Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

15 minutes

Part A: What Does It Mean To Be Australian?

20 minutes

Part B: Growing Up In Australia

40 minutes

Part C: Representations Of Australia’s ‘National Identity’

5 minutes

Reflection

Learning intentions and success criteria

Students can...

understand Australia’s diverse national identity, including that of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
understand why unity in diversity is important to reconciliation across the nation
understand how Australia’s ‘national identity’ is represented and shared.

Students will...

identify different perspectives on Australia’s national identity, including that of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
show empathy for people when they feel they are treated differently
use sources to explain how Australia’s national identity is diversely represented and shared.

Part A: What does it mean to be Australian?

Step 1

Explain to students that the focus of this lesson is to develop their understanding of different perspectives on what it means to be Australian and to celebrate the diversity of being Australian. To gain an understanding of what students already think and feel about Australia’s national identity, invite them to express their ideas by drawing what it means to be Australian.

Step 2.

Provide each student with a Human Figure Outline and invite them to draw characteristics, features or behaviours that they think or feel make someone 'Australian'.

Be sure to encourage the use of symbolism to help explain concepts such as multicultural, a ‘fair go’, democracy, rights and freedoms etc. E.g. Clothing, food, flags, logos, body parts (heart = compassionate, brain = innovative).

Step 3

Once students have created their own representation, invite them to share their ideas with the person next to them and highlight the similarities and differences in each representation.

Write the following question on the board:

What does it mean to be Australian?

Encourage students to share their chosen characteristics and behaviours on their drawings with the class and write them in the space on the board surrounding the question. It is important that all ideas are included to ensure multiple perspectives and interpretations are discussed.

Step 4

Using the prompt question ‘What does it mean to be Australian?’, facilitate a class discussion to further develop what students think, feel and believe to be Australian characteristics and behaviours.

Use the ideas presented by the students and the following questions to help guide the discussion.

What things did you automatically think of? Why do you think this might be the case?
Who or what do you think has shaped your ideas of what it means to be Australian?
What did you find difficult when asked to draw characteristics and behaviours that make someone Australian, and why?
Have we come across any differing or conflicting ideas in this task? Why do you think this has happened?
Why do you think it is important to actively consider a diversity of thoughts, feelings, characteristics and behaviours when considering what makes someone Australian?
How and why should we foster and celebrate unity in diversity?
How are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories, cultures and contributions represented in our class' understanding of Australia’s ‘national identity’?
How does valuing and recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories as a proud part of a shared national identity contribute to reconciliation in Australia?

Part B: Growing up in Australia

Step 1

Explain to students that they will soon be watching a short clip from the documentary The Final Quarter. In the clip Adam Goodes describes what it was like to grow up in Australia as an Aboriginal person.

Invite students to arrange themselves so that they are seated where they can see the screen and remind students that this clip is only a small piece of the Adam Goodes story.

Step 2

Watch this interview with Adam Goodes from The Final Quarter documentary:

About Adam Goodes - Mike Sheahan (https://vimeo.com/348317476/e312e39f2a)

Step 3

At the conclusion of the clip, provide each student with a Student Worksheet. Invite them to circle any emotions they feel after listening to Adam’s experience of growing up in Australia. Encourage them to explain why they feel this way, using the Student Worksheet to record their answers.

Hurt	Disappointed	Bored
Loved	Surprised	Thankful
Furious	Jealous	Uncomfortable
Rejected	Joyful	Thrilled
Scared	Ashamed	Worried
Excited	Unloved	Powerless
Determined	Confused	Anxious
Lonely	Shy	Calm
Afraid	Ignored	Frustrated
Relieved	Betrayed	Guilty

Step 4

Using the same emotions list, ask students to identify emotions that they think they can see in Adam during the clip. Invite them to circle them in a different colour. Encourage them to explain in writing why they think Adam might be expressing these emotions.

Step 5

After students have had an opportunity to quietly reflect on the clip, invite them to share the emotions they felt and which emotions they think Adam expressed. If students seem interested in discussing these emotions further, provide the opportunity for them to do so. You may wish to provide them with these guidelines for safe conversations:

Own your ideas by using “I think” rather than “you should”.
Respect each other by remembering that each person has their own beliefs and values and their own world views, experiences and opinions.
Each person has a right to contribute their ideas so listen politely.
Be brave in sharing your ideas, experiences and opinions.
Consider the privacy of your classmates and appreciate that everyone has the right to uphold their privacy; this might mean they don’t want to share their ideas or experiences on an issue.
Share feedback in a way that is considerate and positive: remember to be kind, helpful and specific when providing feedback.

Step 6

Using the following questions, promote a whole class discussion to further develop the students’ understanding about what it means to be Australian, with a focus on an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspective.

Adam is an Australian. What parts of Adam’s story do you feel fit into your perspective and understanding of what it means to be an Australian? How/why?
Has engaging with Adam’s story broadened or strengthened your perspective/understanding of what it means to be Australian. How/why?
Why do you think it is important for the diverse histories and cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to be actively recognised and celebrated as part of Australia’s ‘national identity’?

Part C: Representations of Australia’s ‘National Identity’

Step 1

Invite students to break into small groups of three or four and ensure each group has a printed or digital copy of the Source Evaluation Table on the Student Worksheet.

Explain to students that the next task will involve them looking at a range of representations of Australia’s ‘national identity’, which they will then evaluate using the Source Evaluation Table.

Step 2

To build students' confidence in the evaluation process, work through the following two examples with the class completing the evaluation questions together.

Example 1 – 1984: "Wonders Down Under" - international commercial - Australian Tourist Commission

(MOJO Classics) Paul Hogan "Wonders Down Under" Australian Tourism Ad 1984 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaWrkBo0t1o)

Example Source Evaluation Table 1

Source	1984-1989: Feel the Wonder Down Under
Who/what is being represented? How are they being represented? Include examples	Paul Hogan - he is white, good looking and male. He has a strong Australian accent and uses ‘Australianisms’ (e.g. fair dinkum, g/day, barbie, mate). There is a young attractive woman walking on the beach in a bikini. There are only white people in the scenes. There are different landscapes and activities, including AFL.
Positives & negatives of the representation	Positives: Shows beautiful locations - beach, city & outback. Shows the diversity of things to do and see in Australia. Friendly, happy and welcoming people. Negatives: Does not represent any other cultural background besides white Australians.
Things that you found interesting & important	Choice of language. Paul Hogan uses a lot of 'Aussie slang'. They call the prawn a 'shrimp'. Lack of cultural diversity.
What does this representation make you feel & think?

Example 2 – 1954 - Present: Australian National Flag (https://www.pmc.gov.au/government/australian-national-flag)

Example Source Evaluation Table 2

Source	1954 - present: Australian National Flag
Who/what is being represented? How are they being represented? Include examples	Colours - Blue, red and white are the same colours as the British empire flag. The Union Jack in the corner of the flag is the British flag. This is a symbol of Australia's colonial history. The Southern Cross is seen only from the southern hemisphere so this represents Australia's place in the world. The Commonwealth Star (seven-point star) represents the six states and territories of Australia. It symbolises our connection to the wider Commonwealth.
Positives & negatives of the representation	Positives: The flag represents Australia's connection to the British Empire and its European history. Negatives: The flag doesn't include any representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures. The flag doesn't match Australia's popular sporting colours of green and gold. The flag doesn't represent the broader migration history of Australians.
Things that you found interesting & important	That the seven-pointed star is also on the Commonwealth of Australia coat of arms and represents the Federation of the states and territories. Only one point represents the two territories. They don't get their own point. The star didn't always have seven points. The flag has only been around for just over a century.
What does this representation make you feel & think?

Step 3

Once students are comfortable with the activity requirements, invite them to view the six sources as a group and complete the evaluation questions for each source.

If students don't have individual or group access to internet enabled devices, you may wish to show each of the following sources to the whole class and they can then complete their evaluations in small groups.

Six Representations of Australia’s ‘National Identity’

Source 1 – 1878 - present: “Advance Australia Fair”
This Australian patriotic song was written in 1878 and chosen by public plebiscite to replace "God Save the Queen" as the national anthem in 1977. It was formally adopted in 1984. In recent times there has been heated debate about the appropriateness and relevance of the lyrics to modern Australia and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Australian National Anthem “Advance Australia Fair” (https://www.pmc.gov.au/sites/default/files/files/pmc/Honours/anthem_words.pdf)

Source 2 – 1976 - 1978: "Have A Go" - community service announcement
During the post-war recession, this advertisement was made to inspire Australians to work hard to improve national conditions and 'keep Australian great'.

Have A Go (Australian ad) 1970s (https://youtu.be/-0Qd5cF2WxY)

Source 3 – 2006 - 2008: "Where the bloody hell are you?" - international commercial - Tourism Australia
This commercial was one of a series designed to encourage tourists from the USA to visit Australia. The series was proven to successfully boost tourism. These ads changed the way Australia represented itself, as at the time most television advertising used polished 'British-style' actors and voices. Paul Hogan's accent and use of local 'lingo' changed the way the world viewed Australia and today he is still one of the most widely recognised Australians.

Australia Tourism - Where the bloody hell are you? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TebeNC-_VjA)

Source 4 – 2009: "I Still Call Australia Home" - national commercial - Qantas
This is a commercial in a long series from Qantas that used this the popular Peter Allen song, '" Still Call Australia Home". Featuring the Australian Girls' Choir and National Boys' Choir, combined with beautiful landscapes, these commercials have long tugged on the heart-strings of the Australian public.

I Still Call Australia Home - 90" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ejw4ycPX_s)

Source 5 – 2017: "You Never Lamb Alone" national commercial - Meat & Livestock Australia
Meat & Livestock Australia have become the unofficial mascot of Australia Day with their popular, humorous and sometimes controversial lamb commercials. This particular commercial represents Australia's migration patterns and paints a picture of a diverse, peaceful country that recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sovereignty. Learn more about this commercial: https://mumbrella.com.au/new-lamb-ad-important-piece-aussie-advertising-mla-419200

Australia Day Lamb Ad 2017 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBTWc4i_Fhw)

Source 6 – 2019: "Come Live Our Philausophy" - international commercial - Tourism Australia
"Philausophy is a celebration of the shared beliefs that guide how Australians live and enjoy this beautiful country." (https://www.tourism.australia.com/en/about/our-campaigns/philausophy.html)

Tourism Australia, "Philausophy" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1j7z7QPBPM)

Step 4

While groups are working through the sources, roam the classroom to promote discussion and collaboration among group members. When all groups have worked through all six sources, invite students to share their evaluations with the class.

You may choose to complete the evaluation questions for each source as a class.

Reflection

Using the space provided on the Student Worksheet, invite students to write a paragraph, critically reflecting on what they think it means to be Australian. Encourage them to use ideas from the class activities and their own experiences to guide their response.

The following questions can be used as thinking prompts that may help students with their reflection. Alternatively, students may choose to answer each question individually.

How do you feel when people talk about Australia’s ‘national identity’, and why?
Who or what do you think is often underrepresented or misrepresented when discussing ‘national identity’ in Australia? Why do you think this is so and what can be done about it?
How do you feel about the representations of ‘national identity’ that have been presented in this lesson, and why?
Do you think we can ever have a single national identity that all Australians can feel part of?
What parts of Australia’s ‘national identity’ do you think needs to change, and how/why?
What do you think it means to ‘be Australian’?

Differentiated Learning

Extension

In Part C, invite students, either individually or as a group, to find another source that is a representation of Australia’s national identity. This could then be shared with another student or group to be evaluated and shared with the class.

Provisions for Learning Support

In Part A, provide students with the option of working with a partner to complete the human figure outline task. The collaboration and discussion may help students to think of broader characteristics and behaviours.
In Part C, students could choose only one or two source/s to focus on and compare and contrast their evaluation of the chosen source with other groups or sources.

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?

The Final Quarter - Finding A National Identity

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Summary

Learning intentions:

Students understand...

Success criteria:

Students can...

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