TEACHERS NOTES

Zarconi’s Magic Flying Fish

Zarconi’s Magic Flying Fish has application across the curriculum and is used as a set text in both primary and secondary schools.

Edenhope Primary School, a small country school in rural Victoria, used Zarconi’s Magic Flying Fish with students in Grades 3 to 6 for an entire term of integrated activities including teaching Australian history and geography, circus skills, clowning activities and transforming their classrooms with circus-style decoration.

Niddrie Secondary College in Melbourne used Zarconi’s Magic Flying Fish as a set text for Year 7 students. Over several years, English teacher Michelle Crofts and her colleagues created an in-depth integrated unit of work (Maths, Science, ICT and English & Performance Arts). This unit has been designed to cover the new DET,  VELS, POLT and assessment guidelines.

Material Downloads

Linked Resources

Australia is one of the few countries int the world that offers degree courses in Circus Arts at the National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA)

The National Film and Sound Archive have some fantastic footage of Australian Circus performers across over 100 years of circus history

Dr Mark St Leon ‘s book on Australian circus history were an important resource in the writing of Zarconi’s Magic Flying Fish. Read a review of his history of Australian circus at Sideshow Circus Magazine