Understanding each other
Understanding each other looks at the way celebrations and community events enrich the
cultures of families and the wider community.
HSIE Syllabus references:
EN
CU
SS
CC
CUS1.4 Cultural diversity
Describes the cultural, linguistic and religious practices of their family, their community and
other communities.
Students will learn about:
• cultural characteristics of families
• groups to which students belong, including the family
• similarities and differences between ways in which families express their culture, e.g.
celebrations
• languages spoken by other groups and families
• customs and practices important to students, including celebrations
• belief systems of groups and families in their community and in other communities.
Teaching and learning
Evidence of achievement
Introduction to the unit:
This unit takes a look at the diversity of cultures including customs, beliefs and rituals. The
diversity of cultures studied in the unit will depend on such things as availability of resources,
manageability and relevance to the learning program. It should be inclusive of all students’
backgrounds. Ensure that students engage in learning about aspects of culture that they do
not already know about.
A suggested range of areas/cultures is given as a guide.
Organise for students to provide images (photos, artworks, personal photographs) and
artefacts (objects, clothing, dolls, etc.) that describe:
• celebrations
• religious days
• festivals.
Celebrations and their purpose
CUS1.4 Describes the
• Display a variety of celebration pictures on the floor e.g.
cultural, linguistic and
weddings, places of worship, parades, traditional dress,
religious practices of their
community and sporting events, include examples of
family, their community and
contemporary Aboriginal celebrations. Students complete a other communities
floorstorm. (For more information, refer to Choosing literacy • gathers and organises
strategies that work Stage 2 p. 97).
information about a variety
• Share responses and discuss pictures. Consider:
of celebrations
- what do you think is being celebrated?
• identifies practices and
- who is in the picture?
rituals that reflect the
- what special foods, decorations, gifts, clothing and
beliefs of families and
greetings can you see?
community groups.
- where is the celebration happening? e.g. church, home,
• gives reasons why people
park, street
celebrate.
- what time of year is it? e.g. winter, summer, snow,
sunshine
- discuss the meaning of celebration and ritual. Look up
definitions in a dictionary, record and compare.
- create a display using pictures and tags, floor storm
words and definitions.
Types of celebrations
• Identify different types of celebrations. Use the headings to
identify and list examples of each type of celebration.
Type of celebration
Family
Community
Seasonal or calendar
Cultural
Religious
National
Examples of celebration
birthday, wedding
school fete, street parade, show
New year, first day of spring
Festival, Melbourne Cup
Passover, Ramadan, Christmas, Easter,
Australia Day, ANZAC Day
• Students complete an oral or written recount of one listed
celebration the students are very familiar with. Ensure
students have revised the structure of a recount prior to this
activity.
• Compile a word bank for student reference and provide
some sentence beginnings if using a written recount.
Our birthdays
CUS1.4 Describes the
cultural, linguistic and
religious practices of their
family, their community and
other communities
• contributes examples of
celebrations
• identifies different
celebrations
• identifies the importance of
cultural and religious
events in the community
• describes and collates
information about various
celebrations.
CUS1.4 Describes the
cultural, linguistic and
Teaching and learning
Evidence of achievement
An additional resource is a 15 minute video from the ABC
Schools series Celebrations
• Prepare a mind map worksheet on: How do we recognise
birthdays? When? Why? Where? What? Who?
• Students work in groups to share ways birthdays are
acknowledged. Use words or pictures to record ideas, e.g.
cards, presents, special meal, cake, party, dress, games
and family traditions.
• Share information and note similarities and differences.
• Use some picture books or images and reference
information on different cultural traditions and individual
family traditions associated with a birthday. View the Screen
Australia video clip Albion, Douglas: Children's Party 1921.
Students share some of their family traditions associated
with having a birthday.
• Ask students to describe why their birthday is important to
them. Responses may include family celebration, party,
presents.
- why is your birthday important to you? Why do you value
it?
- how do you feel when it is your birthday? Why?
- why do you think your family values your (and other
family members’) birthdays?
- what does it mean for your family to celebrate birthdays
together?
• Identify and discuss other celebrations that students’
families participate in.
• Add and describe additional multicultural celebrations or
Australian celebrations, inclusive of contemporary
Aboriginal events that students are not familiar with.
religious practices of their
family, their community and
other communities
• gathers and organises
information about a variety
of celebrations
• identifies practices and
rituals that reflect the
beliefs of families and
community groups
• gives reasons why people
celebrate
• describes some similarities
and differences between
the ways people celebrate
events.
Diverse celebrations in our community
• List community events including festivals, race days, shows,
markets, music festivals, street parades, picnics etc. These
events celebrate and reflect individual communities.
• Use a variety of library books (or a poster kit) that illustrate.
Assessment: Students draw an illustration of a community
event with which they are not familiar.
• Students annotate their illustration with labels that explain
the similarities and differences of this community event to
events that they are familiar with.
• Students explain the features of the event they have
selected. Display students’ work.
Assessment strategy
The teacher:
• analyses student work samples
• question student’s on their annotated illustration.
Assessment criteria
The student:
• identifies community events
• identifies similarities and differences of a community event
with which they are not familiar with those that they are
familiar.
CUS1.4 Describes the
cultural, linguistic and
religious practices of their
family, their community and
other communities
• develops an understanding
of the effects of cultural
events on our own identity
and the expression of
culture in the community
• illustrates and annotates a
community event.