China's influence on Australia's culture and cuisine both past and present

Teaching Proposal
This unit focuses on the people of China and their country, culture and cuisine, with an emphasis on how
they have influenced Australia over time. The inquiry question In what ways have the people of China and
their culture, values, and traditions influenced Australia and our way of life, both past and present? aligns
with the Victorian Curriculum's learning focus for students to discover how Australians of Asian heritage
have influenced Australias history and continue to influence its dynamic culture and society (Tudball 2014,
p.381). With a strong focus on Asia in both the humanities and social sciences curriculum, Tudball discusses
the need for young Australians to understand and engage with the peoples, nations and cultures of Asia
across the region and in our local communities (p. 371). Furthermore, Tudball discusses the importance for
schools Australia wide to implement projects to further develop students Asia Literacy, gaining knowledge
and understanding of Asian societies, language, cultures, beliefs and environments and of the links
between the peoples of Asia and Australia (p. 372). In this unit, students will discover that China has a rich
history and culture with many traditions, celebrations, historical landmarks, and a vast difference in lifestyle,
through inquiry-based learning. An inquiry-based approach is often viewed as a student-driven process,
which is what our unit endeavours to accomplish through the implementation of investigative tasks where
students are empowered to take ownership of their own learning. The inquiry-based activities in this unit
include students investigating a major Chinese landmark individually and creating a Prezi displaying this
information, as well as working in groups to research to a Chinese celebration and bringing along an artefact
that symbolises this celebration. Students will immerse themselves in the Chinese culture through a handson approach throughout the unit, and will develop higher order thinking skills by being involved in practical
experiences underpinning relevant themes of Chinas influence on Australia. Such tasks include students
creating different Chinese cuisines, and engaging in different role plays as small groups that represent a
Chinese immigrant's journey to Australia during the Gold Rush. This unit strives to create engaging, realworld tasks associated to the practical experiences, devised to extend their knowledge through this explicit
connection. Notably supported by the Victorian Curriculum, an inquiry approach gives students a role in
directing their own learning (Gilbert & Hoepper 2014, p. 48). The emphasis on inquiry activities throughout
this unit will deeply engage students as they connect with peers and learning in new and meaningful ways
(Barron & Darling-Hammond 2008). To promote this higher order thinking, students will partake in the
design and creation of their own Chinese restaurant advertisement and menu, based on experiences from
an excursion to Chinatown designed to facilitate their knowledge on the perspectives of Chinese migration
and their influence on Australias cuisine. As students are actively involved in the questioning, data
gathering and investigation, Tudball believes they are likely to be more engaged in their studies of Asia
(2014, p.384). As many Chinese people have migrated to Australia since the Gold Rush, students will analyse
the ways in which they have impacted on our culture, lifestyle, and cuisine through role play and diary
entries from the perspective of a Chinese migrant. Through these activities we intend to foster in students
an appreciation and empathy for the lived experiences of diverse peoples and communities (Tudball 2014,
p.374). The Victorian Curriculum for Levels 5 and 6 under History states that students develop texts of
continuity and change and that in developing these texts and organizing and presenting their information,
students create an explanation about a past event, person or group using sources of evidence and historical
terms and concepts (Victorian Curriculum, 2016). The implementation of the ongoing diary entries in this
unit of work enables students to reflect on the knowledge learnt in class in order to create a substantial
assessment piece over the duration of the unit. There will be a range of other assessment pieces
throughout this unit, including a Chinese cuisine assessment, Chinese celebration table displaying one
significant artefact per student, and a Prezi of significant landmarks in China. These will all be displayed at a
Senior School Assembly as part of a final formative assessment that will ensure that students have
understood and addressed the unit inquiry question; In what ways have the people of China and their
culture, values, and traditions influenced Australia and our way of life, both past and present?.

Inquiry Question: In what ways have the people of China and their culture, values,
and traditions influenced Australia and our way of life, both past and present?
Big Ideas:

China has a rich history and culture with many traditions, celebrations, historical
landmarks, and a vast difference in lifestyle.

Many Chinese people have migrated to Australia since the Gold Rush, influencing
Australian culture, lifestyle, and cuisine.
Understandings:
At the end of this unit, students will understand that:
1. China has many historical landmarks
2. Many Chinese people migrated to Australia during the Gold Rush
3. Chinese people have many valued traditions and celebrations
4. China has a unique and often symbolic cuisine
5. We can learn about history through written texts and cultural artefacts
6. China Town is culturally significant to the local Chinese community in Melbourne
7. Chinese people and culture continue to have a strong influence on Australia
8. Cultures and lifestyles may differ from their own
Skills developed
At the conclusion of this unit students will be able to:

Record regular diary entries to be included in a final presentation.

Describe a variety of Chinese celebrations and their significance

Analyse journals and historical documents from the past

Explain the significance of Chinese people migrating to Australia during the Gold
Rush

Present their findings using a range of multimedia

Assessment evidence

Diary with regular entries outlining learning and understandings from class lessons
and tasks

Chinese cuisine assessment

o Restaurant advertisement created using personal choice of presentation
o Chinese menu displaying either traditional or modern foods
o Poster displaying creation of Chinese food item and its cultural significance
and presentation to the class

Chinese celebration table displaying one significant artefact per student

Prezi of significant landmarks in China

Presentation displaying all these assessment artefacts at a Senior School assembly

Victorian Curriculum
Level 5 and 6 History, Geography, Economics and Business. Intercultural understanding
and cross curriculum priority of Asia & Australias engagement with Asia. Critical and
creative thinking and ethical capability. (Please see attached document).

Lesson 1
Understanding: China has many
historical landmarks
Activities: Students create mind
map of what they currently know
about China and watch YouTube
clip China Fun Facts. Students
research major landmarks in China
and create Prezi displaying this
information and then present this
in small groups.
Resources: YouTube clip
China Fun Facts, Prezi website,
Landmark websites
Victorian Curriculum:
(VCGGK092), (VCGGC085)

Lesson 2
Understanding: Cultures and
lifestyles may differ from their
own
Activities: School Days Around the
World read to students prompting
discussion of difference between
Chinese and Australian cultures. In
partners questions are
brainstormed to ask students from
Beijing. Whole class design email
and participate in Skype session
with Beijing Grade 6 class.
Resources: School Days Around
the World by Margriet Ruurs,
Skype, Interactive whiteboard
Victorian Curriculum: (VCGGK093)
Assessment: Diary entry

Lesson 3
Understanding: Chinese people
have many valued traditions and
celebrations.
We can learn about history
through written texts and cultural
artefacts
Activities: Watch You-tube video
introducing diverse Chinese
celebrations. In groups students
are designated different Chinese
celebrations to research. Students
create celebration table
presenting their significant
artefact to class to explain its
importance.
Resources: YouTube clip
Fortune Tales; The Story of Chinese
New Year, Interactive whiteboard,
Chinese celebration websites,
Student Chinese celebration
artefacts
Victorian Curriculum: (VCICCB010)
Assessment: suitable artefact for
Chinese celebration, diary entry.

Lesson 4
Understanding: Many Chinese
people migrated to Australia
during the Gold Rush.
Activities: Mind map on the topic
of immigration. In pairs students
discuss push and pull factors of
migration. Class discussion on
expectation of what the Chinese
migrants journey might have
entailed. Students form small
groups to create a 2 minute
performance of their vision of a
journey to Australia. Diary entry
detailing brief profile, push/pull
factors, anticipated journey and
sketch.
Resources: Chinese Experience
fact sheet, Interactive whiteboard
Victorian Curriculum:
(VCHHK091), (VCHHK095)
Assessment: Diary entry

Lesson 5
Understanding: Many Chinese
people migrated to Australia
during the Gold Rush.
Activities: Photos of Chinese
migrants shown. Students to
annotate photos in pairs (how
might they feel? Whats
happening? What happens next?)
Diary entry describing how a new
migrant would feel arriving in a
different country. Whole class
discussion on Victoria Gold Rush
and why Chinese migrants may
have been influenced to stay.
Resources: Chinese Experience
fact sheet, Gold Rush photos
Victorian Curriculum:
(VCHHK091), (VCHHK095)
Assessment: Diary entry

Lesson 6
Understanding: China Town is
culturally significant to the local
Chinese community in Melbourne.
Chinese people and culture
continue to have a strong
influence on Australia.
Activities: Class explores
Chinatown Melbourne website
and discuss historical significance.
Students partake in an excursion
to China Town taking
notes/reflections to assist in
associated tasks related to cuisine
and culture.
Resources: Chinatown Melbourne
website, Chinatown worksheet,
Interactive whiteboard
Victorian Curriculum: (VCHHK091)

Lesson 7
Understanding: China has a
unique and often symbolic cuisine.
Activities: Students engage in
turn-and-talk discussing
Chinatowns restaurants names
and advertisements. Students to
annotate local advertisements
highlighting appealing aspects.
Using a format of their choice,
students are to name and design
their own advertisement for a
Chinese restaurant.
Resources: Images of restaurants
from Chinatown, Local
advertisements
Victorian Curriculum: (VCEBC004)
Assessment: Restaurant
advertisement

Lesson 8
Understanding: China has a
unique and often symbolic cuisine.
Activities: Students play Chinese
cooking game and record different
ingredients and foods. They create
Chinese menu including entre,
main and dessert providing brief
description of each food item.
Students make dumplings in class.
Resources: Chinese cooking game,
Dumpling ingredients and cooking
utensils
Victorian Curriculum: (VCHHK091)

Lesson 9
Understanding: China has a
unique and often symbolic cuisine.
Activities: Students create
assessment rubric for menu and
poster task. They create one of
their menu items at home and
bring photos to class. Students
create poster with photos
detailing what they made, the
ingredients, the process they
used, and its relevance to the
Chinese culture. Students present
posters to the class.
Resources: Student designed
rubric
Victorian Curriculum:
(VCHHK091), (VCPSCSE028)
Assessment: Poster and menu
presentation

Lesson 10
Understanding: Chinese people
and culture continue to have a
strong influence on Australia
Activities: Students add to their
original mind map all the new
facts theyve learnt about China.
They have time to complete any
unfinished work. Students display
their work at a Senior School
assembly, in which they set up a
table each, displaying their
assessment artefacts.
Resources: Student assessment
artefacts
Victorian Curriculum:
(VCICCB010), (VCHHK091),
(VCEBC004), (VCGGK092)
Assessment: previous assessment
artefacts displayed at Senior
School Assembly