Aussie! Aussie! Aussie!

Introduction

Become an Australian, Mate! Now's your chance to experience life "down under" in "Oz." Though you probably can't pick up the accent, you'll learn some Australian slang as well as more about their customs and country. After gathering information, you will write a letter as an Australian to someone in America.

Task

Learn all that you can about Australian life, and then use the information to write a 2-page letter to an American friend from the perspective of an Australian. You will need to include specifics about an animal, a food, customs, daily life, and a city. Also, you will have to use Australian slang in your writing.

Process

First, pick an Australian name for yourself to write under. Use Australian names for any friends or family that you include in your letter.

http://www.kidspot.com.au/australias-100-most-popular-baby-names/

http://genealogy.about.com/od/australia/tp/common_surnames.htm

Next, pick a city that your Australian self lives in or has visited, and learn at least one specific fact about it. Click on the specific city you want to learn about after following the link below:

http://www.postcodes-australia.com/cities

Read widely about Australian customs, culture, etiquette, and daily life.

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/australia.html

http://www.skwirk.com/p-c_s-1_u-50_t-64_c-231/australian-lifestyle/nsw/australian-lifestyle/identity-and-values/aspects-of-australian-identity

Also pick at least one Australian animal that interests you, and learn about it.

http://www.outback-australia-travel-secrets.com/australian_animals.html

Skim over the Australian foods and recipes and learn about at least one.

http://www.foodbycountry.com/Algeria-to-France/Australia.html

Finally become familiar with the Australian slang.

https://thingsaussieslike.wordpress.com/speaking-aussie-style-2/

Using all the information you learned, write a 2 page letter to an American friend as if you were an Australian. Write about a city you live in or have visited. Also tell your friend about an Australian animal you've seen and about your favorite Australian food and when you eat it. Be sure to include enough information that your American friend will learn about Australian culture, customs, and daily life, and use Australian slang in your letter. Sign the letter using the Australian name you picked for yourself.

Evaluation

This is the rubric that will be used to grade your work:

	0	1	2	3
Followed Instructions	Student didn’t follow the instructions	Student followed a few of the instructions	Student followed most of the instructions	Student followed all of the instructions
Effort and Depth of Research	Student didn’t read any provided sources	Student may have skimmed some of the resources	Student uses a majority of the resources	Student deeply read and proficient used most of the sources
Specific Details about the a city, a food, and an animal	Student provides no specific details	Student provides specific detail about one topic	Student provides specific details about two of the topics	Student provides specific details about all three topics
Information regarding culture, customs, and daily life	Student does not provide any information on these topics	Student provides little information on these topics	Student provides a few details, demonstrating understanding of this topic	Student provides more than three details, demonstrating understanding of this topic
Writing and Organization	Writing is poor and the letter is not organized	Writing is weak, and there is minimal organization	Writing is average, and there is adequate organization	Writing is strong, and the letter is very well organized
Slang	The letter does not use any slang	The letter includes one or two uses of slang	The letter includes three or four uses of slang	The letter includes five or more uses of slang

Conclusion

I hope you've enjoyed learning about Australia life. If any topic interested you, feel free to continue researching it on your own, and if you ever visit Australia, be sure to invite me! :)

Credits

Sites Used: