Teacher content information

Unit and context overview

Upstanders in Action is a Year 8 Mathematics and/or Civics and Citizenship unit that applies statistical concepts to real-world issues of ethics, representation and inclusion. Rather than treating statistics as purely procedural, the unit highlights the practical and ethical implications of data, exploring how bias, exclusion and incomplete sampling can shape conclusions and influence real-world decisions. Students examine how data can either reinforce inequity or support fair and inclusive outcomes.

This unit is intentionally designed as an application of statistical knowledge. While the curriculum requires students to understand sampling, variation and inference, the ethical dimensions of these concepts are not always made explicit in Mathematics classrooms. By foregrounding ethics and inclusion, the unit provides a real-world lens that helps students understand why statistical rigour matters and how mathematical reasoning can inform responsible decision-making and positive change.

The lessons can be taught within Mathematics or collaboratively with Civics and Citizenship, combining statistical investigation with civic inquiry. In doing so, the unit positions statistics not simply as numbers, but as tools for ethical, informed and Upstander action.

Courage to Care

These resources were created in collaboration with Courage to Care, a not-for-profit organisation that educates students about the dangers of discrimination, including antisemitism and racism. Proudly apolitical, Courage to Care has a universal mission: to educate and empower students to challenge prejudice and discrimination in all its forms. Courage to Care Upstander Programs take inspiration from real-life extraordinary acts of courage. Based on the idea that ordinary people have the power to make a positive difference to the lives of others by being Upstanders, the program inspires students to make a real difference in their community by standing up and taking action, creating real change.

Courage to Care offers face-to-face Upstander Programs at schools. Delivered by teams of skilled and dedicated volunteers, Upstander Programs feature inspiring testimonies from Holocaust Survivor Speakers and custodians of their stories, promote acceptance of diversity within the community, and transform bystander behaviour by inspiring participants to become Upstanders.

Courage to Care - What is an Upstander? – (youtube.com/watch?v=-ts04fKvwXs)Upstander Programs encourage participants to become aware of their potential to make a positive difference and offer practical tools for standing up against bullying and prejudice by empowering participants to take positive action – in the schoolyard, workplaces, and in our communities. Contact Courage to Care to find out more about booking an Upstander Program in your school at couragetocare.org.au.

Safety

Unit-wide safety concerns to address

Cultural Safety

This unit invites students to explore diversity, inclusion and representation within their own school or community. As a result, discussions may touch on identity, culture, language, religion, gender, disability or lived experience. It is important that classroom dialogue remains respectful, strengths-based and focused on systems rather than individuals. Teachers should reinforce that identities are complex and personal, and that no student is expected to speak on behalf of a group or share personal information unless they choose to do so.

When discussing patterns in data, guide students to frame their thinking around access, opportunity and structures rather than deficit language. Redirect generalisations or stereotypes gently but clearly, and emphasise curiosity over judgement. Remind students that the purpose of collecting and analysing data in this unit is to understand experiences more fairly and improve inclusion, not to rank, label or compare groups. Establishing clear norms around respectful language and voluntary participation will support a culturally safe and inclusive learning environment throughout the unit.

Psychological safety

Throughout this unit, students engage with topics related to identity, inclusion, fairness and lived experience. While the focus is mathematical and evidence-based, some themes may feel personal. It is important to create an environment where students feel emotionally safe to participate without pressure. Reinforce that sharing personal experiences is always optional and that students can contribute through ideas, observations or systems-level thinking rather than personal disclosure.

Build clear norms around respectful listening, confidentiality and constructive feedback. Remind students that disagreement is about ideas, not people. If conversations become personal or specific to individuals in the room, gently redirect discussion back to broader patterns or systems. Emphasise that the goal of the unit is not to expose or critique individuals, but to practise ethical reasoning and thoughtful decision-making. When students feel safe, they are more likely to engage critically and responsibly with data and with each other.

Lesson-specific safety concerns to address

This lesson asks students to think about inclusion, diversity, voice and participation. These topics can unintentionally lead to stereotyping, generalisations or personal examples. It is important to keep the focus on systems and experiences rather than individuals or specific identity groups.

Tips for facilitating discussion:

Redirect labelling or stereotyping language. If a student makes a generalised statement about a group, gently reframe it. For example, shift from “That group doesn’t join clubs” to “What barriers might make participation harder for some students?”
Encourage curiosity rather than conclusions. Remind students that investigations begin with questions, not assumptions. Guide them to use language such as “might”, “could” and “we could explore” instead of definitive claims.
Reinforce that identities are complex and overlapping. Students belong to multiple identity groups at once. Avoid framing identity categories as fixed or singular. Emphasise that experiences vary within groups.
Clarify that the purpose of data is understanding, not ranking or judging. Data should be used to identify needs and improve inclusion, not to compare, criticise or label groups.
Keep discussion general, not personal. If students begin referencing specific groups or individuals, gently redirect by saying “Let’s focus on systems rather than people” or ‘We’re exploring patterns in experiences, not commenting on specific people/groups’

Throughout the discussion, model inclusive language and reinforce that ethical investigations aim to create safer, fairer environments for everyone.

Important lesson information

This lesson introduces students to the Cool.org Act Framework. The Cool.org Act Framework supports strategies for enabling action at various levels and configurations. You can grab an approach to take action quickly or work towards taking action at a greater scale.

Our Framework is informed by research on the process of design thinking and the role of critical and creative thinking. Moving people from a position of knowledge and understanding to ideation and prototyping is a proven model for tackling complex problems. The work of Stephen Covey also influences our Framework and the need to take action within our spheres of influence rather than measures beyond our control.

The Framework is divided into 6 tactics, each with an explanation and suggested applications. They are not necessarily a set of steps, but they certainly become more challenging. It’s the ideal guide for this lesson when we need to support our learners to step up and have choices in how they can best help the situation.

Read more about the framework here.

Survey support

Brainstorming survey questions

In this lesson, students define the research question for their statistical investigation. If students need support generating ideas, the following examples may help guide their thinking. These questions focus on experiences within the school community and are designed to be investigated using simple, anonymous surveys.

Does access to technology influence how students complete schoolwork?
Do students feel the school uniform suits their needs?
What factors influence whether students participate in school activities?
Do students enjoy how success is celebrated at our school?
Do students feel their ideas and opinions are listened to at school?
Do students know how to raise concerns about fairness or discrimination at school?
Do students feel that the range of books and resources at school reflects a variety of backgrounds and perspectives?

Encourage students to choose a question that is relevant to your school context and that can be investigated respectfully using anonymous responses. Questions should focus on systems, access, and experiences, not on identifying or targeting individuals or groups.

Example investigation (teacher reference)

The example below demonstrates how one investigation could be planned and implemented.

Research question: Do students feel equally welcome to participate in school sports and extracurricular activities?

Purpose of the investigation: To understand whether all students feel they have fair access to school activities, and whether any groups feel less included or face barriers to participation

Possible survey questions

Do you currently participate in a school sport, club, or activity?
If no, what are the main reasons? (e.g. the activities don't suit my interests, I don't feel welcome, I don't know how to join, cost or transport)
Do you feel the activities offered at school reflect a range of interests?
Do you feel equally welcome to join school activities compared to other students?
Is there an activity you wish the school offered?

Students may also include optional background information such as year level or type of activity preferred to help analyse patterns in the responses.

Possible methods of collection and representation:

Question type	Example	Data it produces	How to display it
Yes/No	"Do you currently participate in a school sport, club, or activity?"	A simple count of yes and no responses	Pie chart or bar chart showing the proportion of students who do and don't currently participate
Multiple choice	"If no, what are the main reasons?" (select from a list of barriers)	A frequency count of how often each barrier was selected	Bar chart with each barrier on one axis and number of responses on the other
Likert scale (1–5)	"Do you feel equally welcome to join school activities compared to other students?"	Numerical ratings that can be averaged and compared	Dot plot to show spread of responses; grouped bar chart to compare ratings across year levels
Open-ended	"Is there an activity you wish the school offered?"	Written responses grouped into themes	Tally themes (e.g. sport, arts, cultural) and display as a bar chart; quote selected responses in the written report

Sampling approach: Students could collect responses from a random sample of students across several Year 8 classes to ensure the data represents a wider group.

Possible outcomes: Students may identify patterns in participation, activities that feel more or less accessible to different groups, or gaps in what the school currently offers. Students can then use their findings to develop an Upstander Action Plan, suggesting realistic ways the school could support more equitable participation, for example, improving how activities are promoted, or expanding the range of clubs available.

Prerequisites

This is the fourth lesson within the Mathematics unit: Upstanders in Action. Cool.org recommends that you teach this lesson as a part of the whole 6-lesson package.

To participate fully in this unit, students would benefit from familiarity with planning and conducting simple statistical investigations, calculating and interpreting measures of central tendency, and describing distributions using appropriate data displays. Confidence working with percentages, ratios and rational numbers will support the interpretation and comparison of data.

Further Professional learning and reading

More Cool.org x Courage to Care Lessons

To deepen your understanding of discrimination, inclusion and the role of Upstanders, we recommend exploring the Courage To Care: How To Be an Upstander in Society unit. This Year 9&10 Health unit unpacks the Pyramid of Hate, examining how stereotyping can escalate into prejudice, discrimination and violence, and explores the bystander effect and the power of active intervention. Engaging with these concepts can strengthen your confidence in facilitating discussions about representation, harm and ethical action within this unit.

From Courage to Care Victoria

The team at Courage to Care offer a variety of additional resources for educators to deepen their understanding of the themes of this unit of lessons and their face to face program. Two of our favourites, the Upstander handbook for teachers and the Upstander Toolkit for students are linked below, explore the rest of the collection of resources here.

Upstander Handbook Teaching Resource

A classroom resource for teachers that extends and deepens students’ understanding of the key themes of the Courage to Care program

Upstander Toolkit

A concise two-page toolkit to equip and empower Upstander action, outlining how to prepare yourself to act, and providing practical suggestions of words and actions for various situations.

Designing an Ethical Statistical Investigation

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