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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA

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Name: Alexandra Harris

Student ID  1  0  0  0  8  1  1  6 5

Email: haray023@students.unisa.edu.au

Course code and title: Bachelor of Education Junior Primary to Primary at Magill (MBED)

School: Magill Program Code: Educ 2007

Course Coordinator: Carol Collins Tutor: Ian Stuart

Day, Time, Location of Tutorial/Practical: Monday, 5:10pm – 7:00pm, G1-83

Assignment number: 3 Due date: Monday 17th November

Assignment topic as stated in Course Information Booklet: Unit of Work

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Signed: Alexandra Harris Date:

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Society & EnvironmentEducation/Curriculum

EDUC2007/EDUC4156

Final Assignment

Developing a Unit of Work in

Society and Environment

Genuine Inquiry Booklet

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Your Name: Alexandra Harris

Your Tutor’s Name: Ian Stewart

Your Tutorial Day and Time: Monday, 5:10pm – 7:00pm

UNIT TOPIC/ TITLE: POVERTY IN AUSTRALIA

YEAR LEVEL: 7

TIME FRAME: 8-10 WEEK INTEGRATED UNIT

RATIONALE – Explain why you think it is important to teach this topic.

Poverty in Australia is an extremely relevant issue for students, as it is one

that affects people who live in their society. The fact that Australian people

their own age (as well as younger / older) are affected by poverty, will

encourage students to connect with the topic, allowing them to truly consider

the ethical issues associated with such a complex issue.

Traditionally, when students think of the word “poverty” they immediately

relate it to the starvation occurring in third world countries such as Africa. I

feel that it is important to bring the issue back to the students on a local level,

focusing on the “relative” poverty and injustice that occurs in our very own

country. This will hopefully allow students to feel personally connected to the

issue, and empower them to help make a change.

I feel it is important to teach students about the poverty that occurs in

Australian society in order to:

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Challenge views

Break stereotypes

Teach students how to apply their knowledge and skills to other ethical

and social issues prevalent in society and the world. (Flow on effect)

Help students form attitudes and ideas that they will be committed to

contributing to society in the future.

Students need to be aware of the issue as they could one day find themselves

living in poverty or may already be living below the poverty line and should

understand what that means for themselves in terms of social justice, equality

and their future, as well as be empowered to make changes.

AIM – Explain the overarching educational aim of this unit of work.

To help students be aware of poverty in Australia whilst thinking ethically,

rationally, logically and fair-mindedly for themselves, about the effects of

poverty on individuals and social structures in our society. It is also important

that students are able to feel empathy towards those living in such dire

circumstances.

GUIDING QUESTIONS – Develop one or two guiding questions that will help to direct the study and deal with both the ethical and empirical components of the topic.

This unit is guided by three inquiry questions, the first two are empirical, the

third, ethical. These questions are designed to direct the unit of study.

1. What is poverty in Australia?

2. Why does poverty in Australia occur, and what effects does it have for

individuals, families and communities?

3. Is poverty the result of personal failure or societal failure?

EMPIRICAL UNDERSTANDINGS – Briefly describe the empirical understandings (scientific/social) you will need to develop through this unit.

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The following provides an overview of the empirical understandings that

students will develop throughout this unit.

What is poverty?

- causes

- statistics

- Public Housing systems

- Government policy

- Where do people in poverty live? Why?

What does poverty in Australia look like? (Absolute poverty versus relative

poverty, poverty line in Australia)

Consequences of Poverty:

- Homelessness

- Hunger

- Disease

Who is affected by poverty in Australia?

What is currently being done in Australia to combat poverty?

What do the unemployment rates look like in Australia?

ETHICAL UNDERSTANDINGS – Briefly describe the ethical understandings you will need to develop through this unit.

I want students to think empathetically about what it would be like to live in

poverty in Australian society as well as who is responsible for the poverty that

occurs (individuals or society). I have decided to use resources (such as

documentary style DVD’s) that clearly show children who are living below the

poverty line and what it entails. These resources will help students empathise

with people living in poverty.

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After researching the empirical information that is available on poverty in

Australia, students should be equipped to give informed answers to questions

such as:

What, if anything, should be done about poverty in Australia?

Are people responsible for their own destiny / circumstances?

Are we responsible for helping people in poverty?

Is poverty necessary in society / part of the natural order of things?

Should the government be doing more to help people in poverty?

ASSESSMENT – Indicate briefly how you would go about assessing the

development of students’ knowledge, skills and values in relation to your unit

of work.

Assessment will occur in three segments based on Burgess (2006):

1. Peer assessment

I believe that allowing peers to assess students is an effective way of

monitoring class and student progress. During each community of enquiry

discussion, three students will be asked to observe the class discussion, filling

out a ‘peer evaluation report’ (see Appendix 1) focusing on whether students:

Listen consistently

Ask questions

Contribute thoughts confidently

Show respect for others’ opinions

Back up opinions with reason

Offer examples / counter examples

Change opinions when good reasons are given

It is important that all students are aware of the criteria in order to perform a

community of enquiry discussion to the best of their abilities. At the end of

each discussion we will facilitate a “feedback” session where the three

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students will be able to share their observations with the class. This ensures

that students are constantly “up to date” with their progress, allowing them the

opportunity to improve in the future.

2. Teacher assessment of the empirical understandings gained from the

course

I will assess students’ research and reporting skills based on two major

assignments completed during the unit of work. These include a PowerPoint

presentation based on an ethical component of the topic “Poverty” as well as

a poster aimed at detailing empirical information in order to expel the

stereotypes held of people living below the poverty line, as well as possible

forms of action that can be taken by community members to address such a

complex and prevalent issue. These assignments will allow students to share

with the school community what they have learned and simultaneously allow

me to assess their depth of knowledge and understanding (both ethical and

empirical) on “Poverty” in Australia.

3. Teacher observation and evaluation of community of inquiry

sessions

As well as having students assess the class during each community of inquiry

session that takes place, it is also important for the teacher to observe and

keep notes on each student’s progress. The skills that will be closely

monitored have been taken from The Hutchins School Philosophical and

Ethical Inquiry Program Philosophy Individual Report Form (Appendix 2) and

include:

Skills of Inquiry

Skills of logical reasoning

Skills of dialogue

Appropriate behaviour

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As expressed earlier, it is important that students are aware of what is being

assessed so they have the opportunity to exhibit what is being asked of them.

It is also important to keep students up to date with their progress and allow

them the opportunity to develop their skills.

SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT UNIT PLANNER (SACSA FRAMEWORK)

SELECT STRAND(S) Time, continuity and change Place, space and environment Societies and cultures Social Systems

IDENTIFY CURRICULUM PERSPECTIVESTO BE EMPHASISED

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples Multicultural Gender Socioeconomic Disability Rural and Isolated

IDENTIFY ESSENTIAL LEARNINGSTO BE EMPHASISED

Futures Identity Interdependence Thinking Communication

KEY COMPETENCIES TO BE EMPHASISED

KC1: collecting, analysing and organising information KC2: communicating ideas and information KC3: planning and organising activities KC4: working with others in teams KC5: using mathematical ideas and techniques KC6: solving problems KC7: using technology

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IDENTIFY VALUES Democratic Process LITERACY FOCUS Social Justice NUMERACY FOCUS Ecological Sustainability ICT FOCUS

SACSA COMPANION DOCUMENT

Learning Area: Society and Environment

Strand: Social Systems

Band: Middle Years

Standards: 3 & 4

KEY IDEAS Year 7 – Towards Standard 4

OUTCOMES

KNOWLEDGE

Students recognise connection between roles, structures, functions and limits of various political, legal and economic systems over time. F In T KC1Relating to Outcomes 3.10, 4.10

SKILLS

Students work cooperatively to collect, analyse and describe information about particular issues which have social, economic and environmental dimensions. They identify key ideas, justify positions, predict outcomes and suggest enterprising solutions.In T C KC1 KC4 KC6Relating to Outcomes 3.11, 4.11

Discusses the similarities and differences between political, legal and social systems, highlighting rights and responsibilities of individuals and groups.

Investigates rights and responsibilities of citizens in Australia.

Explores citizenship and national/global implications (eg Charter of Students’ Rights, wider youth networks, refugees).

Researches factors that contribute to effective decision making (eg family, school, and

3.10Describes examples of forms and structures of Australian and other governments over time in terms of how they impact on people’s lives.In T KC1

4.10Analyses differences between political, legal and social systems and people’s rights and responsibilities, using personal and other examples.In T KC2

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society).

Discusses fair access to local and global resources (eg invites a guest speaker on World Aid).

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SEQUENCE OF IDEAS / LESSONS

Lesson Activities Aim Resources

1 Students will be asked to

draw what comes to mind

when they think of the

word “Poverty”.

To break common

“Poverty” stereotypes

held within the classroom.

A class discussion will take place

once students have finished their

drawings.

Information Sheet: Facts, figures and

suggestions for the future – Poverty

2 - 3 Students will view a

documentary based on

Poverty in Australia. We

will then conduct a

community of inquiry

discussion based on the

documentary.

Introduce students to the

topic of Poverty in

Australia. Students may

be shocked to learn that

children who live below

the poverty line still attend

school and lead “normal”

lives.

Documentary: “Playing in the

Shadows” ABC (appendix 3)

Discussion Plan: How are we to live?

(Lipman)

4 Community of Inquiry:

Topic: Ishen’s Story

Encourage students to

think through the

consequences of poverty

for a fourteen year old girl

living in the United

Kingdom.

- Discussion Plan: Ishen’s

Story (original)

- “Ishen’s Story” taken from

website:

http://www.fightpoverty.mmb

rico.com (appendix 4)

5 Create a class list of

empirical questions that

arose from previous

lessons. These questions

will then be researched

and presented to the

class.

Students will learn how to

develop their questioning

skills. Their empirical

questions will then guide

future research.

Class list of questions / topics to

research.

6 Library and internet

research conducted in

groups.

Students find answers to

their chosen empirical

question.

Library books such as:

Internet websites:

http://www.fightpoverty.mmbrico.com

7 Students work

collaboratively on a 3

minute oral presentation

to the class, detailing their

findings from researching

a chosen empirical

question.

To facilitate team work

between students.

Computer

8-9 Class presentation in Students work in pairs to

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pairs, answering a

chosen empirical question

from lesson 4.

communicate effectively

with the class. They will

also exhibit listening skills

as they learn from their

peers.

10 Listen to a guest speaker on

“Poverty in Australia”.

Students will be listening

to a guest speaker

tentatively, asking

questions (prepared in

lesson 4) to clarify their

understanding.

Guest speaker Professor Peter

Saunders.

11 - 12 Community of Inquiry:

Topic: Do Australian citizens

have the RIGHT not to live in

Poverty?

Students take into

account various social

circumstances

surrounding poverty in

Australia, and consider

human rights and whether

Australians have the right

to not live in poverty.

Discussion Plan:

What is a right? (Lipman)

13-16 Students research two to

four, of four empirical

questions:

1. What is currently being

done in Australia to

combat poverty?

2. Where are people in

poverty living?

3. What do the

unemployment rates

look like in Australia?

4. What is the government

doing for people in

poverty and what can

we personally do to

help?

The empirical information

gathered for these

questions will enable

students to move forward

in their ethical inquiry.

- Library and Internet

17 – 18 Students are to make a

poster aimed at educating

the school community on

what Poverty in Australia

looks like and what can

be done to help.

Allowing students to

share their knowledge

with others in a pro active

manner.

- poster paper

- Library resources

- Internet

19 Class evaluation of the

unit.

- Class discussion

Detailed Sequence of Ideas/Lessons

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The following sequence of ideas is a progressive set of lessons aimed at helping students think

through the ethical and empirical components of Poverty in Australia. When creating lesson plan ideas

that are based on the community of inquiry, it is imperative that I take into consideration the “ETHIC”

model (Collins, 2008). Students must be exposed to the following aspects of an issue whilst trying to

deconstruct it:

Empathy – Imagining what it would feel like to be in anther persons place.

Thinking – The logical reasoning that must take place in order to deduce consequences and weigh up

the positive aspects of an issue against the negative or harmful.

Harm – Recognising common capacities for suffering and wellbeing as the basis of ethical judgement.

Information – Getting the empirical knowledge or facts on the issue.

Circumstances – Students will need to understand that circumstances can heavily influence an ethical

component of an issue in terms of how it is perceived by different people.

The number of lessons allocated to each activity is only a guide that may need to be altered depending

on the time taken by students to complete it and their level of understanding that is achieved. Flexibility

is necessary. The total number of lessons is approximately 18 that will be completed over an eight to

ten week time frame (approx two lessons per week).

Lesson 1 – Understanding Poverty Stereotypes

Begin the unit of work on “Poverty in Australia” by exposing and analysing common stereotypes held

on the topic. Ask students to draw what comes to mind when they hear the word “Poverty” and

illustrate what it means to them. This is also one way of discovering students “prior knowledge” on the

topic.

Possible images students may draw include:

- Starving child in Africa

- Homeless people

- Famine

After students have finished their drawings have everyone sit in a circle on the floor. Ask students to

describe their image, and explain how it relates to the word “Poverty”. It is highly likely that students have

depicted images relating to the concept “absolute poverty”. Explain the differences between “absolute

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poverty” and relative poverty” detailing the characteristics of the two. A clear definition is given in the

information sheet “Facts, figures and suggestions for the future – Poverty” which states:

“Poverty is where people have unreasonably low living standards compared with others; cannot

afford to buy necessities, such as a refrigerator for example; and experience real deprivation and hardship

in everyday life.”

“Internationally, people who lack food and shelter for minimal needs are said to be living in absolute

poverty. Poverty in Australia however, is generally relative poverty. People are considered to be poor if

their living standards fall below an overall community standard, and they are unable to participate fully in

ordinary activities of society.” (Mclelland, 2000)

Having a discussion about the differenced between absolute and relative poverty is necessary and a good

way to lead onto lessons 2 – 3.

Lesson 2 – 3 – Playing in the Shadows

PART A

Show the documentary – “Playing in the Shadows” ABC (approx 50 minutes). (Refer to Appendix 3)

Before watching the documentary, explain to students that it is set in Australia, depicting the relative

poverty that occurs. Students will be asked to take notes during the documentary, focusing on the main

characters: 9 year old Celine, 11 year old Jaidyn, Jerry and 15 year old Ainsley. Their pages can be

ruled up into four columns with a character name heading each column. Important notes on each

character can be recorded under the appropriate heading. This is an easy way of formulating coherent

notes. Students will be able to watch the dangers and disadvantages of growing up in the public

housing system stricken with poverty.

Immediately following the DVD, students will be given the opportunity to share interesting points as well

as clarify aspects of the documentary that they may have not understood.

Begin to investigate the question: How do people in Australia live in poverty?

Question to think about before the next lesson: How do the main characters home lives differ? In what

ways are they similar?

PART B

Whole class discussion on documentary and ways in which people should live. Encourage students to

make direct connections to the people featured in the documentary: “Playing in the Shadows”.

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Discussion Plan: How are we to live? (Adapted from Lipman)

1. What are the things you like doing most?

2. What are the things that matter most to you in your life?

3. Are any of these the same / different to the people in the documentary?

4. When you grow up, will you still like doing the same things?

5. When you grow up, will the same things seem important to you?

6. Are you happy?

7. Are the people featured in the documentary happy?

8. Are there things that matter to you more than happiness?

9. Is it possible to be perfectly happy?

10. Could you be perfectly happy in a world where everyone else was suffering?

11. Would you rather do things that caused other people pleasure, or things that relieve other

people’s pain?

12. Would you like to live in a way that would help make the world better?

13. Could you be happy if you were living in poverty?

14. Could you be happy if everyone you knew constantly lied and tried to deceive each other?

15. Do you think the people in the documentary are being treated fairly by people in their

community?

16. Would you mind living in a way that seemed right to everyone else, but seemed wrong to you?

17. Would you mind living in a way that seemed wrong to everyone else, but seemed right to you?

18. Are the ways that the people featured in the documentary are living, right or wrong?

Lesson 4 – Ishen’s Story

Community of Inquiry Topic: Ishen’s Story (Appendix 4)

After reading “Ishen’s Story” students will be prompted to think about how poverty can affect people

similar to them, who are living in Westernised countries (like Australia) and are not necessarily

homeless. Ishen is a fourteen year old girl from the United Kingdom living in poverty. The text explains

that although she has a “roof over her head” and is able to attend school, she is still living below the

poverty line. This is one example that students will be able to analyse of a child living in poverty who is

not stereotypical.

Discussion Plan: Ishen’s Story (original resource)

1. Where is Ishen from?

2. In what ways are you similar to Ishen?

3. In what ways are you different to Ishen?

4. Why do Ishen’s peers exclude her?

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5. Do you agree with what they are doing?

6. Is it Ishen’s fault that she cannot afford to buy the “right clothes” or go to the movies?

7. Is it her mother’s fault?

8. Is it her father’s fault?

9. Can you understand what Ishen is going through despite not having experienced poverty first

hand?

10. Can you empathise with her?

11. If you were Ishen, would you tell your peers about the poverty you live in?

12. Why/Why not?

13. Have any of your ideas on poverty changed after reading about Ishen’s story?

Lesson 5 – Empirical Questioning

The whole class will participate in writing a list of empirical questions raised from the previous four

lessons. Students will work in groups (2-3 people per group) to find answers to their questions. In order

to participate in future discussions in an informed manner, empirical knowledge is necessary. Each

group will have three lessons to begin researching their empirical question, prepare their three minute

oral presentation and then present their new found knowledge to the class.

Discussion: Development of class questions

- If we want to work out whether Poverty in Australia is an important issue, what questions would

we need to ask / answer?

- What specific information do we need?

- What circumstances would we need to consider for each person faced with poverty?

- How can we tell whether or not it is a real problem faced in Australia?

Examples of empirical questions include:

What is poverty?

What are the effects / impact of poverty on families and individuals?

What is the difference between relative poverty and extreme poverty?

Who is most likely to be living in poverty?

How is poverty measured? (The poverty line)

What is the distribution of wealth in Australia?

How does poverty affect children?

What are the unemployment rates in Australia?

Where are the public housing systems located in Adelaide?

After students have chosen an empirical question that is of interest to them, the research will begin.

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Student Resources (Appendix 5)

Helpful library resources include:

- Wealth and Inequality by Justin Healey

- Poverty in Australia by Kaye Healey

- No Fixed Abode by Kaye Healey

- A bit of a Struggle by Jean McCaughey

- Poverty in Australia – Listening to journalists by Denis Muller

- Homelessness in Australia – Casual Factors

- Homelessness by Justin Healey

- Homelessness among young people in Australia – Early intervention and prevention by Phil

Crane and Jillian Brannock

- A sourcebook for poverty reducing strategies by Jeni Klugman

Helpful websites include:

- http://www.fightpoverty.mmbrico.com- www.bsl.org.au

- Students will learn how to use a search engine by typing words such as “Poverty” and “Australia”

into websites such as google.

Lesson 6 – Research

This lesson will follow on from the previous lesson and involve students using the internet and the

library resources provided to them to find answers to their chosen empirical question. This lesson

would be most effective if it were to take place in the school library where resources such as the

internet / computers and books are readily available. Before this lesson begins it is important to explain

to students the fact that not all internet websites can be trusted as reputable sources of information. It

is important to question where the information may be coming from in order to determine its

authenticity.

Lesson 7 – Oral Presentation

After gathering their information, it is now time for students to collaboratively work on their class

presentations, deciding what information to present from their findings on a specific question. Some

questions provided have many factors that need to be considered. For example when answering the

question: “What are the effects / impact of poverty on families and individuals?” students can choose to

look at:

- The impact of income on poverty

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- The impact of homelessness on poverty

- Unemployment and poverty

- The impact of poverty and health

- The impact on poverty on relationships

- The impact on poverty on education

Clearly not all of these factors will be covered in a three minute presentation, so it is up to the student

to choose aspects that they feel are important for the class to be aware of.

Students may create a PowerPoint presentation to present their findings if they wish, however this is

not a graded aspect of the assignment.

Lesson 8 - 9 – Oral Presentation continued

Lessons 8 and 9 will be dedicated to listening to all class presentations as well as allowing the class to

provide positive feedback and constructive criticism to each student. The criteria that the students will

be assessed on (by the teacher and their peers) are as follows:

- Eye contact

- Clear audible voices

- Carefully chosen speech content

- Well researched – Has chosen information from reputable sources. (These may have been

provided by the teacher or checked with him/her)

Lesson 10 – Guest Speaker

After conducting some empirical research on the topic of poverty in Australia, students should now

have a deeper understanding of the facts. A guest speaker who would be able to explain these facts in

a way that personalises the issue is Professor Peter Saunders. Peter Saunders is a former researcher

at the Centre for Independent Studies. He is the author of “Poverty in Australia: Beyond the Rhetoric”

and “Australia's Welfare Habit and how to kick it”.

Professor Saunders has conducted many research studies that give people living in poverty a voice. I

feel it is imperative that the students hear these voices in order to connect with the issue on a

humanised, empathetic level.

Below is an excerpt taken from Saunders (2006):

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Excerpts from “Experiencing Poverty: The voices of low income Australians”. Research by UNSW’s Social Policy Research Centre.

Financial Resources“I think every one of us in here has forgone, usually it’s food we forgo – it’s the easiest thing to do because we must all pay the rent, that is our first priority”

“The problem with welfare is it doesn’t stretch enough … so there isn’t any margin for you to try and put anything away, you’re just barely making ends meet… Your fridge breaks down, then you can’t pay your bills - because you can’t live without your fridge”

Employment“Now I’m working, I feel like I’m me again rather than just a mum or a wife – I’m not puttingbeing a mum down at all…well I mean, money’s great, but it was more for my self-esteem because it’s a step towards where I wanna be”

“If you have to work at night time or at the weekends, public transport is rather limited…especially at night. For a woman it’s very hard, but unfortunately if you live in the country it’s non-existent”

Education“The Australian education system requires people to have access to a computer and the Internet but this is difficult for many migrants who can’t use a computer and are not used to the technology …those that can’t afford it get left behind”

“I am trying to get into a course and so far it’s $150. Hello! Where am I going to find 150 bucks?”

Health and Health Care“My son had epilepsy, he’s grown out of it … but I just thought to myself thank God I’ve got my health care card to pay for his medication, I would have been absolutely stuffed if I didn’t have that card”

“It causes so many problems having bad teeth and stuff and it is treated as a luxury. I’m sorry but dentistry in a first world country is not a luxury – it’s a necessity”

Housing“Yeah you know just basically a clean well-kept, well-maintained place. I mean it’s fine being offered a place but if the toilet leaks or the roof leaks above your bed and all of this, I mean what kind of standard of living is that?”

“Most of my dole is taken up with the rent and affordability is crucial cos if you haven’t got enough money to buy food and pay the bills like gas, electricity, phone, water etc then life is hard as it is. I mean a lot of people go without”

Location“If you’re disadvantaged you’re stuck in certain areas and you have no choice about where you can go”

“Those high rises … just living there seems to instil a sense of hopelessness”

Attitudes“Some government agencies they don’t talk to you they talk down to you”

“A lot of the time people hide their poverty and disadvantage really well, like my grandmother … she’d always make a point of making sure my sister always had brand new school dresses because it wasn’t the fact that we were suffering that bothered her, but she didn’t want other people to know we were suffering.

To organise an interview with Professor Peter Saunders contact: Alex Clark, UNSW Media

unit ph: 02 9385 3263 or 0405 237 553

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Lesson 11-12 – Community of Inquiry: Do Australian citizens have the RIGHT not to live in

poverty?

Lesson 11’s discussion is based on students identifying a definition for what a “right” is. We will then

relate that definition to the question: “Do Australian citizens have the RIGHT not to live in poverty?”

Discussion Plan: What is a Right? (Lipman 1982)

1. When textbooks are being passed out by the teacher, and everyone else in the class gets a book,

does Edna have a right to a book?

2. It turns out that the school is one textbook short, and Edna is told that nothing can be done to get

her a book. Does she still have a right to a book?

3. Edna has been day dreaming about ice cream all day. Now she’s going home and she sees a little

girl coming out of a store with an ice cream cone. Does Edna have the right to take the little girl’s

ice cream cone?

4. Edna doesn’t wait for the light to turn green before crossing the street, and crosses while the light is

still red. Does she have a right to do that?

5. When Edna gets home, she starts reading the comics section of the newspaper. But her twin

brother, Sid, takes it away from her. Does he have a right to do that?

6. Edna’s family is having roast turkey for supper. Does she have a right to a portion?

7. Edna’s brothers, Sid and Jeff, both want turkey legs, and so does Edna. But there are only two

legs. Does Edna have a right to one of them?

8. Edna’s dog, Fritz, is getting old. Does it have a right to live?

9. Sid watches his father smoking, and Sid would like to do the same. Does he have a right to?

10. Jeff is graduating high school. Does he have a right to a job?

11. Jeff is arrested by a policewoman for driving without a licence. Does she have a right to do that to

him?

12. There’s a book in the town library that Jeff wants to read. Does he have a right to see it?

13. Where do rights come from?

14. Are there rights we get when we’re born and others that we get as we grow older?

15. Can some people’s rights cancel out other people’s rights?

16. Do Australian citizens have the RIGHT not to live in poverty? (adaptation)

After this discussion has taken place we will read “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights”

(Appendix 6) and decide whether people who live in poverty (in Australia) are having their human rights

met. As a class we will read over the key rights listed and discuss whether Australian people living in

poverty are given these rights.

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Lesson 13 - 16 – Empirical Research Continued

In order to help students move forward with their ethical inquiry, it is important for their empirical

research to constantly be in motion. This assessment will be spread over up to four lessons and is

based on students researching from two to four empirical questions:

1. What is currently being done in Australia to combat poverty?

2. Where are people in poverty living?

3. What do the unemployment rates in Australia look like?

4. What is the government doing for people in poverty and what can we personally do to help?

The research conducted by students will assist them in their future lessons that are based on creating

an informative poster.

Students will use computers to type out the information they find under appropriate question headings.

These printed pages will then be compiled into an informative book that will be located in the school

library.

Lesson 17-18 – Poster

In order to share what we have learnt on the topic of “Poverty in Australia” with members of the school

community, students will be asked to create a poster detailing the important key ideas that they have

studied.

Student Activity: Make an A3 poster detailing:

- What is Poverty in Australia?

- What are the main causes of poverty in Australia?

- What effects does poverty in Australia have on individuals and communities?

- How does poverty impact on human rights?

- What, if anything, should be done in order to combat poverty in Australia?

Once the posters have been completed, they will be displayed in a prominent part of the school, so

fellow students, parents and teachers will be able to share in our new understandings of poverty in

Australia.

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Lesson 19 – Class Evaluation of Unit

Evaluation of the process we have used will be based on whether or not we have successfully:

- Researched the available evidence

- Identified causes of poverty in Australia

- Considered the effects on individuals and communities

- Thought through ideas for ourselves (Community of Inquiry)

- Examined circumstances as well as other aspects of the ETHIC model

- Shared and communicated our ideas with others

- Built on each others experiences and knowledge

- Considered the impact on poverty on human rights

- Considered government policies and whether or not they are working

- Formed our own views and ideas on what should be done to combat poverty in Australia

- Shared our knowledge with the school community (in the form of posters)

Students will give feedback on each aspect of the list above, detailing the usefulness of, relevance of

and personal interest in the topic and the aspects of the topic explored.

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Reference List:

Burgess, C 2006, Child Labour Around the World, The Social Educator, Australia.

Burke, T 1994, Homelessness in Australia – Casual Factors, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, Australia.

Child Poverty: We can’t eradicate it, but we can reduce it, Viewed November 1, 2008 athttp://www.fightpoverty.mmbrico.com

Collins, C 2008, Society & Environment, Week 5 Lecture, Magill University of South Australia.

Crane, P, Brannock, G 1996, Homelessness among young people in Australia, National Clearinghouse for Youth Studies, Hobart, Tasmania.

Healey, J 2006, The Homeless - Issues in Society, The Spinney Press, NSW, Australia.

Healey, J 2005, Wealth and Inequality, The Spinney Press, NSW, Australia.

Healey, K 1997, Poverty in Australia, The Spinney Press, NSW, Australia.

Hutchins School – Philosophical and Ethical Inquiry Program, Philosophy class report form, Viewed 12th of November, 2008 atwww.utas.edu.au/philosophy/

Klugman, J 2002, A Sourcebook for Poverty Reduction Strategies, The world bank, Washington, DC.

Lipman, M 2003, Thinking in Education 2nd Edition, Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge, Cambridge.

Lipman, M 1982, Philosophical Inquiry: An Instructional Manual to accompany Harry Stottlemeir’s discovery, pg 238-239, First Mountain Foundation, Upper Montclair, USA.

Muller, D 2000, Poverty in Australia: Listening to Journalists, Brotherhood of St Laurence, Australia.

Playing in the Shadows, ABC National Television, viewed on the 16th of October 2008.

SACSA, 2008, R-10 Society & Environment Teaching Resource, Department of Education and Children’s Services, South Australia, Australia.

The Brotherhood of Saint Laurence – Facts, Figures and Suggestions for the Future, viewed on the 6th of November, 2008, atwww.bsl.org.au

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, viewed on the 10th of November, 2008, athttp://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html

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Appendix List:

Appendix 1 – Philosophy class report form

Appendix 2 – Facts, Figures and Suggestions for the Future – The Brotherhood of Saint

Laurence

Appendix 3 - “Playing in the Shadows” ABC

Appendix 4 – Ishen’s story

Appendix 5 – Research resources – Library Book Excerpts

Appendix 6 – The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Please find a hard copy of the Appendices handed up separately.

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