It’s something you remember,” his father told him. Dissatisfied, Wilfrid Gordon began to ask the old people in the home what a memory is.

Represent and communicate observations and ideas in a variety of ways such as oral and written language, drawing and role play (ACSIS029) Students may use the ideas from the book and from their pre-writing to make “memory cards” to be shared with residents in retirement homes.There are five types of memories that Wilfrid learns about. Something warm, something from long ago, something that makes you cry, something that makes you laugh, and something as precious as gold. Make a list of them for your student. See if he can come up with memories of his own that can fit into each category. Have him ask relatives or friends about their memories, and see if they can come up with one in each category. It might be interesting to read the book with a grandparent or other elderly friend or relative and then ask them about their memories.

When Wilfrid shares his precious collection with Miss Nancy, her memory is prompted and she begins to remember moments from long ago, early in her life. She tells Wilfrid all about them.

Year 1:

There is only one word in Possum Magic that is written in capitals. Why do you think the word is written this way? It's the story of a young boy and one of his neighbours, Miss Nancy. Miss Nancy lives in the old people's home next door to Wilfrid, and he loves to visit all the residents. Of course, organic deterioration, or physical or psychological trauma, may play the leading role in the loss of memory. I once phoned long-distance a friend I hadn’t seen in fifteen years. I wanted to announce that I was about to fly to the city where he was then residing, and I wanted to see him. Why do you think farmers keep these animals? What does each animal do on the farm? What are their jobs? This delightful production, based on the poignant picture book by Mem Fox and Julie Vivas, adapted and directed by Sandra Eldridge, weaves together captivating storytelling with mesmerising music in an immersive and intimate performance.

With teacher support, students begin to identify and develop the skills required to work together in a group, including taking turns, and sharing and caring for equipment and resources. Through supported reflection on their own experiences of working with a partner, in small group and whole-class situations, students share their thoughts on group collaboration and learn to describe and practice skills that contribute to the formation of positive relationships, and explain why these skills are desirable. Review of Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox (New York: Kane Miller, 1985). Originally published in Thinking: The Journal of Philosophy for Children 8(3): 1. After the visit, put students in groups with a copy of the book to see if they can say any more about the characters they discussed last lesson. Prompt by saying: ‘Does this person remind you of someone you know?’ There once was a small boy called Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge and his house was next door to an old people’s home. He knew all the people who lived there, but his favourite person of all was Miss Nancy Alison Delacourt Cooper. When Wilfrid finds out that Nancy has lost her memory he sets out to find out what a memory is…

The following is a list of resources that can be utilised to support the learning tasks, activities and assessments throughout this unit. Teacher Resources