Information for teachers
This unit of work is rather content heavy and so it is necessary for teachers to have a large amount of background knowledge in order to teach the unit effectively. It is also important to note that war and conflict are key parts of the learning activities and so it is important to be sensitive regarding thematic and personal issues as it may affect students in your class. An adequate understanding regarding migration is also necessary in order to implement this unit effectively.
The entire unit, including black line masters has been uploaded to a website which can be accessed here: http://vietnamunitofwork.weebly.com . This website has been designed so that teachers, students and parents can access the unit from home and easily access resources. Embedded in the website is an online discussion forum where students will reflect on their learning after each lesson, either during class or for homework. This will provide the teacher with an opportunity to progressively assess student learning. It is important that that teachers implementing this unit of work stress online ethics to students as well as Internet safety to ensure that the discussion board is used appropriately and effectively.
Below is some general information regarding Vietnam that will be useful and helpful for teachers:
SYLLABUS LINKS
This cross-curricula unit of work relating to Vietnamese migration to Australia has been formulated and designed for students in a stage three classroom.
Content Strand:
Australia as a Nation
Key Inquiry Questions:
-Who were the people who came to Australia? Why did they come?
-What contribution have significant individuals and groups made to the development of Australian society?
Outcome:
A student identifies change and continuity and describes the causes and effects of change on Australian society HT3-3
Indicator:
Stories of groups of people who migrated to Australia (including from ONE Asian country) and the reasons they migrated, such as World War II and Australian migration programs since the war (ACHHK115)
Content:
The contribution of individuals and groups, including Aboriginal people and/or Torres Strait Islanders and migrants, to the development of Australian society, for example in areas such as the economy, education, sciences, the arts, sport (ACHHK116)
Students:
- Use sources such as oral history to research stories of migration to Australia, including the experiences of ONE Asian family, explaining reasons for migration
- Explain how migrants have contributed to Australian society
- Using a range of sources, research and describe the contribution of groups (Vietnamese Migrants) to Australian society
LITERACY
- EN3-3A A student uses integrated range of skills, strategies and knowledge to read, view and comprehend a wide range of texts in different media and technologies
- EN3-9E A student recognizes, reflects on and assesses their strengths as a learner
- EN3-7C A student thinks imaginatively, creatively, interpretively and critically about information and ideas and identifies connections between texts when responding to and composing texts
NUMERACY
- (MA3-18SP) A student: uses appropriate methods to collect data and interprets and evaluates data
- (MA3-13MG) Students select information from real-life situations, and constructs timelines
CREATIVE ARTS
- DRAS3.1 Develops a range of in-depth and sustained roles
- DRAS3.2 Interprets and conveys dramatic meaning by using the elements of drama and a range of movement and voice skills in a variety of drama forms
Pedagogical considerations
There is a degree of complexity in considering historical teaching in the primary classroom. Hence when developing a unit of work “there should be an alignment of expectations, teaching and learning strategies, and various modes of assessment to cater for the diverse needs of learners” (Commonwealth of Australia , 2009). Whilst planning this unit of work, pedagogical considerations were addressed to ensure that students would be provided with quality learning experiences.
In planning the unit of work, we considered the complexities of historical teaching. We aim for a balanced pedagogical approach to promote quality-learning opportunities for students. In order to plan effective learning activities, it was important to determine the overall purpose of the unit. In doing so, it was possible to implement activities that built upon each other to ultimately reach and achieve the end goal. The goal for this unit of work was to examine why people migrate to Australia, whilst looking closely at Vietnam and its involvement with Australia. This process, known as backward mapping, “helps teachers create units that are focused on the goal (learning) rather than the process (teaching)” (Great Schools Partnership, 2013). As a group we decided that the goal of our unit of work would be for students to learn about the cause and effects of Vietnamese migration and how this has impacted Australia overtime. This goal led to the development of a relevant assessment task that incorporated digital technology.
Through inquiry based learning and an inclusive approach, students participate actively with peers in engaging with primary and secondary sources to gain perspective as well as a sense of different time and place. There is also a notion of a teacher directed approach in our pedagogies in order to appropriately introduce the content to students by selecting rich resources to create the necessary context and thus to scaffold student centred inquiry. We balance our approach with the ample opportunities for students to pose inquiry questions, seeking relevance and connecting content to their prior knowledge and understanding. This is evident in the organisation of topics that allows for a rich introduction to Vietnam as a country and looking at the comparisons to Australia, before exploring deeper into the relationship between two countries and the effect Vietnam has to Australia as a nation and society.
Collating assessment data was an ongoing necessity throughout the unit of work. The accumulating activities in the unit of work were designed in a way to ensure that students develop and apply the varying skills we promote. Assessment measures were both informal via observation, and formal via the collection of work samples. The pre-determined culminating task allowed for “demonstration of knowledge, understanding and skills” (History Teacher's Association of Australia, 2013). This was achieved because the assessment task was formulated and based on the goals and purpose of the unit.
When developing a unit of work it is essential to cater for the varying learning needs and abilities that are present in every classroom. To do this, many of the activities offer opportunity for differentiation, such as simplifying excerpts in lesson four, or teacher allocation of expert/novice grouping in lesson eight. For the assessment, students will be referring to the work they have completed to help them create their iMovie. Therefore, each activity is purposeful as it aims achieve the goal of the unit and prepare students for the final assessment.
All in all, addressing pedagogical considerations in planning for our History unit of work has been helpful and beneficial. As teachers, pedagogical considerations allow us to clarify the learning goal of the unit of work as well as planning sequential activities that will ultimately achieve this aim.
In planning the unit of work, we considered the complexities of historical teaching. We aim for a balanced pedagogical approach to promote quality-learning opportunities for students. In order to plan effective learning activities, it was important to determine the overall purpose of the unit. In doing so, it was possible to implement activities that built upon each other to ultimately reach and achieve the end goal. The goal for this unit of work was to examine why people migrate to Australia, whilst looking closely at Vietnam and its involvement with Australia. This process, known as backward mapping, “helps teachers create units that are focused on the goal (learning) rather than the process (teaching)” (Great Schools Partnership, 2013). As a group we decided that the goal of our unit of work would be for students to learn about the cause and effects of Vietnamese migration and how this has impacted Australia overtime. This goal led to the development of a relevant assessment task that incorporated digital technology.
Through inquiry based learning and an inclusive approach, students participate actively with peers in engaging with primary and secondary sources to gain perspective as well as a sense of different time and place. There is also a notion of a teacher directed approach in our pedagogies in order to appropriately introduce the content to students by selecting rich resources to create the necessary context and thus to scaffold student centred inquiry. We balance our approach with the ample opportunities for students to pose inquiry questions, seeking relevance and connecting content to their prior knowledge and understanding. This is evident in the organisation of topics that allows for a rich introduction to Vietnam as a country and looking at the comparisons to Australia, before exploring deeper into the relationship between two countries and the effect Vietnam has to Australia as a nation and society.
Collating assessment data was an ongoing necessity throughout the unit of work. The accumulating activities in the unit of work were designed in a way to ensure that students develop and apply the varying skills we promote. Assessment measures were both informal via observation, and formal via the collection of work samples. The pre-determined culminating task allowed for “demonstration of knowledge, understanding and skills” (History Teacher's Association of Australia, 2013). This was achieved because the assessment task was formulated and based on the goals and purpose of the unit.
When developing a unit of work it is essential to cater for the varying learning needs and abilities that are present in every classroom. To do this, many of the activities offer opportunity for differentiation, such as simplifying excerpts in lesson four, or teacher allocation of expert/novice grouping in lesson eight. For the assessment, students will be referring to the work they have completed to help them create their iMovie. Therefore, each activity is purposeful as it aims achieve the goal of the unit and prepare students for the final assessment.
All in all, addressing pedagogical considerations in planning for our History unit of work has been helpful and beneficial. As teachers, pedagogical considerations allow us to clarify the learning goal of the unit of work as well as planning sequential activities that will ultimately achieve this aim.