Western World Collection #1
Western World Collection #1
Parent Guide
Parent Guide
The Land Down Under
The Land Down Under
This page is intentionally blank for double-sided printing.
Western World
Collection #1
Created by Tresa Fowler, Kat Tilby, Melissa George, and Mindi Eldredge
© 2022 The Mindful Heart™
Cover art: Warrenheip Hills near Ballarat, by Eugène von Guérard, 1854
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transferred in any form—including photocopying,
recording, or other electronic or mechanical means—without written
permission from the publisher. For questions regarding this matter,
please email support@themindfulheart.com.
Published by Outside the Box Educator, Inc.
Printed in the USA
The Land
Down Under
Heart & Soul Guide
The Mindful Heart | page iv
The Land Down Under
The Mindful Heart Philosophy
The Mindful Heart follows a holistic-approach to education. Through music, poetry,
art, story, hands-on games, nature study, gospel discussions, and other family learning
activities each individual’s heart, mind, body, and spirit is developed and strengthened.
This approach nurtures each individual’s love for family, for learning, and for God.
Using This Heart & Soul Guide
This Heart & Soul Guide include sixteen themes of learning activities. Each theme is
estimated to fill approximately one and a half hours, and families that complete four
days of learning themes per week will work through a guide in four weeks. We also
welcome the use of this guide in a way that best fits your family’s needs.
If this file is being viewed from a downloaded version, the audio and video links
can be found here in the interactive version:
https://themindfulheart.com/pages/western-world-collection
Heart & Soul TimeTM (1.5 hours per day)
The following is a list of Heart & Soul Time activities and an explanation of how to use
them.
Hymn, Prayer, Pledge, Calendar: Start each day with the same opening routine.
Scripture/Poetry: As a family, recite the unit scripture and/or poem daily.
Mapping: Have the children color and label (as appropriate for their ages) the
applicable areas of their maps.
Artwork/Photo Images: Using images from the unit’s Picture Pack, appreciate
and discuss fine art related to the unit’s topic, then display it on the wall for the
remainder of the unit.
Music: As a family, listen to the applicable audio file or video; provide time for each
child to share his or her thoughts on the music, any emotions it evoked, or things it
reminded him or her of.
Listening and Journaling: Both the parent and the children draw pictures or take
notes while listening to the stories available on the unit’s audio and video page.
My Journal: Both the parent and the children write in their provided journal pages
for an allotted amount of time (we suggest ten to fifteen minutes), then share what
they wrote. Possible writing prompts are included, but writers should feel free to
choose their own topics.
Folk Songs: Sing along with the recordings, sing along with the melody played on a
piano, or learn the chords of the song on the ukulele together.
Read-aloud: Choose a family read-aloud book from those suggested, or pick another
that your family will enjoy, and read it to the children for twenty to thirty minutes.
The Mindful Heart | page 1
History: Aboriginal Australia, Colonization of Australia
Language Arts: Poetry, Scripture, Audio Recordings, Journaling
Art: Aboriginal Rock Art, Eugene von Guerard, John Glover
Music: Aboriginal Instruments, Australian Folk Song “Waltzing Matilda,”
Composer Percy Aldridge Grainger
Mapping: States, Capitals, and other Prominent Areas of Australia
Heart & Soul Focus
One For Each Family Member:
m Learning Guide—The Land Down Under, Western World Collection 1
m Crayons, colored pencils, or markers
For the Family:
One of each of the following is needed to complete the unit:
m ”Picture Pack—The Land Down Under, Western World Collection 1”
m Welcome to Country: A Traditional Aboriginal Ceremony by Aunty Joy
Murphy
m (Optional) The Man From Snowy River by A.B. Banjo Paterson,
illustrated by Freya Blackwood
m Read-aloud book—choose one of the following:
• Flat Stanley’s The Australian Boomerang Bonanza by Jeff Brown
Interest Level: Alpha, Zeta, and Theta
Adventure with Flat Stanley in the Land Down Under as he explores
the beautiful Great Barrier Reef with his brother Arthur. All is going
well until the wind unexpectedly whisks Boomerang Stanley away
to the Australian Outback. What encounters will Flat Stanley face by
himself as he seeks to reunite with his family? Perfect as a quick read
aloud or for independent readers to tackle themselves, the story of
Stanley will be sure to engage its readers!
• Where is the Great Barrier Reef? by Nico Medina
Interest Level: Alpha, Zeta, and Theta
Supplies Needed
The Land Down Under
The Mindful Heart | page 2
The Great Barrier Reef is a fascinating place to explore. This book
takes you on a journey through its history, its exploration, its
composition, and more! What is a coral-reef system and why is it
important? Who were the first reef people? How did Europeans
come to know about the Terra Australis Incognita? Add this to your
reading pile and discover facts about the Great Barrier Reef and its
surroundings in a fun and enjoyable way!
Note: Evolutionary language (hundreds of thousands of years and
millions of years) is used in a few places in the book.
• Music for Tigers by Michelle Kadarusman
Interest Level: Alpha, Zeta, Theta, and Sigma
Sent to spend the summer with relatives, Louisa arrives in Tasmania upset.
She doesn’t want to be there and has no reason to believe her time there
will be enjoyable! Join Louisa in her adventures as she learns firsthand what
life is like in Tasmania and what secret lies hidden in the Tarkine bush. Her
summer may just become unforgettable!
• This is the Dreaming by Jean A. Ellis
Interest Level: All Ages
The legends of the Aboriginal people come to life through a series of short
stories collected from the indigenous people of Australia. The tales in this
charming book teach about loyalty, friendship, honesty, heartache, and love.
Learn about Australian animals as these heartwarming stories share the
origins of rainbow-color birds, the kookaburra (Australia’s famous laughing
bird), the black snake, and the kangaroo.
•
Picture Book: My Grandma Lived in Gooligulch by Graeme Base
Interest Level: Alpha, Zeta, and Theta
This book was lighthearted and amusing as it’s rhyming story tells a fun
story of Grandma who lived in Gooligulch, Australia. Grandma rides through
the town on her different Australian animals. It is a fun read about what
she will be doing next and includes amazing illustrations of the different
animals that she engages with.
Note: This story mentions the words “wine” as well as “sobriety”. It has an
illustrated page with a wine bottle and wine glasses.
•
Picture Book: Koala Lou by Mem Fox
Interest Level: Alpha and Zeta
This sweet book tells the story of a little koala who enjoys basking in her
mama’s love. However, as more koala babies have been added to the family,
Koala Lou doesn’t hear her mother tell her she loves her as much as she
once did. On a quest to hear those beloved words once more, Koala Lou
enters the Bush Olympics. Come read about Koala Lou’s experience in the
Bush Olympics and see if she finds just what she is longing for.
The Mindful Heart | page 3
Hymn
All Things Bright and Beautiful
Cecil F. Alexander
arr. by Martin F. Shaw
The Mindful Heart | page 4
Folk Song
Geography Song
Mary Bridges Canady Slade
Traditional
1. Oh,
2. All
3. All
4. Oh!
have
o’er
o’er
don’t
you
the
the
you
heard
earth
globe
think
Ge
are
some
’tis
og
wa
cir
plea
ra
ter
cles
sant
phy
and
are
to
sung?
land,
found;
know
For
Be
From
if
neath
east
bout
you’ve
the
to
the
not,
ships
west
sea
it’s
or
they
and
on
where
stretch
land
my
we
just
tongue,
stand;
round,
so?
And
Some
And
bout
far
go
how
the
be
from
the
earth
yond
north
lines,
in
the
to
the
air
south
cir
that’s
cean
ern
cles,
hung,
strand
bound
go,
All
Are
Right
Right
13
co
thou
ov
ov
vered
sands
er
er
with
of
the
the
green
green
green
green
lit
lit
lit
lit
tle
tle
tle
tle
is
is
is
is
lands.
lands.
lands.
lands.
Con
Great
Now
ceans,
ti
you
gulfs,
nents
qua
hear
and
and
tor,
how
The Mindful Heart | page 5
The Mindful Heart | page 6
Folk Song
Waltzing Matilda
A.B. Banjo Paterson
arr. by Marie Cowan
The Mindful Heart | page 7
Glossary
swagman: a man who traveled the country looking for work
with his belongings, or “swag,” bundled and slung over
his shoulder
billabong: an oxbow lake which is a stagnant pond left be
hind when a river changes course
coolibah tree: a particular kind of eucalyptus tree
billy: a can for boiling water
Matilda: another term for a swagman’s swag
waltzing Matilda: traipsing around the country with a swag
bundle
jumbuck: sheep
tucker bag: a sack for carrying food
squatter: an Australian squatter is a farmer of a large scale
sheep or cattle farm
troopers: policemen
The Mindful Heart | page 8
“It is expedient that I, the Lord, should make every man
accountable, as a steward over earthly blessings, which I have
made and prepared for my creatures. I, the Lord, stretched out the
heavens, and built the earth, my very handiwork; and all things
therein are mine. And it is my purpose to provide for my saints, for
all things are mine.”
—Doctrine and Covenants 104:13–15
“Thou shalt be diligent in preserving what thou hast, that thou
mayest be a wise steward; for it is the free gift of the Lord thy God,
and thou art his steward.”
—Doctrine and Covenants 136:27
“Our Father in heaven wishes us to preserve that which he gives to
us. . . . It is not our privilege to waste the Lord’s substance.”
—Brigham Young
“Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that
waiteth on his master shall be honored.”
—Proverbs 27:18
“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my
help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and
earth.”
—Psalm 121:1–2
Scriptures
The Mindful Heart | page 13
Song of Life
by Charles Mackay
A traveler on a dusty road
Strewed acorns on the lea;
And one took root and sprouted up,
And grew into a tree.
Love sought its shade at evening-time,
To breathe its early vows;
And Age was pleased, in heights of noon,
To bask beneath its boughs.
The dormouse loved its dangling twigs,
The birds sweet music bore—
It stood a glory in its place,
A blessing evermore.
A little spring had lost its way
Amid the grass and fern;
A passing stranger scooped a well
Where weary men might turn.
He walled it in, and hung with care
A ladle on the brink;
He thought not of the deed he did,
But judged that Toil might drink.
He passed again; and lo! The well,
By summer never dried,
Had cooled ten thousand parched tongues,
And saved a life beside.
A nameless man, amid the crowd
That thronged the daily mart,
Let fall a word of hope and love,
Unstudied from the heart,
A whisper on the tumult thrown,
A transitory breath,
It raised a brother from the dust,
It saved a soul from death.
O germ! O fount! O word of love!
O thought at random cast!
Ye were but little at the first,
But mighty at the last.
Poetry
The Mindful Heart | page 14
Poetry
Benjamin Bandicoot
by A.B. “Banjo” Paterson
If you walk in the bush at night,
In the wonderful silence deep,
By the flickering lantern light
When the birds are all asleep
You may catch a sight of old Skinny-go-root,
Otherwise Benjamin Bandicoot.
With a snout that can delve and dig,
With claws that are strong as steel,
He roots like a pygmy pig
To get his evening meal,
For creeping creatures and worms and roots
Are highly relished by bandicoots.
Under the grass and the fern
He fashions his beaten track
With many a twist and turn
That wanders and doubles back,
And dogs that think they are most astute
Are baffled by Benjamin Bandicoot.
Brumby’s Run
by A.B. “Banjo” Paterson
Brumby is the Aboriginal word for a wild horse.
It lies beyond the Western Pines
Towards the sinking sun,
And not a survey mark defines
The bounds of “Brumby’s Run”.
On odds and ends of mountain land,
On tracks of range and rock
Where no one else can make a stand,
Old Brumby rears his stock.
A wild, unhandled lot they are
Of every shape and breed.
The Mindful Heart | page 15
They venture out ’neath moon and
star
Along the flats to feed;
But when the dawn makes pink the sky
And steals along the plain,
The Brumby horses turn and fly
Towards the hills again.
The traveler by the mountain-track
May hear their hoof-beats pass,
And catch a glimpse of brown and black
Dim shadows on the grass.
The eager stock horse pricks his ears
And lifts his head on high
In wild excitement when he hears
The Brumby mob go by.
Old Brumby asks no price or fee
O’er all his wide domains:
The man who yards his stock is free
To keep them for his pains.
So, off to scour the mountain-side
With eager eyes aglow,
To strongholds where the wild mobs
hide
The gully-rakers go.
A rush of horses through the trees,
A red shirt making play;
A sound of stock whips on the breeze,
They vanish far away!
* * * * * * * * *
Ah, me! Before our day is done
We long with bitter pain
To ride once more on Brumby’s Run
And yard his mob again.
Poetry
The Mindful Heart | page 16
Poetry
Fur and Feathers
by A.B. “Banjo” Paterson
In the depth of the darkest night,
Without a star in the sky,
He’ll come to look at a light,
And scientists wonder why:
If the bush is burning it’s time to scoot
Is the notion of Benjamin Bandicoot.
The emus formed a football team
Up Walgett way;
Their dark-brown sweaters were a dream
But kangaroos would sit and scream
To watch them play.
“Now, butterfingers,” they would call,
And such-like names;
The emus couldn’t hold the ball
—They had no hands—but hands aren’t all
In football games.
A match against the kangaroos
They played one day.
The kangaroos were forced to choose
Some wallabies and wallaroos
That played in gray.
The rules that in the west prevail
Would shock the town;
For when a kangaroo set sail
An emu jumped upon his tail
And fetched him down.
A whistler duck as referee
Was not admired.
He whistled so incessantly
The teams rebelled, and up a tree
He soon retired.
The Mindful Heart | page 17
Poetry
The old marsupial captain said,
“It’s do or die!”
So down the ground like fire he fled
And leaped above an emu’s head
And scored a try.
Then shouting, “Keep it on the toes!”
The emus came.
Fierce as the flooded Bogan flows
They laid their foemen out in rows
And saved the game.
On native pear and Darling pea
They dined that night:
But one man was an absentee:
The whistler duck—their referee—
Had taken flight.
Sunrise on the Coast
by A.B. “Banjo” Paterson
Grey dawn on the sand-hills—the night wind has drifted
All night from the rollers a scent of the sea;
With the dawn the gray fog his battalions has lifted,
At the call of the morning they scatter and flee.
Like mariners calling the roll of their number
The sea-fowl put out to the infinite deep.
And far over-head—sinking softly to slumber—
Worn out by their watching, the stars fall asleep.
To eastward, where resteth the dome of the skies on
The sea-line, stirs softly the curtain of night;
And far from behind the enshrouded horizon
Comes the voice of a God saying “Let there be light.”
And lo, there is light! Evanescent and tender,
It glows ruby-red where ’twas now ashen-gray;
And purple and scarlet and gold in its splendor—
Behold, ’tis that marvel, the birth of a day!
The Mindful Heart | page 18
Mapping #1
The Mindful Heart | page 19
Mapping #2
The Mindful Heart | page 20
Mapping #1
Reference
Australia
Pacific
Ocean
Southern
Ocean
Indian
Ocean