Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

Optional Preparation – Ground Rules For Classroom Discussion
20 minutes – Part A: Stand On The Line – Exploring Values
30 minutes – Part B: Understanding Homelessness in Australia
10 minutes – Reflection

Part A: Stand On The Line – Exploring Values

Step 1.

Begin the lesson by facilitating a Stand On The Line activity. This activity gives students the opportunity to consider their personal values, explore the values that are shared by many Australians and make links between these values and the fact that many people experience homelessness in Australia.

Ask students to clear the furniture to the sides of the classroom, and attach the ‘Strongly Agree’ and ‘Strongly Disagree’ signs to the wall on opposite sides of the classroom. Invite students to imagine a line between each sign. That line is a continuum, with extremes at each end.

Inform students that you will read a statement, and they should stand in a position between the two signs that indicates their viewpoint.

Step 2.

Read out each of the following statements, allowing students time to consider them and move to the position that indicates their view. Once students have chosen their position, invite them to turn to a person close to them, and share their view. Invite some volunteers to share their view with the class. Once students have shared their view, use the information and questions under each of the statements to prompt deeper discussion.

Values are an important part of any society.
Suggested discussion points: Values help a society to be cohesive. They provide individuals within a society with a set of shared understandings about how to treat one another, and provide a framework within which to make decisions, big and small, that affect society and the people in it.
Suggested question: What would society look like if there were no shared values?
A common value held by Australian society is that people should be treated equally (or, get a ‘fair go’).
Suggested discussion points: Australian society values respect for the freedom and dignity of the individual, freedom of religion, commitment to the rule of law, Parliamentary democracy, equality of those who identify as men and those who identify as women and a spirit of egalitarianism that embraces mutual respect, tolerance, fair play and compassion for those in need and pursuit of the public good. Australian society values equality of opportunity for individuals, regardless of their race, religion or ethnic background. (Source) These statements suggest that equality, or as it is more commonly known, a ‘fair go’ is a value that is upheld in Australian society.
All people in Australia are given a ‘fair go’.
Suggested questions: What about people born into poverty? How do they access the same opportunities as people who are born into privilege? What about people who can’t find a place to live that they can afford? Are they being given a ‘fair go’?
Homelessness should not exist in a fair society.
Suggested discussion point: The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare defines an inclusive society as one in which all members have the resources, opportunities and capability to learn, work, engage with, and have a voice in the community. (Source)

Step 3.

Wrap up the activity by thanking the class for their contributions to the discussion, and ask them to rearrange the furniture so that they are seated at a table where they can see the screen.

Part B: Understanding Homelessness In Australia

Step 1.

Invite students to explore what they know about homelessness by completing the first step of the KWL visible thinking routine on the Student Worksheet. Before they begin, explain to students that the way we talk about people who are experiencing homelessness is important: people are experiencing homelessness; their identity is not ‘homeless.’ Invite students to consider this distinction throughout the rest of this lesson.

Note: Students will return to this visible thinking routine in the reflection section of this lesson.

Step 2.

Begin an exploration into the realities of homelessness in Australia by showing the class the clip below. Introduce it by informing students that it is a short clip taken from the documentary film, Life After The Oasis. The documentary is a follow-up for The Oasis which was released in 2008 and featured the stories of a number of young people who experienced homelessness and accessed the services provided by The Oasis Youth Support Network. Before you begin watching, remind students that the clip they are about to see features real people courageously sharing their stories.

Life After The Oasis (https://vimeo.com/347231056/5d854a4aba)

Step 3.

Ask students to clarify their understanding of the clip by responding to the questions on the Student Worksheet. They are asked:

What did you see in the clip from Life After The Oasis?
What did the clip make you think about the issue of homelessness?
What values did you see represented in the clip?
What values did you not see represented in the clip?
What values do you think the filmmakers hold?

Step 4.

Further clarify students' understanding of homelessness by distributing this factsheet produced by Homelessness Australia. Ask students to read through it, and encourage them to build their understanding of the vocabulary used to communicate about the issue by highlighting or underlining any words or phrases that they are unsure about.

Step 5.

Once students have read through the factsheet, ask them to form pairs and discuss the words and phrases they have highlighted, then facilitate a whole-class discussion, encouraging volunteers to share the words and phrases they were unsure about, as well as their understanding of the meaning of each. If they have not yet reached an understanding, encourage other class members to add to the discussion, or work to clarify the meanings through the use of an online or hard-copy dictionary.

Step 6.

Make links between the issue of homelessness and the value of equality by writing the following question on the whiteboard:

Invite students to note down one to two ideas of their own, then turn to the person sitting next to them to share their thoughts.

Reflection

Invite students to return to the KWL visible thinking routine from the start of the lesson. Encourage students to note down as many new thoughts and ideas about their understanding of homelessness.

Once students have completed this, ask them to write a paragraph underneath explaining how their new thoughts and ideas have impacted their understanding of homelessness in Australia. You may want to provide a sentence starter such as: “This lesson has taught me …” OR “Homelessness in Australia is …”

Differentiated Learning

Extension – Distribute a section of A National Report Card On Youth Homelessness, developed by Youth Development Australia to each student. Ask them to summarise the intervention described in the section and how that intervention relates to the Australian value of equality (a ‘fair go’).

Provisions for Learning Support – In Step 3 of Part B, you may choose to show the clip more than once or give students access to the clip to view in their own time. In Step 5 of Part B of the lesson, encourage students to form mixed-ability groups.

Teacher Reflection

Take this opportunity to reflect on your own teaching:

What did you learn about your teaching today?
What worked well?
What didn't work so well?
What would you share?
Where to next?
How are you going to get there?

Life After The Oasis - Tuning In to Homelessness

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