you to find out.
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Task

Read the book The Sugar Glider and complete your task according to the order indicated in the Process section.
First, you will have to complete reading comprehension questions but, afterwards, we will include a cultural approach. The book introduces a lot of interesting information about Australia, its geography and cultural background. We will try to look into some of these cultural items a little deeper by the use of different communicative skills.
All the students in the classroom are going to become a research team. Every researcher will have to know some basic information about Australian geography and culture but you won't have to know everything because our global researching team will be divided into sections that will investigate different aspects of the Australian culture aiming to communicate their conclusions to the rest of the group in an oral or written form.

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Credits

NEILSEN, R. The Sugar Glider. Cambridge English Readers, Level 5, C.U.P.
Webquest model by Bernie Dodge.
Hot Potatoes exercises from Half-Baked Software Inc.
Special thanks to the Australian Embassy in Spain for their help.
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Process  
1.

READING COMPREHENSION:
If you have read the book The Sugar Glider, you should be ready to complete the following reading comprehension exercises offered to you by Cambridge University Press.
Print a PDF copy of the Cambridge English Readers level 5 Worksheet of The Sugar Glider. If you are doing this exercise in the classroom, work in pairs or in small groups. Once you have completed most of the answers, you will be ready to check your answers. This is a self-evaluation exercise so don't fool yourself.
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2. CULTURAL APPROACH:
  2.1.
Australia: Facts and Figures.
Activity for the global researching team: Work in pairs or in small groups.
Use the resources given to answer the following questions. You can print a PDF copy of the Worksheet with all the questions.
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2.1.1.
Is there gold in the Australian Gold Coast? Explain.
You can complete this exercise online with Hot Potatoes and check your answers. Remember to read your resources about Gold Coast City first. Allow blocked content to be seen whenever necessary.
resources
2.1.2.
Put these cities in order according to their population: Brisbane, Melbourne, Gold Coast City, Canberra.
You can complete this exercise online with Hot Potatoes and check your answers. Allow blocked content to be seen whenever necessary. Remember to read your resources first.
resources
2.1.3.
Australia’s size compared: Compare two facts about the population, size, etc of Australia and Spain and/or Europe. Are you surprised? Why?
resources
  2.2.
Australia: Fauna and Flora.
Activity for the global researching team: Work in pairs or in small groups.
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2.2.1. What is the Outback? (The Sugar Glider, p. 33-34)
You can complete this exercise online with Hot Potatoes and check your answers. Allow blocked content to be seen whenever necessary. Remember to read your resources first.
resources
2.2.2.
What has happened to most native Australian “Grassland”? (The Sugar Glider, p. 64)
You can complete this exercise online with Hot Potatoes and check your answers. Allow blocked content to be seen whenever necessary. Remember to read your resources first.
resources
2.2.3.
The Sugar Glider and the Brumby: Choose the right option/s.
You can complete this exercise online with Hot Potatoes and check your answers. Allow blocked content to be seen whenever necessary. Remember to read your resources first.
resources
1. The sugar glider is a __________  
a. mammal b. bird c. fish
2. The sugar glider lives in ___________
a. houses b. trees c. bird nests
3. The sugar glider glides, which means that ________
a. they can “fly” from tree to tree b. they are planes c. they have to move only during daytime
4. Sugar gliders _________
a. only eat insects b. like sugar c. only eat leaves
5. The brumbies ________
a. are wild horses b. are being killed c. need more protection
2.3.
Aborigines: The Murri People.
Activity for the different researching sections: Work individually or in pairs. Write a composition, make a poster or prepare a speech introducing the Murri people the rest of the classroom.
Choose one of the following options:
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2.3.1.
Their religion: the Dreamtime (The Sugar Glider, p. 78).
resources
2.3.2.
Physical characteristics and economic situation of the aborigines. The aborigines and the law. Include the following information:
a. Present political situation of the aborigines.
b. What happened to the Aboriginal children between 1910 and 1970?
c. The aboriginal Land (Northern Territory) Act, 1976.
d. Australian aborigines and Uranium mines. Do they own them?
resources
2.4.
Australian Artists: Music and Show business.
In The Sugar Glider, there are references to the Australian rock group Midnight Oil (The Sugar Glider, p. 37) and to Nicole and Kylie (The Sugar Glider, p. 56). Write a biography, make a poster or prepare a speech about one of the following:
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  2.4.1. Midnight Oil
resources
2.4.2. Nicole Kidman
resources
2.4.3. Kylie Minogue
resources
Resources
These Internet resources will help you complete the exercises in the process section of this webquest. The resources are divided according to topic in the same order as in the process section above.
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1. Australia: Facts and Figures.
  Australia: Facts, maps and size. 1 | 2 | 3 | 
process
 
  Melbourne. 1 | 2 (map) |
  Brisbane. 1 | 2 (map) |
  Canberra. 1 | 2 (map) |
  Gold Coast City. 1 | 2 (map) |
2. Australia: Fauna and Flora.
  The Grassland. 1 |
process
  The Outback. 1 | 2 (photos) | 3 (in Spanish) | 
process
The brumby. 1 |
process
The sugar glider. 1 | 2 |
process
3. Aborigines
  History and The Murri
process
  Religion: Dreamtime. 1 | 2 | 3 |  
  Aborigines: Economy and Politics. 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |  5 |  
4. Australian Artists: Music and Show business.
process
  Midnight Oil. 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Nicole Kidman. 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
  Kylie Minogue. 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
  
Evaluation
Check the criteria for the evaluation of your performance.
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Conclusion
You have been working hard, now it is time to review what you have learnt and to enjoy yourself. Click here.
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Teacher's Notes
Information for teachers on the use of this Webquest.
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© Carmen Gómez González 2005-6
Introduction | Task | Credits | Process | Resources | Evaluation | Conclusion | Teacher's Notes