Activity: The Final Quarter – Confronting Racism – HPE – Years 9 & 10

Quick summary: Retired AFL star Adam Goodes is known to many for his resilient journey in the face of detrimental treatment by AFL spectators and the media beginning in 2013.

This lesson provides the opportunity for students to examine how people can respond to conversations about race and racism and how these conversations can be handled respectfully. Students explore how to lean into discomfort and what it means to take a stand. Students then become familiar with the #istandwithadam campaign and research other social justice campaigns to collect effective strategies. They then plan their own campaign to confront racism, drawing on a range of concepts about how to achieve social change.

Using only archival footage aired at the time, The Final Quarter holds a mirror to Australia and is an opportunity to reconsider what happened on and off the football field. Learn more about the film here.

We highly recommend that students view the film in its entirety before participating in subsequent lessons. Our Watching the Film lessons are designed to support you in facilitating this process. Given the content, it is also important for teachers to communicate with parents and guardians of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students before playing the film and/or engaging with the teaching and learning resources. 

Note: This film may not be suitable for viewing by all young people. Teachers are advised to use their discretion when deciding whether to show this film. If teaching in a context with a high proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, it is imperative that guidance is sought from the Principal and Aboriginal Education Officer (or equivalent) prior to screening the film.

Learning Intentions:

• Students understand that people can become comfortable when they encounter something new and different
• Students understand that it is important to listen to the voices of people who are involved in social justice issues, rather than speaking on their behalf
• Students understand how to respectfully approach conversations about race and challenge their own behavioural responses.

21st century skills: 

Australian Curriculum Mapping

Content descriptions:

Year 9 & 10 Health and Physical Education

• Evaluate factors that shape identities and critically analyse how individuals impact the identities of others (ACPPS089)
• Plan, rehearse and evaluate options (including CPR and first aid) for managing situations where their own or others’ health, safety and wellbeing may be at short or long term risk (ACPPS091)
• Investigate how empathy and ethical decision making contribute to respectful relationships (ACPPS093)
• Evaluate situations and propose appropriate emotional responses and then reflect on possible outcomes of different responses (ACPPS094)
• Plan, implement and critique strategies to enhance health, safety and wellbeing of the communities (ACPPS096)
• Plan and evaluate new and creative interventions that promote their own and others’ connection to community and natural and built environments (ACPPS097)
• Critique behaviours and contextual factors that influence health and wellbeing of diverse communities (ACCPPS098)

Syllabus outcomes: PDHPE5.1, PDHPE5.2, PDHPE5.3, PDHPE5.6, PDHPE5.7, PDHPE5.8, PDHPE5.9, PDHPE5.11, PDHPE5.12, PDHPE5.13, PDHPE5.14, PDHPE5.15, PDHPE5.16

General capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking, Personal and Social Capability, Ethical Understanding, Intercultural Understanding. 

Cross-curriculum priority: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander History and Cultures (OI.5, OI.6, OI.9)

Relevant parts of Year 9 & 10 achievement standards:
By the end of Year 10, students critically analyse contextual factors that influence identities, relationships, decisions and behaviours. They analyse the impact attitudes and beliefs about diversity have on community connection and wellbeing. They evaluate the outcomes of emotional responses to different situations. Students access, synthesise and apply health information from credible sources to propose and justify responses to health situations.
They apply decision-making and problem-solving skills when taking action to enhance their own and others’ health, safety and wellbeing.

Topic: Learning Through Film, Social Issues, Indigenous Education

This lesson is part of the wider unit of work The Final Quarter – Racism in Sport – Years 9 & 10.

Time required: 95 mins.

Level of teacher scaffolding: High – facilitate class discussion with sensitivity to students’ feelings and experience (in relation to racial discrimination)

Resources required:

• Butchers’ paper, markers, sticky notes
• Device capable of presenting a video to the class
• Shannan Dodson Article – one copy per student
• Student Worksheets – one copy per student
• Handling Sensitive Topics and Issues (optional)
• Racism Vocabulary (optional).

Keywords: health, safety, wellbeing, Indigenous, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, race, racism, bullying, resilience, cultural identity, sport, boundaries, Adam Goodes, The Final Quarter, documentary, AFL, media, policy.

Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.