Lesson Ideas for Teachers

Making multicultural Australia

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KLA/Subject: English

Stage: Stage 4 | Stage 5

Letters to the Editor

Outcomes

English
  • 4.1 responds to and composes texts for understanding, interpretation and critical analysis
  • 4.3 responds to and composes texts in different technologies
  • 4.7 thinks critically and interpretively about information, ideas and arguments to respond to and compose texts
  • (5.1, 5.3, 5.7 are similar but more sophisticated)

Introduction

This lesson provides students with an opportunity to explore ideas and opinions around multicultural topics as they appear in the letters section of daily newspapers. As they are short texts and often in less formal language, letters can be more accessible to students and in this case can be used to identify the ‘hot’ topics of the day. These can then be correlated to the ‘Hotwords’ on Making Multicultural Australia.

Students are either given a hard copy of the newspapers or they can access the websites listed below and go to the letters page. The worksheet then allows recording and classifying the information collected. For example, on the 20/4/04 there were a number of letters discussing the events in the Middle East where the words ‘terrorist’, ‘terrorism’ and ‘Arab/Islamic’ were used. These are all included as ‘Hotwords’ on Making Multicultural Australia. Students can use the information available to unpack these words and consider how they are being used in the letters. They can also analyse the meanings and ideas that are created by the use of such words and the impact they may be expected to have on the reader of such a letter.

This analysis may then be extended to issues of culture and identity and how such words influence our thinking about these. Suitable as a single lesson or as part of other work like a unit on newspapers or mass media.

Material to Download

Worksheet: Letters to Editor

Definitions: Identify relevant Hotwords

Suggested Activities

  1. Divide students into small groups. Ask students to discuss in groups: What do we understand by the word multiculturalism? Ask each group to select a scribe to write their definitions on the board/butcher’s paper.
  2. As a class, discuss and compare definitions with each other and with the one provided in Hotwords.
  3. Ask groups to read or skim the ‘letters’ section of the three daily newspapers. Each group may be allocated a different newspaper from the last few days. This may include hardcopies of the newspapers, photocopies of the letters sections or copies online.
  4. Ask students to use the worksheet 'Letters to Editor' to record the newspaper name, day, date, ‘hot’ topics, notes and comments relating to the day’s letters. Ask students to also note relevant Hotwords from Making Multicultural Australia.
  5. In groups, ask students to discuss the particular Hotwords identified. Ask groups to unpack these words using the information available and consider how they are being used in the letters. Ask groups to then analyse the meanings and ideas that are created by the use of such words and the impact they may be expected to have on the reader of such a letter.
  6. Ask groups to present their findings to the class through a spokesperson.

Preparation Checklist

You will need:

  • newspapers – hardcopies of daily newspapers and/or letters to the Editor, or access to computer terminals for small groups of students to find these online
  • computer access for small groups
  • copies of worksheet for each student
  • whiteboard/butcher’s paper
  • art materials for the extension activity for groups to make posters

Extension

The above analysis may be extended to discussion about issues of culture and identity and how such words influence our thinking about these. Ask students to:

  1. Design a poster promoting multiculturalism that challenges the kinds of stereotypes that people may carry about different cultures.
  2. Write a discussion essay on: How can we challenge stereotypes in contemporary Australia multiculturalism? (see the Hot Word ‘ethnicity’).
  3. Participate in a class debate on a topic like “Multiculturalism has made Australia what it is today”.
  4. Consider the 1999 multicultural policy document in the light of the following comment by Professor Andrew Jabubovicz:
“However after 1996 the new Commonwealth government backed away from multiculturalism, reflecting the Prime Minister's belief it was not a viable philosophy and undermined the Australian values he espoused. After a number of years of wide debate, a new statement of Australian multiculturalism was adopted in 1999, with social justice removed, and a lower level of government commitment.”

Related Resources

Lesson Notes

The nature of ‘hot’ topics like this one needs to be approached with caution. They may not be appropriate to do with classes where cultural conflicts may arise. The intention of the lesson is to raise consciousness about how we use language and how the media generates particular media images and associations. It also attempts to explore the way that government policies may support multiculturalism in principle, but in practice be contradictory. For example, some people would see contradictions in relation to some government policies and treatment of asylum seekers.

Date Added:

08 December 2004