Information Literacy
Information skills
Getting started
Worksample units
References

Living Communities

Stage two integrated unit

Generic Skills

Research – Locate, select and evaluate information from a variety of sources.
Communication – Present and communicate information according to purpose.
Using technology – Select and use most appropriate technology for task.
Critical thinking – Make personal judgements and informed choices.
Expression Respond – emotionally and imaginatively through creative arts.
Task management – Use time and resources effectively.
Cooperation Work – cooperatively with others

This unit provides opportunities for students to explore the diversity of different families and communities and to develop an awareness of heritage and how their lives are history in the making.

Teaching/learning experiences:

• Formulate questions to use when interviewing for oral histories
• Collect historical information about changes in the local community, school, events, population from a variety of sources, eg interviews with grandparents, carers, community, people, local telephone book, commercial directories; history of local area, aerial photographs, old photos, websites, newspapers, genealogy societies
• Discuss a range of examples that show viewpoints differ, eg Burnt Stick – Anthony Hill
• Discuss how views of history change over time, eg Bias/stereotype, eg cultural background
• Discuss perspectives of written and visual text (what is omitted?), compare texts – crossing the Blue Mountains, eg omission of Aboriginal people in history.
• Investigate the contributions of local people in the community

HSIE

Subject Matter In the unit, students learn about:

• the origins and backgrounds of people in the local community
• the diversity of groups within and across communities
• places of religious and spiritual significance in the local community, including the special relationship of Aboriginal people to the land
• major customs and celebrations of religious and other community groups
• goods, services and facilities in the community
• services and contributions made by community organisations and groups
• significant natural, heritage and built features in the local area and their uses
• easily recognisable symbols used by the local community
• groups associated with places and features, including Aboriginal people

Implications for Learning In this unit students have opportunities to:

• collect information about their school and local community through direct and indirect experiences, including interviews with members of the community
• describe the lifestyle and experiences that relate to their own cultural, linguistic and belief systems and compare these with other groups
• observe life in the community, looking for shared and diverse characteristics
• identify the characteristics that make them a part of their own cultural or religious group
• reflect on contributions made by individuals, families and other groups in the community
• discuss who is seen to be valued in their community and why
• evaluate systems that have been designed to meet community needs
• make informed judgements about who and what they value in their community and present these judgements in various ways
• investigate and evaluate why particular natural and built features in Australia are significant, considering different points of view
• investigate current community issues and link these to people, procedures in local government, eg use of the local park

ENGLISH

Implications for Learning In the unit, students have opportunities to:

• engage in a variety of structured speaking situations, eg reporting, describing, recounting, explaining, interviewing
• participate in partner, group and class discussion on a variety of less familiar topics, acting as a reporter to summarise the main ideas
• use group discussion skills, eg rephrasing to clarify meaning, guiding discussion by taking on the role of group leader
• recognise the differences between school and home language, between standard and non-standard English, between idiomatic and literal language
• discuss symbolic meanings in a range of written and visual texts
• form opinions about texts they have viewed and read
• jointly and independently construct a range of texts for different audiences and purposes
• write about familiar and researched topics
• write well-formed sentences using grammatical features that help to achieve the purpose of the text
• write texts using the basic word processing functions
• compare texts that are organised differently according to their purposes
• select topic for writing and research to build field knowledge

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Implications for Learning In this unit, students have opportunities to:

• collect, store and organise data to assist in solving problems
• investigate systems of information storage and transfer, eg databases, computer systems, videotape, libraries, microfiche
• assess the needs of the task and select appropriate technology
• organise information in an variety of forms and communicate with/to others

CREATIVE ARTS

Implications for Learning In this unit students have opportunities to:

• analyse and respond to subject matter by closely observing details, qualities, viewpoints distance through such things as colour/black-and-white drawings, photographs and 3D models
• undertake further investigations of subject matter, building a better understanding of qualities and details
• investigate the qualities of particular forms by experimenting, trialing and learning about selected techniques and use of media
• apply concepts from particular artists' work to their own work

  NOTE: The focus of the unit could be the local community, your school (ideal in a centenary year), a local heritage building or site.

Learning Sequence 1

Activity: Walking around the local community (school or heritage site)

Brainstorm:

1. Expectations?
What might you expect to see? ' categorise ' natural and built functions?

2. Compare expectations with findings and collate information on a grid.

3. Work in groups for further investigation
Provide opportunities for the students to observe their community, eg ask students to observe what they see and then ask questions such as:

• What buildings are there?
• What happens in them?
• How old are they?
• What used to happen in some of these buildings?
• Which buildings do people live in?
• Which buildings do people work in?
• What people can they see?
• What are they doing?
• Where do people meet?
• What other areas are there?
• What signs and symbols can you see?

Ask students to list their observations and complete retrieval charts. Have them photograph places, and aspects of community life, including people, buildings, streets, parks/open spaces, other special places. Label and display these.

4. Oral Histories
Invite guest speakers, eg by e-mail or written invitation. Interview visitors about the local community. Some of the artifacts may be used as stimulation for the interviews, eg

• What was this street like in 1930?
• When and why did the butcher close?
• Tell us about how it was when the playground was divided.

Students interview individually a relative about their childhood and then compare it with their own.
The class could share and compare findings about their local community with a different community, eg (e-mail pals, faxes).

Learning sequence 2

1. Collect brochures for Upcoming Events in the local area

Record which events the students could attend. Discuss the cultural aspects, local significance or particular interest of each event.

2. Research popular culture, eg dance, music, clothes through the century. Create a retrieval chart with the information

Learning sequence 3

1. How and why has the community has changed

– look at old school rolls, punishment book, etc
– past students (oral histories)
– Aboriginal population (languages/customs).

Create 'A Look Back at our school', in corridor or school foyer

Discuss the many ways students can become active members of the community?

- join Streamwatch
- Frogwatch
- Trees 2000
- Birdwatch
- Council website - special events at local library
- Be involved in recycling
- Gardening within the school
- Local historical society

This unit was developed from the following materials

Living in Communities and Places: Then, Now and Tomorrow HSIE K-6 Units of Work, 1999
Board of Studies, NSW

Changing Communities Societies and Environments, Cousens, Sally and Reynolds, Ruth, 1999 Social Science Press, Katoomba, NSW

How and why has our Community Changed? Targeting Society and Environment, Newell, Sandra and Stubbs, Bev 1999, Blake Education, Glebe, NSW