Me and My Community

Theme
Belonging and communication.
By understanding who is in their community and what their place in the
community is students will be able to explore the best ways of
communicating important messages.
Key learning/Subject areas
English
Health and hysical Education
Studies of Society and the En!ironment
"etailed curriculum lin#s are included at the end of this document.
Tasmanian teachers please note $ this lesson plan will assist students to
de!elop s#ills in Thin#ing% &ommunicating% and Social 'esponsibility.
"uration
"uration( ) $ *+ periods
This will depend on the amount of time you allow for the students to
research the target community group and whether or not the optional Step ,
is underta#en.
-bjecti!es
-n completion of this acti!ity students will be able to(
articulate a sense of their own personal belonging to a wider
community
understand the demographic pro.le of their community
recognise migrants/ and refugees/ past experiences and the impact of
these experiences on responses to emergency situations
understand e0ecti!e ways of communicating #ey messages to a target
community including alternati!e ways to communicate
understand the essential elements of an e0ecti!e communications
strategy.
Students will de!elop a Me, My Communities and Belonging chart and a
personal timeline% conduct research into a target community% report to the
class and de!elop a basic communication strategy.
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3ntroduction
Think about your place in the world, the diferent communities you belong to
and what makes you, YOU!
These acti!ities encourage students to consider indi!idual and community
perspecti!es and explore their sense of belonging as a citi6en of the world.
7or#ing indi!idually and together% students will de!elop their understanding
of the sensiti!ities of communicating with di0erent communities% strengthen
the similarities and de!ise a communications strategy for a target
community audience.
Students learn about the di!ersity within their community and identify the
most e0ecti!e ways of communicating emergency messages to di0erent
cultural and language groups in their community.
rior 8earning
Students will need to ha!e experience with(
wor#ing e0ecti!ely in groups
the Thin#/air/Share process
collecting data and presenting it in graph format 9possibly through
using 2S Excel or other graphing software:.
2aterials re;uired
1. Worksheets
There are two wor#sheets for this lesson plan. The .rst Me, Communities
and Belonging wor#sheet is for indi!idual students. 7or#sheet < is to be
used in small group research and the de!elopment of the basic
&ommunications Strategy.
2. Timeline activity
3f you choose to get your students to complete the indi!idual personal
timeline acti!ity% you may need to pro!ide large sheets of paper% textas%
pencils% glue 9etc: to help them construct this.
3. Web links
Student access to internet4connected computers will be needed to collect
the following community demographic information(
1ustralian 5o!ernment% "epartment of 3mmigration and &iti6enship%
&ommunity
http!!www"immi"go#"au!media!publications!statistics!comm$
summ!summary"htm
1ustralian Bureau of Statistics
http!!www"abs"go#"au!
1ustralian Bureau of Statistics $ <++= &ensus data
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http!!www"abs"go#"au!websitedbs!d%%&'&&("ns)!home!Census*+'data
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New South Wales:
>ew South 7ales 5o!ernment% &ommunity 'elations &ommission for a
multicultural >S7
http!!www"crc"nsw"go#"au!communities!the,people,o),nsw
South ustralia:
2ulticultural South 1ustralia
http!!www"multicultural"sa"go#"au!statistics"htm
!ictoria:
?ictorian 2ulticultural &ommission
http!!www"multicultural"#ic"go#"au!population$and$migration
?ictorian 2ulticultural &ommission% community pro.les
http!!www"multicultural"#ic"go#"au!population$and$migration!#ictorias$
di#ersity!community$pro-les$+''.$
censushttp!!www"multicultural"#ic"go#"au!population$and$migration!#ictorias$
di#ersity!community$pro-les$+''.$census
Western ustralia:
5o!ernment of 7estern 1ustralia% -@ce of 2ulticultural 3nterests% &ommunity
ro.les
http!!www"omi"wa"go#"au!omi,di#ersity,statistics"c)m
"#$am ustralia
http(//www.oxfam.org.au/publications/teaching/index.html
This is a resource for teachers% adaptable for students of a !ariety of ages%
from upper4primary to year *< students. These resources aim to gi!e
teachers material that they can use to inform students of the many acti!ities
that -xfam 1ustralia is in!ol!ed in.
"#$am %&
http!!www"o/)am"org"uk!education!resources!dealing,disasters!0+1
This resource features detailed bac#ground information% case study material%
and lesson plans to help you tac#le these ;uestions in your classroom.
1cti!ities co!er Aoods% earth;ua#es% hurricanes% and famine% and there is
particularly detailed case study material about Bangladesh.
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How do 3 teach this acti!ityC
Ste' 1 ( Whole class activity: brainstormin)
Begin with as#ing your students to thin# about what the words belonging and
community mean.
1s# them to brainstorm on a piece of paper the words that they thin# of
when they reAect on belonging and community. 9Brainstorming is a good
way to encourage students to thin# broadly.:
Spend ) minutes sharing these words and noting them on the whiteboard. 93f
you ha!e access to ost4it notes% you could hand these out and get the
students to jot down one word per ost4it and then as# them to display these
on the wall.:
Ste' 2 ( *ndividual activity: +elon)in)
1s# your students to thin# about the di0erent groups they belong to.
Dsing 7or#sheet * $ Me, My Communities and Belonging% gi!e them time to
identify these groups. Eou can model this yourself as you identify the groups
you belong to.
The students start at the centre of the circle% where M2 is written. Then they
mo!e out from the circle% identifying their Family 4G Extended family 4G 8ocal
&ommunity / Friends / School 4G Suburb 4G &ity 4G State 4G >ation 4G7orld.
1s they complete each circle% as# the students to write phrases describing
each group.
Eou can start them o0 with statements li#e the following(
2E 3 am 9name:. 3 am 9age:. 3 li#e 9hobbies% sports:.
F1238E 3 ha!e 9members of family $ brothers% sisters%
parents:. Their names are( H Their ages are( H The
language we spea# at home is H
EITE>"E"
F1238E
These are my 9aunts% uncles% cousins% grandparents
etc:. They li!e 9location:.
8-&18
&-22D>3TE
3 belong to these groups in my local community
9cultural dance group% sporting club% school etc:.
F'3E>"S 2y friends are 9list names% ages% genders% cultural
and linguistic bac#grounds:.
SDBD'B 3 li!e in 9name of suburb:. 7hat 3 li#e about my
suburb is H
&3TE 3 li!e in 9city:. 7hat 3 li#e about my city is ... The
groups in the city 3 identify with are 9sporting%
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cultural% artistic etc:.
ST1TE 3 li!e in 9state:. 3 would describe my state as
9location% weather% population% demographic
brea#down etc:. The groups in the state 3 identify
with are 9sporting% cultural% artistic etc:
&-D>T'E/>1T3-
>
3 li!e in 9country:. 3 was born in 9country:. 3 li#e my
country because H How 3 feel about my country ...
The groups in the country 3 identify with are
9sporting% cultural% artistic etc:
THE 7-'8" How 3 feel about the world is H The groups around
the world 3 identify with are 9sporting% cultural%
linguistic% artistic etc:
-nce they ha!e completed this acti!ity% they could extend it by adding
drawings% photos and as much detail as they would li#e.
Ste' 3 ( *ndividual activity: My timeline ,o'tional-
Dsing their own wor#boo#s or 1, paper pro!ided% as# your students to
identify #ey e!ents that ha!e helped to ma#e them who they are.
3t may be helpful to brainstorm some #ey e!ents. 1s# them to thin# about(
their birth
.rst day at school
.rst arri!al in 1ustralia
.rst ma#ing a friend
.rst time they played sport
when they .rst learned to read or spea# English etc.
Each student simply .lls in the e!ents that stand out for them personally
o!er the period of time 9from birth $ now:. They can illustrate the e!ent%
bring in photos or artefacts that depict the e!ent and write a brief o!er!iew
of why each e!ent in their personal timeline has been signi.cant to them.
Ste' . ( Small /rou' ctivity: Think0 1air0 Share
-nce the Me, My Communities and Belonging and the optional Timeline
acti!ities are completed% organise the students in pairs or groups of ,.
1s# them to share their wor# and reAect on these ;uestions(
7hich groups do 3 most identify withC 7hyC
7hat ha!e been some important e!ents in my life so farC How ha!e
these impacted on how 3 !iew the world and communicate with othersC
How do 3 communicate best with di0erent groupsC "o these groups
ha!e di0erent ways of communicatingC 7hyC
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7hat symbols do di0erent groups use to identify themsel!es and how
do these symbols to show that someone is part of the groupC
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Ste' 2 ( Whole class activity
1s a whole class% as# the students to report bac# on the di0erent groups they
all belong to.
ose the ;uestions(
7ho ma#es up our school communityC
7hat are the di0erent cultural identities held in the communityC
Students may not be able to correctly identify some cultural% ethnic or
religious groups. 1ccept their suggestions% and if necessary correct them. 3t
is important to write up on the whiteboard the correct name and spelling of
each cultural and language group. 9Eou will need to be prepared beforehand
to help you with this.:
From this discussion% collect data on the language% country of origin% cultural
and religious bac#grounds of all your students.
1s a group% discuss the bac#grounds/pro.le of di0erent groups within the
community.
1s# the students to graphically represent this information. They could use
graphing software such as 2S Excel to help them.
Ste' 3 ( Small )rou' activity: research
-nce the graphs ha!e been completed% brea# your students into mixed
ability cooperati!e groups of B4) students.
The tas# for each group is to select one language% cultural% nationality or
religious group that they will need to research. 1s# them to complete the
table in 7or#sheet < $ 3inding out about a Community 4roup based on what
they ha!e learnt about the demographics of their community. They can also
refer to the websites listed in this lesson plan to help them .nd out more
about the community.
1s they research their group and answer the ;uestions in the table% your
students will be de!eloping an understanding of the best ways to
communicate with members of their target community.
-nce they ha!e done their research% they will need to wor# together to
de!ise a basic Communications 5trategy for e0ecti!ely communicating with
their target group. This is the second part of 7or#sheet <. Explain to your
students that now they #now a little more about the people and communities
in their area% it/s time to thin# about which methods would be most e0ecti!e
in reaching these communities. Emphasise that for this lesson plan% students
are not expected to de!elop an actual message.
Ste' 4 ( Whole class activity: communication sensitivities and
similarities
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-nce the research has been completed and your students ha!e de!ised their
basic &ommunications Strategy% get them to present this to the whole class.
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1s you go% draw up a ?enn "iagram on the whiteboard.
3dentify the similarities and di0erences of communicating with the di0erent
community groups.
7here the circles o!erlap% write in the similarities to show your students
that% while we are all di0erent% in many ways we are all !ery similar as well.
7hat/s nextC
-nce these acti!ities ha!e been completed% you could go on to the Take the
Communication Mission lesson plan where your students are placed in the
role of ad!ertising executi!es whose roles are to design and produce a T? or
radio ad!ertisement to help newly arri!ed people and those in their
community with lower le!el English language s#ills to be better prepared for
an emergency situation.
Teacher >otes 4 7hat should 3 considerC
5an)ua)e
ro!ide word lists with names of countries% languages% cultural/ethnic
groups.
ro!ide glossaries of terms used in demographic information.
Culture
Be sensiti!e to how cultural groups prefer to be de.ned.
repare the class by emphasising what is expected of them in these
acti!ities and what the outputs will be. Eou will ha!e explained that
this exercise is to help e!eryone learn about all the many sub4groups
that ma#e up their community% the di0erent experiences of these
people and communities and the di0erent ways that these
communities access information.
Be sensiti!e to the traumatic experiences that some communities%
students and their families may ha!e experienced. The sections in the
teaching guide about &18" students outlines the importance of family
and your school community ha!e ;uite a bit of information about how
past experience of ci!il strife impacts on people/s responses in
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emergency situations. 8in#s to other agencies and programs are also
pro!ided. -f course% you will need to use your own professional
judgement if there is potentially any element within this acti!ity that
may cause any of your students distress. 3f you are concerned about
this% you might as# them to write from the perspecti!e of a .ctional
character or in the third person. Students need to feel safe if they are
to outline particular family characteristics especially those outside the
Mnorm/. 3f they feel they will be ridiculed they will not spea# out.
Eou may need to spend time doing some trust building wor# in the lead
up to this acti!ity. Be sensiti!e to the traumatic experiences some
families and communities might ha!e experienced.
repare the class by emphasising the learning objecti!es of this
acti!ity.
1 #ey objecti!e is to !alidate the many approaches and experiences
amongst the students in the classroom.
'emember the di0erent world !iews about what constitutes a familyN
gender rolesN power di0erencesN the role of experts H 9etc:
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7or#sheet *
2e% 2y &ommunities and Belonging
7e all belong to di0erent communities. 7hat communities do you belong toC
Start at the centre of the circle% where M6 is written.
Then mo!e out from the circle% identifying your Family 4G Extended family 4G
8ocal &ommunity G Friends / School 4G Suburb 4G &ity 4G State 4G >ation
4G7orld.
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7or#sheet <
Finding out about a &ommunity 5roup
7our tar)et community )rou':
3t/s time to do some research and as# people in the community for their
input in order to complete the table below. "o you #now anyone you can
inter!iewC 3s anyone in your class from this communityC
-nce completed% the separate tables that you and your classmates ha!e
produced will come together to highlight the di0erent things one must
consider when de!eloping a successful communication strategy that will
reach e!eryone in your community.
Find the answers to the ;uestions listed in the Owhat 3 need to .nd out
aboutP column and include some extra ;uestions you ha!e designed
yoursel!es. Qot down your notes in the right hand column.
What * need to 8nd out about Notes
Communication sensitivities and considerations
7hat are the things you need to
be aware of when
communicating with this groupC
Thin# about(
&ultural sensiti!ities 9what
can be said% to whom and
why% eti;uette% what/s
considered well4mannered
etc:
The main contact people in
this group 9gender% age etc:
&ommunication channels 9do
they ha!e a community
newspaper% neighbourhood
house% community centre%
website% maga6ine etcC:
The target language 9do they
spea# a language other than
EnglishC "oes it use 8atin
script or a di0erent scriptC 3s
it best to communicate with
this group in both English and
the target languageC:
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*m'ortant back)round in$ormation
7hat is the country of origin or
regionC How might this impact
on the community groupC
7hat are the reasons for
migrationC
7as it for conAict%
economic or political
reasonsC
1re many members of this
community still in the
country or region of originC
How might this a0ect their
!iew of go!ernment%
emergency ser!ice
wor#ers% people wearing
uniform etcC
3s it a refugee communityC
How might this a0ect
their !iew of go!ernment%
emergency ser!ice
wor#ers% people wearing
uniform etcC
How long ha!e many community
members been in 1ustraliaC
"oes this a0ect how
you would communicate
with themC
Tar)et lan)ua)e $or your communication
7hat languages are spo#en at
home and in the communityC
3f people are able to spea#
English% how would you describe
their comfort le!els and ability in
understanding any
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communication that might be in
EnglishC
1re they li#ely to be literate in
their own languageC
The best ways to communicate with this )rou'
"oes the community rely on
community leaders for
informationC
"oes this group use technology
9li#e email and the 3nternet% T?%
radio etc: to communicate with
each otherC
-ther ;uestions you might ha!e(
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+asic Communications Strate)y
To help communities be better prepared for an emergency% it/s important to
be able to communicate e0ecti!ely with them. "e!eloping a communications
strategy helps with this.
Dsing your notes abo!e% de!ise a basic communications strategy under the
following headings(
*. From your own point of !iew% what do you thin# are the best ways of
communicating with people li#e you and the classmates in your
groupC
<. 3n terms of your target community% what do you thin# would be the
best way to communicate with themC
,. 7ho would you communicate with in this communityC How would
you communicate with themC
B. 7hat would be the best communication channels to useC
). 7hat languages would you use in your communicationsC
=. How would you combine your message with other strategies li#e
images% community symbols etcC
J. 7hat are the , #ey things that you would do in order to get an
important emergency message out to this communityC 7hy are
these importantC
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&urriculum 8in#s
Tasmanian teachers please note $ this lesson plan will assist students to de!elop s#ills in Thin#ing%
&ommunicating% and Social 'esponsibility.
Curriculum links ( Studies o$ society and environment:
CT NSW 9ld S !ic W
&ulture 8e!el =
1nalyses the way
societies or
communities foster
a sense of unity
while still
maintaining their
cultural
di0erences.
5eography Stage )
)., Selects and uses
appropriate written%
oral and graphic
forms to
communicate
geographical
information
).K 1ccounts for
di0erences within
and between
1ustralian
communities
&ulture and society(
cultural perceptions
8e!el =
erceptions of cultures
associated with a
current issue
nil nil nil
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Curriculum links ( :ealth and 'hysical education:
CT NSW 9ld S !ic W
Health of indi!iduals
and the community
8e!el =
lans programs to
meet the di0erent
needs of indi!iduals
and groups.
Safety 8e!el =
E!aluates programs
and ser!ices within
the community that
promote safety
redicts some of the
li#ely e0ects that a
range of writing
styles may ha!e on
particular audiences
&ommunicating
Stage )
).** 1dapts and
e!aluates
communication s#ills
and strategies to
justify opinions%
ideas and feelings in
increasingly complex
situations.
romoting the health
of indi!iduals and
communities 8e!el =
=., Students de!ise
personal and
community
strategies to respond
to potentially unsafe
situations and
beha!iours.
Health of 3ndi!iduals
and &ommunities
Standard )
).= &ritically
analyses the
immediate% short4
and long4term
conse;uences and
the inter4
relationships of
beha!iours that
a0ect the health of
communities.
Health #nowledge
and promotion 8e!el
=
H identify the health
ser!ices and
products pro!ided by
go!ernment and
non4go!ernment
bodies H
>il
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Curriculum links ; 6n)lish:
CT NSW 9ld S !ic W
7riting 8e!el =
7rites in a !ariety of
ways to explore
complex issues for
speci.c and general
audiences
Stage )
J Selects and uses
language forms and
features% and
structures of texts
according to
di0erent purposes%
audiences and
contexts% and
describes and
explains their e0ects
on meaning
*+ Ruestions%
challenges and
e!aluates cultural
assumptions in texts
and their e0ects on
meaning
Syllabus under
re!ision.
Texts and contexts
Standard )
).B &omposes a
range of texts that
include detailed
information and
explore di0erent
perspecti!es about
di!erse topics or
issues and adjusts
the text to produce
an intended e0ect
upon the audience.
7riting 8e!el =
H select subject
matter and begin to
use a range of
language techni;ues
to try to position
readers to accept
particular !iews of
people% characters%
e!ents% ideas and
information
7riting 8e!el =
7rites with a clear
sense of purpose and
structure% exploring
di0erent
perspecti!es%
experimenting with
language
con!entions and
!arying their
expression to
enhance e0ect and
to meet the
expectations of
di0erent audiences
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Curriculum links ( The rts:
CT NSW 9ld S !ic W
2edia 8e!el =
3denti.es and
analyses a range of
media texts and
discusses responses
to them.
nil 2edia 8e!el =
2E =.,a Students
e!aluate how
contextual
inAuences can
contribute to
personal
interpretations of
media.
2E =.,b Students
e!aluate social%
political and
economic inAuences
operating on the
production of public%
commercial and
independent media.
>il >il nil
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