families | OpenSTEM Pty Ltd

This Week in HASS – term 4, week 9

Well, we’re almost at the end of the year!! It’s a time when students and teachers alike start to look forward to the long, summer break. Generally a time for celebrations and looking back over the highlights of the year – which is reflected in the activities for the final lessons of the Understanding Our World® HASS Units. All of the Understanding Our World® HASS Units run over 9 weeks, to make sure that everyone has a chance to breathe and catch up on the inevitable weeks when other activities cut short lesson times. So this week is the last week of our HASS units for the year!

Foundation / Kindy / Prep to Year 3

Our youngest students in Foundation/Prep/Kindy (Unit F.4) and those in classes integrated with Year 1 (Unit F-1.4) are performing their class play: “People in the Past” this week. This performance brings together their work over the whole term, from the stories read in the first lesson, to the props and costumes prepared and the lines and individual performances practised. Furthermore, aspects of the year-long approach to learning about how the past (and others’ experiences) differ from today are brought together. It is also a great opportunity for parents and other carers to attend and see what their children have been working on. Since assessment is already completed, teachers can encourage students to just enjoy the performance, without feeling stressed about how it goes on the day – also a great vehicle for dealing with issues around resilience and supporting each other.

Slightly older students in Years 1 (Unit 1.4), 2 (Unit 2.4) and 3 (Unit 3.4) are also presenting their dramatisation or other presentation this week. Students in Year 1 have been comparing family structures from around the world and re-examining families in Australia. Students in Year 2 focus on the places special to families around the world, including Australia; while students in Year 3 focus on communities and the families within them in different countries around the world, including Australia.

Years 3 to 6

Students in Year 3 (Unit 3.8), 4 (Unit 4.4), 5 (Unit 5.4) and 6 (Unit 6.4) are celebrating with a class party this week! The party may be influenced by treats won through the Class Election held earlier in the term. Using one of the suggested Diversity themes for the party enables students to explore aspects covered throughout the term (and over the course of the year). Whether or not food is included in the party, students have a chance to explore cultural diversity through choosing decorations and colours, music, dress and other indicators of cultural identity. Students in Year 3 examine diversity within Australian communities by choosing from cultural groups in local communities. Students in Year 4 have been encouraged to consider the cultural identity of different Aboriginal groups, and others, within Australian society. Students in Year 5 incorporate what they have learned about people from Britain and Europe, as well as others, who came to Australia and their contributions to our society. Students in Year 6 have excellent opportunities to include aspects of Asian cultures, represented by people who have come to Australia from different parts of Asia. Students may even be able to enjoy the fruits of their Growing a Plant science activity, as part of their celebration!

It is hoped that for all students the year can end on a high note, with lots of fun celebrations! Teachers can relax, confidant in the knowledge that their students have covered the entire curriculum, with all strands, for all the HASS subjects (including History, Geography, Civics and Citizenship and Economics and Business), as well as Science. The students are thus excellently prepared for their move up to a new year level next year, and Year 6s can move on to high school with a firm foundation, having already learnt many of the techniques and skills that will be built upon in secondary school.

This Week in HASS – term 4, week 7

This week our younger students are preparing for their play/ role-playing presentation, whilst older students are practising a full preferential count to determine the outcome of their Class Election.

Foundation/Prep/Kindy to Year 3

Our youngest students in Foundation/Prep/Kindy (Unit F.4) and integrated classes with Year 1 (Unit F-1.4) are working on the costumes, props and practising getting into character for their People in the Past play. These activities help students to understand the differences and similarities between our lives and those of people in the past. Teachers can use the activities to facilitate discussions around these points. Students in Years 1 (Unit 1.4), 2 (Unit 2.4) and 3 (Unit 3.4) are also preparing for their Different Families Around the World presentation. Students in Year 1 are concentrating on identifying different family members and their roles within the different family structures. Students in Year 2 focus on where the families live, what places are special to them and compare these to the students’ own lives. Students in Year 3 examine communities and how celebrations and special occasions within the community are shared by the families.

Years 3 to 6

Students in Years 3 (Unit 3.8), 4 (Unit 4.4), 5 (Unit 5.4) and 6 (Unit 6.4) are in the midst of their Class Election activity. This week they determine the outcome of the election, an exciting moment! The result is determined by a full preferential vote count. Using the resource, Preferential Voting, students learn how preferences are allocated on a vote by vote basis. Students who have been chosen to be Election Officers will lay out the ballot papers according to the first preference votes, and then re-allocate the votes according to second preferences, choosing the candidate with the lowest number of votes as the first to have their votes re-allocated. This process is repeated until only 2 piles of votes (for 2 candidates) remain. The teacher can then explain that this stage is called “Two Party Preferred”. Finally the winning candidate, with the highest number of votes, is announced and students then compare this result to the first preference vote to see if there have been any changes. Where there is a clear winner, there will often be no changes, but in a tight result the flow of preferences can make a significant difference.

Undertaking this activity themselves, seeing the votes counted and re-allocated according to preferences and comparing what happens at different stages of the process gives student a deep understanding of how our Australian electoral system works. This will stand them in good stead as they grow up to be responsible citizens with a full understanding of their civic duties and rights and the power of their vote and how to use it effectively.

This Week in HASS – term 4, week 6

This week our youngest students are starting work on their Class Play, slightly older students are choosing a family group from around the world for a role play activity and our oldest students are holding a Class Election! What an activity-filled week!

Foundation/Prep/Kindy to Year 3

Our youngest students in standalone Foundation/Prep/Kindy classes (Unit F.4) and those in integrated classes with Year 1 students (Unit F-1.4) are starting activities for their Class Play, People in the Past. Resources are provided for students to choose a character, based on the stories read in Week 1 of this term. The students can choose to learn a simple line of text, just talk about their character, make up their own play, or draw pictures if they prefer not to dress up. Resources are provided for costume ideas for each character, as well as props, which can all be made from craft materials, mostly paper cut-outs coloured in and glued onto card. Teachers can use these ideas to discuss the different ways of life and material culture associated with people around the world at different periods in the past. The activities assist students to more deeply engage with the practical issues of life in the past.

Students in Years 1 (Unit 1.4), 2 (Unit 2.4) and 3 (Unit 3.4) are also expanding on the stories covered in Week 1. The resource, Different Families Around the World, examines family structures in the same parts of the world as in the stories from Week 1. In groups, the students choose a family group for a role play activity – students choose family members within the family group. Students in Year 1 compare these family groups to their own families – what is similar and what is different? Students in Year 2 are also considering the places special to these families. Students in Year 3 consider the family as part of the community and what aspects are similar or dissimilar to Australia. Over coming weeks students will develop a role play/ dramatisation or presentation about their chosen family group, highlighting aspects covered during the term’s work. Students need to consider and represent where these families live, what places they frequent, what their lifestyles are like (including celebrations) and the roles of different family members in the home and in the community.

Years 3 to 6

Students in Years 3 (Unit 3.8), 4 (Unit 4.4), 5 (Unit 5.4) and 6 (Unit 6.4) are holding their Class Election this week. Before voting begins, the class does an activity demonstrating voting by a Show of Hands. The teacher then presents information from the resource: Australia’s Secret Ballot so that the class can discuss the pros and cons of different voting systems, including the secret ballot. Ballot papers are then handed out and names checked off the electoral roll by the Election Officers. Students vote and place their ballots in ballot boxes. All ballot boxes are sealed at the conclusion of voting and a check is made for missing ballot. Finally the Election Officers open the ballot boxes and a First Preference Count is undertaken openly, in front of the whole class. The First Preference Count gives preliminary results. However, the full preferences count will be made in the next lesson, enabling students to have time to absorb the flow of events in greater detail.

As well as assisting students to consider the reasons for a secret ballot and preferential voting, these activities prepare students to become active members of their community in the future and to fully understand Australia’s voting system, before they need to take part in it.

This Week in HASS – term 4, week 4

This week our youngest students are looking at Aboriginal Places, while slightly older students are comparing Australia to other places around the world. Our older students are starting their class election segment of work, covering several parts of the Civics and Citizenship, as well as the History, curricula.

Foundation/Kindy/Prep to Year 3

Students in Foundation/Kindy/Prep (Unit F.4), including those in combined classes with Year 1 students (Unit F-1.4) are focusing on caring for special places by looking at Aboriginal Places around Australia. Students consider their school as a special place, the local area as a place special to the local Aboriginal group, as well as other Aboriginal Places around the country. This section of work can be backed up using the Aboriginal places included in the Aunt Madge’s Suitcase Activity. Students in Years 1 (Unit 1.4), 2 (Unit 2.4) and 3 (Unit 3.4) are comparing Australia with places overseas. The places chosen for comparison can be the places from the stories chosen in week 1. Year 1 students compare the landscape, weather, animals and environment between Australia and the other countries and consider how the similarities and differences influence lifestyles. Students in Year 2 undertake similar comparisons, whilst focusing on issues of scale and the impact of degree of urbanisation. Students in year 3 consider how people in each place view their local environment and how different places might be experienced differently by different people.

Years 3 to 6

Students in Years 3 (Unit 3.8), 4 (Unit 4.4), 5 (Unit 5.4) and 6 (Unit 6.4) are starting a segment where they will conduct a Class Election. In this first lesson of the 4 lesson activity, students will be selected to campaign for particular issues. These issues should result in actual results for the class in the form of a ‘political promise’, such as a day without homework or a special class activity. It is recommended that the teachers allow students to suggest issues, which can then be negotiated with the teacher. Students will be chosen to lead campaigns on each issue. Students in Years 3, 4 and 5 also consider Environmental Issues, and create a poster highlighting an environmental issue. Students in Year 6 consider Political Issues and make a poster on one of these. Teachers and students will also use resources from the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) during the course of this unit. Students also continue to monitor the growth of their plant, as their Scientific Investigation.

This Week in HASS – term 4, week 1

The last term of the school year – traditionally far too short and crowded with many events, both at and outside of school. OpenSTEM’s® Understanding Our World® program for HASS + Science ensures that not only are the students kept engaged with interesting material, but that teachers can relax, knowing that all curriculum-relevant material is covered by the middle of the term, ensuring enough time for marking and preparation of reports. Furthermore, following the OpenSTEM® Understanding Our World® program across an entire year guarantees that your students have met the curriculum requirements for all of History, Geography, Civics and Citizenship, Economics and Business (HASS) and Science for the whole year, matched to their year-level, even in multi-year level classes. This term our youngest students are reviewing some of the material covered earlier in the year and then preparing for a Play (with props and dress-ups) matched to this material. Students in Years 1 to 3 examine modern families around the world and then prepare a short presentation or dramatisation based on what they have learned. Older students are studying migrants and cultural identity and using the information to plan an end-of-year celebration of cultural diversity. These students also hold a class election, with preferential voting.

Foundation/Prep/Kindy to Year 3

Our youngest students – those in Foundation/Prep/Kindy (Unit F.4) and combined classes with Year 1 (Unit F-1.4) are start the term by reviewing Celebrations (this is a great time to grab that Class Calendar and look ahead to Christmas!). They then examine how people celebrated these occasions in the past. Students in Years 1 (Unit 1.4), 2 (Unit 2.4) and 3 (Unit 3.4) start looking at Modern Families Around the World. This resource includes stories about families in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Japan, Saudi Arabia and Somalia. Teachers can choose from these stories to tailor the unit to the class’s needs and interests. Students are encouraged to consider family and community structures around the world and compare them to their own.

Years 3 to 6

Students in Years 3 (Unit 3.8), 4 (Unit 4.4), 5 (Unit 5.4) and 6 (Unit 6.4) start the year by examining their own Ancestry, prior to looking at Migration and Diversity. Students interact with the OpenSTEM® “Our World” map, in order to gain an understanding of the wide range of places around the world in which Australians have their ancestry. Students in Year 3 will be focusing on diversity in Australian society over the next few weeks and will choose a group of migrants to study in more detail. Resources on several migrant groups are available to complement this unit. Students in Year 4 will focus on Australia’s connections to other parts of the world through time and will study either a group of Aboriginal people, or members of other groups with whom Aboriginal people had early contact, such as Macassan traders, or Europeans. Students in Year 5 will focus on migrants from European countries, such as the Irish, Greek or Italian communities. Students in Year 6 will focus on migrants from Asian countries, such as the Chinese or Vietnamese communities.

Students in Years 3 to 6 will also grow a plant from a seed, as a Science experiment, linked to their HASS studies. Students have the option to choose a plant brought to Australia by the migrant group or other community which they are studying. They will investigate when this plant arrived in Australia, from where it came, what conditions it needs to thrive and what cultural importance it has for the group. The linking of these areas of focus helps add additional relevance and immediacy to the curriculum material for students.