Image retrieved from https://bruceherwig.wordpress.com/2013/01/02/rio-2016-olympic-logo-design/
During the lesson students will understand the impact that hosting the Olympic games can have on the host country, especially if that country is impoverished. This lesson is based on the year six Geography curriculum, focussing mainly on the concept of differences of economic and social characteristics of countries (ACARA, 2015a, ACHGK034). As well as this students will also consider the stereotypes and characteristics of Brazilian people as shown in the media. This relates to the civics and citizenship curriculum (ACARA, 2015b, ACHCS041).
Image retrieved from http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/world-cup/brazils-olympic-challenge-n135036
The introduction to this lesson will see students watching the following video from the Beijing Olympics, an impoverished country much like Brazil (Olympic Channel, 2012).
Unlike many Olympic education lessons in schools this one does not aim to endorse the ideas of strength, power, and excellence shown by Olympic athletes (Lenskyj, 2012), but rather on the viewpoints, and opinions that surround the Olympic games, and how to critically analyse and evaluate these view points.
After watching the video students will consider and answer the following questions, including:
Do you think the Olympic games are important, why?
What are some similarities between Beijing and what you already know about Rio?
Will the Olympic games affect the lives of Rio's people, how?
How do you think the lives of the athletes change when they go to the Olympic games?
Citizenship education allows students to view issues such as injustice, and conflict (Bickmore, 2006), and create their own points of view about these issues. To allow students to compare and challenge the idea of the Olympics students will be shown the following two videos. The first the conventional view of the Olympics shown by the 2016 Olympic trailer (Toon Explainers, 2016). The second, a less conventional view of the true characteristics of Rio (Vox, 2016).
At the conclusion of these videos the teacher will ask how the Olympics are being portrayed in each video, these answers will be recorded in two columns. Students will be asked to consider and compare these ideas and discuss and present the following questions:
How are people being affected by the Olympic games?
Are the Olympic games as glamorous as the media are portraying?
How can this situation improve?
Students will complete a two minute oral presentation on their understanding and research of the 2016 Olympics, students will present this to their peers.
References:
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2015, May 15). F-10 curriculum: v. 7.5. Humanities and Social Sciences key ideas. Retrieved from http://v7-5.australiancurriculum.edu.au/humanities-and-social-sciences/geography/curriculum/f-10?layout=1
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2015a, May 15). F-10 curriculum: v. 7.5 Geography-year 6. Retrieved from http://v7-5.australiancurriculum.edu.au/humanities-and-social-sciences/geography/curriculum/f-10?layout=1
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2015, May 15). F-10 curriculum: v. 7.5. Civics and Citizenship- year 6. Retrieved from http://v7-5.australiancurriculum.edu.au/humanities-and-social-sciences/civics-and-citizenship/curriculum/f-10?layout=1
Bickmore, K. (2006). Democratic social cohesion (assimilation)? Representations of social conflict in Canadian public school curriculum. Canadian Journal of Education 29(2), 359–86. Retrieved from ERIC.
Dyer, J. (2005, November). Opportunities and challenges for global education in social education curriculum. Paper presented at the AARE Annual Conference, Parramatta, Sydney.
Lenskyj, H. J. (2012). Olympic education and Olympism: Still colonizing children’s minds. Educational Review 64(3), 265-274. DOI: 10.1080/00131911.2012.667389
Olympic Channel. (13 December 2012). Beijing 2008: Olympic Legacy. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ds6RN3BP3dM&t=9s
The International Olympic Committee. (2017). Promote olympism is society. Retrieved from https://www.olympic.org/the-ioc/promote-olympism
The International Olympic Committee. (2017). Promote olympism is society. Retrieved from https://www.olympic.org/the-ioc/promote-olympism
Toon Explainers. (22 July 2016). Rio 2016 Olympic Games - New Trailer. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfN1DqhS4vs
Vox. (27 June 2016). 2016 Olympics: What Rio doesn’t want the world to see. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1W_zM7koJy8
Hi Emily,
ReplyDeleteTalking about the Olympics as a controversial topic is a wonderful idea as students may not know much about what goes on behind the scenes. I like the use of videos in both the lesson
and the blog as it helps parents view what their children will be seeing in class, as well as gives a sense of where you plan to take the lesson to other readers.It could also help parents develop discussion topics with their children. To help engage parents in this blog you could write it in a more personal voice so that they feel you are talking to them. For example use 'your children' rather than 'students' all the time. Another way you could improve your blog is by creating some discussion ideas or tasks for the parents to be a part of this learning, at home. Some parents won't know what direction to take when it comes to discussing the topic with their children. You could also invite parents to listen to the visual presentations so they feel included in their childs learning and see what has been happening in class. You are very clear when it
comes to the way you write your blogs, making it easy to read.
Overall, I feel that you have met the requirements of the task.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteCritical Evaluation:
ReplyDeleteThis blog addresses civics and citizenship through geography. Some of the paragraph structures and sentences at times do not flow as eloquently as they should and require some attention. The use of the Olympics is very clever and will definitely be a great basis to help draw students in and encourage students to question such events and their impact on the particular host Country's economic situation. There seems to be quite a few focuses within the blog; from economic impacts caused by the Olympics, to stereotypes and characteristics of Brazilian people as shown in the media and then a comparison between Brazil and Asia. The unit itself would be would flow better if it had a one main focus and one main purpose, as having so many can be confusing.
The blog itself is suppose to be aimed at parents. While the overall plan for the unit is supported by creditable sources, allowing parents to see there is research and evidence to support such a geography unit, the blog itself does not come across as parent friendly. The blog needs to read as if the teacher is talking to the parents about their child. It needs to flow easily so that the parent can see what, how and why their child is studying such a unit of work and finally, the blog needs to incorporate some suggestions on how the parent can support their child and the unit itself.
Jane Marks
I thought this was a good idea Emily. Just a few things, firstly it may be a good idea to ensure that you make it clear that this is a Geography lesson. Secondly, when comparing this to the rubric I can not see the GC’s or CCP’s mentioned directly so you may want to look into that. The GC’s may not be directly seen through the assignment, but you could most certainly link the CCP’s through critical and creative thinking, personal and social capability, ethical understanding and intercultural understanding. As well as this I assume you will be adding pictures to your blog as well.
ReplyDeleteThirdly, in communicating to parents I would suggest that you add the links to the sites that you are talking about this would be beneficial so that they can see the comparisons that you are giving to the students.
Fourth, one of the main areas of the assignment is to tell parents how they can assist in their childs education in this area. I have not noticed this in your blog either. I would suggest that you ask parents to talk about some of their experiences in other countries if they have travelled overseas. Maybe they have some pictures that they have taken that shows the differences between Australia and another country. Having this kind of insight shared between parent and child will add to the learning the child can experience as they will receive a personal insight into the differences.
In saying all this though I think that the idea is great and with a few minor amendments the blog will be fantastic.
Joshua Marks