Voices of Chasing Asylum - Watching the Film

Australian Curriculum content descriptions: 

Year 11 English:
Investigate the relationships between language, context and meaning by:

• explaining how texts are created in and for different contexts (ACEEN001)
• evaluating the choice of mode and medium in shaping the response of audiences, including digital texts. (ACEEN003)

Analyse and evaluate how responses to texts, including students’ own responses, are influenced by:

• purpose, taking into account that a text’s purpose is often open to debate (ACEEN008)

Investigate the representation of ideas, attitudes and voices in texts including:

• evaluating the effects of rhetorical devices, for example, emphasis, emotive language and imagery in the construction of argument (ACEEN025)
• analysing how attitude and mood are created, for example, through the use of humour in satire and parody. (ACEEN027)

General Capabilities: Literacy, Personal and Social Capability, Ethical Understanding, Intercultural Understanding.

Cross-curriculum priority:

• Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia OI.8.
• Sustainability OI.5.

Unit of work: Voices of Chasing Asylum – access the unit overview here.

Time required: 120 mins.

Level of teacher scaffolding: Low – set up AV equipment, set film context and supervise student viewing of film.

• Student Worksheet – one copy per student OR computers/tablets to access the online worksheet
• Device capable of audio/visual presentation to present a film to the class, projector and speakers. (A purpose-specific viewing room would be ideal.
• You will need to access the Chasing Asylum film by streaming it from Kanopy and Clickview or purchasing the DVD at the ATOM Education Shop
• Other factsheets: Chasing Asylum – Film Synopsis, Documentary Viewing – Factsheet, Things to address before viewing and studying Chasing Asylum.

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

• Communication
• Empathy
• Cultural understanding
• Ethical understanding
• Social skills
• Global citizenship

Chasing Asylum exposes the real impact of Australia’s offshore detention policies through the personal accounts of people seeking asylum and whistleblowers who tried to work within the system. To watch the documentary, stream it on Kanopy and Clickview or purchase the DVD at the ATOM Education Shop.