Early Childhood

Under each subject area you will find a list of lesson ideas and further links to ready-to-go plans and student activities for the classroom.

Key:

Subject area:

English

What is diversity? What are some of the ways that people can be different from each other?
All the same: What things make us the same?
What is Harmony Day? What does harmony mean? What are some examples of harmony in nature/in the world?
Family diversity: Who is in your family? Talk about how families are the same and different.
Diverse stories: Read and listen to stories depicting a variety of people, cultures and lifestyles.
My groups: Talk about all the groups to which you belong eg team, family, friendship group, hobby. What things help you to feel you belong?
Listen in: Prepares students to use effective listening and questioning skills during a visit from a guest speaker from another culture.
Discussion dice – Families: Student's develop awareness that Australian food is influenced by other cultures. (353KB PDF file)
Discussion dice – Celebration: Initiates discussion about family and community celebrations and cultural traditions. (275KB PDF file)
Discussion dice – International Food: Using the dice, students learn that Australian food is influenced by other cultures. (198KB PDF file)

Names around the world: What country does your name come from? Stick your name on a world map showing this. Does your name have a meaning or story?
Linguists: Find out how many people in your class/school are bilingual or multilingual.
Roll call: Say 'good morning/afternoon' in a different language each week.
Sing a song: Learn a short song in another language.

Painting to music: Listen to a diversity of music styles and paint what you hear with different colours and brushstrokes.
Diverse dancing: Have members of the class demonstrate a dance they have learned.
Movement to music: Listen to a diversity of music styles and show what you hear through movement.
Class collage: Make a collage about the diversity of your class. Be open to the many different ways of doing this.
Self portrait: Mix paint to match, as closely as possible, the colour of your skin, hair and eyes. Paint a picture of your face.
Multilingual songs: Find a traditional song that is sung in a range of languages eg 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star'. Learn the song in another language.
Heads up: Introduces students to the diversity of headwear and the purpose and significance of these in a multicultural society.
Musical moods: Allows students to respond to music from different cultures through abstract line drawing.
Colour and make: Colour and create figures to celebrate that everyone belongs (179KB PDF file)

Diverse life: How are animals and plants the same? How are they different?
Herb garden: Establish a class herb garden. What type of cuisine is each herb associated with? Use the herbs to prepare a dish eg herb bread.
Animals: What animals have you seen in Australia? How many are native to Australia? Where did the others come from?
Plants: Investigate the trees and plants in your school. How many are native to Australia? Where did the others come from?

Family treasures: Bring an object that is special to your family to school. Tell the class about your object.
Indigenous welcome: If possible, have an elder from the local Indigenous people come to your school to do a 'Welcome to Country' ceremony and/or visit your classroom.
Australian stories: Have people from a variety of cultures, backgrounds and experiences visit your classroom to talk about their life and/or help out in the group.
Listen in: Prepares students to use effective listening and questioning skills during a visit from a guest speaker from another culture.
Games around the World: Students learn that the games of yesterday are similar to the games played today and play traditional games that enabled children to acquire survival skills..

My groups: Talk about all the groups to which you belong eg team, family, friendship group, hobby. What things help you to feel you belong?
Names around the world: What country does your name come from? Stick your name on a world map showing this. Does your name have a meaning or story?
Diverse buildings: Look at some pictures of buildings inspired by different cultures. Choose one and make your own model.
Listen in: Prepares students to use effective listening and questioning skills during a visit from a guest speaker from another culture.
Heads up: Introduces students to the diversity of headwear and the purpose and significance of these in a multicultural society.
Colour and make: Colour and create figures to celebrate that everyone belongs (179KB PDF file)

Dinner last night: Do a survey of what everyone in your class had for dinner last night. Investigate the origins of all the dishes.
Food alphabet: Using each letter in the alphabet as a first letter, make a list of foods available in Australia. Find out where each food came from.
Exercise around the world: Exercise to a range of music from different parts of the world.
Global games: Investigate the origins of games and sports you enjoy playing. Play games from different cultures.

Survey graph: Do a survey about the languages spoken at home by everyone in your class. Graph the results.
Diverse materials: Use a variety of objects for counting and other maths activities that reflect the diversity of everyone in the class.
Bilingual counting: Get a bilingual classmate to teach you how to count to 10 in their other language.
Building shapes: Look at some buildings in your community that have been influenced by other cultures. What shapes can you see in them?
What shape is that? Students develop an awareness of different places of worship and the shapes in their architecture through this hands-on activity.

What is diversity? What are some of the ways that people can be different from each other?
All the same: What things make us the same?
What is Harmony Day? What does harmony mean? What are some examples of harmony in nature/in the world?
Diverse mates: Find out the many ways in which your classmates are diverse eg hobbies, favourite colour/food/music/TV program, things they dislike.
My groups: Talk about all the groups to which you belong eg team, family, friendship group, hobby. What things help you to feel you belong?
Class collage: Make a collage about the diversity of your class. Be open to the many different ways of doing this.
We all belong: Place a picture of yourself, together with your classmates, on a big map of Australia with the message 'Everyone Belongs'.
Indigenous welcome: Have an elder from the local Indigenous people come to your school to do a 'Welcome to Country' ceremony and/or visit your classroom.
Listen in: Prepares students to use effective listening and questioning skills during a visit from a guest speaker from another culture.
Musical moods: Allows students to respond to music from different cultures through abstract line drawing.
What shape is that? Students develop an awareness of different places of worship and the shapes in their architecture through this hands-on activity.
Colour and make: Colour and create figures to celebrate that everyone belongs (179KB PDF file)