Paralympic Education Program

Presented by

Our Aussie Paralympic Heroes: Year 3 to Year 6

Introduction

This resource introduces students to a variety of Paralympians and Para-athletes. The activities aim to inspire students and break down misconceptions about disability and ability.

Resources

• Internet access • Whiteboard for brainstorming

Differentiation

• Teachers can access websites and information for students and present as a PowerPoint or worksheet. • Teachers can vary the writing expectations for their learners.

[email protected] paralympic.org.au Paralympics – Our Aussie Paralympic Heroes: Year 3 to Year 6 Australian Curriculum Links

English

Year 3 Year 4 • Identify the features of online texts that • Identify features of online texts that enhance navigation (ACELA1790) enhance readability including text, • Listen to and contribute to navigation, links, graphics and layout conversations and discussions to share (ACELA1793) information and ideas and negotiate in • Interpret ideas and information in collaborative situations (ACELY1676) spoken texts and listen for key points • Read an increasing range of different in order to carry out tasks and use types of texts by combining contextual, information to share and extend ideas semantic, grammatical and phonic and information (ACELY1687) knowledge, using text processing • Read different types of texts by strategies, for example monitoring, combining contextual, semantic, predicting, confirming, rereading, grammatical and phonic knowledge reading on and self-correcting using text processing strategies for (ACELY1679) example monitoring meaning, cross • Plan, draft and publish imaginative, checking and reviewing (ACELY1691) informative and persuasive texts • Plan, draft and publish imaginative, demonstrating increasing control over informative and persuasive texts text structures and language features containing key information and and selecting print, and multimodal supporting details for a widening range elements appropriate to the audience of audiences, demonstrating increasing and purpose (ACELY1682) control over text structures and language features (ACELY1694) – Our Aussie Paralympic Heroes: Year 3 to Year 6 English

Year 5 Year 6 • Investigate how the organisation • Participate in and contribute to of texts into chapters, headings, discussions, clarifying and interrogating subheadings, home pages and sub ideas, developing and supporting pages for online texts and according arguments, sharing and evaluating to chronology or topic can be used to information, experiences and opinions predict content and assist navigation (ACELY1709) (ACELA1797) • Select, navigate and read texts • Clarify understanding of content for a range of purposes, applying as it unfolds in formal and informal appropriate text processing strategies situations, connecting ideas to and interpreting structural features, for students’ own experiences and present example table of contents, glossary, and justify a point of view (ACELY1699) chapters, headings and subheadings • Navigate and read texts for specific (ACELT1712) purposes applying appropriate text • Plan, draft and publish imaginative, processing strategies, for example informative and persuasive texts, predicting and confirming, monitoring choosing and experimenting with text meaning, skimming and scanning structures, language features, images (ACELY1702) and digital resources appropriate to • Plan, draft and publish imaginative, purpose and audience (ACELY1714) informative and persuasive print and multimodal texts, choosing text structures, language features, images and sound appropriate to purpose and audience (ACELY1704) Paralympics Australia – Our Aussie Paralympic Heroes: Year 3 to Year 6 Teaching and Learning Activities

1 3

Write the following words on the board: Either as a silent writing task or a group • Determination discussion, ask students: • Equality What is the difference between an Olympian and a Paralympian? • Inspiration Some discussion points teachers might like • Courage to consider: As a class or as a think, pair, share activity, • The prefix “Para” means parallel, students are to brainstorm any ideas, meaning equal to, not paraplegic as words or examples which come to mind commonly thought. when they think of each word. • Paralympians and Olympians are not Keep this brainstorm in a visible location. the same, as the and are not the same event. 2 Teachers might like to ask how many Olympians they can name and then ask These words are the Paralympic values. how many Paralympians they can name A definition of each word can be or how many sports stars they can name, found on the International Paralympic and how many they can name who have Committee’s website. a disability. Classes might like to discuss Referring to these definitions, students why, as a society, we know more athletes are to pick one of the values and create a without a disability. visual representation showing that value. They should aim to produce work that is symbolic rather than literal. Paralympics Australia – Our Aussie Paralympic Heroes: Year 3 to Year 6 4 6

Individually or as a class, using the Students can draw or write about Athlete Profiles section of the Paralympics someone in their life who they think Australia website, learn about some of displays the Paralympic values and Australia’s Paralympic heroes. Some why. When completing this activity, suggested athlete profiles are: they should refer to the qualities they brainstormed earlier. • Examples might include: • • Parents • Curtis McGrath • Teachers • • Friends • • Specific professions eg. police, • doctors, firefighters • • Extension Activities • • 1 Link the qualities listed in the brainstorm to each of these athletes. Explain how in Imagine two Paralympians are coming becoming an elite athlete, these people to visit your school. One of them has a displayed the qualities listed above. vision impairment and the other uses a wheelchair. What accommodations will your school need to put in place to make 5 it accessible for the Paralympians. Think about: Students should use the internet to access and read the stories from Para- • Signs, door/building numbers or names athletes on the Athletes Voice website. and maps being large enough to read or in braille Using their research and specific examples from the website, students should answer • Bright or tactile strips near hazards the following question: like stairs How do Australian Paralympic athletes • Ramp or lift access to buildings demonstrate the four Paralympic values? • Wider doors to fit a wheelchair Or they might like to write a persuasive • Ensuring there are no obstacles in essay on the following topic: walkways such as bags or bins Paralympic athletes deserve more • Is the emergency evacuation plan recognition for their sporting achievements. accessible to these athletes? Students could present their findings by redesigning part of the school or writing a letter to the principal.