The lesson ideas contained in this section have been developed to assist students in years K-2 develop the foundation knowledge and skills needed to counter racism, prejudice, and discrimination.
Activities reflect the anti-bias approach pioneered by Louise Derman-Sparks in Anti-Bias Curriculum: Tools for Empowering Young Children and extended for the Australian context by the Lady Gowrie Child Centre in their Fair Play: Anti-Bias in Action Training Kit, 1997.
This section is continually being updated for the Australian Curriculum.
Puzzles and quizzes: Activities which aim to develop students’ general knowledge of Australia’s cultural diversity and history, human rights, racism and discrimination.
Activities by theme
Developing identity & self-esteem
Kindergarten
- K.1: Calendar events
Students develop ability to relate well to others by acknowledging a diversity of significant events such as birthdays and festivals. - K.2: My name
Students develop ability to communicate effectively in pairs and groups using agreed interpersonal conventions, active listening, appropriate language and taking turns. - K.3: Who is in our class?
Students recognise high-frequency words, including own name. - K.4: ‘Me’ collage
Students make associations with characteristics that identify each of us, e.g. food that we like; places that we like; colours that we like. - K.5: Special things
Students describe an object of interest to the class e.g. toy, pet.
Year 1
- 1.1: Who Am I?
Students make short presentation using some introduced text structures and language. - 1.2: All shapes and sizes
Students describe characteristics that make them both similar to others and unique. - 1.3: Groups
Students use interaction skills, including active listening behaviours and communicate in a clear, coherent manner. - 1.4: Connections
Students describe features of places and the connections people have with those places.
Year 2
- 2.1: Multicultural mural
Students interact with other students and adults. - 2.2: Guess who?
Students identify specific attributes of other students. - 2.3: What’s in a name?
Students listen to, and contribute to, conversations and discussions to share information and ideas. - 2.4: Knowing me, knowing you
Students communicate with a range of people in informal and guided activities demonstrating interaction.
Being comfortable with difference
Kindergarten
- K.6: Reflections
Students label external body parts, names their functions and recognises similarities and differences between others. - K.7: Flip book
Students respond to a range of imaginative and creative texts, by making a flip book using their own self-portraits. - K.8: Pasta families
Students sort & classify familiar objects and explain the basis for these classifications. - K.9: My family
Students talk about family and the people who care for them.
Year 1
- 1.5: Likes and dislikes
Students make short presentations using some introduced text structures and language. - 1.6: Class collage
Students develop positive relationships with peers and other people. - 1.7: Flower power
Students discuss the things that they do well, e.g. games, schoolwork, caring for siblings. - 1.8: Making choices
Students select a widening range of texts for enjoyment and pleasure and discuss reasons for their choice. - 1.9: Similarities and differences
Students communicate an understanding of change and continuity in family life using appropriate historical terms.
Year 2
- 2.5: Good to be different
Students identify specific attributes of other students. - 2.6: What makes my family unique?
Students describe their families and other groups to which they belong. - 2.7: A grandparent’s tale
Students compare and contrast daily life with that of parents or grandparents at the same age through stories or photographs and pose questions to ask parents/grandparents. - 2.8 The immigrant experience
Students use interaction skills, including active listening behaviours and communicate in a clear, coherent manner.
Understanding prejudice
Kindergarten
- K.10: Traditional tales
Students discuss and respond to, familiar written and visual texts. - K.11 Shared Spaces
Students compose a text to communicate feelings, needs, opinions and ideas about living and/ or working in a shared space. - K.12 Sneeches
Student expresses feelings, needs and wants in appropriate ways.
Year 1
- 1.10: Goldilocks – the real story
Students engage in conversations and discussions, using active listening behaviours, showing interest and contributing ideas, information and questions. - 1.11 Teasing
Students engage in conversations and discussions, using active listening behaviours, showing interest and contributing ideas, information and questions. - 1.12 Anti bias role plays
Students engage in conversations and discussions, using active listening behaviours, showing interest and contributing ideas, information and questions. - 1.13 The other side of the story
Students recognise that there are different kinds of texts when reading and viewing.
Year 2
- 2.9 Who are you?
Students interact effectively in groups or pairs, adopting a range of roles. - 2.10 What makes a good person
Students demonstrate ways to help, encourage and care for others.
Taking action against prejudice
Kindergarten
- K.13: NO GO TELL!
Students ask for help when injured or hurt. - K.14: What if?
Students compose texts to communicate feelings, needs, opinions and ideas.
Year 1
- 1.14 Class rules
Students demonstrate ways to help, encourage and care for others.
Year 2
- 2.11: Respect
Students listen to and contribute to conversations and discussions to share information and ideas and negotiate in collaborative situations. - 2.12: Prejudice no way! poster
Students use visual representations, including those digitally produced, to represent ideas, experience and information for different purposes and audiences.