Week 2: Civics and Citizenship – Learning about Identity and Cultural Diversity
(Mbudzi, 2017)
In 4P we are learning about identity
and culture diversity through Civics and Citizenship. Nowadays, students are
exposed to negative outlooks on different cultural minorities portrayed by the
community and media (Kennedy, 2011). It vital for students to appreciate their
own identity and embrace those around them (McLaine &
Dowden, 2011). For
students to understand this, they are encouraged to value their individuality
together with developing respectful and healthy relationships in the classroom
and community to improve their social and intercultural understanding
(Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA], 2017a).
(ACARA, 2017c)
Connecting with the Australian
Curriculum students learn about different cultural groups by exploring the
different groups students in the class belong to (ACHASSK093) (ACARA, 2017b). Students
lack of knowledge regarding the world is concerning, hence the importance of delving
into sensitive issues of identity and culture (Wojcicki & Levine 2010). If students are involved in authentic
learning opportunity this will help them become active citizens in the real
world (Gilbert & Hoepper, 2014).
To commence the unit students will explore their own identity and extend to investigating their communities’ similarities and differences. They will explore what it means to be Australian and describe what it means to belong to a nation. This will help students develop a greater understanding of values, beliefs, and actions that bring us together. The first task students need to complete is using words and pictures to create a poster showing their understanding of ‘Being an Australia’ imagining that they are creating this for someone who has never been to Australia to show them what it means and is like to be an Australia.
This task supports students to gain an
insight of each student preconceived ideas are and identifies any stereotypes
and misconceptions students have developed. To acquire a deeper understanding
of identity and cultural diversity guess speaker Taku Mbudzi writer of children
book ‘Multicultural Me’ will come during National Harmony Week (15-21 March)
when the school celebrates multiculturalism. To conclude students will present an oral presentation to the class about themselves and their culture. By the end of the term, students should have developed values and concepts such as respect, appreciation of diversity, equity and equality.
(Mbudzi, 2017)
To complement this unit the following pedagogical approaches will be used classroom discussions, questions, and grouped learning experiences. Questioning is a great strategy to help students vision possibilities and recognise societal matters that need improving (Killen, 2016). Collectively the class will come up with questions students have regarding cultural diversity of Australians and then placed on the wonderings and discoveries board to be revisited regularly throughout the unit to find conclusions and answers. Group activities as such foster deeper learning by sharing thoughts, which are essential in class discussions and can also foster democratic decision making and problem-solving when answering questions with the whole class (ACARA, 2017a), (McLaine & Dowden, 2011).
At home, share with your child stories about their culture and special traditions that your family share. Encourage them to embrace their identity and those around them.
References:
Australian Curriculum and, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA].
(2017a). HASS: Rationale. Retrieved from https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/humanities-and-social-sciences/hass/rationale/
Australian Curriculum and, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA].
(2017b) HASS: Year 4. Retrieved from
https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/humanities-and-social-sciences/hass/?year=12100&strand=Inquiry+and+skills&strand=Knowledge+
and+Understanding&elaborations=false&scotterms=false&isFirstPageLoad=false
Gilbert, R. & Hoepper, B. (2014). Teaching Humanities and Social Sciences: History, geography, economics
and citizenship (5th ed.). South Melbourne, Vic: Cengage Learning
Australia Pty. Ltd.
Kennedy, K. (2011). Civics and Citizenship. In C. J. Marsh, & C.
Hart (Eds.), Teaching the Social
Sciences and Humanities in an Australian curriculum (6th ed.)
(pp. 333-355). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Australia.
Killen, R. (2016). Effective teaching strategies: Lessons from
research and practice. (6th ed.). Cengage Learning Australia.
Laine, J. & Dowden, T.
(2011). Accommodating environmental controversies in the classroom curriculum:
too hot to handle or opportunities for deep learning. Social Educator 29 (2)
22-29.
Wojcicki, E. & Levine, M.
(2010). Teaching for a shared future:
American Educators
need to think globally.
Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/esther-wojcicki/teaching-for-a-shared-fut_b_706504.html
Images
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA]. (2017c). Curriculum:
F-6/7 HASS. Retrieved from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/humanities-and-social-sciences/hass/curriculum/f-10?layout=1#yl-5
Mbudzi, T. (2017) Multicultural me.
Retrieved from http://multiculturalme.com.au
Alternative News Project. (n.d) Humans.
Retrieved from https://www.alternativenewsproject.org/images/articles/article-30388/bfhumans.jpg
Well done on an awesome first blog. You have written the blog in an appropriate style and tone for parents to read and understand. There is clear explanation of the goals of the unit, why these are important for students to grasp, and how it relates to the real world. I like that you are using the class expertise in your lessons, allowing them to learn from one another and share their own cultureal experiences. Planning this to occur during Harmony Week provides a level of authenticity that may not be as achievable in other time periods, and fits beautifully with whole school activities for that week. The tasks you suggest for parents to support their child's learning are very appropriate and can easily link into various other learning topics. The graphics and video's you have used are engaging, and add an element of interest to your writings.
ReplyDeleteMy only suggestion at this point would be to re-read your blog, specifically looking at spelling and grammatical errors. There are not many, however a re-read will identify and resolve these.
Fantastic work!
Firstly, I would love to start by saying that cartoon picture at the beginning of your blog is such an effective image - I love it!
ReplyDeleteExcellent ideas you have above in your blog and they all reflect on the curriculum perfectly! Allowing the students to draw their idea first without direct instructions is a great idea because it’s essentially showing ‘them’ and often students can be guided a lot by teachers/parents/friends etc - so that is great.
Classroom discussion and students gaining knowledge on their peers’ cultures is also great - maybe even something incorporated like bring an item that reflects their culture from home or a dish of food (being wary of allergies and cultural eating habits of course!)
Probably a Re-read to just correct some very slight grammatical errors would make this blog 100% perfect! Well done Rebecca - your blog has been very enjoyable to read!
Sarah
What a great concept. All the images and video clips have been chosen will. They provide a really big impact and start to get the reader to think about the topic themselves. You have clearly state the learning intentions and what the students will be doing to achieve the outcomes. I love how you have also included what the parents can do at home to support there child's learning. It might be a good idea to have a look at the colour of the text as some of the text seem to be in a lighter gray colour and some in black.
ReplyDelete