Differing Stories
Level 3 Civics and Citizenship Focus
Introduction to Differing Stories
In this module students explore their own attitudes and behaviors in dealing with difference and diversity in their lives. Students particularly focus on racial and cultural discrimination.
All activities in this module are aligned to the Australian Curriculum: Civics and Citizenship, Years 7 and 8. (Click here to see the Curriculum Links)
The module focuses on developing intercultural understanding through the following learning objectives. Students will:
- Reflect on their own experiences and reactions when meeting and dealing with people from diverse backgrounds
- Understand the various forms that discrimination can take, the reasons for it and the effect that it can have
- Consider their own feelings and attitudes towards discrimination
- Understand their responsibilities as citizens with regard to racial discrimination
This guide provides information about the four activities in this module:
- Activity 1: Exchanges
- Activity 2: Discriminating Comments
- Activity 3: Hurtful Chats
- Activity 4: Racial Discrimination
You may find the Talking about contentious issues guide a useful reference throughout this module.
These activities are complementary but can also be used independently. Each activity is supported with suggested teacher-led introductory and concluding activities. For the online components students can work individually, in pairs or as small groups. These activities can also be adapted for use with a smartboard.
Activity 1: Exchanges
In this activity students explore their own responses to dealing with new situations and diverse people.
Introductory Activity — Offline
In this activity, students explore differing narratives about the same event, which involves cultural misunderstanding and conflict at a fictional high school.
Half your students will learn about the event from one perspective and the other students will learn about the event from a differing perspective. They will then come together in roles to express their feelings about the event.
Print four copies of Sheet A (an article from the Innanoo Community Times) and Sheet B (an article from the Kooee island Herald). Divide your class into eight groups, giving one sheet to each group (adapt the number of groups to fit your class size). Ask students to read the article and follow the directions on the sheet. The students should not be aware that there are two articles describing the same events.
When students finish the activity, join the groups together to form four groups, made up of one which has read Sheet A and one which has read Sheet B. Instruct students they are to hold a community meeting about the incident they have read about. During the meeting they must stay 'in role' and establish:
- What happened during the incident
- Why it happened
- Ways to prevent further incidents and conflict
Finally, bring students out of their roles and groups. Ask four students to give a short report on the process and outcomes of their community meeting. Then debrief with the following questions:
- When 'in role', did you identify with the perspective of your community?
- What was it like to negotiate with members of the opposing community?
- What is needed to negotiate positive outcomes? What can get in the way of this?
- What can be learned from this activity?
Online Activity
Before commencing this activity, familiarise your students with how to navigate through the website.
Part A: Going on exchange
In Part A, students are asked to read mock interviews with three students of diverse backgrounds.
Part B: What experiences will you have?
Students are asked to take a short questionnaire, where they assess the experiences they might have with each student.
They reflect on what they might hope to get out of an exchange program in a short written response.
Concluding Activity — Offline
Discuss the following questions with your students:
- Why can it be difficult to be in new and different situations?
- What can happen to us physically when we are put in new situations where we feel uncomfortable (e.g. increased heart rate, clammy hands)?
- What are the advantages of trying new situations and mixing with diverse people?
Activity 2: Discriminating Comments
In this activity students explore examples of discrimination and consider their own opinions on discrimination in Australian society.
Introductory Activity — Offline
Write the following definition, or similar, on the board for your students:
Discrimination: to make a distinction, as in favour of or against a person or thing.
— Macquarie Dictionary
Read students the following scenarios and ask them to indicate if they consider it to involve discrimination. Discuss and compare each scenario.
- A female student asks a male student to open a tight lid on a drinking bottle
- Younger students are given priority to access the canteen at lunchtime
- A student tells a derogatory joke about New Zealanders to the class
- A student argues that asylum seekers should 'go back to where they came from' during a class debate
Online Activity
Part A: Have you ever been discriminated against?
In Part A, students watch three short video accounts of individuals who have experienced discrimination in some form.
After watching the videos, students are presented with some facts about discrimination.
Students are invited to read two comments and write a response regarding the meaning of each statement.
Concluding Activity — Offline
Discuss the following questions with your students:
- Why do people discriminate?
- What is the difference between what you think and what you do in regards to discrimination?
- How do we change people's behaviour to stop discrimination?
Activity 3: Hurtful Chats
In this activity students read and reflect on four online chat conversations involving discrimination. Students are asked to reflect on the emotions that acts of discrimination can engender.
Introductory Activity — Offline
Ask students to put up hands if they have ever sent, received or seen discriminatory comments while using email or social networking sites. Ask students the following questions:
- Do you think racism, sexism and other discrimination is common online?
- Why might people use online forums to express discriminatory views?
- What consequences arise from posting discriminatory comments online, for both victims and perpetrators?
Online Activity
This activity contains online chat scenarios which include discriminatory comments. While students are given the chance to express their reactions to the comments, some students may find aspects of this activity distressing.
Part A: Hurtful chats
In this activity, students are asked to read four online conversations, each of which contains discriminatory behavior.
They answer a series of questions after each conversation,
which ask for their reflections and opinions about the behaviours displayed.
At the end of the activity, students are invited to click on the link to the VicHealth website, where they will find further information regarding the impact that discrimination can have on victims.
Concluding Activity — Offline
Break students into small groups and ask each group to discuss the following questions:
- What motivated the discrimination in each of these scenarios?
- How appropriate was the response from Josie, Chen, Bruno and Samuel in each scenario? Would you have liked to see a different response?
- What is similar and different about each scenario?
Bring students back together and using the online chats as a stimulus, discuss the following questions with your students:
- How do you think it feels to discriminate against others?
- How do you think it feels to be discriminated against?
- How do you think it feels to watch discrimination and do nothing?
- How do you think it feels to speak up against discrimination?
Activity 4: Racial Discrimination
Activity 4 helps students become aware of the Racial Discrimination Act and their obligations under it.
There is no Introductory Activity for this activity.
Online Activity
Part A: About the Act
Students read a short page of information discussing the Racial Discrimination Act.
They are instructed to read the information carefully,
as it will help them to answer a quiz in the following section (Part B).
Part B: Racial Discrimination Act quiz
Students are able to confirm their understanding of the information in Part A,
by answering questions and seeing the correct answer immediately.
Concluding Activity — Offline
Discuss the following questions with students:
- Were you aware of the Racial Discrimination Act and what it means?
- Do you think the Racial Discrimination Act has or will influence the way you behave?
- Do you think that laws are an effective way of changing public attitudes and behaviours?
- What other ways can governments change attitudes and behaviours?
Module Reflection
You may like to use a reflection or self-assessment strategy to monitor student engagement with this module.
Further Activity Ideas
- Work with students to develop an anti-racism policy for your class or school. You may like to use the website: Racism. No Way.
- Provide students with scenario involving racial, religious or cultural bullying. Ask students to work in groups to create and perform a roleplay exploring how it unfolds or resolves. Compare and contrast student performances with a focus on the role students can play in exacerbating or resolving a conflict situation.
- Use the Victorian Immigration Museum website to explore identity and racism. It includes videos of a racist incident that occurs on a Melbourne tram, and students can explore the event from the different perspectives of the people involved.
- Organise inter-school or community engagement opportunities to allow students to develop positive relationships with people who have backgrounds different to their own.
- Encourage students to create artworks exploring the theme of racism or discrimination.
- Encourage students to use the Difference Differently Diversity Q and A to learn what diverse Australians think about identity, beliefs and diversity in Australia today.