Poverty and Inequality in Australia - Poverty - In Sickness or in Health

Australian Curriculum content descriptions:

Years 5 & 6 HPE:

• Investigate community resources and ways to seek help about health, safety and wellbeing (ACPPS053)
• Investigate the role of preventive health in promoting and maintaining health, safety and wellbeing for individuals and their communities (ACPPS058)

Syllabus outcomes: PD3-1, PD3-2, PD,3-3, PD3-10

General capabilities: Numeracy, Personal and Social Capability, Ethical Understanding

Relevant parts of Year 5 & 6 achievement standards: 
By the end of Year 6, students explain the influence of people and places on identities. They describe their own and others’ contributions to health, physical activity, safety and wellbeing. They describe the key features of health-related fitness and the significance of physical activity participation to health and wellbeing.
Students access and interpret health information and apply decision-making and problem-solving skills to enhance their own and others’ health, safety and wellbeing.

• Access to the Internet and YouTube
• A device capable of projecting infographics and videos with sound (or some other device to play video clips to the class)
• Poster paper and writing materials OR digital devices and access to collaborative sharing software, such as Padlet (Teachers could set up Padlets for each topic area beforehand and send these links to each group)
• Student Worksheets – one copy per student

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

• creativity
• critical thinking
• empathy
• global citizenship
• initiative
• problem solving      

Time required: 80+ mins

Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium – teacher will need to set up and show video, scaffold class discussion and inquiry questions, organise student teams and topics and guide the final plenary session

These lessons have been designed in consultation with Anti-Poverty Week and ACOSS/UNSW Poverty and Inequality Partnership.

The content and information in these lessons may be overwhelming and cause some students to experience heightened emotions.

Please ensure you allow students to ask questions and to discuss any issues or concerns. Before teaching the lesson, you may consider conducting a class check-in or circle time to establish a safe learning environment. Inform students that this might be a complex topic for them to comprehend. However, let your students know that differences in people’s incomes and wealth are nothing to be ashamed of and that these may be beyond the control of individuals and families – for example, some have more luck than others in landing a good job.

Assure students that organisations and campaigns are working towards decreasing poverty in Australia, and if they would like more information, they can visit the Anti Poverty Week website and the Poverty and Inequality website.