Asia and Australia's Engagement with Asia Lesson Plan

EEO311 Learners Living in their World: Humanities Perspectives Name: Alanah Bresnehan Student Number: 212210385 Tutorial: Thursday 10am -‐12pm Topic: Cross-‐curriculum priority: Asia & Australia’s engagement in Asia –Looking at the countries and their placement on a map and their features Humanities areas Geography Civic and Citizenship

Duration of lesson: 60 mins

Group size: 25

Year level: Level 2

Lesson learning foci:

In this lesson students are going to identify and describe countries found in Asia using the

curriculum document, AusVELS. Students will look at different aspects of Asia on a map using

images and artefacts. It mainly links to the geography and civic and citizenship strands within

humanities.

These links include geography inquiry skills such as looking at ‘the location of the major

geographical divisions of the world in relation to Australia [and] describing the location of

continents and oceans relative to Australia using terms such as north, south, near, far. Using

geographical tools...a globe and world map, or digital application such as Google Earth, to locate

the continents (ACHGK009)’ (VCAA, 2013) Students will delve into these skills through whole class

and small group discussion.

To understand geographical knowledge students will focus on looking at the ‘Pose geographical

questions about familiar and unfamiliar places…developing questions about the

connections they have to other places (ACHGS013)’ (ibid.) allowing them to understand

where Asia is located and the countries that make up the continent.

Another, geographical knowledge focus is the ability to realise that these countries have

‘The connections of people in Australia to other places in Australia, the countries of the

Asia region…examining the ways people are connected to other places (ACHGK012)’

(ibid.) causing students to realise that there is people living past their family, community

and even country. These observations are formed through physical images and artefacts

brought into the class followed by discussions on where they may place the images on

the map.

Finally, the ability to ‘reflect on their learning and suggest responses to their findings

[through] discussing with their teacher...what they know and have learned about

connections with other places (ACHGS018)’ (ibid.) therefore allowing them to continue on

deepen their learning through thorough inquiry.

Rationale for teaching this topic:

Asia is a highly engaged with Australia in the 21st century both economically and socially.

As Australia is a melting pot nation students are to engage themselves with different

cultures and in this lesson their focus is on Asia’s geography. Teacher’s have to look at a

‘global perspective [to] emphasize the need to foster the commonalities of human

experience and stress the interrelatedness of different cultures' (Marsh, 2011, pp. 365)

especially within the classroom. This introductory lesson allows students to look at

different types of places, people and even note the geography of where Asia is located on

the globe and the countries that make up Asia as a whole.

‘Immigrants from all these countries have historically contributed to Australia’s

development and will continue to do so in the future’ (VCAA, 2013) and also in the

present throughout any teacher’s classroom. The Australian Curriculum and Reporting

Authority state that ‘Australia’s engagement with Asia has the capacity to build

understanding and appreciation of diversity within Australian society,’ (2013) this

includes the community of a classroom and a school which the teacher needs to consider

when introducing ‘Asia and Australian’s engagement with Asia’ as a cross-‐curriculum

priority, and correlating it with the notion of ‘civics and citizenship’.

The AusVELS links to the lesson include two areas of humanities, which include

Geography and Civics and Citizenship. Welch exclaims that ‘China, India and other Asian

nations are growing rapidly and the power and influence they have in all areas of global

endeavor is extensive' (2011). Therefore students require exposure as global citizens to

the cultures, people and societies outside Australia. The use of mapping of artifacts

highlights the similarities and differences of Asian nations. Students using images and

artifacts from their own homes and media add a basis on inquiry and an element of

intrigue. This is helpful as ‘geography uses an inquiry approach to assist students to make

meaning of their world’ (ACARA, 2013). The lesson will help students gain a 'multi-‐cultural

education [that] is really an international reform movement' (Marsh, 2011, pp. 357).

Resource:

The main resource for this lesson is a map of Asia found on the ‘Asia Education

Foundation’ website (2014). It states all the countries in Asia, in an array of highlighted

colours, and also the immediate surrounding countries, found in a single colour to

emphasise Asia. This resource was chosen as it can be used both through technology and

also hard copy. The image is universal and helps emphasise the region on a global and

mapping scale. Students can access it easily and also refer back to the picture effectively.

The map helps emphasise Reynolds’ three key understandings of humanities knowledge

development, which are ‘place, environment and space’ (2012, pp. 6) along with ‘using

images and globes, and classifying and interpreting data’ (ibid.). The students will use

both the image on the SmartBoard and also through a hard copy or iPad in small groups.

Other resources may include:

• SmartBoard monitor (or large copy of the map to have on the board when

discussing with students)

• NearPod app, found on iPads and through internet website

(http://www.nearpod.com)

• IPads with the image on it so students can zoom in and out of the image (or A3

copies of the map to give to students to use in small groups)

• YouTube Video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0wG9cnI1Ro) of different

Asian countries including;

Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, India, Japan, China, Nepal, Indonesia Thailand

and South Korea

• A sheet of paper for each group with a table on where students will state the

artifact or image type and where they think it may be placed in Asia.

• Some images and artifacts just in case students forget their own from home

• Map of the world to show students where Asia is in relation to Australia

The Lesson: Time

Introduction

• Before lesson begins set up the SmartBoard with the maps on the

NearPod App software.

10 minutes

• Bring together the students to sit on the floor in front of the

SmartBoard with their artifact or image.

• Introduce the idea that students will be looking at maps and

countries in the lesson.

• The map of the world will be on the board. Ask students

-‐ “Does anyone know where the collection of countries called

Asia is?”

• If a student answers correct and ask if they know where Asia is in

relation to Australia.

• Allow student (A) to find Asia and ask another student (B) to find

Australia. Ask student ‘B’ that if the class wanted to travel from

where they are now in Australia to an Asian country of their choice

how would they get there (get them to trace it with a marker). Ask

student ‘A’ to go from where student ‘B’ stopped to another

country, and then ask them both to work together to get back to an

Australian city of choice with help from the class.

• Once they have an idea of the location of the Asian get the map of

Asia up on the SmartBoard. Explaining that they will be looking at

the features and places of different Asian countries.

• Show the YouTube video of the main Asian countries

• Using your own artifact ask students:

-‐ What do you think this image is of/the artifact is?

-‐ What are the features in the image/on the artifact?

-‐ Where do you think you would find it? In a city, farmland or

jungle?

-‐ What Asian country do you think it belongs to?

Body

• In a class discussion:

-‐ Ask some students about what they have brought along.

-‐ Where they got the artifact.

-‐ Where they think it will fit on the map and why.

• If some students have been overseas in these Asian countries ask

them:

-‐ What they saw.

-‐ The food they ate.

-‐ Any other things they found interesting.

• Students that have lived in an Asian country can share the

differences and similarities between that country and Australia.

• Try and point out the countries that students suggest and talk about

on the map when they mention them to help the class grasp the

placement of each of the countries in the region.

• Once the teacher is pleased with the discussion and students sound

like they have an understanding of their artifacts and Asia students

will be instructed:

-‐ That they will be given the map of Asia in small groups. The

students will have to use a table to answer, in keywords, the

questions above using everyone in the group’s artifact.

• Students are then split into groups. The teacher should try to get

students into groups with diverse artifacts and images.

• Once students have split into groups tell them they should

nominate a scribe to write down the groups ideas and also remind

them to refer back to the map.

• The teacher should roam and ask prompting questions such as:

-‐ Why do you think the artifact/image come from ...?

-‐ What are the features of your artifacts/images?

-‐ Are there any similar artifacts/images?

• When students finish the table get them to pin point on the map

using the map on the SmartBoard, each group using different colors,

get them to write down on the country the artifact/image.

Conclusion

• Assemble students to the floor after each group has plotted their

findings on the map.

• Get students in the group up to front and explain the reasons why

they thought the image or artifact was plotted in that country.

Students will take it in turn of groups to explain their predictions.

• During the share time students are encouraged to ask questions

about each of the artifacts if they are interested and also get

students to see if there are any similarities of images or artifacts in

the room. Ask questions to provoke insight thought into the

geography of the countries and the features of the artifact.

• After students have all presented state that the next lesson will be

on:

-‐ Asia and Australia, comparing the lives of students in

Australia to students in Asia.

• Students then are asked to pack away equipment ready for next

lesson.

References: • Asia Education Foundation, 2014a. Civics and Citizenship. Available

at:

http://www.asiaeducation.edu.au/curriculum_resources/civics_and

_citizenship_cr/civics_and_citizenship_cr_landing_page.html

[Accessed September 10, 2014].

• Asia Education Foundation, 2014b. Geography. Available at:

http://www.asiaeducation.edu.au/curriculum_resources/geography

/geography_cr.html [Accessed September 10, 2014].

• Australian Curriculum, 2013. Civics and Citizenship -‐Cross-‐

curriculum priorities. Australian Curriculum. Available at:

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/humanities-‐and-‐social-‐

sciences/civics-‐and-‐citizenship/cross-‐curriculum-‐priorities [Accessed

September 12, 2014].

• Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2014a.

Geography. Available at:


sciences/geography/rationale [Accessed September 10, 2014].

• Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2014b.



sciences/geography/cross-‐curriculum-‐priorities [Accessed

September 10, 2014].

• Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2014c.



sciences/geography/geography-‐across-‐foundation-‐to-‐year-‐10


• Australian Government, Asia Link -‐The University of Melbourne &

Education Services Australia, 2914. What is an Asia-‐focused Civics

and Citizenship curriculum? Available at:

http://www.asiaeducation.edu.au/curriculum_resources/civics_and

_citizenship_cr/civics_and_citizenship_cr_landing_page.html


• Heopper, B., 2014. ‘Words, not deeds’: ‘Active Citizenship’ and the

Australian Curriculum: Civics & Citizenship’,. The Social Educator.

• Marsh, C., 2011. Multicultural Education, Global Studies and Studies

of Asia. In Teaching the Social Sciences and Humanities in the

Australian Curriculum. NSW: Pearson Education Australia.

• Reynolds, R., 2012. Teaching history, geography and SOSE in the

primary school, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

• VCAA, 2014. AusVELS -‐ Civics and Citizenship -‐ Stages of learning.

vcaa. Available at: http://ausvels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Civics-‐and-‐

Citizenship/Overview/Stages-‐of-‐learning [Accessed September 7,

2014].

• Welch, M., 2011. Supporting the ‘Asia’ cross-‐curriculum priority in

the Australian Curriculum. Primary & Middle Years Educators.

Documents

Asia and Australia's Engagement with Asia Lesson Plan