Take Away Teaching Ideas #42: Iceberg

Iceberg

By: Claire Saxby and Jess Racklyett

Published: 2021
Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Follow the iceberg in the spring as it watches penguins trek across the ice to their winter homes and senses krill stirring underneath the ice. With summer comes more life: the iceberg sees humpback whales spiral and orca gather. And the iceberg moves too, ever shrinking as the sun softens its edges and undersea currents wash it from below. When autumn arrives with cooling temperatures, the sea changes and the iceberg is trapped in the ice for the winter freeze. Then spring returns and the iceberg drifts into a sheltered bay and falls, at the end of its life cycle.

This book was shortlisted for The Children’s Book of the Year awards in 2022. 

How do I provoke curiosity about this book?

• Begin with ice exploration/ experiments.
• View a documentary about Antarctica.
• View this short video to introduce the book
• Find out more about Claire Saxby at these websites:
  • Claire Saxby
  • Claire’s website 

• Peak behind the scenes of the making of this glorious book.
• Reread the book and consider the text from the POV of an animal.
• Launch a wondering wall by adding questions posed during the reading of the book.

What experiences will engage my learners?

• • Explore compound words – iceberg. The readers can collect compound words during independent reading time. Image a whole class word splash!
  • Explain to the readers that certain words can be used to create atmosphere in a story. For instance, some words can make us feel colder or warmer than others. What are the cold and hot words in Claire’s book?
  • What verbs did Claire use? Add them to your classroom interactive word wall.
  • Read Iceberg aloud to your learners, ask them to tune in by keeping track of how many animals, birds, fish, and mammals they identify or learn about while listening.
  • The writers can select one of these living things to research and create a text to inform.
  • Research and discover the mathematical facts related to the living things presented in the illustrations.
    • What is the length?
    • What is the weight?What is the life span?
  • Using everyday items and musical instruments create sound story for the text. What would it sound like in Antarctica?
  • Implement a punctuation mark tally. Consider the purpose of each punctation mark.
  • Explore Claire’s use of the hyphen.
  • Fact and Opinion: The readers determine and record a key idea from the text. Then also state their opinion.
  • What descriptions would you add to the illustration on the amazing fold out page? Voice record or video your presentation of the descriptions.
  • Discuss Claire’s note at the end of the book. What are your thoughts?

  Enjoy exploring the beauty of nature.