Teacher Plan for 'Tolerance: Valuing Difference – Towards Reconciliation'

The daily two-hour literacy block was used:

  1. to teach the necessary genres – letter writing, biography, envelopes, poster and persuasive speech;
  2. for students' spelling journals, to teach specific words;
  3. for reading comprehension activities (taken from the Australian Readers);
  4. to study the Six Thinking Hats by Edward de Bono.

Note: Source details of resources listed are provided at the end of the Teacher Plan.

WeekActivityResourcesAssessment
Week 1
  • View Pocahontas, discussing the reasons for exploration and the impact of settlement. Discuss the similarities to other countries.
Video: Pocahontas1Observations
  • View Part 4 of Under the Skin – KLW. Discuss racism as a global issue.
Video: Under the Skin2KLW in reflective journal
  • Vocabulary study – spelling words include: stereotype, discrimination, prejudice, ethnocentrism.
Macmillan Australia's Aboriginal People Encyclopaedia; Discovery Democracy Units Key Terms3Spelling journal
  • Read Pilawuk.
Pilawuk4Reflective journal
  • Play 'Clumps' – the game about belonging to a group. Discuss how Pilawuk felt.
'Belonging' unit from SOSE modulesDiscuss feelings; reflective journal
  • Family Concept Map: compare diversity of families. Students write the sentence 'My idea of family is …'. Share sentences and words used.
  
  • View the United Nations Family Logo and discuss. Students design a family logo based on their family's beliefs and what they do.
United Nations Family Logo5View logos
  • Literature study.
Two Hands Together6Literature review
  • Students find out where their ancestors came from and why they came to Australia.
Share information and record on class chart
  • Study media releases about Rabbit-Proof Fence.
Newspaper articles 
Week 2
  • Analyse posters from Queensland Health. These posters cover the five time spans/policies since European settlement. They give an overview of actions and reactions to some of the policies.
 Reflective journal
  • Read The Rabbits. Students complete the Six Thinking Hats literature review.
The Rabbits7Attitudes displayed in their comments on the literature review
  • Read My Girragundji. Students complete the Six Thinking Hats literature review.
My Girragundji8Attitudes displayed in their comments on the literature review
  • Technology lesson: how to create graphs using statistics about Indigenous Australians. Students to create a chart showing a range of statistics and graph types.
 Chart: demonstrating their understanding of each graph type and correct interpretation of the statistics
  • Yarrabah timeline: cut out pictures from 'Reaching Back' newspaper clippings; paste them onto the Federation timeline and write in the 'Indigenous' history, and government legislation and policies.
'Reaching Back' newspaper clippings on Yarrabah, Indigenous Library Services, State Library of Queensland http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/ils/clippings.htm (link no longer available)9 
  • Research the HREOC website and answer questions about the Discrimination Acts.
www.hreoc.gov.au/racial_discrimination
/face_facts/index.html10		 
  • Study of famous Indigenous Australians.
Aboriginal People Encyclopaedia and Teachers' Guide; also online sites11Students' interpretation of the facts as written down
Week 3
  • Myths/Facts: students copy down the myth and read the facts and summarise.
Anti-racism course booklet, Rebutting the MythsReflective journal
  • Read Paul Keating's speech; discuss what the 'Redfern Statement' was about. What is reconciliation?
Speech available online at http://www.apology.west.net.au
/redfern.html (link no longer available)12		Observation of discussion
  • Investigating changing attitudes: view 'marriage proposal' from early convict days and 1915 rules for female teachers. Discuss change, challenging traditions, Discrimination Acts, etc.
OHT: 'Marriage Proposal' and 'Rules for Female Teachers' 'Belonging' unit, SOSE modules.Observations of drawings and descriptions
  • Study and discuss the 'Exemption Certificate', otherwise known as 'Dog Tags'.
OHT of an exemption certificate 
  • Draw a 'typical Aussie'. Discuss stereotyping. Discuss 'minority'. Students form groups and fill in the table: stereotypes, discrimination and harassment.
  
  • Locate various places on the Yarrabah map – give coordinates.
OHT: Yarrabah map 
  • Students write descriptive letters about themselves for the students of Yarrabah.
 Reflective journal:
What I know …
What I need to find out …
  • Locate the various islands in the Torres Strait.
OHT: map of Torres Strait 
  • Discuss the possible Rich Tasks. Students select a task and brainstorm an action plan.
Aboriginal People Encyclopaedia 
  • Worksheet: Separated Families.
  
  • Worksheet: Aboriginal flag and Torres Strait Islander flag. Draw in notebooks and discuss symbols etc.
Pictures of flagsReflective journal
  • Finish watching the anti-racism video.
Video: Under the Skin; Aboriginal Studies13Reflective journal
  • Indigenous crossword and wordfind.
  
Week 4
  • Watch the 'Freedom Rides' segment of the DD video. Discuss 'People Power'.
Discovering Democracy Primary Video14 
  • Research: people and achievements, bush tucker, legal and political issues, Wave Hill.
Aboriginal People Encyclopaedia 
Week 5
  • Students use the computer to find out about the Freedom Rides.
Stories of Democracy CD-ROM15 
  • Research: Aboriginal organisations.
Aboriginal People EncyclopaediaAnecdotal: questions
  • Formulating appropriate questions to ask the Indigenous guests.
Set of five posters from Queensland Health depicting Indigenous history and the ActsReflective journal
  • Visiting Indigenous teachers from Indigenous Education Unit – Cross-Cultural Workshop.
Model lesson, using teacher notesStructure of speech; knowledge of Indigenous history; positive attitudes
  • Generic structure of a persuasive speech.
  
  • Students write speeches.
Cassette player; literature about Aboriginal English
Class excursion notes and organisation		 
  • Listen to students from Yarrabah speaking Aboriginal English. Discussion on language and dialect.
  
Week 6
  • Watch Behind the News about Rabbit-Proof Fence. Students write a report.
Study Guide: Rabbit-Proof Fence16Film review assessment task
  • Visit cinema to see Rabbit-Proof Fence.
  
  • Poster lesson: view Indigenous posters; write criteria, what makes a good poster; students make a plan.
Copies of Indigenous postersCriteria sheet and assessment task; message depicted in their poster
  • View Return of the Titans, discuss the issues and 'people power'.
Video: Return of the TitansReflective journal
  • Michael Quinn from Kuranda gives a talk and tells Indigenous stories.
Michael QuinnReflective journal
Week 7
  • Visit Yarrabah – bus trip.
The Binna-Binna Man17 
  • Read The Binna Binna Man.
  
  • Thank you letters for Yarrabah school, council, museum.
Writing and phoning individuals and organisations for help with protocol 
  • Continue educational experiences (plays, bush tucker garden, PowerPointTM displays).
  
  • Research: Aboriginal language terms and Aboriginal artist profile.
Aboriginal People Encyclopaedia 
  • 'Caring for the Land' cloze activity.
  
  • Read Growing Up at Uluru, and answer the questions.
Growing Up at Uluru18 
  • Read Desert Dreamings. Discuss art types from different regions. Students create a dot painting on black paper and a poster using symbols.
'Central Desert Art' kit; Desert Dreamings19Reflective journal
  • 'Significant Places' crossword.
Aboriginal People Encyclopaedia 
  • Queensland Arts Council: 'An Indigenous Rap' by Phil Geia.
  
  • Research into what Aboriginal people are doing to keep their languages alive. Compile an 'Author Profile'.
  
Week 8
  • Media study: front-page story about 'Park' people. Discuss facts, stereotypes, point of view, what can be done.
OHT: Cairns Post front pageObservation of comments
  • Media study: editorials from the weekend paper and from Friday's paper. Discuss points of view.
Aboriginal People Encyclopaedia 
  • Research: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander religions and culture.
  
Week 9
  • Visit Tjapukai – Cultural Park, Cairns, North Queensland. Discuss Rich Task activities with elders.
  
  • Watch Saltwater video about the Phil Geia's people.
Video: Saltwater 
  • Myall Creek Trials. Groups discuss and answer the questions.
DD Upper Primary Units Assessment Resources20Understanding of the law and attitudes through their answers
  • Should people be equal before the law?
DD Upper Primary Units, 'The Law Rules'21Observation of attitudes
  • Read and discuss Wik newspaper article.
OHT: article from Cairns Post 
  • Presentation of Rich Tasks to audiences:
    • Speeches
    • Play
    • Bush Tucker Garden
    • PowerPointTM presentations
  
  • Evaluation of Rich Task.
  
  • Students finish writing their Rich Task Report.
  

1Pocahontas, Film, Disney, 1995

2Under the Skin: Combating Racism in Queensland Schools
Professional development package
The State of Queensland (Department of Education) 1999
http://www.racismnoway.com.au/strategies/programs/qld/index-Training.html#Heading50 (link no longer available)

3Discovering Democracy Units, Key Terms: http://www.curriculum.edu.au/ddunits/key
/key.htm

4Pilawuk – When I Was Young, Janeen Brian, Era Publications, 1995

5International Year of the Family Logo http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/family/IYF-logo.html (link no longer available)

6Two Hands Together, Diana Kidd, Puffin, 2000

7The Rabbits, John Marsden and Shaun Tan, Lothian Books, 2000

8My Girragundji, Meme McDonald and Boori Pryor, Allen and Unwin, 1998

9'Reaching Back' newspaper clippings on Yarrabah, Indigenous Library Services, State Library of Queensland
http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/ils/clippings.htm (link no longer available)

10Face the Facts, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC),
http://www.hreoc.gov.au/racial_discrimination
/face_facts/index.html

11http://www.eps.vic.edu.au/history/Famous Aborigines.htm

http://www.yothuyindi.com/
http://www.eddept.wa.edu.au/abled/aspres/famous.htm
http://library.trinity.wa.edu.au/aborigines/biography.htm (link no longer available)

12Paul Keating's Redfern Statement at http://www.caa.org.au/publications/reports
/MABO/shadows.html (link no longer available)

13Aboriginal Studies – Developing an Awareness of Aboriginal People and their Culture, J Harrold and J Whitby, RIC Publications, WA, 1996

14Discovering Democracy Primary Video, Discovering Democracy Primary Kit, Curriculum Corporation, 1998

15Stories of Democracy CD-ROM, Discovering Democracy Primary Kit, Curriculum Corporation, 1998

16Rabbit-Proof Fence Study Guide available from http://www.theeducationshop.com.au/shop/product.asp?pID=838

17The Binna Binna Man, Meme McDonald and Boori Pryor, Allen and Unwin, 1999

18Growing Up at Uluru, Steve Parish Publishing, 2001

19Desert Dreamings, Deirdre Stokes, Rigby, 1993

20Myall Creek Trials: pp 21–30, Discovering Democracy Upper Primary Units Assessment Resources, Curriculum Corporation, 2000

21The Law Rules: pp 42, 50–52, Discovering Democracy Upper Primary Units, Curriculum Corporation, 1998

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