Teacher Preparation

Overarching learning goal: This tuning in lesson is designed to engage students in the topic of youth homelessness. Students begin to consider what it means to be a young homeless person and identify some of the social issues associated with homelessness.

Teacher content information: This lesson is based on THE OASIS documentary, which raises awareness of youth homelessness, celebrates the resilience of young people who are experiencing homelessness in Australia and empowers the next generation of young people to take action to prevent youth homelessness in the future.

Young people often become homeless because of family breakdown, often stemming from parental conflicts or a collapse of their relationship with a husband/wife or partner. Some young people who are living independently become homeless because they can’t afford living expenses such as rent. Being homeless is unsafe, unhealthy and very stressful. Young people experiencing homelessness are not a homogeneous group. They come from a range of family backgrounds, have diverse dispositions, expectations and desires, and they encounter services of varying quality. Their common needs are to have a stable home; friends; healthy nutrition; to be cared about as individuals; to have adequate educational support; help when they need help; and reliable adults in their lives.

THE OASIS documentary can be viewed online for free or the DVD can be purchased from the Shark Island Productions store online.

Warning: The documentary contains explicit language, images of drug use and confronting scenes and may offend some viewers. Teachers should use their personal discretion when showing the documentary. This resource deals with the rising problem of youth homelessness and its associated social and personal issues. There may be students in your class who have experienced some of the issues discussed. You are encouraged to arrive at a set of agreements with your class about the best way to approach the issues being covered in a way that recognises the dignity of our fellow human.

Teaching sequence

05 minutes	Part B: See and Wonder
10 minutes	Part C: Think and Feel
25 minutes	Part D: See, Think, Feel, Wonder discussion
10 minutes	Reflection

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

Part A: Watch THE OASIS on mute

Step 1.

As a class watch the opening sequence of THE OASIS with the sound on mute.

THE OASIS - Part 1 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40f2p5JQ57s&list=PL5D5EBAE4CF2F2D61)

Part B: See and Wonder

Start by encouraging students to be curious about and question of the content of THE OASIS by using the See, Think, Feel, Wonder visible thinking tool. This lesson will use the tool over two steps.

Step 1.

Write the following questions at the top of the whiteboard (leaving room for two more later):

What did you SEE in the clip?
What does the clip make you WONDER?

Step 2.

Ask students to respond to the ‘see’ and ‘wonder’ questions on two separate sticky-notes. Once the clip finishes, ask the students to stick their notes under the relevant questions on the whiteboard.

Part C: Think and Feel

Step 1.

As a class watch the opening sequence of THE OASIS again, this time with the volume up.

Step 2.

Add the following questions on the whiteboard:

What does the clip make you THINK?
What does the clip make you FEEL?

Step 3.

Guide students to complete the ‘Think’ and ‘Feel’ aspects of the thinking tool by writing down any further responses about youth homelessness and associated issues that the second viewing of the clip raises on sticky-notes.

Step 4.

Invite the class to stick their notes under the remaining questions on the whiteboard. At this point, you may wish to ask some students to read out their sticky-notes as they put them on the whiteboard.

Part C: Think and Feel

Guide the class through a discussion about the questions and statements that they have stuck on the whiteboard. You may wish to direct the students towards a discussion that focuses on the circumstances surrounding youth homelessness and the underlying social issues of homelessness by asking some prompting questions such as those listed below.

What causes homelessness?
Why can’t young people just go and live with somebody else?
Where do young people sleep if they’re homeless?
Do people have to be on the street to be homeless?
What social factors may lead to homelessness?
What economic factors may influence youth homelessness?
How may others perceive homeless youth in the community?
What community resources may be available to help support homeless youth?

Students can then summarise their thinking by noting their SEE, THINK, FEEL, WONDER questions on the Student Worksheet.

Reflection

The opening clip of THE OASIS is quite confronting, especially for people who have not been exposed to the issue of youth homelessness previously.

In a written reflection, students could describe the aspect of the opening sequence that they found most confronting, as well as their initial reaction to it. They could then reflect on how their view did or didn't change between the first and second viewing of the clip and the class discussion.

Differentiated Learning

Extension: Students could begin to find some data about youth homelessness in their state in regards to the central question they would like to investigate.

Provisional Learning Support: Students may pair up to complete the See, Think, Feel, Wonder thinking tool or use images to demonstrate their ideas.

The Oasis - Tuning In to Youth Homelessness

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