I have the right to be a child by Alain Serres, Aurelia Fronty and

Sarah Ardizzone.
Voices of youth.org
Rationale
This book teaches students that they do have rights even as a child. They
can then know where to go for help and to be heard. This topic is often
overlooked and not discussed to children, but how will students know they
are being treated wrongly, if they dont know what they are entitled to as
children.
A convention that was designed by all the United Nations countries in
1989 discusses the rights of children and the obligations of governments
to fulfil those rights. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is
guided by 4 fundamental principles non-discrimination, the best
interest of the child, survival, development and protect of child and
childs participation to have a say in dscussions that involve them. This
convention is still active in Australia today. Without making students
aware of this convention and teaching them that they do have rights, they
are being disadvantaged.
AusVELS
This book can be introduced to children from Foundation to Grade 6,
depending on what you want to use it for. It can be very basic for the
foundation year I have the right to a first name, a last name, a family that
smiles at me, and a country I can call my home (p 2).
However, it is filled with underlying themes and issues to be discussed
and explored with older children. Words like I have the right to enough
food to eat and water to drink so I can grow (p 3). This fits in with
AusVELS (2013) Level 4 Humanities when students learn to distinguish
between basic needs and wants (food, shelter, clothing etc.). This
particular page could also be appropriate for Level 6s as they will be
learning the difference between needs and wants and the role of
consumers, workers and producers in the economy (AusVELS, 2013, Level
6 Economy). This can branch off to questions and investigations on who is
responsible for making sure you eat and drink enough? What are some
reasons that they cannot ensure this (Poverty, depression, addiction and
neglect)?
Keep in mind the amount you introduce to your class. Things like this may
be daunting for this level, or they could be interested and want to learn
more. Respect that every child and class is different.

Scaffolding
To introduce the topic of childrens rights, These activities are mostly
aimed at Level 6 students.

Get them to write a list what they think their rights as a child are,
then read the book (or parts of it) and relate it to what they wrote.
Ask what it is to be a person.
www.voicesofyouth.org is a website where young people can learn
about developmental issues (such as Environment, Education,
Human Rights etc) and have their say. it has articles in it. Although it
is aimed at youth over 13, with selection of appropriateness, this
website can be of use. It shows there is a community of young
people who care and can help each other. Politics and the
government can be a beneficial subject to cover.
Study the convention in more detail, with an analytical view
http://www.unicef.org.au/Discover/What-We-Do/Convention-on-theRights-of-the-Child.aspx

Dora the Explorer - My World Adventure Game (full

version)
Dora travels the world to France, Tranzania, Russia and China searching for missing
friendship bracelets. Students learn different transports, the clothes to wear in the
different places, the countrys famous landmark and how to read a map.

Rationale
It is important to know where and how people all over the world live their
lives. As Australia is a multicultural country, young children are exposed to
different cultures and languages from the time they were born. With
teaching topics like these now, students will understand different cultures
and will be less likely to be discriminative when they are older.
AusVELS
This would be appropriate for Level 1/2. The curriculum states that at this
level, students start to recognise that the globe is a model of earth and
be able to locate Australia and other places which they had links to
(AusVELS 2013).
Scaffolding
It is recommended to have a whole term on this work. Every couple of
weeks will be focusing on different areas of the unit see below for
activities of how to teach each section. As this will be a major unit of

work, it would be recommended to include it in reading and writing

groups. The class will be broken up into 2-3 groups, one group will be
playing the game individually on laptops or computers, and the other 2
groups will be doing other activities that are based around the area of
work for that week.
The depth of these areas covered will depend how much time you have, what
children already know, what children are interested in and what else will be
covered in other years.

Transportation
How to travel to different places eg. overseas, city, home, or
playground.
Melbournes transport -cars, trains, buses, trams and aeroplane
Science experiement make paper aeroplane, or helicopter
thingy
Clothing

1. Why we have clothes to keep us warm

3. Why do we wear shoes? Why dont we
and cooler. Show real pictures (or books)
wear shoes to bed or around the
with people (or children to connect
house?
4.
Different clothing when we swim and
more) different parts of world discuss
sleep.
extreme temperatures Antarctica vs.
5.
Why do we dress up to go out? Social
dessert
norms
2. Sun smart section sunglasses, hats,
tops.
Maps and directions
1. Pin point Australia on world map,
3. Working in pairs or groups, direct
pinpoint Melbourne on Australia
another group to the library or
map
playground, using directional terms such
Picture Book- Somewhere in the
as left, right, up, down, forward and
universe
backwards
by Dorathy Dunphy, Donna Rawlins,
4. Draw a treasure map
Mark Kennon.
2. Draw a picture of your room, label
where things are (bed, pillow,
clothes, book shelf, rug, toys)
Landmarks

Landmarks in Melbourne
Picture Book My Melbourne Adventure by Jo and Bryce Rothwell.

Link to Doras landmarks in the game, cut out a picture of

Landmarks in Doras game and pin them on real map, show real
pictures and stories
Landmarks in students home, or suburb, or school?

Fun activity

Bring in name book and find where your name came from, have a
story of your naming (even pinpoint on map where names come
from)
Make friendship bracelets
Have a week on friendship

Where children sleep by James Mollison

Open your eyes to different way people are raised and live their
lives.
Rationale
This book looks at children from all over the world, rich and poor.
Along with discussing different day to day activities these children
may encounter, students should be more interested in this topic
because it relates to other children. By looking at how other children
live their lives and why, students relate this to their own world.
Suggest why similarities and differences occur if you are the same
age?
AusVELS
This resource would be more appropriate for Levels 3 and 4.
Students learn about their local area and how it has changed over
time (AusVELS, 2013) > by relating our past to poorer countries
now, could it be possible that these undeveloped countries could
eventually be as developed as we are? > What would they need?
Using the book and connecting it to the curriculum would be
beneficial to the students. It could be discussed why we are living
the way we are, using land uses, communication networks, national
parks and environments (climate, human activities and natural
features) (AusVELS 2013).
Teaching

1. Match these children with their rooms before reading book.

How did you do this? What similarities did children have with
their rooms?
2. Could read a couple of children a day, and then pin their
picture on the world map.
3. What did authors aim with the book? How did he want
audience to know / feel?
4. How do you think life would be for these kids? Choose a child
and write a days diary or schedule.
5. Do all of these children have the basics? (Food, water, shelter,
clothes, protection etc.)
6. Before or after shown kids the book, get them to take a
picture of their room, bring it in class. Make a class book
where we sleep. See the differences and similarities with
children in your class. Why is this so?

SunSmart Countdown Song sung by Justine Clarke

A song about having fun in the sun, but remembering the 5
SunSmart steps.
Rationale
In Australia, skin cancer counts for 80% of newly detected cancers
each year (Cancer Council Australia, 2012). By teaching students
the importance of protection against the sun early, they can take
responsibility of their own bodies and stay protected from the sun
every day. As knowledge of this subject develops, students will have
greater possibility of being sun smart their entire lives and pass on
this message to generations to come.
Ausvels
At the Foundation Level of AusVELS (2013), students participate in
activities such as wearing protection from the sun, to develop
awareness of environmental issues. Students are told why it is
important to protect themselves from sun and best ways to do so.
Teaching
1. Complete the missing lyrics of the
song
2. Choose which hats, clothing are
best for sun protection.
3. Look at how animals protect
themselves from the sun and stay
cool
4. 5 steps of the countdown match
words with pictures, draw a person
being sun smart, put clothing on
person (electronic game or cut and
paste) and spot the difference

5. Learn a bit about the eye and why

its important to wear sunglasses.
Know what to look for in sunglasses
6. Sausage skin experiment place
sausage in high UV (summers day)
for an hour and see what happens.
Predict first

7. Make a SunSmart dial with

pictures to remind yourself
8. Colour in SunSmart door hanger
to remind yourself before you go
outside

http://www.cancer.org.au/about-cancer/types-of-cancer/skincancer.html
ausvels
sunsmart
http://www.sunsmart.com.au/downloads/Protecting_others/schools/primary
/sunsmart-whiteboard-lessons-summary.pdf
Treaty Lyrics - Yothu Yindi
This song is performed by Indeginous Australians, and reminds the white
people and politicians that they havent gotten what they were promised
when settlement happened
I think is important to represent this song as a poem so that students can
connect and understand the lyrics more. In my opinion, this song was too
modernised and upbeat for what was being said.

Rationale
Students will understand the more political side of what happened to
Indigenous people and what they were promised. They will understand
what affect the Indigenous people had on colonisation and what land was
taken from them in order to colonise. Students grasp an understanding
that the government and politicians do not always do the right thing that
is best for everyone.
AusVels
The Level 5 curriculum is based around change and how a colony is
formed. It includes looking at the nature of convict or colonial presence,
including factors that influenced patterns of development, and aspects of
daily life of inhabitants (AusVELS 2013). This is associated with this poem
because it directly affects how the aborigines were treated when the
Europeans settled. This is appropriate because knowledge of the
aborigines life and culture would be beneficial before the introduction of
this topic (Level 3 curriculum)
Teaching
1. Asked students what they think the poem there is about. Whose
point of view it is and what author is trying to tell the audience.
2. Investigate the promises were when settlement came, politics of
this, their land promises.
3. Touch on emotional side of this, tell a story when you were promised
something and didnt happen - how that made you feel.
You dance djatpangarri, thats better
Youre dancing, you improvise, you keep
going, wow
You dance djatpangarri, thats good my
dear paternal grandson

You improvise, you improvise

You improvise, you keep going, youre
better
You dance djatpangarri, thats good
My dear young men
You improvise, you keep improvising, you

keep going
http://ausvels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/The-Humanities-History/Curriculum/F10#level=4
Improvise, you improvise, you keep
going, thats better
You dance djatpangarri, thats good