With partners:
The Arts, English, Humanities, Mathematics, LOTE and Interpersonal Development Resources
P L Duffy’s Resource Centre at Trinity College, Perth has an extensive list of links to websites relating to Australian culture, stereotypes and perceptions:http://www.trinity.wa.edu.au/plduffyrc/cross/culture.htm http://www.trinity.wa.edu.au/plduffyrc/issues/stereo.htm
There are also subject outlines, teacher notes and resources for a Year 9 Society & Environment/IT subject Australian Identity.
The Genie From Down Under, an Australian Children’s Television foundation production, is a 26-part comedy-fantasy series for Years 5-10. It contrasts two national cultural stereotypes exemplified through upper class English girl Penelope and two Australians, Bruce and his son Baz, who also happen to be genies. For sale with free teachers’ notes: http://www.actf.com.au/index.htm
Australian cultural stereotypes can be explored through films such as Muriel’s Wedding, Crocodile Dundee and The Adventures of Barry McKenzie. The Australian Government’s Culture and Recreation Portal, a directory and resource for Australian history and culture, carries an overview of Australian films and links to relevant websites: http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/film/
The Edmund Rice Centre, an Australian community education and advocacy group, has published Debunking Myths about Muslims in Australia in conjunction with the School of Education at the Australian Catholic University. This two page fact sheet confronts some of the major misconceptions and stereotypes about Islam and Muslim Australians: http://www.ajustaustralia.com/informationandresources_researchandpapers.php?act=papers&id=84
The American Arab Anti Discrimination Committee has a lesson plan Images and Reality designed to confront students’ perceptions of Arabs. It can easily be adapted for use in Australian classrooms: http://www.adc.org/education/aastreotype.htm
A brief, but insightful article Arab Stereotypes and American Educators is also available from this site. It discusses the portrayal of Arabs in popular culture and the effects this has on Arab American students. It also offers some classroom solutions: http://www.adc.org/arab_stereo.pdf
The US Department of State English Language Programs has a 50 minute lesson plan Building a Civil Society: Breaking Down Stereotypes which, with limited adjustments, is suitable for Australian use: http://exchanges.state.gov/forum/journal/civ10activities.htm
The Racism. No Way site offers:
- the lesson Turn it up on Anti-racism which includes audio-visual resources in the form of an anti-racism radio show written by a group of young Australians in Sydney. Students will question, challenge and evaluate cultural assumptions that contribute to racism. Use this link to reach the site http://www.racismnoway.com.au then search using 20040505 for the direct link to the lesson plan.
- the lesson Roads to Refuge: Refugees in Australia. This is an English or Humanities lesson in which students examine the terms asylum seeker, refugee and migrant and discuss the differences. Students understand the significance of persecution in the refugee context, examine the concept of human rights and discuss some of the key articles from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Students participate in a simulation activity to assist understanding of human rights and the refugee experience. It includes worksheets, articles and teacher notes - search for the lesson using 20030729.
- Investigating our multicultural world is an English or Humanities lesson where students compare a perceived view of 'Australian life' with the reality of their own life. Students are introduced to the notion that when studying other cultures the convenience of generalising and stereotyping may lead to misconceptions. Available by searching using 20030324.
- English, LOTE, Mathematics and Humanities teachers could draw on the lesson plan Diversity of Languages. Students interpret graphs and statistics to recognise and understand the cultural and linguistic diversity of Australia. Use 20001012 to access the link to this lesson plan.