Taking Action with Words and Stories

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

• creative thinking
• critical thinking
• collaboration
• communication
• community engagement
• intercultural understanding
• problem solving

Australian Curriculum (v9.0) content description: 

Year 5, English

Students learn to: 

• understand how to move beyond making bare assertions by taking account of differing ideas or opinions and authoritative sources (AC9E5LA02)
• use appropriate interaction skills, including paraphrasing and questioning, to clarify meaning, make connections and justify opinions (AC9E5LY02).

Year 6, English

Students learn to: 

• understand the uses of objective and subjective language and identify bias (AC9E6LA02)
• use interaction skills and awareness of formality when paraphrasing, questioning, clarifying and interrogating ideas (AC9E6LY02). 

Relevant parts of Year 5 achievement standards: For particular purposes and audiences, they share, develop and expand on ideas and opinions, using supporting details from topics or texts. 

Relevant parts of Year 6 achievement standards: For particular purposes and audiences, they share, develop, explain and elaborate on ideas from topics or texts. 

NSW Syllabus outcomes:

A student:

• communicates to wide audiences with social and cultural awareness, by interacting and presenting, and by analysing and evaluating for understanding (EN3-OLC-01).

General capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking, Ethical Understanding, Intercultural Understanding, Literacy, Personal and Social Capability 

Cross-curriculum priority: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures, Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia

Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium – facilitate class discussions, share presentations and support comic strip creation.

UN SDG 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

• Target 4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.

• Activity sheet - Comic strip template
• Factsheet - Modified article
• Highlighters
• Visual Explainer -  Understanding allyship

These resources have been created with the support of the Collingwood Football Club and Collingwood Football Club Community Foundation. The Collingwood Football Club Foundation leads social and cultural change through football, and is committed to leading, acting, progressing and inspiring anti-racism, cultural safety, diversity, equity and respect.

Using the Cool.org Act Framework in the Classroom - Primary

Quick summary: This course provides strategies and tactics for enabling action at a range of levels and configurations with your students.