Lesson Overview

In this lesson, students will explore the powerful picture book The Rabbits by John Marsden and Shaun Tan. By blending English skills (visual literacy and metaphor) with HASS (History and Social Sciences), students will investigate the themes of colonization, environmental impact, and perspective.

Learning Objectives

• Identify Symbolism: Explain what the "rabbits" and the "numbats" represent in a historical context.
• Analyze Perspective: Describe how the story changes depending on who is telling it.
• Evaluate Impact: Discuss how the arrival of a new group can change the environment and culture of a place.
• Creative Synthesis: Create a visual or written response that uses symbolism to convey a message about "change."

Materials Needed

• The book The Rabbits by John Marsden and Shaun Tan (or a high-quality video read-aloud)
• Large sheets of drawing paper
• Colored pencils, markers, or watercolors
• Sticky notes
• "The Observer’s Journal" (a notebook or printed worksheet)

1. Introduction: The Hook (10 Minutes)

The "Mystery Guest" Scenario:

Imagine you are sitting in your favorite park. Suddenly, a group of people arrives. They speak a language you don’t know, they start building fences across the grass where you play, and they bring strange animals you’ve never seen. They don't ask if it's okay; they just start changing everything.

• How would you feel? (Scared, curious, angry?)
• How would you try to talk to them?
• What happens to the park after a week? After a year?

Objective Statement: "Today, we are going to look at a book that tells a story very similar to this. We are going to be 'History Detectives' to figure out what the story is really telling us about the past."

2. Body: Content & Practice (40 Minutes)

I Do: Reading and Visual Clues (The Teacher/Parent Model)

Read the book aloud (or watch the video). On the first pass, don’t explain too much—just let the imagery sink in. On the second pass, focus on specific pages.

Talking Points (10-year-old friendly):

• Scale: Look at how big the Rabbits' ships and buildings are compared to the small, natural world of the numbats. Why did the artist make them so giant? (It shows power and being overwhelmed).
• Color: Notice how the colors change from earthy oranges and blues to dark grays, purples, and blacks. What does that tell us about the "progress" the rabbits brought?
• The Metaphor: Explain that "The Rabbits" aren't actually bunnies—they represent colonizers (like the First Fleet in Australia), and the "Numbats" represent Indigenous people.

We Do: The "Before and After" Map (Guided Practice)

Divide a piece of paper in half. On one side, list things the Numbats had before the Rabbits arrived. On the other, list what changed.

• Ask: "The book says 'They brought strange animals.' Why is that a big deal in history?" (Discuss introduced species, cattle, and sheep changing the land).
• Ask: "The book says 'They ate our grass.' Is it just about grass, or is it about resources?"
• Activity: Use sticky notes to label illustrations in the book with words like Industry, Confusion, Loss, or Power.

You Do: The "Missing Page" (Independent Application)

The book ends with the question, "Who will save us from the rabbits?"

The Task: Students will create the "Next Page" of the story. They must choose one of two paths:

1. The Path of Reconciliation: Draw and write a page where the Rabbits and Numbats find a way to live together. What does that look like? (Less smoke? More shared space?)
2. The Path of Warning: Create a "Guidebook for the Future" page. Use symbols to show what people should have done differently to protect the land and the culture.

Requirement: Students must use at least one visual symbol (e.g., a broken fence to represent freedom, a new plant to represent hope).

3. Conclusion: Closure & Recap (10 Minutes)

• Summary: Recap that The Rabbits is an allegory—a story where characters represent real-world historical events.
• Sharing: The student explains their "Missing Page." Ask: "Why did you choose that symbol?"
• The Big Takeaway: History isn't just dates; it’s about how people felt and how the land changed. We study it so we can make better choices today.

Assessment

• Formative: Observation of the student’s ability to link the "Rabbits" to historical colonizers during the "We Do" discussion.
• Summative: The "Missing Page" project.
  • Success Criteria: Does the work use symbols? Does it show an understanding of the conflict between the two groups? Is the message clear?

Adaptability & Differentiation

• For Struggling Learners: Provide a "Symbol Dictionary" (e.g., Image of a Cog = Machines/Factories; Image of a Tree = Nature). Let them dictate their "Missing Page" description while the teacher writes.
• For Advanced Learners: Ask them to research a specific historical event (like the introduction of the real rabbit to Australia in 1859) and write a short paragraph comparing the "real history" to the "story version."
• For Homeschool Context: Take a walk outside after the lesson. Look for signs of "The Rabbits" in your own neighborhood (fences, roads, introduced plants) and discuss how the land might have looked 300 years ago.