It is critical for students in our classrooms to develop a sense of global connectedness and an appreciation for diversity by fostering knowledge and skills promoting intercultural understanding (Hassim, 2013). Berk (2009, as cited in Jones & Cuthrell, 2011) promotes the implementation of a video as an engaging multimodal text in lessons for increased student attention and inspiration, resulting in greater participation and enjoyment from their learning. Students broaden their concepts of celebrations around the world by examining the Chinese New Year celebration in China and New Years in Australia by watching a video on the traditions and legends behind the significant event of Chinese New Year. By using this video stimulus, as intercultural understanding develops, students come to appreciate the diversity within Asian countries and how this diversity influences the way people perceive and interact with places and environments” (BOSTES, 2015).
Teaching strategy:
- In pairs, students brainstorm and record their experience of New Years in Australia. As a class view the listed experiences and decide on appropriate category headings e.g. traditions, family, religious, symbols, local community. Students categorise experiences and discuss the importance of this event to them. Explain to the students that although this is acknowledged as the main New Year event celebrated generally throughout Australia, other New Year celebrations do occur such as the Jewish celebration Rosh Hashanah; celebrations linked with various beliefs and groups. Students share their knowledge and experience of Chinese New Year record this on the board. Watch the video and discuss what students have learnt with another mind map on the board.
- In groups, given the topic of either “who, where, when, how, why” in regards to the celebration of Chinese New Year, students will research and report their accumulated information through a news report or interview style.
- Introduce the Chinese lunar calendar. Students collect images of lunar calendars and descriptions of the characteristics of people born under the calendar animal signs; easily found on the Internet by searching up “Chinese Zodiac” or “animals of the Chinese Zodiac”. Present and discuss the relationship between animals and years, and the Chinese belief behind the animal characteristics. Students can create an artwork of their animal zodiac.
References:
Hassim, E. (2013). Building intercultural understanding through the teaching of Asia perspectives - What Works. Primary & Middle Years Educator,11(2), 16-22.
Jones, T., & Cuthrell, K. (2011). YouTube: Educational potentials and pitfalls. Computers in the Schools: Interdisciplinary Journal of Practice, Theory, and Applied Research, 28(1), 75-85.
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Sunny Jung
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Outcome:
- describe features of places and the connections people have with places GE1-1
Inquiry question: How are people connected to places?
What factors affect people’s connection to places?
This is a fantastic interactive resource to help students gain a deeper understanding of Aboriginal land and the connection between Burarra people with their land; Arnhem Land, sea and animals. It is an engaging and fun resource, which invites students to the life and daily activities of the traditional Burarra people through detailed and realistic animation. Stanner (1979) reiterates the meaning of land and country to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, where inanimate objects such as mountains, flora and fauna take on human like qualities (Van Issum, 2012, p. 62). As such, through this animated adventure, students can achieve an authentic experience with another culture and how different people connect to place.
Teaching ideas
This resource could be used in small groups using iPads. It should be taken account that not all schools can provide sufficient iPads, so another option could be using the IWB with the whole class. Before this, the class will complete a KWL Chart together. KWL Charts are a useful visible thinking strategy, which allows students to think about what they already know, what they want to know and what they already know (Lyman, 1981 In Ritchhart & Perkins, 2008, p. 59). By implementing visible thinking strategies, classroom tasks become more learning oriented rather than work oriented (Marshall, 1988 In Ritchhart & Perkins, 2008, p. 61).
References:
Commonwealth of Australia. (2008). Questacon-The National Science and Technology Centre: Burarra Gathering. Retrieved 8th April, 2016 from http://www.questacon.edu.au/burarra-gathering/welcome-to-burarra-gathering
Ritchhart, R. & Perkins, D. (2008). Teaching students to think. Educational Leadership, 65(5), 57-61. Retrieved 8th April, 2016 from http://www.visiblethinkingpz.org/VisibleThinking_html_files/06_AdditionalResources/makingthinkingvisibleEL.pdf
Van Issum, H. (2012). Why we need Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives. In Taylor, Fahey, Kriewaldt & Boon. Place and Time. Explorations in Teaching Geography and History. Frenchs Forest: Pearson Australia