Geography and Citizenship - Hand in Hand

Welcome again to our Y3 Blog as we discuss our Geography and Citizenship learning.

In this learning sequence we are taking a deeper look at the natural features of our great country Australia. We will be investigating some of the amazing natural elements of our continent utilising a range of sources such as books, photographs, videos and programs such as Google Earth to locate images and information about these natural elements. This links in with some of the inquiry questions located in the Humanities and Social Sciences curriculum, continuing our learning within this area.

We will then be narrowing our scope to the marvellous natural features of Tasmania, and comparing how some of our natural elements are similar or different to others in Australia - for example our Tarkine Rainforest and the Daintree Rainforest in Northern Queensland or our Tamar River and the Murray River in Victoria/New South Wales.

As we investigate the similarities and differences, students will demonstrate their learning in creating a profile detailing the characteristics of a local natural feature. This will include it's location on a map, a description and images of the natural feature. This enquiry-based learning opportunity also develops General Capabilities of Literacy and Critical and Creative Thinking as they select and analyse information sources and compose Geography-specific texts themselves.

We will also continue our Citizenship learning as we enquire into ways we can be active in conserving and maintaining some of our local natural elements.

We will be undertaking a class vote to choose between some of the local natural areas investigated by students and once decided, we will be participating in a Schools Clean Up (in conjunction with Clean Up Australia) excursion to our chosen location to clean up the area of litter and rubbish.

In this way, our students are not only contributing actively in a local community project but they are linking their learning about their local natural environment to a real-world location. This is an example of active learning, where students learning through active participation, not simply hearing or seeing someone else's perspective. Teaching and learning in this way encourages deeper connections between content and children's own lives which fosters a developed and rich understanding.

Following our excursion, student's will be compiling photographs of the day along with their own reflections for display in our classroom. These photographs and reflections will highlight student's understandings of how their efforts contributed to the protection of our local natural area whilst also linking to the cross curriculum priority of Sustainability.

Throughout this diverse learning sequence, students are developing knowledge and skills across a range of Australian Curriculum areas including:

This learning sequence is designed to create a sense of wonder and appreciation for the natural elements of our great country as well as our local area. If you are able, I encourage you to join us in exploring and investigating our local natural elements. It could be as simple as a walk through the Gorge or perhaps cruise on the Tamar but these experiences all contribute to your child's learning through authentic experiences that consolidate understanding. Furthermore, if you would like to join us on our Schools Clean Up excursion we would love your help.

Thank you for partnering with our class in this way!

Word count: 543

References

Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (2016). Australian Curriculum: Foundation to year 10  curriculum:HASS, Year 3 (Version 8.3). Retrieved from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/download/f10 

CQNews. (2016, June 30). Students clean up for environment. Retrieved from https://www.cqnews.com.au/news/students-clean-up-for-environment/3054589/

Ignatius Park College. (2019, March 4). Clean Up Australia Day. Retrieved from https://www.ipc.qld.edu.au/clean-up-australia-day/

Into The Wild Films (2016, August 6). Natural Wonders of Australia [Video File] Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWan2YcodSM

Marsh, C., Clarke, M., & Pittaway, S. (2014). Marsh’s becoming a teacher (6th ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson.

Morrison, C. D. (2014). From 'Sage on the Stage' to 'Guide on the Side': A Good Start. I Morrison, C. D. (2014). From 'Sage on the Stage' to 'Guide on the Side': A Good Start. International Journal For The Scholarship Of Teaching & Learning, 8(1), 1.

Tea Collection. (2019). Destination: Australia, Inspirational Photos & Stories. Retrieved from https://i.pinimg.com/originals/17/fe/bb/17febb3c44047a1cb290f53a8c123cc0.jpg

Vladimira, H. (2014). Projecting and Methods of Active Learning in Primary and Pre-Primary Education. Procedia, social and behavioral sciences, 112, 806-812.

doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.01.1234

History, Country and Place within our Community

Welcome back to our Y3 blogspot and thank you for joining in learning with us. 

We are asking the question: Who lived here first and how do we know?

We are exploring our community history and learning about the importance of 'Country' and 'Place' in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and culture.

This learning is part of the Humanities and Social Sciences Curriculum in Australia, and is aimed at developing student understandings of Australian and local history whilst also developing student understandings of cultures and citizenship. 

Our class will explore how Tasmania contains 'Places' and 'Country' that are important to the traditional land owners. Our class will learn about the Leterremairrener people, who occupied the land along the Tamar River, where our school is now located. We will work together to investigate what life was like - examining sources, discussing perspectives and learning about the cultural significance of the Leterremairrener people. 

Below is a clip that paints a picture of these connections to Country and Place.

The two learning areas of History and Civics and Citizenship are closely aligned - as we investigate the cultural history of the Aboriginal people in our area, we are becoming more informed and empathetic citizens of our current community. The image below demonstrates how our learning in this unit aligns with the conceptual framework of learning surrounding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures, which is a priority within the Australian Curriculum. 

We will be learning and sharing using the 8-ways learning framework, which is an approach to teaching and learning through traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's ways of knowing, being, doing, valuing and learning. 

One example of how these methods will be used is in 'Story Sharing' as we learn from an Aboriginal spokesperson from the local Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre within our community of Launceston. Children will hear stories from the past and about connection to Country whilst being spatially surrounded by the 'Land Links' they are learning about along the Tamar River boundary of our school. These are methods of sharing knowledge that have been utilised by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples for generations.

Students will also share their understanding using the 'Symbols and Images' approach, creating visual art pieces in response to the history they have been exploring.

In responding to these authentic learning experiences, we will also be investigating 'Acknowledgement of Country' and working to construct our own version to pay respects to the Leterremairrener people at the beginning of class events or group meetings. Below is an example:

We are not only applying our learning about cultural history but also putting our citizenship learning into action in our community as students will take turns in presenting our 'Acknowledgement of Country' throughout the year.

I understand that this content can be sensitive or unfamiliar to many, but I do encourage you to question and engage with your children about this topic, as we can all learn from each other and those that have gone before us, as we move forward together in community.

Word count: 495

References

Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (2016). Australian Curriculum: Foundation to year 10  curriculum:HASS, Year 3 (Version 8.3). Retrieved from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/download/f10 

Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2016). Cross curriculum priorities Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures overview. Retrieved from https://australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/cross-curriculum-priorities/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-histories-and-cultures/

Marsh, C., Clarke, M., & Pittaway, S. (2014). Marsh’s becoming a teacher (6th ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW:  Pearson.

Reynolds, R. (2009). Teaching Studies of Society & Environment in the Primary School. South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford.

Ryan, L. (2012). Tasmanian Aborigines: A history since 1803. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin.

SmallTownCulture (2017, August 23). Our Connection to the Land [Video File] Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av3SeQpn37o

Thompson, J. (2016, June 16). acknowledgement of country animated [Video File] Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCxe1M5SYjE

Yunkaporta, T. (2009). Aboriginal pedagogies at the cultural interface (Doctoral dissertation, James Cook University). Retrieved from https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/10974/4/04Bookchapter.pdf 

Learning about democracy

Civics and Citizenship: Learning about Democracy.

In accordance with the Australian Curriculum for Year 3, students are learning about democracy and specifically, the importance of making decisions democratically. We will be investigating the history of this concept in Australia, as well as how democracy works in our current community. We will also be learning about places and situations where decisions are made democratically, and how we can have a voice. The video (linked below) is an entertaining introduction to the history of voting in Australia.

In response to the above video, we will be asking the questions: 

Should everyone be allowed to vote on issues that affect them? and

 Should everyone have to vote on issues that affect them?

As children investigate, discuss and act out these concepts and ideas surrounding democracy, voting and having a say, they will be learning to become involved and active citizens within the democratic society in which we live in Australia. This learning is linked closely to the Civics and Citizenship curriculum content which includes:

As a method of achieving learning in the above areas, students will engage in class-voting and discussion - witnessing how their vote and their voice counts! Most of these polls will involve the whole class voting on selected relevant activities (such as Daily PE activities or books for class reading), whilst sometimes only a portion of the class will be selected to vote. Students will reflect on how it feels to have their vote included or excluded, and at the end of our unit students will design an informative poster sharing their developed opinions on why/why not everyone should be allowed or should have to vote.

As we explore and investigate democracy in this way, your child is developing key skills in relation to:

Empathy, or the ability to view situations from other perspectives in support of those around us, is a key concept relating to Civics and Citizenship, and students will be building empathy throughout this unit (for example, in the inclusion/exclusion of class voting), again linking closely with the Australian Curriculum and Ethical Understanding. Your child is not only learning to share their voice, but also hear and understand the voices of others. 

This is an example of an authentic learning, where students are involved in active learning within a real-world context. This approach is an effective way for students to engage personally with the learning, applying it within our class democracy and reflecting individually on their own experiences and gained understandings on democracy.

These conversations and experiences in class may spill over into your home and are valuable opportunities to encourage your child's active engagement with topics that mean something to them by asking questions and finding out more from them. You may even have simple scenarios at home where their learning on democracy could be practiced. 

Thank you for sharing this learning journey with us surrounding Civics and Citizenship and Democracy. 

Word Count: 482

References

Australian Broadcasting Association (2016, May 24) History of Voting [Video File] Retrieved 

from http://www.abc.net.au/btn/classroom/history-of-voting/10524754

Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). (2016). Australian Curriculum: Foundation
to year 10 curriculum: Year 3 (Version 8.3). Retrieved
from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/download/f10 [(on 12 March 2019)].

LeCompte, K., & Blevins, B. (2015). Building Civic Bridges: Community Centred Action Civics. Social Studies,
106(5), 209-217. https://doi.org/10.1080/00377996.2015.1059792

Livingstone, K. (Ed.). (2004). The intersection of inquiry, values and civics and citizenship education within SOSE.
Curriculum Matters, 3(1). Retrieved from https://login.ezproxy.utas.edu.au/login
url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsaed&AN=rmitplus133846&site=eds-live

Marsh, C., Clarke, M., & Pittaway, S. (2014). Marsh’s becoming a teacher (6th ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW:
Pearson.

Noah Couser (2014, May 4) Empathy Can Change the World [Video File] Retrieved
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU3QfyqvHk8

Reynolds, R. (2009) Teaching Studies of Society & Environment in the Primary School. South Melbourne, VIC:
Oxford.