Teaching Sequence

30 minutes	Part A: Whose Voices?
40 minutes	Part B: Voices of Experience
20 minutes	Reflection

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

Part A: Whose Voices?

Step 1.

Explain to students that during this lesson, they will examine different perspectives and voices about seeking asylum in Australia and the various responses around people seeking asylum and the offshore detention policy.

Watch the following clip from the Studio 10 program to orient students to the notion of voices communicating perspectives about issues. While watching the clip, ask students to think about the different perspectives and how they are similar and different to each other.

Scott Morrison: His Shocking Message To Asylum Seekers (https://youtu.be/9SvnJDq5s0Y?t=33s)

After watching the clip, conduct a class brainstorm about some of the perspectives students heard about the issues surrounding people seeking asylum and the offshore detention policy. Expand the brainstorm to include voices or perspectives students may have heard in news or social media that weren’t in the clip. This could be completed on the whiteboard or on a piece of butcher's paper and left for the remainder of the lesson.

Step 2.

Project and invite students to open the Whose Voices? Quote Sheet (also linked on the Student Worksheet). Explain to the class that they do not need to agree with all included quotes - they are intended to show the variety of voices speaking about this issue and the complexity of these perspectives. Preface the activity by explaining that while these seven quotes represent different perspectives about the issue, they don't include all of them. Read through the quotes as a group.

Step 3.

Next, give students some time to process and synthesise the perspective presented in each quote and note their response on the Student Worksheet. Point out to students that while most of the quotes could be categorised as being on either side of the debate, they each refer to something different and they will need to read closely and think critically to identify the implicit perspective.

Step 4.

Once this is complete, work through each quote, asking a volunteer to share with the class how they summarised what the quote was really saying. Facilitate any discussion/debate where significant differences in opinion occur to help students clarify any misunderstanding. Summarise the discussion by reiterating that while the issue might sometimes be reduced to simple language, many perspectives and voices do exist and considering these in relation to each other is important to more effectively understand and form our own voices about the issue.

Part B: Voices of Experience

Step 1.

Introduce the following clip by explaining to the class that this is a short excerpt from the 2016 documentary Chasing Asylum; a documentary about people seeking asylum in Australia, people who have worked with such individuals, and the relevant policies, practices and responses of the Australian government at the time. Highlight that the documentary features many different voices and perspectives.

Explain to the class that while the perspectives from the quotes they have just read are commentaries on the issue, the voices in this clip are speaking from experience and offer a new insight and perspective on the issues and events impacting the lives of people seeking asylum and their families. Ask students to think carefully about what they see and hear while they are watching the clip.

Chasing Asylum Clip 07 (https://vimeo.com/191708838)

Step 2.

After watching, invite students to complete the 'Circle of Viewpoints' routine on the Student Worksheet to explore the perspectives they encountered in the clip. This visible thinking routine helps students more critically consider diverse perspectives about a topic, event or issue by encouraging empathy and understanding of how people think and feel differently about things. Further, it helps students consider new perspectives about a topic and draws connections between different people, themes and questions; especially for provocative or contentious topics. The routine facilitates deeper understanding and discussion and seeing the shades of grey in relation to diverse perspectives. The activity instructions are adapted from here.

In the space on the Student Worksheet, invite students to brainstorm viewpoints shown in the Chasing Asylum clip (Hamid Kehazaei’s death). This can be done individually or as a class, but make sure to allow enough time for the initial brainstorm so that students really extend their understanding and explore diverse ideas. If students need help thinking around different viewpoints, try using the following prompts:

How does it look from different points in space and different points in time?
Who (and what) is affected by it?
Who is involved?
Who might care?

After the brainstorm, ask each student to choose one of the viewpoints they identified. Give the class time to prepare to speak about the topic from that perspective, and to embody the viewpoint using the script skeleton provided on the Student Worksheet to structure what they say. Encourage students to consider thoughts and feelings behind the perspectives, rather than describing a scene or object.

Script Skeleton

I am thinking of ... (the topic)... From the point of view of ... (the viewpoint you've chosen)
I think ... (describe the topic from your viewpoint. Be an actor - take on the role of your viewpoint)
A question I have from this viewpoint is ... (ask a question from this viewpoint)

Once students have prepared their ‘roles’, invite them to arrange the classroom so that they are sitting on their chairs in a circle. Encourage students to take turns to speak briefly using their script skeleton. Invite them to stand up and use gestures and movement if necessary. Aim to move the discussion fairly quickly to capitalise on the immediacy of the experience as each student goes through the script and presents a perspective.

As students perform their viewpoint in the circle, their ideas can be recorded or written on the board so that a class list of perspectives is created. Ask students to consider and to raise questions in order to elaborate viewpoints where possible.

Once everyone in the circle has spoken, lead a short reflective discussion by asking “What new ideas do you have about the topic that you didn’t have before?” and “What new questions do you have?” There is space on the Student Worksheet for students to note some of their responses.

Reflection

Invite students to reflect on their learning this lesson by completing these reflection questions (also on the Student Worksheet):

Why do you think there are so many different voices contributing to debates about people seeking asylum and policy responses?
What values or attitudes might you be able to find in some of these perspectives by ‘reading between the lines’ or thinking deeply about what is being said
On what can/do different voices base their perspectives about people seeking asylum, their experiences and various responses from different parts of society?

Extension/Homework

Ask students to complete a short 3-2-1 activity, by considering 3 most prominent voices, 2 thoughts about why they are most heard, and 1 idea for how other voices can be heard. This can be completed in the appropriate space on the Student Worksheet.

Voices of Chasing Asylum - Voices of Chasing Asylum

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