Classroom in the Red Dirt
Dear Diary,
The sun wasn't even over the horizon when Dad woke me up this morning. The sky was a beautiful mix of bruised purple and bright orange, and the pink-and-grey galahs were already screeching in the eucalyptus trees near the dry creek bed. Living on a remote sheep station in the Australian Outback means my days start early, even before my school lessons begin. Today was especially warm, and the red dust was already dancing in the morning breeze.
At eight o'clock, I headed across the wide veranda to our schoolroom. My schoolroom is actually just a small spare room in our homestead, packed with bookshelves, maps, and my computer equipment. Unlike kids in the city who ride buses or walk to school, my commute is about ten steps. My classmates live hundreds of kilometers away on other massive stations, and some live in tiny mining communities. We only see each other in person a few times a year, but we are still close friends thanks to the School of the Air.
- station:
- A very large Australian landholding used for raising livestock, such as sheep or cattle.
- galah:
- A common Australian pink-and-grey parrot known for its loud screeching call.
- homestead:
- The main residential house on a large rural farm or ranch.
- spinifex:
- A tough, spiky grass that grows widely in the dry, sandy regions of the Australian Outback.
- paddock:
- A fenced piece of land on a farm or station where animals graze.
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Main Idea
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Context Clues
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Summarize
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Point of View
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Purpose
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Structure
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What wakes the narrator up early in the morning?
- 2How far away is Mrs. Davies' broadcast studio in Alice Springs from the narrator's homestead?
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About this diary entry passage for Upper Elementary
“Classroom in the Red Dirt” is a diary entry reading passage about School of the Air in the Australian Outback, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 4 minutes to read (536 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.