Intercultural communication
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Learning about each other

10/7/2015

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Skills: Prepares, Observes, Compares, Inquires, Reflects
Audience: Years 5-6
Submitted by: Francesca Davis
Resource description:
 
This video explores an imaginary village where people embrace cultures, languages, religious practices and values in a way which challenges students to think about difference and to understand diversity. It provides a snapshot of issues such as poverty and education.

The video enables students to:
- develop an understanding of the different ways people live, both within their own communities and around the world
- think about the differences and similarities with others
- understand diversity.

This video could also be used in MATHS for a lesson on statistics, in PDHPE for a lesson on respect and responsibility, and in CREATIVE ARTS to depict traditional celebrations. 
Teaching and learning ideas:

Pre-video
  • Develop a concept map to brainstorm the different backgrounds and languages in the class.
  • Use a floor world map, have students to group together according to their country of origin, and use a bar chart diagram to organise information and record the findings.
  • Discussion: Looking at the title of the video, what do you think the video will be about? What do you imagine when you hear the words “world village”?

Post-video
Discuss students’ insights into the different aspects of the village: Cultural, traditions, values, age, gender, impact of the environment, etc. 

Describe and discuss the differences, similarities and challenges that cultures face: 
  • What is your favourite aspect of the ‘world village’?
  • What do you think life in this village would be like? 
  • How would life in this village be similar or different from your life? 
  • What is the importance of having access to clean air and water?
  • If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose, and why?
  • Which aspects of the ‘world village’ are important to you?
  • Has the video changed your view on the world? Why or why not?
  • What new information have you learned?

After the discussion, students could complete the following (individually or in pairs):
  • Make a detailed list of things you need and things you would like in your community, justifying choices. 
  • Use a range of websites and to investigate the different ways people live both within their own communities and around the world.
  • Research two countries which have a different level of access to basic human rights than Australia, such as education, clean water, food, etc. Investigate the impact these differences have on the future lives of children.

Celebrate with others
At the end of the unit, students will deepen understanding about how intercultural awareness can enrich their lives, and that cultural practices can bring people together. Hold “A day of celebration! Share with us greetings, food, games, stories, drama, dance and costumes!”
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A day in the life of Lucy

8/20/2015

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Skills: Observes, Inquires, Compares, Empathises
Audience: Stage 2

Submitted by: Gina Cahill
Resource description:
 
This film clip shows a young girl’s daily life in Uganda, including the work she and her family need to do. It provides a snapshot of the differences in housing and the standard of living compared to the average Australian child.
Teaching and learning ideas:
1. Before viewing the video, PREPARE students by discussing the following:
• What chores do you do at home?
- How do you help your mum and/or dad?
- How much time do you spend each day doing chores? 
- Do you do chores for love or money?
• How food is prepared at your house?
- Who cooks?
- What do they use to cook?
- How long does it take to prepare a meal?
- Where do you eat? (e.g. together at a table)
- How do you eat? (e.g. with chopsticks)
• What is your favourite thing to do?
- What do you like to do indoors?
- What do you like to do outdoors?
• What are you thankful for?

2. Show students a map of the world and see if they can find where Africa is. Then direct them to Uganda. Ask them to imagine what life may be like there.

3. Introduce the film by saying: We are going to watch a film about a girl called Lucy who is 9 years old. She lives in Uganda.

4. After watching, discuss students’ reactions. Sample questions:
• Tell me something you noticed about Lucy’s life. How is her life different or similar to your life?
• What did you like about the film?
• What was good about Lucy’s life? What was difficult for her?
• Does the family work hard? Do they have much money?
• What does Lucy feel lucky for?
• How does the film make you feel? 

5. Sample follow-up tasks:
a. Write a letter to Lucy telling her about your life and family. 
Your letter should be:
• informative, telling Lucy about your own life and experiences
• carefully edited – reread your letter to check and improve meaning and add new information. Check your punctuation.
Aim to include at least three connectives in your letter. You can view a range of connectives at http://www.sparklebox.co.uk/literacy/vocabulary/word-lists/connectives/#.VdZmiPmqqko 

b. Organise a fund-raising activity to make a donation to a child/community in need, e.g. via https://trans.worldvision.com.au/generaldonations/donate.aspx
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Whistleless

8/20/2015

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Skills: Observes, Compares, Reflects, Inquires, Respects, Empathises
Audience: Stage 2 and Stage 3

Submitted by: Alison Seymour
Resource description:
 
Video: https://vimeo.com/98919897
A cartoon about a bird who learns to whistle. We see its 
frustration as it struggles to copy other people and animals. Finally it makes a big effort and starts to whistle successfully. This video could also be used in PDHPE for a lesson on resilience and perseverance, but it has an intercultural component as well.  
Picture
Teaching and learning ideas:
Pre-video
  • How many people speak another language at home? 
  • (For ESL students) How long have you been learning English?
    (For non-ESL students) Do you have a family member or friend who speaks another language? 
  • How does it feel when you try to talk in English/another language? 
  • Can you whistle?

Introduce video of a baby bird learning to whistle.

Watch video
Stop at various points to ask: What is happening? What else do you notice? 
Worksheet (see file below): Number the pictures in the sequence they appear 
Compare answers – watch and re-check 

Post-video discussion
  • Did you understand everything you saw in the video? 
  • How did the little bird learn how to whistle? 
  • How did the little bird feel when it could not whistle?  
  • (ESL) Is this how you feel when you can’t say what you want to say in English? 
    (non-ESL) What could you do to help others who do not speak English?
seymour_worksheet.pdf
File Size: 209 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

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Proud to be

7/24/2015

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Skills: Compares, Inquires, Reflects
Audience: Stage 2

Submitted by: 
Jocelyn Singh, Kerri-Anne Jordan, Joanne Kemp
Resource description:
 
Unit of learning: Through studies of various texts such as national anthems, personal stories and video clips relating to cultural identity, students will be able to use descriptive language to describe their own cultural experiences. 
singh_kemp_jordan_combined_combined.doc
File Size: 98 kb
File Type: doc
Download File

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Voices in the Park

7/17/2015

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Picture
Skills: Compares, Inquires, Reflects, Respects, Empathises, Engages
Audience: Stage 1

Submitted by: Salma Al Hindi
Resource description: 
Voices in the Park (by Anthony Browne) explores one experience (a visit to the park) through four different perspectives. 
Teaching and learning ideas:
1. Show students the cover of the book and read the title. What do the students think the book is going to be about? (Do any students suggest that it is to do with friendship because the dogs and two children are together in pairs?)
2. Gather the students close on the carpet so that they can see the illustrations. Show each page and read the book straight through without stopping. Then go back to the start, and ask the students questions about the friendship of the two children who meet at the park. Ask the students about friends that they have met who are from different cultures - how did they meet them and how did they feel when they made a new friend? These starting points will lead into fruitful observations. Allow students time to listen and think. Mirror back comments that might lead to further thought.
3. Ask students to draw a picture about when they have met someone new. This is to be used as a reference for writing. After they have drawn their picture, ask students to write about meeting someone for the first time and how they felt about making a new friendship. After the writing has been edited by a teacher, students can share their writing on a class blog or publish as a story.
4. Allocate an individual ‘voice’ to groups within the class and ask them to make a list of ideas about the different characters. After an allocated time, come back together to share each group’s thoughts and make a class list. 
5. Further possibilities for intercultural communication include:
• Discuss what each character thinks about the other three. 
• Hot seat each character in turn (allow class to prepare questions in advance).
• Having selected a key image, students draw a ‘thought bubble’ to show what the character is thinking.
• Discuss why the characters might behave as they do.
• Freeze an image and then interview the characters about what they are thinking and feeling.

Picture
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Azzi in Between (for IEP Level 1)

6/28/2015

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Skills: Prepares, Observes, Compares, Inquires, Reflects, Respects, Empathises, Engages
Audience: Year 2-3 EAL/D students (New Arrivals); ESL Scales Stage 1, Band A1

Submitted by: Hanan Elhage
Resource description: 
Azzi in Between (by Sarah Garland) is story is about a young girl called Azzi, who escapes with her family to a new country due to war. Azzi and her family flee their unspecified Middle Eastern country and arrive as refugees in the Western city that gradually becomes their home. This is a story full of powerful emotions about fear, separation and loss, but it is also a story about hope and new beginnings.
Teaching and learning ideas:
Lesson 1 (Writing)
Have students view the front page of the book (don’t read or show any other pages of the book at this stage). Pose questions for students to brainstorm and record key words on the board. (EAL/D students might need this as a work bank for future lessons so a word wall should be created.) 
• Where is this girl?
• What is happening in the picture?
• Why is the girl holding a toy?
• Where do you think she is? 
• Why is she looking behind her?
• Where is she going?
In pairs, have students sit knee to knee and discuss what they think, feel, observe, etc. Using the question card for Compare: How does this connect to your experiences? What is similar?, What is different?; Reflect: How do you feel about what you see?, Why do you think this way?; Empathises: How do you think Azzi is feeling?

Lesson 2 (Writing and Talking)
Using the front cover, have students complete a Y chart (see file below) to write down their predictions of what has happened before this picture took place, what is happening now (what you see in the front cover) and what will happen after this image. 
Then, as a group, share the students’ predictions. As you read the book, see if any of the students’ predictions were correct. There is no right or wrong answer. 
Lesson 3 (Talking and Listening)
Compare and reflect about personal experiences, using a Venn diagram. Have students sit in a large circle, with two overlapping hoops in the centre to represent a Venn diagram.
Above one hoop, place an image of Azzi meeting her new teacher. Above the other hoop, place an image of one of your current students meeting you (class teacher). Together, have student compare the two and discuss their similarities and differences. Allow the students to share their personal experiences. The teacher will take the role of recorder to allow the students to build their communication skills.

Lesson 4 (Visual Literacy)
Using the image below, have students discuss what they see. Discuss what is happening and what/why there are several pictures on the one page. What do they represent? Why are there different colours used in the picture? What is the author trying to tell the viewer? Read the text underneath the illustrations and allow the student to discuss. How this makes them feel? And why? Have they been in the same situation? How would they support Azzi if they saw her? Who supported them and in which ways?
azzi_y_chart.pdf
File Size: 196 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Picture
Lesson 5 (Listening, Talking and Writing)
Watch the clip (below) about the 2013 Syria Humanitarian Appeal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=83&v=qvzmMuVWZGs
Allow students to discuss what they saw and how they felt. What did it mean to them and why? In groups or pairs, have students complete the Describe, Interpret, Evaluate chart (file below), to record what they saw, what they felt and why they felt that way. Discuss what positive help or support they received from people, government agencies, etc. How does it compare to Azzi’s support?
(Note: These are sensitive topics which may evoke strong feelings in some students. Please provide the necessary support structures and prioritise student wellbeing.) 
describe.pdf
File Size: 169 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Lesson 6 (Listening, Reading and Talking)
Read the whole book to the class and have them at the end to reflect on their own experiences.
Use the Intercultural Communication question cards to facilitate discussion.

Lesson 7 (Writing and Talking)
Students draw their favourite memory of their home country (playing with friends, going out with their family, etc.) and then write a brief description of their drawing. Display student work in classroom and allow students the opportunity to present their finished work to the class (short talk).
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Bullying

6/28/2015

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Skills: Prepares, Observes, Reflects, Empathises
Audience: Years 4-6
Submitted by:
Sheree Payne
Resource description: 
Students brainstorm ideas on bullying, then watch a video on a child being bullied. 
Teaching and learning ideas:
NOTE: Yo may like to use the SMART Notebook provided at the bottom of this post.
• Write the word “Bullying” on a large piece of paper. Discuss what the students believe bullying is and what they see as actions of bullying.
• Why do you think people bully?
• Who is involved in bullying? Victim, bully and bystanders.
• How do all the people involved feel?
• Watch bullying video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCPKMWyF1Lo)
• Did you find this example confronting? How did it make you feel? What did you notice? Have you changed any of your thoughts? Refer back to brainstorming.
• Why do some people laugh? Can you imagine what it feels like? What can we do to help? How can we, as a group, stop this from happening to others? Brainstorm some ideas of some things we could say or do to either help a victim or when we are the victim.
• Why don’t people speak up? How can we safely stand up for others? What sort of things could we do as bystanders?
• How can we challenge the typical stereotypical bully? How can we change our thoughts on being a bystander?
• Why is it important we stand together? Standing together does what for us as individuals? Why do other students need us to speak up for them? Watch video of How bullying can make you feel.
• Have you changed your thinking on anything we have discussed? Why or why not?
• Is there anything we have discussed today that is new to you?
• If you were to witness a bully situation on the bus this afternoon, what would you do?
payne.notebook
File Size: 325 kb
File Type: notebook
Download File

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Sister schools

6/15/2015

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Picture
Skills: Observes, Compares, Respects
Audience: Years 3-6
Submitted by: Wassek Obeid

Resource description:

This video explores the sister-school relationship between two schools - one in Australia and the other in Indonesia.
Teaching and learning ideas:
  • Brainstorm the different backgrounds in the class.
  • Watch the clip with the class and then discuss:
            - What similarities and diffferences exist between the students at the two schools?
            - What can you learn by partcicipating in a sister-school relationship?
            - If you had to present one of your favourite hobbies to the class, which one would you choose?
            - Would you choose a different hobby if you were presenting it to a class in another country? Why or why not?
  • If you have students in your class participating in a community languages program, ask each language group to work together to present their chosen culture to the class using dance, greetings and costumes. 
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Racism: It stops with me

5/27/2015

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Skills: Respects, Empathises, Engages
Audience: Years 3-4
Submitted by: Lisa Graham

Resource description:
The need for education about racism is highlighted in this video which relates several incidents of racism against well-known sports stars and celebrities. The story looks at how the government has engaged with young people to create a video to promote anti-racism at school.
  • Explore prior knowledge of racism 
  • Develop empathy for victims of racism 
  • Provide students with the skills to stand up for victims of racism
View the resource at http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3825539.htm
(Note: In addition to the video, a range of teaching ideas is also available at the site)
Picture
Teaching and learning ideas:   
  • Before viewing the video, discuss student definitions of racism. Allow students to give examples of racism they have witnessed in real life or examples in the media, movies, books, etc.
  • After viewing the video, hold a class discussion: What would you do if someone treated you differently because of where you came from or because of the color of your skin? Use the Intercultural Communication Kit Question Card for Empathy
  • Provide different scenarios that highlight examples of racism. Participate in Critical Incident Role Play ( Intercultural Communication Kit strategy) 
  •  In groups discuss how you could respectfully and safely react to each situation.
  • Allow groups to perform role-play for the whole class.
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You're invited to three weddings

3/3/2014

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Skills: Observes, Compares, Reflects, Inquires, Respects

Audience: Years K-6

Resource description: 
Students watch videos of three different weddings and
imagine that they are a guest.

Students write about their feelings and experiences, making comparisons with weddings they may have attended.

Reflective questions are provided on the Difference Differently website.
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