East Lancets maintains a professional community with a generally high socio-economic status and Kenyon Primary School’s students are a reflection f this. It is the school’s vision to continue to develop students into responsible future citizens with the ability to become critical, compassionate and reflective thinkers as a result of high intellectual and academic expectations. The classroom in which the proposed learning activity will be implemented is a grade 1 class. This class consists of 23 students.
Of this group, 21 are achieving at the grade standard, though 2 are achieving below the grade standard. The group consists of a diverse range of learning styles, but there are no major behavioral issues. The proposed learning activity is based on a Geography outcome, but also integrates a Literacy outcome. It will be used as a lesson in an Indigenous Culture segment, and it is expected that, prior to this lesson, students will have learnt some basic aspects Of Australian Indigenous cultures. Section 2: Learning purpose This lesson will be based on Geography and English outcomes.
By the end of this lesson, students should have developed an understanding of the weather and seasons of places and the ways in which different cultural groups, including Aboriginal and Tortes Strait Islander Peoples, describe them CHUKKAS) (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [CARR], 2014). Further, students should be able to respond to texts drawn from a range of cultures and experiences (ACKLEY 655) (CARR, ICC). This learning opportunity will draw upon four general capabilities and will integrate one cross-Curriculum priority in order to enhance learning.
It is the aim of the Australian Curriculum for students to develop intercultural understanding as they learn to understand and appreciate their own and other’s cultures, languages and beliefs (CARR, 201 ad). This will quip young Australians with the the skills and knowledge to thrive in a diverse and multicultural world (CARR, 20th). This learning opportunity will develop students’ abilities to recognize culture. Students will develop respect for cultural diversity as they explore and compare beliefs and practices (CARR, 20th).
Further, this outcome will allow students to interact and empathic with others as they communicate across cultures (CARR, 20th). Through such learning, students will be able to see many of the commonalities and differences of cultures, assisting in developing skills in critical and creative thinking. Critical and creative thinking involves a students capability to generate and evaluate knowledge that is presented to them, as well as to clarify concepts and ideas, and to consider all options in a situation (CARR, 20th).
Through the proposed learning opportunity, students will develop these skills as they identify and clarify information and ideas, and organism and process information. Literacy is also a capability that will be draw upon, as students develop the knowledge, skills and dispositions to interpret and use language for both learning and communicating. Students will practice skills in comprehension wrought listening, reading and viewing literature, as they navigate, interpret and analyses learning area texts (CARR, 20th).
Personal and social capability will be developed as students learn to understand themselves and others by building positive relationships and working constructively with peers (CARR, 20th). As a result of this learning opportunity, social awareness will be developed, as students learn to appreciate diverse perspectives. Finally, this learning opportunity will integrate the cross-curriculum priority of Aboriginal and Tortes Strait Islander histories and cultures.
This is of high rarity as knowledge and understanding of Australia’s Indigenous communities will enrich students’ abilities to participate positively in the ongoing development of Australia (Brady & Kennedy, 2014). Such learning will be realized as students work to deepen their understanding of Aboriginal and Tortes Strait Islander communities and their continual special connection to, and responsibility for country and place throughout Australia (01 . 2) (CARR, AAA). Further, students will understand that Indigenous peoples’ ways of life are uniquely expressed through ways of being, knowing thinking and doing (01-5) (CARR, AAA).
These points address the stated essential knowledge, understanding and skills of the priority. Section 3: Pedagogy The scope of pedagogy used for this lesson will be drawn from the theory of constructivism. This theory suggests that learning is both the process of constructing meaning, and an individual making sense of their experiences (Churchill, 2013). It sees an emphasis on the active role of the learner in this process (Wolff & Margaret, 2013). The lesson will begin with a whole class discussion on the elements of the four weather seasons that students experience in their home town of Lancets.
Bigotry’s work argues that constructivism shifts the focus from the teacher to the students (Churchill, 2013). Rather than the students being seen as ’empty vessels’, they are urged to be actively involved in their own learning (Churchill, 2013). Though the teacher will facilitate discussion through key questions, the content that the teacher writes on the whiteboard will be drawn from experiences that the students share with the class. Viscosity views knowledge as the product of learning whereby individuals engage socially through conversations and shared learning experiences (Marsh, 2010).
Therefore, a constructivist approach IS apparent as students work as a group to discuss and explore the topic, and learn from both their own and others’ experiences. Once discussion has been exhausted, the class will then be read the picture book “Ernie Dances to the Didgeridoo” by Alison Lester (2000). Pigged argues that students actively construct their world through the process of assimilating or accommodating new information to their internal frameworks of understanding – their schema (Marsh, 2010).
This will occur as students receive information from the book and either accommodate or assimilate it o that which they have already learnt of Indigenous cultures in previous lessons. Once the book has been read, students will be able to demonstrate their understanding through discussion as they compare and contrast what they have learnt, in relation to the familiar seasons they experience at home. Afterwards, students will have the opportunity to create a response to the book.
Every student learns differently, and in an effort to cater to as many learning styles as possible, differentiation will be applied, where responses can be made in any mode, whether it is written, drawn or verbal. To achieve this task, resources such as white and lined paper, pencils, crayons, Texas and grey leads will be required, as well as the picture book “Ernie Dances to the Didgeridoo”. This will be an individual activity, though several age-appropriate books on the topic will be provided for students to be discussed and shared if any further information is required.
Students will have the opportunity to share their work in following lessons. Section 4: Justification By the end of grade 1, in Geography, the Australian Curriculum states that students will identify and describe the natural features of places that are milliamp to them (CARR, IEEE). They will understand that these places and features can be described differently, by different people and, subsequently, will be able to discuss this (CARR, IEEE).
Further, in the same year level for English, students are expected to understand the different purposes of texts, and are able to make connections to personal experiences when observing short texts (CARR, ICC). As such, both the proposed learning outcomes have been selected as they are relevant to the learning of grade 1 students, and align with that which the Australian Curriculum articulates IS expected pond completion of the grade. Students work best when learning is relevant to them and suits their learning needs (Marshall & Rowland, 2006).
The majority of students in this cohort are achieving at grade level. For those achieving below the standard, both outcomes remain relevant as they require students to draw upon previous experience, and the environment in which they find themselves on a daily basis. Further, both outcomes can be assessed broadly, as students choose to respond in ways that suit their learning styles and needs. Differentiation will be applied to the task, as it involves a teacher’s effort to spoon to variances amongst learners in order to create a more effective learning experience (Www, 2013).
Differentiation caters for the learning needs of those achieving at all standards, as students work in ways that play to their personal learning strengths and styles, and assessment is made on the student’s ability to communicate understanding of the topic. The Australian Curriculum is three dimensional, consisting of learning areas, general capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities. All of these aspects have been drawn upon in order to create an integrated learning opportunity that is OTOH relevant and appropriate for its cohort.
It will achieve learning in a way that is flexible and that caters to individual student needs through personalized learning (CARR, Bibb). Firstly, literacy skills support both outcomes. Within this learning activity, students apply their skills in literacy through the use of specific language that is appropriate to the learning area, in order to interact and converse with others (CARR, 201 ad). This enhances learning as students accurately comprehend the learning area texts, and appropriately respond to them.
Further, skills in critical and creative thinking will enhance learning as dents practice inquiry by identifying exploring and organizing information and ideas (CARR, 20th). Critical and creative thinking is vital to student learning as it requires broader and deeper thinking (Paul & Elder, 2008). This will allow for greater understanding within the task. Personal and social capability will also enhance student learning. On a social level, such capability enables students to form and maintain healthy relationships and to work positively with others (CARR, 20th).
If practiced, students will develop the understanding that different groups have differing respective (CARR, 20th). Subsequently, this capability will complement intercultural understanding which will promote learning in this activity. The Australian Curriculum aims for students to develop intercultural understanding in order to understand both their own and others’ cultures and beliefs (CARR, 20th). Through practicing both these capabilities, students will gain better understanding of the activity as they develop an appreciation and respect for different cultures.
Finally, the Aboriginal and Tortes Strait Islander histories and cultures cross- curriculum priority is addressed here. Understanding of this is essential for all students in order to become effective, just and responsible citizens, and will enable students to develop respect for cultural diversity (CARR, AAA). As such, this priority promotes learning in the activity as students are developing a deeper and richer understanding of Australia’s ancient culture and its people.
Both the general capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities work together to achieve a rich and integrated learning opportunity. It is stated that this learning opportunity should be taught from a constructivist approach. This is because constructivist theorists argue that learning is the process of constructing meaning and that students should play an active role in their learning (Churchill, 2013). Children learn best when they construct a personal understanding based on their experiences (Wolff & Margaret, 2013).
Therefore, students will be able to construct meaning through active involvement (Wolff & Margaret, 2013). Piglet’s work argues that learning involves the processes of assimilation and accommodation, whereby students will adapt new knowledge to their existing schema, or frameworks of understanding (Marsh, 2010). Therefore a constructivist approach will be effective in this task, as students will develop understanding by relating content to that which they already know and therefore in a way that is appropriate and meaningful.
This will promote effective learning. Group work through whole class discussion has been chosen to open this class. This is because Viscosity states that learning is the product of social engagement and is facilitated through shared learning experiences and conversations with others (Marsh, 2010). Further, Churchill (2013) states that learning is the result of an individual’s exposure to culture. This resonates with Bigotry’s work that proposes learning is socially mediated through the symbols of language and culture (Marsh, 2010).
By discussing ideas in a whole class setting, students will be able to learn from the experiences of their peers. Furthermore, teacher involvement should facilitate a reciprocal experience as the teacher scaffolds learning for the students (Faulkner, Littleton & Woodshed, 2013). Viscosity argues that children have certain boundaries to their cognitive ability in which they can independently learn – the zone of proximal development (Marsh, 2010). Through the process of teacher-student interactions, understanding will increase as the teacher scaffolds learning from previous lessons (Marsh, 2010).