Unlocking the Allegory: A Deep Dive into The Rabbits
Lesson Overview
This lesson explores the powerful picture book The Rabbits by John Marsden and Shaun Tan. Students will develop visual literacy skills and explore how an "allegory" uses symbols to tell a real-world history of colonization and environmental change.
Learning Objectives
- English: Define "allegory" and identify how visual symbols convey meaning beyond the literal text.
- HASS (History): Compare the events in the book to the real-world historical impact of colonization on First Nations peoples and the environment.
- Critical Thinking: Analyze how perspective and scale are used to make the reader feel specific emotions.
Materials Needed
- The book The Rabbits by John Marsden and Shaun Tan (physical copy or high-quality video read-aloud)
- Magnifying glasses (optional, for "detective" work)
- "The History Decoder" Worksheet (a simple T-chart)
- Blank A4 paper and colored pencils/watercolors
- Post-it notes
1. Introduction: The Mystery of the Rabbits (The Hook)
Activity: Place a picture of a real rabbit and a picture of one of the "rabbits" from the book side-by-side. Ask: "If a rabbit is usually small, fluffy, and cute, why do these rabbits look like scientists, soldiers, and giants?"
The Big Question: Is this book really about animals, or is it a secret code for something that happened in real life?
Goal: Introduce the concept of Allegory—a story where characters and events represent something else (usually a historical or moral message).
2. I Do: The Art of Visual Literacy (Direct Instruction)
Instructional Points:
- Color Palette: Notice the change from warm, earthy tones (the beginning) to cold, metallic blues and greys (the end). This shows the "industrialization" of the land.
- Perspective & Scale: Look at how the rabbits are drawn much larger than the numbats (the native animals). This represents a shift in power.
- Symbolism: Point out the "machines" and the "wires." What do these represent? (Technology, fences, taking control of the land).
Example Talk Track: "Notice how the rabbits don't just walk; they build. They bring clocks and pipes. In English class, we call this 'symbolism.' The clocks represent the way the newcomers viewed time differently than the people who were already here."
3. We Do: The History Decoder (Guided Practice)
Using a T-Chart, work with the student to link the book to HASS history concepts. Help them "decode" the allegory.
| In the Book (The Symbol) | In Real History (The Fact) |
|---|---|
| Rabbits arriving on a giant ship | The First Fleet arriving in Australia |
| "They brought strange animals..." | Introduction of sheep, cattle, and actual rabbits |
| The "stolen" babies in the kites | The Stolen Generations |
| The landscape covered in pipes and smoke | Industrialization and land clearing |
4. You Do: The New Perspective (Independent Practice)
The Challenge: Students will create their own "Allegory Page."
Option A (Visual Artist): Draw a new page for the book that shows how the land might look if it started to heal. Use the same symbols (numbats, colors, plants) but change the "mood" using what you learned about color and scale.
Option B (Creative Writer): Write a diary entry from the perspective of one of the native animals (the numbats) on the day the first rabbit ship arrived. Use descriptive "sensory" words (What did the ship smell like? How did the rabbits' voices sound?).
Success Criteria:
- Uses at least one symbol from the book.
- Demonstrates a specific mood (hopeful, sad, or busy).
- Connects clearly to the themes of colonization or the environment.
5. Conclusion: The Final Word (Closure & Recap)
Summary: Recap that The Rabbits is a visual allegory for the colonization of Australia. We learned that illustrators use size, color, and symbols to tell a story that words sometimes can't explain on their own.
Exit Ticket: Ask the student to answer these three questions on a Post-it note:
- What is one symbol the rabbits brought with them?
- How did the colors change from the start of the book to the end?
- Why do you think the author chose "Rabbits" to represent the colonizers?
Differentiation & Adaptability
- For Struggling Learners: Focus purely on the "Spot the Difference" between the first and last pages. Use a word bank for the History Decoder.
- For Advanced Learners: Research the real John Marsden and Shaun Tan. Discuss why they chose to tell this story as a "fable" rather than a non-fiction history book. What is the impact of fiction on our empathy?
- Classroom/Group Adaption: Turn the "History Decoder" into a giant floor-map where students place cards on a timeline.