A Penny to Remember

1. Use the Police report BLM (PDF file 243kb) to engage students in writing about George's crime. Students are asked to take on the role of a policeman and report details about the crime.
2. Ask students to create a story map to plot the events in A Penny to Remember. Students should identify the major events and use illustrations and/or words to map the story, using lines to make connections between events as appropriate.
3. At the end of chapter 8 Hannah leaves the cobbler's shop, upset by his comments. The next chapter begins with Hannah's arrival in Van Dieman's Land. Challenge students to create an extra chapter for the book that would fit between these two and explore the process that leads to Hannah joining the Dimples on their trip to the new colony. Remind students to use the writing style of Kirsty Murray when creating their chapter.
4. Ask students to imagine that a sequel to A Penny to Remember is to be written. Distribute The sequel BLM (PDF file 497kb) which asks students to create a plot, cover illustration, blurb and title for the next book, which focuses on Hannah and George's new life in Van Dieman's Land.
5. Cut out penny sized pieces of cardboard and invite students to design their own love tokens. Students should imagine they are a convict with a loved one that they are leaving behind. They should design and then create a token using pinpricks in cardboard.

Further information about Kirsty Murray is available at www.kirstymurray.com