First Nations Australians are advised that this task is based on stories of the Stolen Generations.

Help your students to develop their understanding of the Stolen Generations and comprehension skills with the Stolen! task, which they will complete following the reading of stories, such as ‘Stolen Girl’ by Trina Saffioti, or ‘The Burnt Stick’ by Anthony Hill.

This task will help your class understand how being forcefully removed from their families affected the children of the Stolen Generations. Students will use this template to illustrate and describe what was taken from the children when they were removed by the Australian Government, including their name, language, culture, family, home and possessions. They will complete short written descriptions and draw matching symbols on each lift-the-flap box.

Instructions for assembling this task and versions including his, her and their pronouns have been included.

If you require alternate texts related to the Stolen Generations, see the list below. While these texts can be used across year levels, consider the needs of your class before using a text recommended for an older age group. Please note that some of these suggestions may not suit the requirements of this particular task.

Recommended texts for Year 4 students:

• Stolen Girl by Trina Saffioti
• Sorry Day by Coral Vass
• Found by Bruce Pascoe

Recommended texts for Year 5 students:

• Who Am I? by Anita Heiss
• They Took the Children Away by Archie Roach
• Stories for Simon by Lisa Miranda Sarzin

Recommended texts for Year 6 students:

• The Burnt Stick by Anthony Hill
• Sister Heart by Sally Morgan
• Rabbit-Proof Fence film