Rationale
This unit aims to further develop students understanding of what it means to be Australian. Students will develop knowledge about the contact between Aboriginal people and Europeans, what life was like for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples before the arrival of Europeans and the nature and consequence of contact between Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people and early traders, explorers and settlers.
Personal Philosophy This unit incorporates both individual tasks, working in pairs and also group work. This process is essential throughout the learning process as it allows students to partake in social interactions in addition with individual reflection time. Piaget understood the importance of child being active learners, and highlighted the importance of social and cultural influences on children’s learning. Knowing this, I will provide children a range of learning opportunities which incorporate small and large group interactions. This will further develop their decision making skills, enhance their language skills and vocabulary, increase their negotiation and problem solving skills and increase their social and emotional development (Piaget & Inhelder 1969). Loris Malaguzzi emphasized that children must learn via a variety of experiences and senses which include touch, movement, sound and visuals. This unit incorporates a range of lessons that cater for different learning styles such as audio, visual and kinesthetic learning styles. The Reggio approach of planning, observing, supervising and promoting children’s learning has been adapted to this unit as the planned lessons are challenging for the students, yet achievable (Thornton & Burton 2007). Rudolph Steiner believed that during the elementary school stage of child development, students should be encouraged to utilize their artistic expression and incorporate social activity. This stage also emphasized children’s understanding of their creative and analytical processes. This unit reflects these ideas as it has a focus on dreamtime stories, children creating their own art pieces and displaying them within their exhibition, yet still provides a learning opportunity through its focus on history and humanities (John 2001). The inquiry process is important for children to learn as it allows them opportunities to unpack a topic, explore, think critically, problem solve and learn new skills that are transferable to the real world. Year level 4 Essential question What does it mean to be Australian? Understandings
The inquiry is Project based (How can we make/do…) Problem based (How can we reduce/stop/change/alter…) Concept based (What makes a great…What is… Why do…) Cross Curricular Perspectives Learning About… Historical Knowledge and Understanding Learning by… Communicating Thinking Learning through… English Numeracy ICT Arts Values AusVELS Host Domain/Content description Historical Knowledge and Understanding Students explain how and why life changed in the past, and identify aspects of the past that remained the same. They describe the experiences of an individual or group over time. They recognise the significance of events in bringing about change. Learning focus The diversity and longevity of Australia’s first peoples and the ways Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples are connected to Country and Place (land, sea, waterways and skies) and the implications for their daily lives. The journey(s) of AT LEAST ONE world navigator, explorer or trader up to the late eighteenth century, including their contacts with other societies and any impacts. Stories of the First Fleet, including reasons for the journey, who travelled to Australia, and their experiences following arrival. The nature of contact between Aboriginal people and/or Torres Strait Islanders and others, for example the Europeans, and the effects of these interactions on, for example families and the environment Humanities Students sequence events and people (their lifetime) in chronological order to identify key dates. They pose a range of questions about the past. They identify sources (written, physical, visual, oral), and locate information to answer these questions. They recognise different points of view. Students develop and present texts, including narratives, using historical terms. Learning focus Students investigate the human and physical characteristics of their local area and other parts of Victoria and consider features of their local community that have changed over time. They describe how people use and affect different environments in Victoria. They locate and name the states and territories of Australia. |
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