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Reading, design, procedure writing opportunities with Let's Build a Boat by Jane Godwin

Let’s Build A Boat

(9781760508685)

Written by Jane Godwin

Illustrated by Meg Rennie

Published by Little Hare Books

Theme/topic: Colaborating, Evaluating, Friendship, Narrative, Persistence, Producing, Rhyme, and Teamwork

This inspiring picture book celebrates teamwork, creativity, and determination. As a group of children come together to build a boat for their picnic on an island, the story naturally lends itself to discussions about the purpose of a boat in general and context of the text (AC9TDE2K01 – Years 1 and 2, Design and Technologies). The story also highlights the importance of preparation before they begin (AC9TDE2P01 – Years 1 and 2, Design and Technologies), innovation and problem-solving when they face the challenge at sea (AC9TDE2P03 – Years 1 and 2, Design and Technologies).

Throughout their journey, they experience challenges and moments of joy, allowing students to reflect on how they manage emotions in different situations (AC9HP2P03 – Years 1 and 2, Health and Physical Education). The story also supports children in understanding how teamwork, resilience, and problem-solving help them to achieve shared goals (AC9HP2P01 – Years 1 and 2, Health and Physical Education).

Let’s Build a Boat is a perfect launchpad for hands-on STEM or creative projects, as well as social-emotional learning discussions around collaboration, effort, and celebrating differences.

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Curriculum Alignment:

  • These AC codes are suggested purely based on the book’s content and are provided for reference only.

AC9HP2P01 9.0 (Health and Physical Education Year 1, Year 2): Describe their personal qualities and those of others, and explain how they contribute to developing identities

• describing the personal qualities of characters in stories and how they are similar to and different from their own
• describing how belonging to First Nations Australian cultural groups contributes to identities
• exploring examples of cultural practices, including those of Australians of Asian heritage, that recognise the contributions of family and friends to identities
• explaining how personal and cultural identities are influenced by the groups and communities to which we belong
• describing personal achievements and sharing how they felt and how it influenced their personal identities

AC9HP2P03 9.0 (Health and Physical Education Year 1, Year 2): Identify how different situations influence emotional responses

• recognising own emotions and demonstrating ways to manage how they express their emotions in different situations
• exploring self-regulation strategies to manage emotional responses
• identifying situations that may trigger strong emotional responses in themselves and others, and recognising the impact the responses can have on others
• identifying how someone might feel, think and act during an emergency through role-play and imaginative play
• predicting how a person or character might be feeling based on the words they use, their facial expressions and body language
• recognising how self and others are feeling in a range of situations

AC9TDE2P01 9.0 (Design and Technologies Year 1, Year 2): Generate and communicate design ideas through describing, drawing or modelling, including using digital tools

• comparing and contrasting features of existing products to develop new ideas, for example designing and making a puppet with a movable part after experimenting with other toys with several movable parts
• communicating design ideas by modelling or producing and labelling 2-dimensional drawings using a range of technologies, for example designing a new environment such as a cubbyhouse or animal shelter and showing different views (top view and side view) with descriptions of materials and features
• communicating an opinion about their design ideas, for example expressing own likes and dislikes about a design idea for felt finger puppets including how they have made changes to their design ideas
• describing the results from exploring design ideas, for example recording the results from people taste-testing a food product

AC9TDE2P02 9.0 (Design and Technologies Year 1, Year 2): Use materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques to safely make designed solutions

• exploring how available materials can be used or re-used in construction play, for example using used wrapping paper and gift cards to design and make decorations or signage for the classroom or a school event to minimise waste
• practising a range of technical skills using tools and equipment safely, for example joining techniques when making products, watering and mulching gardens, preparing a recipe using a knife safely
• practising a range of technical skills using tools and equipment safely, for example joining techniques when making products, watering and mulching gardens, preparing a recipe using a knife safely

AC9TDE2P03 9.0 (Design and Technologies Year 1, Year 2): Evaluate the success of design ideas and solutions based on personal preferences and including sustainability

• reflecting on and recording a judgement about design ideas, for example describing how design ideas meet the needs of those who will use the solution using audio-recording or video-recording software
• sharing design strengths and weaknesses, for example explaining how the equipment in a playground might be unsuitable for some children to use and suggesting areas for design improvement
• reflecting on the environmental impacts of the production of a solution and considering alternative approaches that would minimise future negative impacts, for example identifying the negative environmental impacts of different food packaging and how these could be minimised
• reflecting on the environmental impacts of the production of a solution and considering alternative approaches that would minimise future negative impacts, for example identifying the negative environmental impacts of different food packaging and how these could be minimised

AC9TDE2P04 9.0 (Design and Technologies Year 1, Year 2): Sequence steps for making designed solutions cooperatively

• using lists or storyboarding when planning and making, for example when creating an electronic planting calendar
• recording the procedure for making a product, for example the ordered steps for making a salad, instructions for making a container or bag
• identifying roles for each member of a group when working cooperatively, for example when making a number of items for a school fete

Let’s Build a Boat by Jane Godwin, illustrated by Meg Rennie, is a vibrant picture book that celebrates creativity, teamwork, and resilience. Through natural rhymes and engaging illustrations, the story follows a group of children collaborating to build a boat, offering rich opportunities for integrating reading comprehension, procedure writing, design skills in Australian primary classrooms.

Health and Physical Education

Let’s Build a Boat encourages discussions about teamwork, problem-solving, and perseverance. Students can share personal experiences of working collaboratively to develop respectful relationships and enjoy the shared outcomes (AC9HP2P01).

The story serves as a springboard for conversations about feelings, such as excitement, tiredness, and satisfaction, encountered during group work and how they navigate through negative moments (AC9HP2P03).

Design and Technologies

Processes and Production Skills

The storyline mirrors the design process, from conceptualisation to evaluation. Engaging in a hands-on boat-building project allows students to apply these skills practically, fostering critical thinking and creativity. Students can explore:

  • Planning: Discussing ideas and drawing designs for their own boats (AC9TDE2P01).
  • Choosing Materials and Tools: Selecting appropriate materials for construction, considering factors like floating and durability (AC9TDE2P02).
  • Following Steps: Sequencing the building process, emphasising the importance of order and safety (AC9TDE2P04).
  • Evaluating or Adjusting: Reflecting on the effectiveness of their designs and making necessary modifications, paralleling the story’s theme of resilience when faced with challenges (AC9TDE2P03).

Literacy and Literature

Reading Comprehension

The book provides great illustrations for predicting and inferring, and it’s short and memorable, which is ideal for practising summarising. Themes of friendship and boats make it personally relevant to children, helping them easily connect their own experiences to the text. The simple, clear language supports faster retrieval of facts, which is especially helpful when answering literal questions. These features make the story highly accessible while building key comprehension strategies (AC9E1LY05, AC9E2LY05).

Interaction Skills and Discussion

Students engage in discussions with classmates and participate in Dialogic Reading with teachers to explore the story’s themes, characters, and settings, helping them identify the main ideas of the text (AC9E1LE02, AC9E2LE02, AC9E1LY02, AC9E2LY02). Through open-ended questions, prompts, and shared dialogue, students practise expressing opinions and justifying their thinking using evidence from the text and illustrations. These rich interactions help deepen their understanding of the narrative structure and support the development of vocabulary and oral language skills. By listening to and building on others’ ideas, students also strengthen their speaking and listening capabilities in purposeful and respectful ways.

Procedure Writing

Inspired by the narrative, students can engage in procedure writing by outlining the steps involved in building a boat, either real or imagined. This activity reinforces the structure of procedural texts, including the use of action verbs, time-order words, and clear, sequential language. It also provides a meaningful opportunity for students to connect written instructions with hands-on or visual tasks, enhancing both their understanding of instructional writing and their ability to communicate ideas clearly and effectively (AC9E1LY06, AC9E2LY06).

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