Little Bird’s Day: In the Sky Sequencing the Setting Activity is a beautifully designed resource that invites students to observe and sequence the changes in setting described in the story Little Bird’s Day by Sally Morgan and Johnny Warrkatja Malibirr. As the story follows Little Bird from morning to night, students will reflect on how the environment transforms over time—particularly the sky, light, and mood of each part of the day.

With multiple template options to suit different ability levels, this resource builds key literacy and visual literacy skills, including sequencing, comprehension, drawing and descriptive writing. It’s also an excellent prompt for oral storytelling and creative expression as students describe what Little Bird sees, feels and experiences throughout the day.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• ✅ Identify and sequence key events in a text using visual and written cues
• ✅ Develop descriptive language linked to setting and time
• ✅ Explore how light, colour and mood change from morning to night
• ✅ Connect visual literacy and written responses in a scaffolded format

What’s Included:

• 4-part day template (morning, midday, dusk, night)
• 3-part day template (morning, midday, night)
• Drawing-only and drawing + writing options for each version
• Two line width options for writing tasks (18mm and 14mm)
• Versions available in our basic fun font and all Australian state fonts

Materials Needed:

• Printed student templates
• Pencils, crayons, or paint (for drawing the sky at different times of day)
• Optional: photographs or videos showing the sky throughout the day

How to Use:

• Begin by reading Little Bird’s Day aloud and pausing to reflect on how the sky and environment change throughout the day
• Choose either the 3-part or 4-part day template depending on your students’ readiness
• Students draw what the sky looks like at each stage of the day from Little Bird’s perspective
• If using a lined template, students also write a sentence or paragraph describing the scene
• Use the final product as a discussion tool to compare observations and interpretations

Ideas for Classroom Use:

• 💡 Complete one section together as a class to model expectations before independent work
• 💡 Use as a follow-up to a nature walk where students observe and sketch the sky at different times
• 💡 Add finished work to a class wall display, organised in chronological order from sunrise to night
• 💡 Use in conjunction with the other resources in our Little Bird’s Day Mini Book PACKAGE

Top Teacher Tips:

• 💛 Provide sentence starters like “In the morning, the sky is…” to support emerging writers
• 💛 Enlarge the templates to A3 size for younger learners or to allow space for watercolour or collage work
• 💛 Show photos or time-lapse videos of the sky changing throughout the day for inspiration

Little Bird’s Day: In the Sky Sequencing the Setting Activity encourages students to see the world through Little Bird’s eyes, building empathy, artistic expression and comprehension in one beautifully integrated task.