Freedom Machines

Years 5 - 6

One-Off workshop

In this workshop, students are introduced to the fantastical picture book called the Incredible Freedom Machines by Kirli Saunders, a proud Gunai woman with ties to the Yuin, Gundungurra, Gadigal and Biripi peoples, Indigenous to Australia. Students examine their ideas of freedom, and write a one stanza poem about their very own freedom machine. The students explore what their machines look like, how it moves and where it would take them. This workshop produces heart-warming and surprising poetry full of delight and wonder. 

This workshop is ideal for a mixed ability classroom.

• Australian Curriculum Outomes

  • Create literary texts that explore students’ own experiences and imagining (ACELT1607)

  • Create literary texts by developing storylines, characters and settings (ACELT1794)

  • Create texts that adapt language features and patterns encountered in literary texts, for example characterisation, rhyme, rhythm, mood, music, sound effects and dialogue (ACELT1791)

• NSW Syllabus Outcomes

  builds knowledge and use of Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary through interacting, wide reading and writing, and by defining and analysing words (EN2-VOCAB-01)

  Plans, creates and revises written texts for imaginative purposes, using text features, sentence-level grammar, punctuation and word-level language for a target audience (EN2-CWT-01)

• Sample Student Writing

  I knew it was mine because it looked like a big orange fish with a window for its mouth so you could see out of it and look at all the fascinating stuff. It has big black round eyes and stripes. My freedom machine has the power to swim really fast through the water and dodge any animals that the machine could hit. Our first adventure was to the depths of the ocean where we can explore all the cool sea animals no one has seen before. We can look at all the pretty coral and other fish. My machine taught me that freedom is doing what you want to do and that nothing and noone is controlling you.

  -Scarlette, Grade 4, Wentworth Falls Primary School, 2025

This program is not currently available in 2025. To express your interest for 2026, please complete the form below.