Activity Introduction

paul moulds at a squatQuick summary: After forming project groups based on common interests, students plan their social action project. Students record their planning and action in photographs or video, so that they can exhibit the steps they took to carry out their project and report the results that they were able to achieve. The action students plan should be achievable within the time limits set, and could be as simple as creating a short film to inform a wider audience about the causes and/or effects of youth homelessness. This is the second of three Social Action Project lessons, all of which provide a framework for developing, planning and carrying out social action.

Key ideas to explore:

  • Homelessness is an issue that can be faced by young people.
  • The reasons that young people experience homelessness are varied.
  • The issue of homelessness is multi-faceted and complicated.
  • Students have the ability to make positive change in their own world.

Australian Curriculum Mapping

Content descriptions:

Year 9 English

  • Understand that roles and relationships are developed and challenged through language and interpersonal skills (ACELA1551)
  • Identify how vocabulary choices contribute to specificity, abstraction and stylistic effectiveness (ACELA1561)
  • Use interaction skills to present and discuss an idea and to influence and engage an audience by selecting persuasive language, varying voice tone, pitch, and pace, and using elements such as music and sound effects (ACELY1811)
  • Plan, rehearse and deliver presentations, selecting and sequencing appropriate content and multimodal elements for aestheticand playful purposes (ACELY1741)
  • Create imaginative, informative and persuasive texts that present a point of view and advance or illustrate arguments, including texts that integrate visual, print and/or audio features (ACELY1746)
  • Use a range of software, including word processing programs, flexibly and imaginatively to publish texts (ACELY1748)

Year 10 English

  • Refine vocabulary choices to discriminate between shades of meaning, with deliberate attention to the effect on audiences (ACELA1571)
  • Use organisation patterns, voice and language conventions to present a point of view on a subject, speaking clearly, coherently and with effect, using logic, imagery and rhetorical devices to engage audiences (ACELY1813)
  • Plan, rehearse and deliver presentations, selecting and sequencing appropriate content and multimodal elements to influence a course of action (ACELY1751)
  • Create sustained texts, including texts that combine specific digital or media content, for imaginative, informative, or persuasive purposes that reflect upon challenging and complex issues (ACELY1756)
  • Use a range of software, including word processing programs, confidently, flexibly and imaginatively to create, edit and publish texts, considering the identified purpose and the characteristics of the user (ACELY1776)

Year 11 English
Unit 1

  • using appropriate form, content, style and tone for different purposes and audiences in real and imagined contexts (ACEEN011)
  • drawing on a range of technologies in, for example, research, communication and representation of ideas (ACEEN012)
  • combining visual, spoken and written elements where appropriate (ACEEN013)
  • using strategies for planning, drafting, editing and proofreading (ACEEN016)

Unit 2

  • using imaginative, interpretive and persuasive elements for different purposes, contexts and audiences (ACEEN032)
  • experimenting with text structures, language features and multimodal devices (ACEEN033)
  • developing and sustaining voice, tone and style (ACEEN034)
  • selecting and applying appropriate textual evidence to support arguments (ACEEN035)
  • using strategies for planning, drafting, editing and proofreading (ACEEN036) 

Year 12 English

Unit 3

  • transforming and adapting texts for different purposes, contexts and audiences (ACEEN050)
  • making innovative and imaginative use of language features (ACEEN051)
  • sustaining analysis and argument (ACEEN053)
  • using strategies for planning, drafting, editing and proofreading (ACEEN055)

Unit 4

  • using appropriate language and stylistic features to sustain a personal voice and point of view (ACEEN069)
  • using nuanced language (ACEEN070)
  • synthesising ideas and opinions to develop complex argument (ACEEN071)
  • substantiating and justifying their own responses using textual evidence (ACEEN072)
  • using appropriate referencing, for example, footnotes, in-line citations and reference lists (ACEEN073)
  • using strategies for planning, drafting, editing and proofreading (ACEEN074)

Syllabus Outcomes: EN5-1A,  EN5-2A  EN5-3B, EN5-5C.

General capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking, Ethical Understanding, Literacy

Topic: THE OASIS, Social Issues

Unit of work: THE OASIS – English

Time required: 120 minutes (could possibly run over two sessions – students may need to spend some time on their initial thinking, and then return to their planning).

Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium – facilitate discussion.

Resources required: Student Worksheet – one copy per student OR computers/tablets to access the online worksheet. Device capable of presenting a website to the class and access to THE OASIS documentary on Vimeo. Bubble.us or mindmeister (if required).

Digital technology opportunities: Digital sharing capabilities. Using ICT to communicate. Using ICT to display thinking (web 2.0 thinking tools).

Homework and extension opportunities: Includes opportunities for extension.

Keywords: House, home, homelessness, youth, THE OASIS, social awareness, social action, project.

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

Worksheets

Teacher Worksheet

The-Oasis-Hayley-and-Paul-260x300 copyTeacher preparation

Overarching learning goal: Students understand that they are capable of taking action to address the social issues that exist in their world.

Teacher content information: Student voice and choice is key in this series of Social Action lessons. Students will identify a social issue that they would like to address, brainstorm how they are going to address the issue, plan a social action project and carry out the social action. Enabling students to take social action will engage them more deeply in the learning process - they focus on the issues that the class has been exploring throughout the unit and take ownership of their learning. This social action project will also encourage students to connect with and create change in their local and broader community, and creates excellent opportunities for students to develop real-world skills. Most importantly, the social action section of this unit enables students to develop the understanding that the status quo does no

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Student Worksheet

Thought starter: "A good plan is like a road map: it shows the final destination and usually the best way to get there.” - H. Stanely Judd

1. Have a look at this lesson's thought starter...

In light of the sentiment above, this lesson guides you and your group in thinking about and planning for your social action project.

Identify each task to be carried out as part of your social action project. Some of the things you might need to do are:

  • Gain a better understanding of the social issue (online research/ask an expert, etc.)
  • Think about websites that could be used for the action being taken (e.g. GetUp!, Change.org)
  • Figure out how to obtain the resources needed
  • Seek any permissions required (school/parents/class, etc.)
  • Identify any rehearsal required and allocate time for it
  • Plan to record action taken using film/photography (this is important so that you can display your achievements later!)
  • Identify letters/information etc that needs to be written

If you're plan

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