Activity Introduction
Quick Summary: Students will be immersed in and connect with the documentary film Chasing Asylum. They will engage with the film from critical, emotional, cultural and ethical perspectives and understand some of the background of the film while also considering the intentions of the filmmaker.
Chasing Asylum exposes the real impact of Australia’s offshore detention policies through the personal accounts of people seeking asylum and whistleblowers who tried to work within the system. To watch the documentary, stream it on Kanopy and Clickview or purchase the DVD at the ATOM Education Shop.
Learning Intentions:
- Students will understand how to actively view documentary films.
- Students will consider the importance of context and background when critically considering a documentary film.
- Students will engage with the Chasing Asylum documentary as the filmmaker intended.
21st Century Skills
Australian Curriculum Mapping
Content descriptions
Year 11 English
Investigate the relationships between language, context and meaning by:
- explaining how texts are created in and for different contexts (ACEEN001)
- evaluating the choice of mode and medium in shaping the response of audiences, including digital texts. (ACEEN003)
Analyse and evaluate how responses to texts, including students’ own responses, are influenced by:
- purpose, taking into account that a text’s purpose is often open to debate (ACEEN008)
Investigate the representation of ideas, attitudes and voices in texts including:
- evaluating the effects of rhetorical devices, for example, emphasis, emotive language and imagery in the construction of argument (ACEEN025)
- analysing how attitude and mood are created, for example, through the use of humour in satire and parody. (ACEEN027)
General Capabilities: Literacy, Personal and Social Capability, Ethical Understanding, Intercultural Understanding.
Cross-curriculum priority:
Topic: Social Issues.
Unit of work: Voices of Chasing Asylum – access the unit overview here.
Time required: 120 mins.
Level of teacher scaffolding: Low – set up AV equipment, set film context and supervise student viewing of film.
Resources required: Student Worksheet – one copy per student OR computers/tablets to access the online worksheet. Device capable of audio/visual presentation to present a film to the class, projector and speakers. (A purpose-specific viewing room would be ideal.) You will need to access the Chasing Asylum film by streaming it from Kanopy and Clickview or purchasing the DVD at the ATOM Education Shop. Other factsheets: Chasing Asylum – Film Synopsis, Documentary Viewing – Factsheet, Things to address before viewing and studying Chasing Asylum.
Digital technology opportunities: Digital sharing capabilities.
Keywords: documentary, asylum seeking, refugee, migrant, immigrant, emigrant, persecution, sovereignty, nation-state, citizenship, statelessness, whistleblower, policy.
Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.
Teacher preparation