1.3 Asia/Global education-Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia

Asia and us 

Our focus and reasoning

Our theme focus in Humanities and social Sciences this term is underpinned with an interest in Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia based around a geography unit. This focus on Asia is derived from the Australian curriculum's cross curriculum priority that integrates this focus for multiple reasons across all learning and curriculum areas.

The Australian curriculum defines the Asian region to have quite a significant influence on the world as well as in Australia. Asia is the most populated region in the world, being home to two-thirds of the world’s population. Some of the world’s most forceful, different and complex leaders, people and countries are within the Asian regions which is also home to some of the world’s most spectacular geographical features and natural resources. It will soon also be both the largest producer and consumer of goods and services in the world.

Why is this important? Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia’s priority provides a regional context for learning in all areas of the curriculum. It reflects Australia’s extensive engagement with Asia in a social, cultural, political, geographical and economic context, and so is taught to teach children it’s importance about these links, no matter what aspect of the topic. With this, our attention firstly will turn to the geographical diversity of the Asian region and the location of its major countries in relation to Australia.

How and what students will learn

Geographically, Australia is a part of Asia, which should be highlighted at the beginning of the unit, though it still aligns under the British Commonwealth. This unit will be broken down into the following components.

• Learning about North, South, East, West, Central and Southeast Asia e.g. Colouring a map in different colours representing each region to give students an understanding of what countries are in which region. 

• Specifically looking at each regions countries and identifying familiar ones that students may already know. 

• Looking at the different features of each region e.g. desert, mountains, sky scrapers etc. How are some regions different to each other? How are they different to where we live? Why do you think we need to have connections to some of these regions? E.g. oil, food (this may be explored in greater detail in other curriculum areas)

• Where are some of these countries in comparison to Australia? E.g. climate and travel wise. 

How can you help?

Though you may not be able to answer every child’s question, saving the newspaper or watching the news with children when topics associated with Asia are on focus is a good place to start. Though this is more of an extension to what we will be doing in class and the media may be opinionated and sometimes one-sided, this will still allow children to be exposed to what’s happening in Asia, and form their own opinions, which in future years will be a great advantage.

1.2 Sustainability

Sustainability, how can i help? 

Our focus and reasoning

Recently, children have been learning about sustainability and its impact on the world. Mainly focused on our work in Humanities, more specifically geography, this cross curriculum priority addressed in the Australian Curriculum has also been integrated into other curriculum learning areas. The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) describe sustainability as the ongoing capacity to maintain Earth and all life it holds and that the Earths current needs of sustainability are addressed without impacting the next generation’s needs. Sustainability can be on a global or community scale in the form of individual or collaborative efforts. Our key focus will be on identifying renewable and non-renewable resources in our community, and looking at it in a much larger light on a global scale. 

How Students will learn about Sustainability

The Australian Research Institute for Environment and Sustainability (ARIES) advises that educating students on sustainability develops their knowledge, skills, values and world views to help them contribute to a more sustainable future. To do this, students are taught in 5 components of Sustainability, which will be the teaching focus point on our unit on identifying renewable and non-renewable resources. These being:

• Envisioning (Future thinking, how renewable resources will be used in the future?)

• Systems thinking (Help us with the big issues we are dealing with and help create a solution)

• Critical thinking (challenges us to examine and question the underlying assumptions that affect the way we interpret the world.)

• Participation (being directly involved in the decision making process) 

• Partnerships (Creating partnerships for change strengthens ownership of a problem)

Activities within this unit

With the above teacher focus, students will be engaged in the following activities to best address the cross curriculum priority of Sustainability. These are:

• Learning what makes a renewable and non-renewable resource. E.g. Oil, coal, solar, wind. 

• Investigating renewable and non-renewable resources in the school, community and on a global scale. 

• Positives of renewable resources, and how it is sustainable. E.g. how it will continue to be sustainable for future generations. 

• Future predictions on maintaining life on Earth. 

• How in our school can we be sustainable? Thinking more than just renewable energy. E.g. Recycling, gardening, walking to school. 

As sustainability is a cross curriculum priority, the activities above in the geography unit will see some elements of literacy and science, and if need be, be extended further into these other curriculum areas.

How can you support?

Though learning resources may be limited, demonstrating to your child that items around the house and garden are forms of renewable resources E.g. recycling, water saving devices and plant life, lets the child understand that its more than just a solar panel or wind turbine that help sustain the Earth. Children thinking about the future and recognising the changes they can make to preserve the Earth will instil the next generation with the knowledge to sustain the resource we need to live. 

1.1 Civic and Citizenship

Civics and Citizenship. Who makes up our community?

Our focus and reasoning

Our theme focus in Humanities and Social Sciences this term underpins Civics and Citizenship with a direct focus on the different cultures, religious groups and social group’s students and their families belong to. This has been applied to the classroom as Civics and Citizenship education is a key element of student’s social and personal learning and a meaningful way of engaging students in their school and local community. This particular sequence of learning activities of Civics and Citizenship will see the class investigate the makeup and background of all students, and no matter how different their beginnings and beliefs students have or have come from, all people in Australia live under the same laws, have the right to vote, entitled to freedom of speech and expression, and contribute to their community and society.

What and how students are learning about  

Students will engage in a series or activities in this unit ranging from:

•  Expressing and sharing their cultures, beliefs and social groups they belong to. 

•  Accepting others backgrounds and distinguishing the differences. This includes understanding and accepting that others have different beliefs and not to be critical towards others on this basis. 

•  Sensitive issues that arise in the world to do with ethnicity, religion and beliefs. 

•  Researching rights, laws and other legislations all Australians are entitled to. 

•  How all backgrounds of people contribute to our society and community to make it work. This includes government issues.
  
  
  
  

These above topics, though seen as sensitive areas to address, are supported by the Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians addressed in goal 2, which states for students to become active and informed citizens, they must learn to:

• · Act with moral and ethical integrity

• ·Appreciate Australia’s social, cultural, linguistic and religious diversity. 

• ·Understand and acknowledge the values of indigenous cultures. 

• ·Are committed to national values of democracy, equity and justice, and participants in Australia’s civic life

The assessed work students will be doing will include role play, hard copy writing documents, artistic representation, presentation of work and data collection activities spread across all aspects of the above unit topics. The use of culture, community and curriculum have come together to create the best learning experience possible for students.

How can you help?

As parents and carers, we would like you to share your cultural, religious or social groups your family is a part of, and assist your child in helping share these values. Assisting your child with this will not only show our students families backgrounds and values, but also enrich your childs learning on the specific values your family holds. Children believe what they are taught from a young age e.g. the sky is blue, but why? You sharing the learning experience with them will help them develop an understanding of why they and you, are a part of a greater community.