With partners:
Humanities, Civics and Citizenship, Health and Physical Education
Use the Racism. No Way http://www.racismnoway.com.au site to access a range of resources including the following lesson plans:
- History teachers can use Significant Events to engage students in identifying events in Australia's history and speculating how they have influenced the development of our culturally diverse nation. Search for this lesson plan using 20021023.
- Cultural Mapping is a lesson plan for English, Humanities and Heath and Physical Education teachers. Students become more aware of the cultural diversity in Australian society. Students become more familiar with some key terms used in discussing multiculturalism. Students explore their own cultural backgrounds as a way to develop a deeper understanding of their own cultural identity and in the process build their sense of cultural self-esteem in their classroom, community and the broader society. Search for the plan using 20020911.
- Pieces of the World is a lesson plan for English teachers that enables students to consider the journeys that Australians have made and the emotional and practical consequences of those journeys. Resources include stories and poems and plan can be accessed by searching using 20011015.
The Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture Inc run programs for schools, for example: Klassroom Kaleidoscope.
“This ten lesson unit is adapted from the Kaleidoscope Program for the mainstream classroom. Suitable for years 7 – 9, the unit is designed to increase students’ understanding of their own cultural background and the diversity of other cultural backgrounds in their classroom. The activities explore identity issues, promote an understanding of emotions and their influences on health, and help develop trust and belonging through inclusive teaching approaches. Curriculum and assessment links can be made to the Key Learning Area of Health and Physical Education, National Goals for Schooling and Civics and Citizenship.”
Professional Development Resources
Information for teachers and schools about teaching refugees:The Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture Inc.
http://www.foundationhouse.org.au/publications_work.php
- School’s In for Refugees: Whole-School Guide to Refugee Readiness (2004)
- Education & Refugee Students from Southern Sudan (2005)
CMYI (Centre for Multicultural Youth Issues) publications include:
- Resource Gateway: A Guide to Working with Young People Who are Refugees (1996 & 2000)
- Beattie, A. & Ward, S., The Horn of Africa: Background information for workers with young people, CMYI (1997)
- Navigating their journey: A guide for workers with Sudanese young people (1999) http://www.cmyi.net.au/ResourcesfortheSector
http://www.cmyi.net.au/EducationTrainingandEmployment
The state government organisations LMERC and Multicultural Education regularly run professional development workshops and learning activities relating to cultural diversity in education. For Multicultural Education 2006 PD see http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/lem/multi/mprof.htm and for LMERC PD check their current newsletter at http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/lem/lmerc/newsletter.htm
The LMERC site includes the printable file “Dos and Don’ts when teaching about cultural differences” http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/lem/multi/musa.htm#teacher and links to sources which describe how to teach children about war and terrorism.
The LMERC site also includes a comprehensive library of resourses. Some useful texts include:
- Parker-Jenkins, M., Children of Islam: a teacher’s guide to meeting the needs of Muslim pupils, Trentham Books, London, 1995. 371.8282971 PAR
- Cope, B., Managing cultural diversity across the whole school: a professional development module in support of the Victorian Department of Education’s 1997 multicultural education policy, Centre for Worplace Communication and Culture, Sydney, 1998. 370.117 COP
- Save the Children Fund, Home from home: a guidance and resource pack for the welcome and inclusion of refugee children and families in school, Saulsbury World, London, 2004 371.826 HOM
- Not a Matter of Choice: Information about refugees for schools and teachers. Workbook included. Victorian Department of Education & Training, 2002, 371.82691 NOT VIDEO.