Blog Post #2 Citizenship learning in the context of an aspect of Australian history.

Citizenship learning through Celebrations and Commemorations.

Hi all,

Our next unit of CCE links to an aspect of Australian History. History learning is more significant when it is meaningful and relevant to the students. According to Parsons, through teaching history, the concept of citizenship is widened (2018). This allows for students to understand the commonalities between the past and present.

Curriculum links

History

“By the end of Year 3, students identify individuals, events and aspects of the past that have significance in the present” (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2019).

CCE

How students can actively participate and contribute to communities (ACARA, 2019).

The History topic of celebration and commemoration links to CCE through the shared HASS concept of significance (ACARA, 2019structure). Understanding the significance of events allows students to make historical connections through a “conceptual bridge between the past and the present” (Brett, 2018). Which can contribute to informed citizenship.

Lesson Sequence

It is important for students to understand how events were celebrated/commemorated in the past and question the way that they are celebrated now to assess whether it truly represents the event.

Introduction

We will begin the sequence by discussing the difference between celebration and commemoration and identifying celebrative/commemorative events.

For example:

NAIDOC Week and ANZAC Day.

The students will be shown images of these events being celebrated/commemorated in the past. They will identify what they can see, how the people may have been feeling and what it might have sounded like

Students will then individually respond to the question:

How is the event celebrated/commemorated differently to what you have experienced?

Symbolic Artefacts

Past and present artefacts relating to celebrative/commemorative events will be placed around the room.

In groups, the students will interrogate the artefacts using the 6 Honest Serving Men (Kipling, 1942).

Students will then be told what the source is and provided with more information

They will use this process to identify what they represent and question the current significance of the symbols.

Citizenship

Hunt believes that incorporating citizenship opportunities where students can engage with matters of the past in present day or make decisions can contribute to rich History experiences (2000).

Students will be selecting and designing a symbol that represents a celebration or commemoration of their choice. The symbol must still represent the past of the event but also have significance to the present.

This allows students to utilise their knowledge of the past to understand the change in how events are celebrated or commemorated.

Critical inspection, questioning and respect for the past are democratic habits will be considered throughout this historical task (Brett, 2018).

Your Support

For home learning, students will be required to ask you about how you remember either celebrating or commemorating an event to contribute to their knowledge of the event significance in the past. If you have any artefacts to contribute (think ANZAC medals, Remembrance Day poppies) and would be comfortable bringing to school for the students to interrogate, please contact me.

Thank you

Miss Harrison

References

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2019). Structure. Retrieved from https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/humanities-and-social-sciences/hass/structure/

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2019). HASS. Retrieved from https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/humanities-and-social-sciences/hass/ 

Brett, P. (2018). The past in the present: creating meaningful and memorable links between history and civics and citizenship in primary classrooms. Ethos. 26(3).

Hunt, M. (2000). As cited in Brett, P. (2018). The past in the present: creating meaningful and memorable links between history and civics and citizenship in primary classrooms. Ethos. 26(3).

Kipling, R. (1942). The elephant’s child and other just so stories. Garden City, NY: The Junior Literary Guild and Garden City Pub. Co. 

Parsons, P. (2018). School History as a space to foster ideas of critical, post-national citizenship. The Social Educator. 36(1). 

Images retrieved from
Pixabay.com


Donald, M. (2010). Street Flags (Image). Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/13639096@N06/4782576540/