Families in our communities
Families in our communities explores the importance of families in the wider community
and how they enhance individuals and the wider community now and in the past. Historical
events and people that are important to lives of different families are examined.
HSIE Syllabus references:
EN
SS
CC
CU
CCS1.2 Time and change
Identifies changes and continuities in their own life and in the local community.
CUS1.3 Identities
Identifies customs, practices, symbols, languages and traditions of their family and other
families.
Students will learn about:
• people who are important in the lives of students in the class
• days, holidays and events celebrated by students, their school, families in their
community and other communities
• changes, both past and present, caused by changing needs
• stages in a lifetime
• school, local, national and global events.
• cultural characteristics of families
• groups to which students belong, including the family
• significant people who belong to these groups
• symbols used by different groups, eg badges, flags
• 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.
Teaching and learning
Evidence of achievement
Introducing our families
Select a suitable story book to use with the class that portrays
a family and referrs to what is important to the family and how
they support each other.
• Initiate a class discussion on different families. Begin with
the family portrayed in the story book and then have
students respond with examples representative of different
families. Discuss:
- what makes up a family?
- what activities do the family on the story enjoy? Discuss
why these activities are important to the family in the
story. Ask students to identify some activities their own
families participate in. Develop a list that includes social,
sporting and cultural activities. Students explain why
these activities are important in their own families.
Students record and display this information.
- select one family member from the story book. What sort
of person do you think they are? Use the photos for ideas
and list describing words (adjectives) on a word bank.
Are they happy, kind, friendly? Identify some of the
characteristics of own family members and record.
- Utilise some images of families that show different
generations and changes over time. Use photos that
show people at different ages and stages of their life.
Discuss the ages and stages shown. How is this
reflected in the student’s own (extended) family?
- how are families different? Generalise the discussion to
encompass a wide range of families.
- how do families help family members and other people?
- what are some of the different roles that members might
play in a family?
CUS1.3 Identifies customs,
practices, symbols,
languages and traditions of
their family and other families
• identifies and talks about
the lives of people in their
family and community
• identifies characteristics
that make another family
different or similar to their
own.
• Introduce the concept of an artefact. With reference to the
story book (or introduce another story) What sort of
artefacts would a character in the story consider to be
precious e.g. a medal. What sort of things would they collect
to represent who they are? What would be precious? What
would make them laugh or cry? What would remind them of
long ago? What would represent their family and the culture
of their family? List some items.
Students will need one family portrait style photograph of their
family members for this and subsequent lessons. Display
these photos for reference. Students may represent their
family in a drawing if a photo is not available.
• Select a story book examines what is of value to the
character(s) in the story. Ask questions to facilitate students’
understanding of things they value, such as:
- what things or objects do you have that are special to
you? How are they special?
- who gave it to you?
- how do you treat the objects that you treasure?
- do we all value the same things? Why/why not?
- what special things do you like to do with your family?
CCS1.2 Identifies changes
and continuities in their own
life and in the local
community
• describes people at
different stages of their life
• talks about the lives of
people from different
cultures.
Teaching and learning
Evidence of achievement
Different identities
• Create a display of photos and images of people, or use the
photographic broadsheets included in the Treasures
teaching kit. Ensure the photos or images illustrate modern
and historic contexts, children, male and female subjects
and representations from a range of cultural groups.
Suitable images can be sourced from the Picture Australia
web site.
• Initiate a class discussion using the images. Ask:
- who is in the picture? How do you know?
- are they male or female?
- do they remind you of anyone you know? Why?
- what is happening in the photo? Does your family do
things like this?
- what other things can you tell from the photo?
- why do you think these photos were taken?
• Continue to ask questions to enhance students’
understanding of the visual information contained in the
photos and images.
CUS1.2 Identifies changes
and continuities in their own
life and in the local
community
• describes people at
different stages of their
lives
• talks about the lives of
people from different
cultures.
Photographs are valuable because they are a record of
events, places and people. Personal photographs are records
of individuals: the details of their life, the people they have
known, the groups they’ve belonged to, their likes and
interests. Additional questions are available on
pp. 20–21 of the Treasures teacher book.
Greetings
• Display images of people greeting each other. Include
images from different cultures.
• Display images and lead a discussion about greetings: what
they are? what is their place in society as a cultural ritual?
e.g. shaking hands was to show that there was nothing in
your sword hand. Greetings convey respect for the person
you are greeting and help to establish positive relationships
with people.
• Discussion points:
- why and when are greetings used e.g. at formal and
informal occasions
- how do people greet each other e.g. verbal/non verbal
greetings such as a hug, kiss, handshake, bow, rub
noses or combinations.
A cultural example:
In Japan, bowing is used when meeting others, saying
goodbye or thanking others. The degree of bow is related to
the degree of respect for the other person, from a nod of the
head to a full bow. Shaking hands is not a tradition in Japan
but is used in special circumstances, such as greeting a
politician or a prominent person or when being introduced to a
foreigner. A bow is the preferred greeting.
- how greetings differ between different people e.g.
teacher, principal, your parents, your aunt, uncles,
grandparents, friends
- how greetings differ in different situations e.g. in the
CUS1.3 Identifies customs,
practices, symbols,
languages and traditions of
their family and other families
• identifies and uses
greetings from own family
and community
• communicates an
understanding of how
people in another country
express their culture
through greetings.
Teaching and learning
street, at a party, the local shopping centre, a wedding, at
a church or temple
- how greetings vary between age groups e.g. adults and
children.
• In pairs, or small groups, students role play:
- how they greet someone in the morning
- how they greet someone in the evening
- how they greet their parents and grandparents.
- how people in another (specific) culture greet each other
formally and informally.
• Record a list of different ways people say ‘Hello’ to each
other around the world.
• Students select an artefact received from a cultural event to
talk about.
This lesson has been adapted from Lesson plan 5 ‘Greetings
are among the rituals shared by different communities. What is
a greeting?’ p. 26 Treasures (DET) and Topic 1: ‘Greetings
and gestures and images’ pp. 7–10 Where the sun rises (DET)
Evidence of achievement
Teaching and learning
Evidence of achievement
My family’s identity
Refer to Topic 1, p. 21, Caring for Place – caring for Country
(DET) using Gami’s place and My mob from the Big mob
books for little fullas (BOS). Both books are about the same
extended family. Note that both stories use Gumbayniggirr
language and also have accompanying tapes.
• Introduce the stories to students one at time. For each story
discuss features such as the title, cover illustrations and
author. Ask students to predict what they think the story will
be about. Identify what is the same and different in each
story e.g. the use of pictures compared to photos,
Gumbayniggirr words are inside English sentences in
Gami’s place, and have been translated in My mob. Both
stories are told from a child’s point of view about their family
(the same family).
• Identify some of the family members in each of the stories;
both stories are about members of the same extended
family - parents, grandparents, aunties, uncles and cousins,
refer to information about the Muurraby Language Centre in
Gami’s place and background information included on the
tape of My mob.
• Discuss what the term ‘mob’ means to Aboriginal people
e.g. family or language group. Who is included in a ‘mob’ of
extended family members?
• Create a word bank of words about family, include words
from other languages that students are familiar with and
Gumbayniggirr words, where possible also include words
from local Aboriginal language(s) e.g. grandmother, Gami,
Granny, Nan, Nana, Nona.
• Assessment: Discuss: Are all families the same? how are
they the same, what do they do that is the same, how are
they different, what do they do that is different?
• Jointly construct a class chart to show how families are
different and how they are the same, include specific
aspects of language, traditions, members, customs,
practices, family celebrations etc.
CCS1.2 Identifies changes
and continuities in their own
life and in the local
community
• identifies the family life of
others in the local
community and in other
communities in Australia.
Similarities
Differences
• Students reference the information in the ‘Similarities and
differences’ class chart to construct their own illustrated
(drawings and magazine cut outs) mind map, with labels to
show features of their family’s identity and how their family
is similar and different to others.
• Students explain how their family is similar and different to
other families with reference to their mind map. Students
discuss the language(s) of family members, family
traditions, culture and celebrations for their own family e.g.
birthdays, anniversaries.
• Students select an artefact that is representative of their
family. Students can explain the reasons for selecting the
artefact.
CUS1.3 Identifies customs,
practices, symbols,
languages and traditions of
their family and other families
• identifies languages
spoken in the school and
other communities
• participates in activities
that involve using a
different language
• participates in activities
that involve the
communication of cultural
symbols, practices and
customs
• identifies characteristics
that make another family
different or similar to their
own.
Teaching and learning
Evidence of achievement
Assessment strategy
The teacher:
• analyses students’ illustrated mind maps to show features
of their family’s identity and how their family is similar and
different to others
• discusses mind map with student.
Assessment criteria
The student:
• describes features of their family
• identifies language(s) of family members
• identifies some important traditions and aspects of their
family culture, including language(s) spoken
• communicates aspects of family customs
• selects and illustrates some special family celebrations
• explains some similarities and differences between families.
Symbols of our identity
• Look at the school badge or school emblem. What does it
show? How is this symbol representative of our school
community now and in the past? What is the purpose of the
school badge/emblem?
• Does the school have a school song?
- what do the words say?
- what do they mean?
- how do you feel when you hear the school song?
- how do you think students who have left the school feel
when they hear the school song?
- what is the purpose of the school song?
- if necessary learn the words to the school song.
• What sporting houses does the school have?
- what are their names?
- what is the significance of these names?
- what symbols/emblems/mascots are used by the sports
houses?
- how do students feel about the house they belong to?
• ‘Advance Australia fair’. When a representative of a country
wins international competition, and at the beginning of a
national sporting event, the national anthem of the country
is played. Australia’s national anthem is ‘Advance Australia
fair’.
• Read and discuss the meaning of ‘Advance Australia fair’.
How does the national anthem represent all Australians?
• Learn the words of the national anthem, including the
second verse.
CUS1.3 Identifies customs,
practices, symbols,
languages and traditions of
their family and other families
• participates in activities
that involve the
communication of cultural
symbols, practices and
customs.
Groups we belong to
• Jointly develop a simple retrieval chart of groups that
students belong to. Ask students to suggest how to
categorise the list e.g. interests, hobbies, age groups, clubs,
sports and record on the retrieval chart. Include, where
applicable, the following information:
CUS1.3 Identifies customs,
practices, symbols,
languages and traditions of
their family and other
families.
• identifies and describes
the groups that individuals
belong to including family,
class, school and
Area of
interest
Name of
group/team
Purpose
Uniform
Colours
Reason(s)
for joining
Teaching and learning
Evidence of achievement
/club
Sport
Red Rovers
community groups.
to play
soccer
black
shorts +
red T-shirt
Red and
black
I like to play
soccer
• Review the chart and have a class discussion based around
the following questions:
- why do people belong to groups?
- do students belong to similar groups?
- how can groups help people?
- what groups do you belong to at school? (reading
groups, band, choir)
- what symbols represent different groups? e.g. uniforms,
logos, colours
- how do you get along with others with others in groups?
e.g. share, listen, take turns
- do you communicate differently in different groups? e.g.
in a playground game compared to reading groups
• Ask students to design a symbol for a group to which they
belong. This may be a group at school or outside school.
Special events
• Communities have a variety of special events that people
participate in. These could be street parades, fairs or fetes,
festivals (often multicultural), gala days, race meetings,
shows, market days, opening of a new park, shopping
centre, etc. Identify special events that are part of the local
community. Discuss the importance of these events: who
goes, what happens, what people wear, celebration foods
available, music played, etc.
• Use some images or artefacts of different events, e.g. show
ribbon, banner, hats, flower/fruit/produce items used to
promote the special event.
• Place images and artefacts on display for students to see.
• Create a class list of events that students participate in or
celebrate.
• Each student writes a statement about an event they
celebrate and illustrates something they particularly
enjoyed, explaining why.
CCS1.2 Identifies changes
and continuities in their own
life and in the local
community
• identifies and describes
special communities and
their significance
• compares how things
were, the way they are now
and how they would like
them to be.