Amy Sanday

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Designing, Teaching and Learning

PART A:
1.1.2. Understand how students learn:

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of research into how students learn and
the implications for teaching.

The lesson plan includes several strategies that address the ways in which students learn.
Firstly the lesson plan focuses mainly on social and emotional learning (SEL) as it is asking
students to reflect upon their emotions following the removal of their gifts and how this
relates to Indigenous Australians. This learning is taking place through empathy, and learning
through empathy helps to increase the academic learning of students (Zins, Weissberg, Wang,
Walberg, 2004, p. 192). The lesson plan also incorporates a pedagogical question to stimulate
and focus students on thinking empathically about the Stolen Generations (Marsh, Clarke,
Pittaway, 2014, p. 188). Secondly the lesson plan incorporates the use of visual and auditory
stimuli both before the class in the form of a movie and during the class in the form of ICT.
ICT stimulates student interest and therefore increases the willingness and attention to learn
(Marsh, Clarke, Pittaway, 2014, p. 188).

1.1.6. Strategies to support full participation of students with disability:

Demonstrate broad knowledge and understanding of legislative requirements and

teaching strategies that support participation and learning of students with a disability.

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The lesson plan is effective in helping students with learning disabilities such as dyslexia
or ADHD as it relies on learning through SEL, empathy, and visual and auditory content
rather than a lecture or reading literature. SEL has been proven to increase the willingness to
learn in disabled students (Zins, Weissberg, Wang, Walberg, 2004, p. 70). However the lesson
plan also proves to be an obstacle for students with disabilities such as Down syndrome or
autism as both disabilities have trouble deciphering and working with their emotions (Quill,
1995, p. 44) (Lewis, Sullivan, p. 1996, p. 123-124). Due to these emotional troubles students
with certain disabilities may be unable to comprehend the link between the emotions they feel
and the emotions of the Indigenous Australians, as well as possibly overreacting to the
removal of the gifts.

1.1.5. Differentiate teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the
full range of abilities:

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of strategies for differentiating teaching to

meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities.

The lesson plan incorporates a wide range of learning styles that address the learning
needs of all students. Firstly the lesson plan incorporates creative hands-on work, student
discussion and sensory learning through images and audio which promotes student
participation as well as effectively engaging students with the experiences of Indigenous
Australians. Secondly the lesson plan uses both concrete sequential and abstract sequential
learning as it utilises both sensory aids as well as SEL to enhance student understanding of

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Indigenous Australians (Marsh, Clarke, Pittaway, 2014, p. 184). The lesson plan excludes any
random learning as for the lesson to be effective it has to follow a set of steps. Lastly the
lesson plan incorporates technology in the lesson prerequisites as well as the class itself. The
use of ICT provides student with visual and auditory stimuli and therefore addresses the
learning needs of students who find learning through the senses more effective (Marsh,
Clarke, Pittaway, 2014, p. 188). The lesson plan does face an obstacle when addressing the
learning needs of Indigenous Australians or refugees as the issue of the Stolen Generation can
hit home and may emotionally distraught students. The challenge of using SEL to create
empathy and understanding of shared emotions however is that the emotions will never be
exactly how the Indigenous Australians felt unless a student has experienced a situation such
as the loss of a family member in a dire circumstance. Therefore for ordinary students SEL
will bring them close but not exactly to that emotional point, but for students with
backgrounds such as being a refugee they may share similar if not exact emotions, and this
can either be confronting, disturbing or a realisation. Students from a low-SES household
may also have trouble accessing the required technology to view the prerequisite film before
the lesson. If this is the case an incorporation should be made to allow students to view the
film during school hours so as every student has the same knowledge prior to this lesson.

2.2.2. Content Selection and organisation:

Organise content into an effective learning and teaching sequence.

The lesson plan content is organised efficiently and effectively. Firstly the lesson plan
follows up on the reading and/or watching or A Rabbit Proof Fence therefore is cementing
the understanding of Indigenous Australians following a visual and auditory or imaginative
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experience. Secondly the lesson plan itself organises its content in a process by which
students are unknowingly participating in SEL learning and assume they are simply being
rewarded. After they learn of the relevance of the gifts to Indigenous Australian experiences
they then experience a realisation and understanding of the implication. Thirdly the lesson
plan includes a group activity that finalises the learning of the students and provides a source
in which students can access in later classes and reflect upon their knowledge of Indigenous
Australian experiences. Lastly the lesson plan follows the content and learning phases
described by Marsh, Clarke and Pittaway (2014, p. 189). These phases follow as such;

Preparation: teacher provides the gifts and exaggerates how great they are to peak
students attention and interest.

Presentation: teacher removes the gifts and links the students feelings to the
emotions of the Stolen Generation.

Comparison and abstraction: teacher asks students to discuss their feelings as well as
the Stolen Generation and to put their ideas and emotions onto paper to be displayed
in the classroom.

Application: class ends with a class discussion about what the students have learnt
from this experience. These understandings can then be applied to their lives outside
of school.

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PART B:

Section 1: How do the focus areas in the lesson plan cater for students learning needs?
The Stolen Generations lesson plan incorporates several activities and learning styles that
address the learning needs of students specifically at a graduate level. The wide range of
hands-on creative and literacy activities, verbal, auditory, visual content and the use of group
work and class discussion addresses multiple learning needs of students.
In regards to literacy the lesson plan provides links to reading and writing both in the
lesson and prior to the lesson. As addressed in the standard explanations above the lesson
requires students to express their emotions and feelings in written words in the format of a
creative group hands-on task. These creations are then hung on the classroom wall, therefore
addressing both writing but also reading as students read their own and others works.
Students that may have specialised literacy needs are still able to participate in the lesson via
the class discussion and can have an input on the creative group task by verbal discussion or
through the aid of their group members.
However the lesson plan does not address numeracy directly, though numeracy can be added
in the content of the class through the addition of identifying years in which key Indigenous
Australian events took place, such as Reconciliation.
Students with cultural learning needs could possibly be impacted by the content of the
lesson. As noted in the feedback by David, refugee students who have experienced war and
lost close family members might feel overly distraught about revisiting those emotions and
experiences. Also as described under standard 1.1.5 ordinary students who have not
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experienced anything close to the events of the Stolen Generation will not reach that
emotional point, but refugee students who have experienced loss in war or travel may reach
this exact emotional point and this can prove to either be an enlightening experience or
realisation that others share their emotions and experience, or be confronting, disturbing and
cause distraught.
Another issue discussed in the feedback in regards to student needs is the issue of
economic status and the resource needs of students. The lesson plan requires students to view
or read A Rabbit Proof Fence prior to the lesson however Emily stated that students who
may be of low SES may not have access to a television or Internet resource on which to
watch the movie. Taking this into account the movie could be scheduled to watch in-class in a
previous lesson or scheduled as a whole year group to be viewed in a hall providing the
school has access to ICT in their hall.
Lastly as addressed under standard 1.1.6 students with disabilities can be either aided
or disadvantaged by this lesson. Students with disabilities such as ADHD and dyslexia may
find the lesson easier to understand as it is drawing upon SEL and empathy rather than
reading, writing or staying focused on one thing for a long amount of time. However students
that have disabilities such as Down syndrome or autism may miscomprehend the intention of
the gifts and react negatively as well as fail to understand the links between their emotions
and Indigenous Australian experiences.

2. How have you incorporate peer feedback into the revised explanations?
The feedback received was mostly positive in regards to the standards and how they linked
with the lesson plan so there was not much that needed to be incorporated. Most feedback

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received related to disabilities, economic status of students and the trauma that may arise for
certain students with certain experiences.
Nic provided feedback that addressed the issues of children with disabilities and their
reaction to the gifts and emotional activities. Whilst this was already addressed in the initial
explanation of standard 1.1.6 there has been some added research sources that justify the
ways in which disabilities such as dyslexia differentiate to disabilities akin to autism and
Down syndrome in regards to emotional understanding and development. The issue of
disabilities and over-reactions to the gift removal as well as emotional understand was a
trend in all of the feedback forms so this issue was addressed thoroughly.
David provided feedback regarding the experiences of refugee students and how these
may be amplified when discussing the emotions of the gift removal and Indigenous
Australians. David stated in his feedback that refugee students may have a stronger
connection to the experiences of the Stolen Generation parents and children due to their
experiences with war and family loss. He raised concerns about the effect this could have on
those students and whether it would be too much and detrimental. Therefore under standard
1.1.5 an explanation of the impact of SEL on students with similar or same experiences as the
Stolen Generations has been added with a recognition that the lesson could impact refugee
students positively or negatively depending on their experiences and memories and how
disturbing they were.
Emily provided feedback that addressed the SES of students and how this may impact
their viewing or reading of the film. Therefore an addition was made under standard 1.1.5 to
include an understanding of SES difference between students and that if it is found that a
student cannot access the film outside of school an arrangement should be made so that
students can view the film during school hours.

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Lastly Abby provided feedback regarding the gifts and how these may cause the
class to be disruptive due to the distraction. Her suggestion was to indicate whether the lesson
plan had a strong use of ICT resources. Therefore under standard 1.1.2 there has been an
addition of the importance of ICT use in this lesson plan and how this motivates students to
learn and their attention to content. The lesson plan does state to make use of auditory and
visual content during the lesson but this was not emphasised in the standard explanations.
Positive common trends in the feedback regarding the standards and lesson plan included the
use of ICT and SEL learning, the use of group work, the use of class discussion and
participation, the differentiated learning activities and the prior consideration made for those
with disabilities and the justifications for those considerations.

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PART C:
Revised Lesson Plan Standards:

1.1.2. Understand how students learn: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding

of research into how students learn and the implications for teaching.

1.1.6. Strategies to support full participation of students with disability:

Demonstrate broad knowledge and understanding of legislative requirements and
teaching strategies that support participation and learning of students with a disability.

1.1.5. Differentiate teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across
the full range of abilities: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of strategies
for differentiating teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the
full range of abilities.

2.2.2. Content Selection and organisation: Organise content into an effective

learning and teaching sequence.

Due to the overwhelmingly positive feedback in regards to the chosen standards and the
explanations of how they applied to the lesson plan the decision was made to not change the
standards as they were well-supported by the lesson plan content.

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REFERENCES:
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. (2016). AITSL: Australian Institute for
Teaching and School Leadership. Retrieved 16th March, 2016 from:
http://www.aitsl.edu.au/australian-professional-standards-for-teachers/standards/list
Grace, C. (2013). The Stolen Generations Lesson Plan English and History Mixed
Together. Retrieved 16th March, 2016 from:
http://www.australiancurriculumlessons.com.au/2013/08/12/the-stolen-generations-l
esson-english-and-history-mixed-together/
Lewis, M. Sullivan, M. W. (1996). Emotional Development in Atypical Children. Psychology
Press: New York.
Marsh, C.J. Clarke, M. Pittaway, S. Marshs Becoming a Teacher. Pearson: Australia.
Quill, K.A. (1995). Teaching Children with Autism: Strategies to Enhance Communication
and Socialisation. Delmar Publishers: USA.
Zins, J. Weissberg, R.P. Wang, M. Walberg, H.J. (2004). Building Academic Success on
Social and Emotional Learning: What Does the Research Say?. Teachers College
Press: New York.

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