UNIT NAME: OUR COMMUNITY LEVELS: F-2 TIME: 5 weeks

LEARNING AREAS/ DISCIPLINES CAPABILITITIES History/Geography/English Intercultural capability: Cultural Practices and Cultural Diversity LEARNING INTENTION To enable students to develop and demonstrate literacy skills alongside knowledge and understanding of historical, cultural and geographical aspects of their community using the F-2 curriculum for History, Geography and English, and Intercultural Capability.

HISTORY CONTENT STRAND CONTENT DESCRIPTIONS ACHIEVEMENT STANDARDS Historical concepts and skills  Identify examples of continuity and change Students working at levels F-2: Students working at Levels 3- 4: …in the local area by comparing past and present ..explain aspects of daily life to identify how some …explain how and why things changed in the past,  Identify the content features of primary have changed while others have remained the and identify aspects of the past that remained the sources same. same Historical knowledge  Identify the significance of a person and/or …describe … a person, a site, or an event of place in the local community Describe the experience and perspectives of an significance in the local community. individual or group over time  How … communities commemorate past events that are important to them use sources …to describe … the significance of …, Identify sources….and locate information about  The history of a significant person, building, places or events. their origin and content features. site or part of the natural environment in the local community. Create a narrative or description which explains continuity and change and cause and effect using historical terms

GEOGRAPHY CONTENT STRAND CONTENT DESCRIPTIONS ACHIEVEMENT STANDARDS  Identify and describe the features of places Students working at levels F-2 Students working at Levels 3- 4: Geographical concepts and skills at a local scale and how they change, recognising that people describe the identify and describe spatial characteristics, and the features of places differently identify and describe features of places and characteristics of places… at a range of scales.  Describe and explain where places and changes in these, at a local scale. activities are located They identify how people are connected to different  Identify how people are connected to places and…explain the value of places to people. They identify and explain interconnections different places  Collect and record geographical data and They collect and record geographical data and information from the field and other sources information.  Represent data and the location of places They identify responses to a geographical and their features by constructing tables, They represent data and information in tables, challenge and the expected effects. plans and labelled maps plans and labelled maps and interpret it to draw conclusions. They collect and record relevant geographical data  Interpret data and information to draw and information and… conclusions and describe the direction and location of places, using terms such as …represent data and information in tables, simple Geographical knowledge north, south, opposite, near, far graphs and maps of appropriate scale that conform to cartographic conventions.

 Natural, managed and constructed features They interpret data and information, and use of places, their location and how they geographical terminology, to identify and to develop change descriptions, explanations and conclusions.  Reasons why some places are… important to people and how they can be looked after  Activities in the local place and reasons for their location, and the influence of purpose, distance and accessibility on the frequency with which people visit places

ENGLISH CONTENT Foundation

STRAND/SUBSTRAND CONTENT DESCRIPTIONS ACHIEVEMENT STANDARDS Students working at level F:

Literature/ Recognise that texts are created by authors who tell stories and share Reading and Viewing Literature and context  experiences that may be similar or different to students’ own experiences Identify connections between texts and their personal experience. (VCELT148)

Literacy/ Speaking and Listening Interacting with others  Deliver short oral presentations to peers, using appropriate voice In informal group and whole-class settings, students communicate levels, articulation, body language, gestures and eye contact clearly. (VCELY175) They retell events and experiences with peers and known adults.

Listen to and use appropriate interaction skills to respond to others in  Listen to and respond orally to texts and to the communication of a familiar environment…….identify and use rhyme, letter patterns and others in informal and structured classroom situations using interaction sounds in words. skills, including listening, while others speak (VCELY174)

Level 1

Students working at level 1: Language/ Expressing and developing ideas  Compare different kinds of images in narrative and informative texts and discuss how they contribute Reading and Viewing to meaning (VCELA180) …understand the different purposes of texts… recall key ideas and recognise literal and implied meaning in texts.

Literacy/  Respond to texts drawn from a range of cultures and experiences (VCELY185) Writing Texts in context … provide details about ideas or events, and details about the participants in those events.

Speaking and Listening … create texts that show understanding of the connection between writing, speech and images …interact in pair, group and class discussions, taking turns when responding.

Level 2 Students working at level 2: Literacy Creating texts  Construct texts featuring print, visual and audio elements using software, including word processing Writing programs (VCELY233) Students create texts that show how images support the meaning of the text.

Interacting with others Speaking and Listening  Rehearse and deliver short presentations on familiar and new topics, speaking clearly and varying Students create texts, drawing on their own experiences, their tone, volume and pace appropriately, and using supportive props (VCELY245) imagination and information they have learned. Students use a variety of strategies to engage in group and class discussions and make presentations.

Level 3 Students working at level 3: Literacy Creating texts  Use software including word processing programs with growing speed and efficiency to construct and Writing edit texts featuring visual, print and audio elements (VCELY269) Students' texts include writing and images to express and develop in some detail experiences, events, information, ideas and characters…  Reread and edit texts for meaning, appropriate structure, grammatical choices and punctuation They reread and edit their writing, checking their work for appropriate (VCELY267) vocabulary, structure and meaning.

Interacting with others  Listen to and contribute to conversations and discussions to share information and ideas and negotiate in collaborative situations and use interaction skills, including active listening and clear, coherent Speaking and Listening communications (VCELY275) They create a range of texts for familiar and unfamiliar audiences. They contribute actively to class and group discussions, asking  Plan and deliver short presentations, providing some key details in logical sequence, using appropriate questions, providing useful feedback and making presentations. tone, pace, pitch and volume (VCELY276)

Level 4 Students working at level 4: Literacy Creating texts  Use a range of software including word processing programs to construct, edit and publish written text, Writing and select, edit and place visual, print and audio elements (VCELY302) They create texts that show understanding of how images and detail can be used to extend key ideas…..They demonstrate understanding  Reread and edit for meaning by adding, deleting or moving words or word groups to improve content of grammar, select vocabulary from a range of resources and use and structure (VCELY300) accurate spelling and punctuation, rereading and editing their work to improve meaning.  Plan, rehearse and deliver presentations incorporating learned content and taking into account the Interacting with others particular audiences and purposes such as informative, persuasive and imaginative, including Speaking and Listening multimodal elements (VCELY308) They create texts that show understanding of how images and detail can be used to extend key ideas…..They make presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, varying language according to context.

LEARNING ACTIVITIES ASSESSMENT TEACHING NOTES Assessment tasks are examples *This unit relies on Prior learning: History: only – teachers may choose to resources teachers Students have completed material on personal and family history and been introduced to concepts of chronology, perspectives and change and continuity use or adapt activities as may choose to over time through considering their own history and the history of their family. required. download and display on the whiteboard. Celebrations and commemorations in our community Students will listen to and read texts on the theme of celebrations and commemorations. They demonstrate their understanding of celebrations in their community by producing a poster, contributing pages for a factual picture book, or web page.

Activity 1: Show students visual images of celebrations and commemorations (Anzac Day, Diwali, Australia day, Sorry Day, AFL Grand Final march, Moomba march, Christmas, Buddha’s birthday, weddings, local celebrations).

Use the photographs as a discussion starter and encourage students make links to their own experience of one or more of these days, explicitly drawing Formative Assessment Intercultural capability: attention to similarities and differences in student experience and what it might be like to experience different ways of celebrating. Bring in a photograph Can students identify familiar of a celebration and tell Students could use a graphic organiser, such as a Y chart or mind map to consider: and different experiences  what the celebration looks like the class about it (e.g. across culturally diverse lives?  what the celebration sounds like a family or cultural  how it might feel to be there event)  why we celebrate particular days

Activity 2: Create headings on sheets of poster paper of the types of celebrations and using students’ ideas add words and sentences which describe certain A grammar and celebrations. Discuss with students the reasons for these celebrations and commemorations (these might include, an important time in the past of vocabulary building Australia as a whole or importance to particular groups of Australians, traditions, religious events etc.) Use Activity 3 as a activity with a focus on Summative Assessment task: proper nouns Activity 3: History/English/Intercultural Students choose a particular celebration about which to complete a poster or book eBook page. capability Their page could include illustrations, words and sentences which describe a particular celebration or commemoration and explain reflections based on discussions from Activities 1 and 2. The relationship between words and On completion, teachers could provide students with opportunities to share their work with the class or a particular group. images with a focus on

adjectives. Places in our community Students will look at continuity and change in the local community. They will compare past and present features of a place in their community and will Formative assessment describe the historical significance of a place. Geography: Do students know the difference between natural, Teachers will then take students on a site visit to one or more important places in the community such as a war memorial, place/s of worship, town hall, managed and constructed school, house, park, other recreations area or a suburban street. At least one of the sites should preferably be connected to one of the celebrations studied features? above.

Formative assessment: History: Can students identify Activity 1: The features and activities of our community continuity and change by comparing aspects of the past As a class, look at photographs of a place in the local community, one taken from the past and one taken recently. and present? For each photograph:

(i) Work with students to identify and classify some natural features, for example, rivers or native vegetation; constructed features such as buildings or roads; and managed features such as parks or community gardens. In pairs, students find any further examples of these kinds of features (this could be recorded in a table). (ii) Ask students to suggest what activities were/are at that place, and to support their suggestions with evidence from the photograph

Activity 2: Continuity and change

Using the same photographs as for Activity 1.

Ask students to:

Suggest possible eras or dates when these photographs may have been taken. Consider how they might find out how old places are.

These could include:  other information in the photographs such as what people are wearing, types of transport, street lighting, types of advertising, building materials  dates on the buildings, books, records of local historical groups and local government  asking parents/grandparents/carers/ local historical society

In groups and using a template of a page with two columns labelled ‘Past’ and ‘Present’ students describe what has changed over time and what has remained the same. Ask them to consider such things as: Formative assessment:  Is the place still the same size? English: create a text that uses images to support written  Have features of the place changed over time? (i.e. What kinds of features have stayed the same and what kinds have changed?) information.  Is the place still used for the same purpose or purposes?

Groups share their findings and contribute to a class collage or school web resource.

Activity 3: Places in our community

As a class look at historical photographs of important buildings and/or other important constructed features in the local area.

Using a map of the local area, show students where these places are located. Work with students to understand the legend of the map and then ask them to point out other features near these places.

Ask students to suggest possible reasons why these locations might have been chosen, given the activities that the place is used for. These might include being close to water, main roads, close to the centre, near other places of importance or away from an industrial area. Activity 4: Photograph Investigation

Explain that students will investigate this place and how it has changed over time. Ask each group to brainstorm questions they might ask to find out about the place. These could include: Formative assessment: English: use adjectives and  What were the activities at this place? Was this place used for any celebrations? prepositions to write descriptive  Is the building or place used for the same thing today? sentences about a architectural  How has it changed since the photograph was taken? features  Who are the people who would go to this place? How often would they visit? Why?  Who was living and working at this site first?  What kind of activities might have happened there then? Formative assessment: Geography: Can students:

Activity 5: Site visit interpret maps to draw As a class visit selected constructed features in the photographs. Using the map of the local area, students might be asked to suggest the best route that conclusions, in this case about the class could take. While walking to or from the site, ask students to look for clues to find out how about the accessibility of the place. This might include reasons for the location of Students practise car parking, nearby public transport stops, disabled access, street signs and so on. Ask students if they can make a link between this, what the place is constructed features? listening and turn- used for, and how often it is visited. taking skills by each use everyday terms to preparing and asking a At each site ask students to: accurately describe direction question of the person and location? visited or the visiting speaker/s  Describe the materials that the constructed feature is made of and other interesting clues about its purpose and how it is used such as porches, collect and record useful steps, dates or plaques. information?  Identify what the place is currently used for, including any celebrations.  Identify any changes that have been made to the place since the photograph that was looked at in class. History: can students:  Draw or photograph the place. Ask questions about the  Interview the present owners/employees (if possible) using questions from Activity 4. Ask students to draw a conclusion about how this place is difference between past and and why. present? Talk about continuity and Focus on writing, Alternatively, back in class, invite people to talk to students about important places in the community. Possibilities include, local historical society, former change over time? speaking and listening students at the school, former soldiers, former local workers, parents etc. skills developed during this unit

Activity 6: Places in our community. Use Activity 6 as a Summative Assessment task: Have students use the information they have collected to contribute to a collage or poster display, eBook or school Web resource to share with others Geography/History/ Provide each group with an A3 sheet of paper, with the heading Our Place and divided into two with the headings ‘Past’ and ‘Present’. English

Ask students to Provide feedback to students as they rehearse their  include a photograph or drawing of their place or ‘past’ and ‘present’ photographs presentations on tone, volume  construct sentences about their place in the past (on the ‘past’ side of the A3 paper) and pace and use of supporting  construct sentences to identify their place in the present and any changes over time (on the ‘present’ side of the A3 paper). props.

Alternatively, complete this activity by annotating a large map of the local area with the photographs and sentences placed at their locations on the map, to create a story map that could be displayed on the classroom wall.

Students develop a group presentation for the class to share information about the location of their place, how the place and the activities there have changed and how important it is. Students reflect on differences in each other’s descriptions of places.