Model Text Example: History and Geography (Year 3)
The following example of a model text was included in PETAA's Book Investigating Model Texts for Learning, written by Sally Humphrey and Emma Vale, published 2020.
Text Type: Descriptive report The Torrens River Then and Now
Relevant History Curriculum Codes (Y3): How the community has changed and remained the same over time and the role that people of diverse backgrounds have played in the development and character of the local community (ACHASSK063).
Relevant Geography Curriculum Codes (Y3): The similarities and differences between places in terms of their type of settlement, demographic characteristics and the lives of the people who live there, and people’s perceptions of these places (ACHASSK069).
Relevant English Curriculum Codes (Y3): ACELA1478, ACELA1479, ACELA1482, ACELY1678, ACELY1682.
Task Prompt: Choose one local feature. Describe what it was like when the Kaurna people lived here, and what it is like now.
The Torrens River Then and Now
The Torrens River runs through the city of Adelaide from the hills to the sea. It is 80km long. Now it includes natural, managed and constructed features, but before white people came, it was an important natural feature for the Indigenous Kaurna people of the Adelaide Plains.
The Kaurna people called the Torrens River Karrawirraparri, (Red gum forest river). In summer there were large sandy water holes with a trickle of water, and in winter it was full of water. Near the hills, the river ran through deep gorges, and near the sea it formed wetlands.
Many animals lived in and around Karrawirraparri. They provided food for the Kaurna people. Some animals were platypus, bilbies, possums, kangaroos, birds, waterfowl and fish.
The river was a walking track and meeting place for Kaurna people from the hills to the sea, and they used the red gum (karra) for shields (murlapaka) and carrying dishes (tami).
In 2019, the Torrens River is a managed feature and it flows all year round. The part of the river in the city of Adelaide is now an artificial lake.
The Torrens River is still home to animals. Pelicans and ducks live there. There are some native fish, but also carp and goldfish. Feral animals like cats and foxes also live at the river. Humans cannot eat food from the river because of pollution.
The lake is used for recreation activities like canoeing, paddle boating, bike riding, walking and going for a ride in Popeye.
SA History hub River Torrens http://sahistoryhub.com.au/places/river-torrens Accessed 05/05/2020
Charles Sturt Council Karrawirraparri http://www.charlessturt.sa.gov.au/Karrawirraparri Accessed January 2019