Instructions
- Read the definitions below to understand how authors develop ideas in a text.
- Carefully read the short informational passage, "The Bizarre Great Emu War."
- Use the passage to complete the Part 2: Analyze the Idea graphic organizer.
- Answer the multiple-choice and short-answer questions in Part 3.
- Try the optional Challenge Question to apply what you've learned.
Part 1: Key Concepts
Authors build ideas for their readers piece by piece, just like building with LEGOs. They use three main steps:
- Introduce: To present an idea for the first time. This is where the author tells you what the topic is.
- Illustrate: To show what the idea means using examples, stories (anecdotes), facts, or descriptions. This helps you picture the idea.
- Elaborate: To expand on the idea with more details, explaining why it's important or what its effects were. This helps you understand the idea more deeply.
The Bizarre Great Emu War
In 1932, Australia was the setting for one of history’s strangest conflicts: The Great Emu War. This wasn't a war between nations, but between Australian soldiers and thousands of large, flightless birds. After World War I, many former soldiers became farmers in Western Australia. Their new lives were made incredibly difficult by a massive migration of over 20,000 emus that were ruining their wheat crops during a drought. The farmers, many of them veterans, asked for military help.
The military operation began with a small group of soldiers armed with two machine guns. They believed it would be an easy task, but they severely underestimated their feathered opponents. The emus proved to be brilliant strategists. When fired upon, the large flock of emus would split into smaller groups and run in different directions, making them nearly impossible targets. The birds were incredibly fast, reaching speeds of up to 30 miles per hour, and their tough feathers seemed to almost repel the bullets. In one famous encounter, the soldiers used a truck to chase a group of emus, but the ride was so bumpy they couldn't aim, and the emus easily outran them.
The so-called "war" was a complete failure and a national embarrassment. After nearly a month, the soldiers had used thousands of bullets but had killed fewer than 100 emus, according to some reports. The media mocked the effort, and the military commander in charge reportedly praised the emus for their surprising military tactics, saying, "If we had a military division with the bullet-carrying capacity of these birds it would face any army in the world." The operation was called off, the soldiers withdrew, and the emus were declared the unofficial winners of the Great Emu War.
Part 2: Analyze the Idea
Complete the table below to track how the author develops the key idea that the Great Emu War was a strange and unsuccessful conflict.
| Method | How does the author do this in the text? | Find a specific detail or quote as evidence. |
|---|---|---|
| Introduce | The author introduces the conflict by naming it and explaining who was involved and why it started. | "This wasn't a war between nations, but between Australian soldiers and thousands of large, flightless birds." |
| Illustrate | ||
| Illustrate | ||
| Elaborate | ||
| Elaborate |
Part 3: Deeper Thinking
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Which method does the author use to illustrate how difficult the emus were to fight? A. By providing a map of the emus' migration route. B. By quoting the farmers' complaints about the emus. C. By describing the emus' speed and clever tactics during battles. D. By listing the types of machine guns the soldiers used.
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Was the author's choice to include the story (anecdote) about the truck chase an effective way to illustrate the soldiers' struggles? Why or why not?
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How does elaborating on the results of the war (the number of emus defeated vs. bullets used) help you understand the author's main point?
Challenge Question (Optional)
Think of a hobby, video game, or school subject you know a lot about. In the space below, write one paragraph that introduces your topic, illustrates it with one specific example, and elaborates on why it is interesting.
Answer Key
Part 2: Analyze the Idea (Sample Answers)
| Method | How does the author do this in the text? | Find a specific detail or quote as evidence. |
|---|---|---|
| Introduce | The author introduces the conflict by naming it and explaining who was involved and why it started. | "This wasn't a war between nations, but between Australian soldiers and thousands of large, flightless birds." |
| Illustrate | The author gives examples of the emus' smart tactics. | "...the large flock of emus would split into smaller groups and run in different directions..." |
| Illustrate | The author tells a short story (anecdote) about a specific battle. | "In one famous encounter, the soldiers used a truck to chase a group of emus, but the ride was so bumpy they couldn't aim..." |
| Elaborate | The author expands on the failure of the war with statistics. | "...the soldiers had used thousands of bullets but had killed fewer than 100 emus..." |
| Elaborate | The author uses a quote from the commander to explain how impressive the emus were. | "If we had a military division with the bullet-carrying capacity of these birds it would face any army in the world." |
Part 3: Deeper Thinking
- C. By describing the emus' speed and clever tactics during battles.
- (Sample Answer) Yes, it was effective because it shows a real-life example of the problem. Instead of just saying it was hard, the story of the bumpy truck chase paints a clear picture of why it was so hard and makes the situation seem almost comical and unbelievable.
- (Sample Answer) It helps by providing concrete proof of failure. The numbers (thousands of bullets vs. less than 100 emus) make the lack of success very clear and emphasize the author's point that the war was a complete failure and an embarrassment.
Challenge Question
Answers will vary widely but should follow the introduce/illustrate/elaborate structure. For example: "One of the most creative video games is Minecraft. (Introduce) For example, you can gather resources like wood and stone to build anything you can imagine, from a simple house to a giant castle. (Illustrate) This freedom to create is what makes the game so engaging and allows millions of players to express their unique ideas." (Elaborate)