Lauren

Considine TOPIC: My Home, My Community. VELS LEVEL 1

Assessment 1 Part A

S00104877

As part of the SOSE curriculum for the Preps this year we will be looking at the area of my home, my community. With support from the Victorian Early Years Learning and Developmental Framework (VEYLDF) stating that children need to feel connected as an active participant not only their school but wider community is a crucial element of a successful transition into primary school. This will help ease the major life transition for children and families (Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, 2009 p. 35). It is through this unit that children will discover how they fit into their new school community while also beginning to understand their role as an active participant of their wider community. Gilbert (2011) discusses that our SOSE classes need to be linked to Australias constantly changing ethnic and demographic composition. (Gilbert, 2011, p.8) Taylor discusses that the National curriculum needs to provide students with an understanding of the past that has shaped the society and culture in which they are growing and developing (Taylor, 2008. p. 52) by building these understandings they will have a deeper understanding of their identity and connection to their community and the world. (Australian Government, 2009)

When teaching the topic my home, my community at a prep level we are encouraging a model of learning called SOSE for effective participation in society (Gilbert R, Hoepper B, 2011 p.15). Unlike other SOSE curriculum approaches mentioned in Gilbert and Hoeppers (2011) text, this model encourages children to learn of the active role they will need to take as citizens in their society both now and in their future. This topis will cover areas, as discusses above, which will question and strengthen not only their identity and place in society but also the way in which they enable others to be active participants in their community. Gilbert and Hoepper (2011) discuss through this model that the development of

Tutorial group: Monday 12-1 pm

Lauren Considine

Assessment 1 Part A

S00104877

these skills of participation allow students to do something about major issues, this emphasis would seem to be crucial if their education is aimed at getting students ready for the future to engage a democratic society. Over the term the children will explore and discover many different elements of both their school and wider community by discussing and learning about many key elements. Such areas will include; what makes up a community and how they are part of their community. It will also look into how a range of diverse people come together to create a community, discussing issues of respect acceptance and diversity of all. Such topics are seen as major life skills These are all major life skills which need to be discussed and taught from a young age to avoid discrimination, feelings of isolation or Throughout the term the topic will also link in with many other learning areas such as spatial concepts of space, location and resources by studying maps and pictures of the local area as part of geography. What makes up our wider community and how history has impacted certain elements of our present community. It links to Art and creativity through a creating our own community activity. Cooking skills will also be explored looking at different cultures and lastly creating partnerships with local community services through excursions and guest speakers. Much of this unit my home, my community will be a child lead program. Although there are some major lesson and activity plans centred on key topic areas the majority of this SOSE topic will be centred around the childrens interests. For this to be successful the teacher will have to encourage short and long term planning with high involvement from the children. Planning done together between children and teachers everyone benefits because the children are more motivated to learn because they have actively been involved in their own learning process (Seefeldt, 2005). Seefeldt (2005) adds that this doesnt mean the children take over the content covered rather they guide what is being taught.

Tutorial group: Monday 12-1 pm

Lauren Considine

Assessment 1 Part A

S00104877

My Home, My Community will help children achieve the learning outcomes 1 and 4 of the VEYLDF by instilling in children a stronger sense of identity and a stronger connection to their world. According to the framework we as educators need to develop cultural awareness in all children and support them in developing a sense of place... and connection to land (Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, 2009 p. 11) The framework also outlines that as part of their development children draw on their own experiences to help understand the world around them. (Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, 2009 p. 19) my home, my community also links perfectly with the VELS level one humanities learning area of civics and citizenship. According to VELS this learning area aims to introduce the idea of the classroom being a community by discovering the rights and responsibilities for not only themselves but the other members of their wider community. (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2009)

Reference List
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. (2009). Victorian Early Years learning and Development Framework. Melbourne: Early Childhood Strategy Division. Australian Government Departmant of Education. (2009). Belonging Being and Becoming. Australian Capital Territory: Commonwealth of Australia. Gilbert, R. (2011). Studies of Society and Environment in the Australian Curriculum. In R. G. Hoepper, Teaching Society and Environment (pp. 2- 20). Melbourne: Cengage Learning Australia. Taylor, T. (2008). National Curriculum, History and SOSE: an Evidence-Based Perspective. Teaching History , 52-54. Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. (2009, September 18). Level 1, Prep. Retrieved August 2, 2011, from Victorian Essential Learning Standards: http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vels/level1.html#

Tutorial group: Monday 12-1 pm