Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures A Cross-curriculum Priority

Assessments Created by: Kristina Karlsson Learning Models

A mixture of diagnostic, formative and summative assessments are used. Diagnostic assessment in the 214168072 Explicit Teaching
form of a KWL worksheet and informal questioning attempt to map the strengths and weaknesses of
students in order to direct their learning (Webster & Ryan 2014, p. 195). Formative assessment, Each lesson includes: introduction of learning outcome; elaboration through
through activities, discussion and questioning, is used to monitor progress. Feedback is given to modelling/direct instruction; an activity; whole-class discussion to share
reconstruct alternative conceptions. Summative assessment occurs at the completion of the unit (p. ideas/new concepts; assessment; reflective-teaching practices; and follow-up
195), through the response to the text, and completion of KWL worksheet. It is important to note that lessons. Students are explicitly taught to self-reflect, generate meaningful
not all learning can be assessed as the ways students learn to value, care and think critically are not questions and statements, as well as make connections to all levels of text,
readily observable (p. 190). including visual and word, through predicting, clarifying, questioning and
summarising (MyRead 2016).
Australian Curriculum
The literacy sequence is based around the cross-curriculum About the text New Learning Learning by Design
priority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and The Rabbits uses words and pictures to tell a story in the form of The literacy sequence follows the New Learning model
culture, addressing OI.1, OI.2, OI.9, and OI.6 responding to an allegory which makes a powerful statement about the which understands that effective learning takes
historic and contemporary impacts of colonisation. The sequence colonisation of Australia (Mortimer 2009, p. 2). This resource students on a journey into new terrains, should be
enables students to approach texts critically, understanding the engages students with a difficult and controversial topic, and transformative, and start from a zone of intelligibility
uses of language and bias (ACELA1517), and make connections introduces critical, visual and cultural literacy. It shows and safety (Kalantziz & Cope 2015). Therefore, the
between their own experiences and those drawn from different Indigenous peoples resistance to the taking over of an ancient sequence begins with diagnostic assessment to move
historical, social and cultural contexts (ACELT1613). Students and grand landscape by colonisers (Winch et al. 2014, p. 568). understanding forward from the point they are at. New
interpret, analyse and evaluate by comparing content from a concepts are scaffolded by the teacher as they know
variety of textual sources (ACELY1713) and how authors influence their learners. Multimodality lessons that encompass
readers (ACELY1801). In the summative assessment they are Cross-curriculum Priorities Picturebooks written and oral language; audio, visual gestural and
required to plan, draft and publish an imaginative, informative Picturebooks deliver complex
and persuasive text (ACELY1714), using a range of software
- Indigenous Texts spatial representations are included, to make sense of
political/cultural statements, and a multiplicity of communication channels, media types
The theme is an Indigenous issue, but
(ACELY1717) (ACARA 2016). prepare an intellectual, aesthetic and technologies (2015).
not written by an Indigenous author.
receptivity for abstract ideas (Winch
One critical literacy lesson explores how
et al. 2014, p. 548). They offer
this influences the message, with aim to
multiple ways of deriving meaning
Critical Literacy think critically about this issue from all
from a text, as they contain visual
sides. Stories encourage us to respond,
The text is culturally and (unspoken) and verbal (spoken)
ideologically encoded in
change and learn about others and
messages/symbols. This text
Multi-literacies and
ourselves, and stories from Indigenous
both what it says and
Cultural Literacy voices insist that the reader rely on
constructs a strong political stance Multimodality
how it says it (Winch et on a contemporary social issue (p. The literacy sequence incorporates multi-literacies
Cultural literacy is weaved through another body of knowledge in order to
al. 2014, p. 544). The aim 610) and the literacy sequence and multimodal forms of linguistic expression and
this literacy sequence, enabling understand (Webster & Ryan 2014, p.
is that students discover, includes deep analysis of the last- representation as the e-world is full of signs and
students to become receptive to 141).
with a critical lens, what line Who will save us from the symbols (Winch et al. 2014, p. 633). Students learn
this message is; other viewpoints. This sequence rabbits? (Marsden 1998).
includes knowledge of ones own to understand and critically analyse all forms of
challenge incorrect
assumptions, and gain world, and about a world that is not About the Author and Illustrator media and decipher complex messages through a
ones own, in order to make Both author and illustrator are well-known, Marsden through his young range of literacies and modalities. The
personal engagement, technological response allows students to explore
intellectual and meaning (Winch et al. 2014, p. 536). adult text Tomorrow when the war began, which has broken all sales records
The text shows diversity and for young adult fiction (Mortimer 2009, p. 8), and Tan through his creative communication. Multimedia skills are now
emotional growth (p. part of everyday literate communicative activity (p.
548) from this literacy presents opportunities to develop picturebooks such as The Arrival and The Lost Thing, which are valuable
inclusive understandings that are of resources to explore visual literacy. 535).
sequence. With
emphasis on focalisation, increasing significance in a
to explore the silences multicultural, technological and
and absences in texts global society (p. 537).
(Gilbert & Keeley 2013, Frontloading
p. 359). Frontloading activities introduce schema around the social
issue and build-up data about the topic before reading
Visual Literacy begins (Winch et al. 2014, p. 82). A prediction activity is the
Visual literacy techniques discover meaning within pictures not present in the text, by analysing final frontloading lesson, as this sows the seeds of
the power of the image (Winch et al. 2014, p. 603). The message in The Rabbits is reinforced understanding for big ideas and complex thought (p. 547).
through its illustrations. The sequence progresses understanding of the connection between
words and pictures, understanding that neither words nor images are necessarily privileged; they
Teaching Approaches
function together, both contributing to meaning-making (p. 621).