K.11: Shared spaces

Lesson overview

Theme:Understanding prejudice
Age Group:Kindergarten
Learning Area:English
Outcomes:ENe-6B

Content descriptor

Students compose a text to communicate feelings, needs, opinions and ideas about living and/ or working in a shared space.

Teachers notes

  1. Teachers could modify activity to overlap with Positive Behaviour Engaging Learners (PBEL) program in school, and/ or combine their own set of class rules.
  2. School and home questions may be discussed in separate sessions.
  3. The list of questions used as prompts in this activity may be adapted to suit the needs and experiences of students.

Resources

  • List of question prompts (as provided in this activity or as developed by the teacher)
  • This is Our House (animation) – Michael Rosen

Activity

  1. Discuss concepts of respect and responsibility with class
    SCHOOL:
    1. What is respect? What does it look like? (Being kind, listening, using our manners, school rules, classroom rules)
    2. Who are the people in the classroom that we need to show respect? (Teachers, students, ourselves)
    3. What are some of the rules in the classroom? (incorporate teacher’s own or let students generate)
    4. Use the following questions to guide students in thinking about the reason that we have shared rules:
      1. Why do you think we line up to come into class?
      2. Why do you think we put the crayons in the middle of the table?
      3. Why do you think we’re quiet when we’re working?
      4. Why do you think we line up at the canteen?
      5. Why do we take turns at activities, with the equipment etc?
      6. Why do we put our hands up to speak to the class or teacher?
      7. Why do we have to ask permission to leave the classroom?
    HOME:
    1. Do you have to tidy your toys? Why?
    2. Do you have to share with other members of the family? Why?
    3. What jobs do you have at home to help with the housework
  2. Explain to the students that they are going to watch an animated video about a child being unfair to others, and answer some questions. Play the animated video This is Our House – Michael Rosen. Discuss:
    1. Was George fair to the other children?
    2. What were some of the reasons why George wouldn’t allow them inside his cubby house?
    3. What happened to make George leave his cubby house?
    4. How do you think George felt when the children wouldn’t allow ‘people with red hair’ to enter?
    5. How was the problem resolved?
    6. What is the message we learn from this story?
  3. Ask students to write a response to a sentence about George. For example: George felt…