In My Blood It Runs - The Rights of the Child

Australian curriculum content descriptions: 

Year 9 Civics & Citizenship:

• How and why individuals and groups, including religious groups, participate in and contribute to civic life (ACHCK079)
• The influence of a range of media, including social media, in shaping identities and attitudes to diversity (ACHCK080)
• Present evidence-based civics and citizenship arguments using subject-specific language (ACHCS088)
• Reflect on their role as a citizen in Australian, regional and global contexts (ACHCS089)

Year 10 Civics & Citizenship:

• The Australian Government’s role and responsibilities at a global level, for example. provision of foreign aid, peacekeeping, participation in international organisations and the United Nations (ACHCK091)
• How Australia’s international legal obligations shape Australian law and government policies, including in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (ACHCK093)
• Critically evaluate information and ideas from a range of sources in relation to civics and citizenship topics and issues (ACHCS097)
• Present evidence-based civics and citizenship arguments using subject-specific language (ACHCS101)
• Reflect on their role as a citizen in Australian, regional and global contexts (ACHCS102)

Year 9 English:

• Explore and reflect on personal understanding of the world and significant human experience gained from interpreting various representations of life matters in texts (ACELT1635)
• Analyse how the construction and interpretation of texts, including media texts, can be influenced by cultural perspectives and other texts (ACELY1739)
• Create imaginative, informative and persuasive texts that present a point of view and advance or illustrate arguments, including texts that integrate visual, print and/or audio features (ACELY1746)

Year 10 English:

• Explore and reflect on personal understanding of the world and significant human experience gained from interpreting various representations of life matters in texts (ACELT1635)
• Analyse and evaluate how people, cultures, places, events, objects and concepts are represented in texts, including media texts, through language, structural and/or visual choices (ACELY1749)
• Create sustained texts, including texts that combine specific digital or media content, for imaginative, informative, or persuasive purposes that reflect upon challenging and complex issues (ACELY1756)

Syllabus outcomes: EN5-1A, EN5-7D, EN5-8D

General capabilities: Literacy, Ethical Understanding, Intercultural Understanding 

Cross-curriculum priority: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures (OI.6, OI.9) 

Relevant parts of Year 9 Civics and Citizenship achievement standards:
Students analyse a range of factors that influence identities and attitudes to diversity. They reflect on how groups participate and contribute to civic life.
Students develop and present evidence-based arguments on civics and citizenship issues using appropriate texts, subject-specific language and concepts.

Relevant parts of Year 10 Civics and Citizenship achievement standards:
Students explain how Australia’s international legal obligations influence law and government policy.
Students develop and present evidence-based arguments incorporating different points of view on civics and citizenship issues. They use appropriate texts, subject-specific language and concepts.

Relevant parts of Year 9 English achievement standards:
Students create texts that respond to issues, interpreting and integrating ideas from other texts. They make presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, comparing and evaluating responses to ideas and issues.

Relevant parts of Year 10 English achievement standards:
Students create a wide range of texts to articulate complex ideas. They make presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, building on others’ ideas, solving problems, justifying opinions and developing and expanding arguments.

This lesson is part of the wider unit of work In My Blood It Runs

Time required: 100 mins

Level of teacher scaffolding: High – facilitate class discussions and activities around complex issues

• Device capable of presenting a video to the class
• Devices for students to conduct online research
• Simplified version of the UNCRC – one printed or digital copy per student
• Student Worksheet – one copy per student

This lesson is designed to build students’ competencies in the following skills:

• Communication
• Cultural understanding
• Empathy
• Ethical understanding
• Global citizenship

We recommend that before you teach this lesson, you have taught one or both of the first lessons in the sequence (Identity and Diverse Perspectives), accessed the free professional learning resource, which has been co-developed by Reconciliation Australia’s Narragunnawali team, and watched the film with your class.

Cool Australia would like to thank the In My Blood It Runs Advisory Committee who supported the writing of this resource. Special thanks to Alanna Raymond, Tessa Keenan, Stephanie Woerde, Esma Livermore and Julie Bover from Reconciliation Australia, Alex Shain from Shark Island, Maria Katsabanis from Australian Human Rights Commission, Renee Phillips from National Indigenous Youth Education Coalition, and Keren Shlezinger.