Teaching Sequence

20 minutes	Part A: Introducing the term 'couch surfing'
20 minutes	Part B: Listening and responding to radio interview
20 minutes	Part C: Refining ideas about couch surfing
20 minutes	Part D: Individual response to the interview
10 minutes	Reflection (complete for homework)

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

Part A: Introducing the term ‘couch surfing’

Most homeless young people are ‘couch surfing’ and living in other unstable situations. This generally means that they are temporarily staying with friends, relatives, family and sometimes with complete strangers. These young people will often be sleeping in whatever spare space is available on couches or on the floors of these people’s houses until they outstay their welcome and move on to the next place. This makes them ‘invisible’ to the general population.

Step 1.

Work as a class to brainstorm the contexts in which this phrase could possibly be encountered. Use the following questions to guide the brainstorm:

What image, feeling or memory does the word 'couch' create in students' minds?
When students think of surfing, what do they think of?
When used together, what do the words 'couch surfing' imply?

Students summarise the class discussion on the Student Worksheet.

Step 2.

Students draw images or use an online search to find images to support their assertions. They then summarise their ideas on the Student Worksheet. Ask students to share the images they've identified and the ideas behind them in small groups, and to summarise the groups' main ideas back to the class.

Part B: Listening and responding to 'Out of Sight, Out of Mind - The Couch Surfers'

Step 1.

Ask students to listen to the interview Out of Sight, Out of Mind - The Couch Surfers and use the question below to reflect on the main ideas covered in the interview.

What are the main challenges faced by the young people being interviewed?

Step 2.

Create a class mind map using bubble.us or mindmeister to display students' ideas.

The central bubble should feature ideas in response to the question: What are the main challenges faced by the young people being interviewed?
The smaller surrounding bubbles could highlight all of the 'flow-on' effects of the main challenges being faced. For another level of analysis, expand on the smaller bubbles by answering: How are the young people's lives affected by the flow-on effects of homelessness?

Part C: Refining ideas about couch surfing

Step 1.

Working in pairs or small groups ask students to revisit earlier ideas about couch surfing and refine their ideas on the Student Worksheet. They should respond to the following questions:

What does couch surfing refer to in the context of the issue of youth homelessness?
What is suggested by the title of the interview: Out of Sight, Out of Mind - The Couch Surfers?

Step 2.

Once complete, ask students to share their answers in a class discussion.

Part D: Individual response to the interview

Step 1.

Ask students to again listen to the interview and identify three or more phrases that resonate with them on a more personal level. They could start with: 'I have a roof over my head but it is not a home.'

Students work independently to respond to these prompts on the Student Worksheet:

This quote makes me think...
Describe if your perception of homelessness has changed, and include a reason for your response.

Step 2.

Encourage students to share their responses and justifications with a partner.

Step 3.

Once complete, revisit students' understanding of the term 'couch surfing' and how it relates to homelessness. If necessary, reiterate that couch surfing can mean staying temporarily with friends, relatives, family and sometimes with complete strangers. These young people will often be sleeping in whatever spare space is available (on couches or on the floors of people’s houses) until they outstay their welcome and move on to the next place. This makes them ‘invisible’ to the general population.

Reflection/Homework

Students could create an informative text that reveals the common misconceptions that relate to the term 'couch surfing'. They could include information about the realities of the lived experiences that are exposed in the radio interview featured in this lesson. Their finished product could take a number of different forms, including:

Informative essay
Pamphlet
Information sheet
Poster
Podcast
Online Quiz

Differentiated Learning

Extension: Students could further their exploration into the perspectives of people who have experienced homelessness. They could do so by repeating the activity in Part D of this lesson using this article as stimulus.

Provisional Learning Support: Students could work in pairs throughout the lesson activities.

The Oasis - Expanding Views Through Text

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