Yirara College

11/12/01

Yirara College

The school

Yirara College is a coeducational, years 7 to 10, secondary Indigenous residential school. Located in Alice Springs, the school provides vocational and educational development programs to Indigenous youth. All the students who attend the college come from the surrounding remote communities. The school has a strong religious emphasis and is part of the Finke River Mission Inc, which operates under the auspices of the Lutheran Church of Australia.

[Picture of the school]

Contact details:

Address: / PMB 51 / PhoneTel: / (08) 8950 5 644
Alice Springs / FacsimileFax: / (08) 8950 5 666
Northern Territory 0872 / Website: / http://www.yirara.nt.edu.au

Alice Springs is in the centre of central Australia, . It is the 'capital of the outback' and the gateway to the Western MacDonnell Ranges, Uluru (Ayers Rock), Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) and Kings Canyon. The Arrernte peoples The are the original inhabitants of the land around Alice Springs are the Arrernte peoples,; they have resided lived in the area for the past 40,000 years. The townAlice Springs has a population of over more than 27,000 and receives many thousands of annual visitors annually. Tourism is the town's major enterprise, ; however, the region also supports a large cattle industry.

Further Information information about Alice Springs can be found at:

http://alicesprings.net.au/

Program overview

The Year year 7 unit 'Making Choices and Decisions' is a five- week unit incorporated into the general Social Education Units. The aim of the program is to provide an understanding of how rules and laws operate in our daily lives and within society. The unit requires two, forty-minute lessons per each week. An Indigenous tutor provides Teaching teaching and learning support in the classroom was provided by and Indigenous tutor, and all the students in the class have English as their second language. The Unit unit addresses the Northern Territory Curriculum Framework Draft 1.4, EsseNTial Learnings: Studies of Society and Environment Area in the Social Systems and Structures strand.

The program uses the following Discovering Democracy materials:

• Discovering Democracy Middle Primary Units, - 'Rules and Laws', pages 37- - 544.

• Australian Readers Discovering Democracy Middle Primary Collection,

'I have Have a right' Right' pages 40 - 41..

Program Objectives objectives (Purposespurposes)

'Making Choices and Decisions' was chosen by the individual teacher to support the Christian principles of the school. The indigenous Indigenous students come from various communities of outback Australia with differing family traditions and customs. The students live in residential accommodation for the school year. Often the students arrive as a group to support each other in their living, social and educational experiences.

The intention of the unit is twofold; : it partly reflects the need to set behavioural boundaries at the beginning of the school year and to establish a code of behaviour within the school's expectations. The students are expected to participate in all aspects of the school's educational program. Further, it provides a framework for students to integrate the issues in the unit into Indigenous communities, and in the broader Australian community. The unit has a direct correlation to the mission statement and the overall purpose of the collegecorrelates directly with the College's overall purpose and mission statement:

'Yirara College, a culturally diverse community, strives to develop living skills, world views and Christian faith, enabling people to respect and live out their spiritual and cultural identities.'

[Picture of College symbol]

The unit was designed to addresses the syllabus inquiry questions in the Discovering Democracy Middle Primary Unit 'Rules and Laws' and the Northern Territory Curriculum Framework Draft 1.4, EsseNTial Learnings: Studies of Society and Environment Area in the Social Systems and Structures strand. It was felt that students needed to develop an understanding of why rules and laws are needed necessary in everyday life, at school, in playing sport, within families, and in the broader community.

The students

'Making Choices and Decisions' unit was developed for Year year 7 students. The unit had one class of 20 students, the whose ages ranged from 12 to 15 years. Students' literacy levels varied within the early primary years. All the students come from remote Indigenous communities. All have an extensive knowledge of their traditional rules and culture. The students also have an understanding of rules that apply to sport, and most come from Christian families where many bible stories are relayed and shared.

Students undertaking this unit would not have completed any previous formal education on the themes of 'rules and laws'. The students''s skills and knowledge from their individual communities, general knowledge and prior learning experiences in formal education would have been sufficient to undertake this unit of work.

Curriculum Learning learning outcomes

The Unit unit 'Rules and Laws' addresses the Social Systems and Structures Strand strand as specified in the Northern Territory Curriculum Framework Draft 1.4, EsseNTial Learnings: Studies of Society and Environment Learning Area, in the

Social Systems and Structures Strand.

[The following is a direct quote for the syllabus but I've cleaned it up slightly.]

OUTCOMES

Soc 1.4 Social Justice

Learners within Band 1 explore and explain how individual and group behaviours can impact on and affect the rights of others.

Indicators-

This means that learners within Band 1, can complete the following:

• dramatise and discuss what happens when individuals' and groups' rights are denied

(Cr 1) (In 4) (Con 3) link - (Arts:- Skills and Processes)

• identify and discuss the roles of a perpetrator and victim through story telling, eg bullying (Con 3) links -(Literacy) (Health and Physical Education: - Personal Development and Relationships)

• explore and discuss implicit messages in texts which examine the denial of social justice (Con 3) link - (Literacy: - Life Skills)

• identify the issues within a scenario and take a stance when presenting a practical point-of-view (Con 3) (In 3) links - (Literacy: - Life Skills)

Addresses the needs of the following learning types:

Cr 1 Creative Learner 1

A persevering and resourceful INNOVATOR who uses imagination, vision and a variety of resources for self-expression, enjoyment and interpretation of concepts, ideas and strategies.

In 3 Inner Learner 3

A self- directed and reflective THINKER who makes decisions and takes actions based on personal values and principles that reflect empathy and integrity.

In 4 Inner Learner 4

A self- directed and reflective THINKER who Assesses assesses their well-being and takes action for healthy living.

Con 3 Constructive Learner 3

A thoughtful PRODUCER and CONTRIBUTOR who participates in efforts to value diversity and social responsibility through active and informed involvement in chosen areas within their family and community.

Student Outcomes outcomes

When a student has completed the unit 'Making Choices and Decisions' they will be able to achieve the following:

• Identify Identify the rules in their own family, class and school.

• Identify Identify the differences between rules and laws and the consequences which arise when rules and laws are broken.

• Establish Establish rules for the classroom which are meaningful to them and accepted by them.

• Identify everyday rules which enable people to cooperate and to become good citizens.

• Learn that they have rights which need to be protected and responsibilities to others to ensure that other people's rights are also protected.

• Learn that being a good citizen involves showing compassion and care for others within their community.

Program Outline outline 'Making Choices and Decisions'

Note: Activities from Discovering Democracy Middle Primary Units provide a source of ideas that can be adapted by the classroom teacher.

Week / Lesson / Teacher & and Student Activities
Week 1 / 1 / Brain storm why rules are needed.
Formulate class rules together.
Copy and illustrate.
2
TASK 1 / Read extract from 'Maybe Tomorrow' by Boori (Monty ProirPrior), pages 10-11.
Discuss extract with Indigenous tutor (classroom assistant).
Discuss respect and survival and the three issues in the extract:
Respect for your elders (the old people)
Respect for other people
Respect for living things.
Being a Christian school, discuss:
Respect for God.
Students to make a 'Respect Posterposter'.
Week 2 / 3 / Why do we need rules and laws?
Discovering Democracy Middle Primary Units, page 40
Play 'Guess My my Rules rules' game in the Basketball basketball Stadiumstadium.
Discuss the concepts of equality, fairness and, participation.
4 / Rights and Responsibilitiesresponsibilities
Students to suggest an individual's rights:
To feel safe
To have food
To have shelter
To learn
To be accepted
To be happy
To be clothed
To say how I feel.
Discuss an individual's responsibilities in relation to others.
List examples of:
To be fair
To listen to others
To care for others
To do my best
To help others
To do my jobs / work
To look after the world.
Students to choose a right and a responsibility and illustrate.
Read 'I have Have a right Right', Australian Readers Discovering Democracy Middle Primary Collection, page 40
The right to help others / be a good citizen
Links with The Good Samaritan (Bible)
Week 3 / Lesson 5 / 'God's Good Rules' -, Early Readers' Bible, page 108
The ten Ten commandmentsCommandments
Read and answer questions.
Lesson 6
TASK 2 / Discovering Democracy Middle Primary Units, page 41
Handout 1 -: Consequences Treetree
Consider one situation -– whole class imputinput.
Discuss the relationship between rules and consequences.
Teacher to suggest more situations where rules apply (eg sport, classroom, board game, computer game).
Students to fill out their own tree choosing a situation.
Finish the statement:, 'We need rules because ……….. … '
Australian Society and Environment Book 1,
(photocopiable Black blacklLine Mastersmasters), page 51: '
That's a Gamegame' - list 4 four rules.
Week 4 / Lesson 7
TASK 3 / What is a rule and what is a law?
Discovering Democracy Middle Primary Units, page 42
Students to draw a picture of a situation where rules apply.
(This could be one chosen from the 'consequences Consequences tree tree' from the previous lesson,) eg Basketballbasketball, Mario Kart, or school.)
Students to write out two rules for the situation and who has to obey these rules.
RIC Social Studies Level 3, (photocopiable blackline masters), Black Line Masters pages 17 and 19 (School Rules)
Australian Society and Environment Book 1,
(photocopiable blackline mastersPhotocopiable Black Line Masters), pages 49& and 55 (Rules)
Lesson 8
TASK 4 / What is a law?
Discovering Democracy Middle Primary Units, pages 42 & and 43
Discuss road laws. Work through 'consequences Consequences ttree' with the whole class using a law. Compare the previous 'consequences Consequences tree tree' for rules. Discuss differences, consequences and punishment.
Handouts: Consequences tree tree (Handout 1) and Handout 2
Students to fill out own tree choosing a situation where the law applies.
Week 5 / Lesson 9
TASK 5 / Students to draw a picture of a situation where the law applies. (This could be one chosen from the 'consequences Consequences tree tree' froorm the previous lesson,) eg road law.)
Students are to:
·  - Give give a title
·  - Write write out the law
·  - sSay who has to obey this law.
RIC Social Studies Level 3 Black Line Masters, (photocopiable blackline masters), pages 18 & and 20 (Solve a Crime)
Lesson 10 / Rules or Lawlaw?
Discovering Democracy Middle Primary Units, Page page 43
Handout 3: State a rule or law at each letterPick the rule, pick the law
Handout 4: Rule or lLaw?
Assessment Itemsitems

Assessment Taskstasks

The assessment activities as described in the Discovering Democracy Middle Primary Units Assessment Resources was were not used in this program because it they involved group discussion and written responses to questions. Although group discussion was encouraged, students would have found it difficult to complete this form of assessment. Instead, students were assessedment was evaluated using the 'consequences Consequences tree tree' handout because it demonstrated diagrammatically the student's' understanding of rules and laws and because limited writing was involved.

The other assessment tasks involved drawing pictures to represent ideas. All the students in the class have English as their second language. Although their literacy levels were low, their understanding of the concepts was easily expressed through pictorial understandingsly., as As a result, Discovering Democracy Middle Primary Units

Handouts 3 & and 4 on pages 43 53 & and 44 54 was were beneficial in evaluating assessment.

Handout 3 enabled students with limited reading ability to make complex decisions about the application of rules and laws in everyday situations.

Handout 4 required some reading ability but again the writing involved was limited and the students in the class were able to complete this task without having to form difficult sentences.

Assessment

Number / Assessment Items / Detail of Assessment / Resources
1 / ''Respect Posterposter' / Complete an A3 poster divided into four sections, with the headings:
·  Respect for God
·  Respect for the elders
·  Respect for other people
·  Respect for the environment.
(Students to discuss and negotiate suitable titles in lesson 2.)
2 / 'Consequences Tree tree' for a rule / Students to choose a situation where rules apply.
Complete the consequences 'Consequences tree' for this activity.
Discovering Democracy Middle Primary Units, page 41
Handout 1: - Consequences Treetree
3 / Picture of a situation where rules apply / Students to write out 2 two rules for the activity and say who has to obey these rules. If the students have chosen the same rule to illustrate as on their consequences tree, this these can be displayed as a pair.
4 / 'Consequences Tree tree' for a Lawlaw / Students to choose a situation where laws apply. Complete the consequences 'Consequences tree' for this situation.
Discovering Democracy Middle Primary Units, page 41
Handout 1: Consequences Treetree
5 / Picture of a situation where laws apply / Students to draw a picture of a situation where the law applies (this could be one chosen for the consequences 'Consequences tree' from the previous lesson).
Students are instructed to:
·  Give give a title
·  Write write out the law
·  Say say who has to obey this law.
If students have chosen the same law to illustrate as on their consequences 'Consequences tree', these can be displayed as a pair.
6 / Written Assessmentassessment / Discovering Democracy Middle Primary Units, ts
Handouts 3 & and 4, pages 43 53 & and 4454

Curriculum resources