Activity Introduction
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 their school combats racism and bullying and make suggestions for positive change. Students will conduct a class-based audit to assess how well their school is combating racism, bullying, discrimination and harassment. After envisioning a world free from racism, bullying, discrimination and harassment, students consider possible improvements to the school’s policies and craft a letter to the school principal, outlining their proposal.
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 the importance of having health and wellbeing policies in organisations
- Students understand that the function of health and wellbeing policies is to support people to feel safe and be free from harassment and discrimination
- Students understand where to find policies and how to evaluate their success
- Students understand how policies can be turned into positive action.
21st century skills:
Australian Curriculum Mapping
Content descriptions:
Year 7 & 8 Health and Physical Education
- Practise and apply strategies to seek help for themselves or others (ACPPS072)
- Investigate and select strategies to promote health, safety and wellbeing (ACPPS073)
- Evaluate health information and communicate their own and others’ health concerns (ACPPS076)
- Plan and use health practices, behaviours, and resources to enhance health, safety and wellbeing of their communities (ACPPS079)
Syllabus outcomes: PDHPE4.2, PDHPE4.3, PDHPE4.8, PDHPE4.9, PDHPE4.10, PDHPE4.12, PDHPE4.13, PDHPE4.16
General capabilities: Literacy, Critical and Creative Thinking, Personal and Social Capability, Ethical Understanding, Intercultural Understanding
Cross-curriculum priority: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander History and Cultures (OI.6, OI.7, OI.9)
Relevant parts of Year 7 & 8 achievement standards:
Students evaluate the impact on wellbeing of relationships and valuing diversity. They analyse factors that influence emotional responses. They investigate strategies and practices that enhance their own, others’ and community health, safety and wellbeing.
Students apply personal and social skills to establish and maintain respectful relationships and promote safety, fair play and inclusivity. They demonstrate skills to make informed decisions and propose and implement actions that promote 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 and Responsibility – Years 7 & 8.
Time required: 90 mins.
Level of teacher scaffolding: High – facilitate class discussion with sensitivity to students’ feelings and experience (in relation to racial discrimination)
Resources required:
- Audit Collation – one copy
- Butchers’ paper, markers
- Device capable of presenting a video to the class
- School Policy Audit – one per student
- Handling Sensitive Topics and Issues (optional)
- Racism Vocabulary (optional)
- Student Worksheets – one copy per student.
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.
Teacher preparation