Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes – Part A: Simple Connection
30+ minutes – Part B: Reaching Out In Kindness
20 minutes – Part C: Empathy For Strangers
35+ minutes – Part D: Building Human Connection
5 minutes – Reflection

Lesson Preparation:

Step 1.

Before this lesson, plan a small act of kindness for each of the students that you can present at the start of the lesson. It could be as simple as leaving a note on their chairs or giving each student a small treat or flower as they enter. If you want to get super inspiring, write a positive word on a rock, that means something special to each individual, like patient, kind, persistent, courageous, etc. Try to keep it a secret in the lead up to the lesson so that when they receive their little gift of kindness, they get a happy surprise. This feeling will help them understand the concepts in this lesson more readily.

Step 2.

Arrange the classroom so there is open space where students can sit in one large circle together. You might like to leave three sheets of blank A4 paper and a marker on or below each seat in the circle (if using chairs). If not using chairs, you could mark a large circle on the floor using masking tape to show students where to sit and hand out the paper and markers a bit later.

Part A: Simple Connection

Step 1.

Greet students with your pre-prepared act of kindness and invite them to find a seat in the circle. See Lesson Preparation for more information.

Allow students time to sit down and absorb the act of kindness. They will probably want a minute or two to discuss it with their friends.

Step 2.

Give each student three blank pieces of A4 paper and a marker. Invite them to take their pieces of paper and marker and stand. They can now move around the room and use eye contact and body language to find a partner.

Step 3.

Once each student has a partner, invite them to stand facing each other and explain that they will need to draw a portrait of each other (faces only) without looking at the page! They will have 60 seconds to draw and should spend the entire time examining one another’s faces. Each partner should be drawing at the same time. Explain that the pictures don’t need to be perfect - this is supposed to be fun!

Note: If there are uneven numbers - you will need to participate in this activity.

Step 4.

Count down using ‘Ready, Set Go!’ and start a 60-second timer. You could use an online stopwatch. During the 60 students should be drawing and not looking at their papers. At the end of 60 seconds, call out STOP!

Step 5.

Get students to find a new partner, a fresh page and repeat Step 4. Do this twice so that each student has done three portraits on three separate pieces of paper. Once finished, invite students to take a seat back in the circle with their portraits still in hand.

Step 6

Invite students to select their favourite portrait and hold it up at the same time as everyone else for the group to see. Give them time to look around the room. You’ll probably notice some giggling and a few embarrassed faces.

Step 7.

Invite a few students to describe what they like about the portrait they selected. Then get one or two students to share a compliment about one of the portraits they saw.

Step 8.

Invite students to respond to the following questions in a whole-group discussion:

What was it like not being able to look at the page?
How did you find it having to seek out a partner?
What were some of your feelings and thoughts during the activity?
Did you find the activity challenging? How so?
Did you find the activity fun? Why/why not?

Part B: Reaching Out In Kindness

Step 1.

Invite students to arrange themselves so they will be able to see the following clips clearly. You might like them to seat themselves at desks. Explain to students that this lesson is about human connection and kindness. Play this AIME TV interview, allowing them to watch it without interruption:

AIME TV Interview - Jasirah (https://vimeo.com/210691538)

Step 2.

Invite students to complete a Turn and Talk using the following prompt:

Do you think Jasirah’s invitation to hug her was an ‘act of kindness’? Why/why not?

Step 3.

Invite students to discuss as a class what they felt about the video and how they responded to the question. You might like to guide the discussion using the following prompts:

Jasirah talked about how she felt before the first hug, but how do you think she felt when the first person hugged her? What about after it kept happening?
How do you think people were feeling when they saw her on the beach with her blindfold on and the sign?
What characteristics did Jasirah demonstrate by reaching out in this way?
How might this experience compare with the drawing activity at the start of this lesson?

Step 4:

Play this AIME TV interview, without pausing, making sure to stop it at 02:16 (the section of the video after 2:16 contains images of disturbing racist violence which can optionally be explored in Part C):

AIME TV Interview: Thomas Knox (https://vimeo.com/228156864)

Step 5.

Distribute the Student Worksheet and direct students to the first activity. Invite them to complete the column titled Thomas Knox Interview (also below) while watching the clip again. Make sure to stop the video at 02:16. It might help to pause the clip in a few places to give students time to watch, write and absorb what they are seeing.

Thomas Knox Interview

Jasirah Interview

List any acts of kindness you see:

Possible responses:

Inviting people to play Connect Four for free while they wait for a train
The connect four inventor (Howard Wexler) coming to speak with Thomas and play Connect Four
Providing a chair for people to sit on
People sitting down and playing with Thomas and chatting with him.

List any acts of kindness you see:

List any examples of human connection you see:

Possible responses:

People playing Connect Four together
People chatting and smiling together
Howard Wexler reaching out to touch Thomas and laughing with him
Jack Manning Bancroft asking Thomas questions about himself and his Date While You Wait project
Inviting body language between Thomas and other people
Eye contact between Thomas and other people.

List any examples of human connection you see:

Step 6.

Play the Jasirah clip again, inviting students to complete the other column in the table. This time, pause in a few places to give students time to watch, write and absorb what they are seeing.

AIME TV Interview - Jasirah (https://vimeo.com/210691538)

Step 7.

Show students the About AIME Factsheet and invite them to locate the AIME Values on the Student Worksheet (also below). Explain that AIME is the organisation that recorded these interviews. They did this to inspire young people like themselves and are now a global movement, which started out mentoring Indigenous young people in Australia.

AIME’s values:

Know yourself	Flip the script	The gift of time
Brave goals	Initiative	Empathy
Rebelliousness	Out of the comfort zone	Yes and...
Kindness	Trust	Listening
Hope	Forgiveness	Asking questions
Imagination	Hard work/discipline
Freedom	Mentors not saviours
Failure	Change

Step 8.

Invite students to highlight or circle any of the above values they saw displayed by either Thomas or Jasirah. We have highlighted some to help you - there are several more also demonstrated. Invite a few students to share their chosen values with the class and explain their reasoning. Allow for some discussion about the values, such as clarifying what it means to be ‘out of the comfort zone’ or what having a brave goal is.

Step 9.

Have students complete a THINK PAIR SHARE to describe how three of the values they highlighted relate to human connection:

Value	A	B

In the first column, list three of the values you selected. In column A, write your thoughts about how each value relates to human connection. Then talk to a partner and write any new ideas in column B.

Extension opportunity: You might like to complete this activity if you are working with Years 8-10 students.

Play this AIME TV interview, starting at 02:17:

AIME TV Interview: Thomas Knox (https://vimeo.com/228156864#t=2m17s)

Students might like to conduct further research into the killing of Eric Garner. Allow some time for this.

Lead students in a discuss using these questions as prompts:

How is the Eric Garner tragedy similar to issues feeding into the Black Lives Matter movement in recent times?
Possible answer: Similar deaths from inappropriate use of force by authorities are still occuring. In May 2020 George Floyd was also heard crying “I Can’t Breathe” before passing away under the knee of a police officer. This triggered large protests despite COVID-19 social distancing laws at the time, with “I Can’t Breathe” used on signs and materials.
How does the killing of Eric Garner relate (or not relate) to the values you selected above?
Sample response: The chokehold used on Eric Garner despite him saying “I Can’t Breathe” was neither kind nor demonstrated (or elicited) trust.
Why do you think Thomas Knox chose to use “I Can’t Breathe” as a slogan for his protest? What significance might these words have for people of colour in the USA?
Possible answer: He used “I Can’t Breathe” to echo the words of Eric Garner. Now it was also used by George Floyd. It’s the symbol of a pattern of police brutality against African American people. It’s also a metaphor for the suffocating feeling of racism and widespread lack of trust in the authorities in the USA.
How does the USA context differ or connect with the Australian Black Lives Matter movement?
Note: This article goes into detail about this topic.
What differences do you notice between Thomas Knox’s “I Can’t Breathe” protests and the ‘Date While You Wait’ project? How or why do you think Thomas transitioned to the ‘Date While You Wait’ project?
Possible answer: He wanted to reach out and show people that we all have things in common. He used kindness and human connection to combat ignorance and fear.
How do you think the ‘Date While You Wait’ project relates to the values you selected above?
Sample response: Thomas shows kindness by entertaining and inspiring people to share small moments and conversation with him while they wait for the train.
Which project do you think has more power (or influence) and why? Do you think there is a time and a place for both?

Part C: Empathy For Strangers

Safety warning: Consider whether this next activity is suitable for your students. Some students are vulnerable to ‘tricky people’ and we know that abuse is a very real thing. Ensure students understand the difference between blindly trusting strangers and being able to identify who has their best interests at heart. Refer to the Teacher Content Information on ‘Tricky People’ for additional support.

Step 1.

Display this quote:

“There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven't yet met.” ~ William Butler Yeats

Invite students to share their thoughts about this quote and guide the discussion, acknowledging that not all strangers are your friend.

Learning support: It might be worthwhile asking students how they can tell if someone is trustworthy or not. You might like to go through some or all of these Super 10 Rules with them. Again, refer to the Teacher Content Information for more support.

Step 2.

Provide students with the following definition (also available on Student Worksheet):

“Empathy is the ability to understand how someone else is feeling or to understand the situation they are in. It is the ability to ‘put yourself in someone else’s shoes’ and to understand the way a situation might make them feel.” (Source)

Ask students if it’s possible to understand how someone else feels when they might come from a very different background or have different life experiences as you. Invite them to write a paragraph responding to this question using the Student Worksheet.

Step 3.

Explain to students that in Jasirah’s interview, Jack Manning Bancroft (the Founder of AIME) asks Jasirah a question about the colour of her skin.

While students watch this part again, invite them to complete the SEE HEAR THINK WONDER exercise on their Student Worksheet.

Start the interview at 1:13 and stop at 1:51:

AIME TV Interview - Jasirah (https://vimeo.com/210691538#t=1m13s)

Allow time for students to complete the SEE HEAR THINK WONDER table.

Note: Avoid having students share their thoughts to ensure safety and prevent the sharing of explicit and hidden racist views.

Step 4.

Explain to students that Australia is still going through a process of reconciliation. Reconciliation means resolving conflicts and coming to a common understanding.

Explain that, European colonisation of Australia caused many injuries to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and they are still happening today. Sometimes those injuries have physical effects, such as murder or violence; other times they are more emotional, such as removing children from their families or using racist language. The severe trauma experienced by a great number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should not be underestimated and there is much healing still to be done. The Australian government and residents still have a lot of work to do to build trust with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and individuals.

Display the following information for students and read it through with them, explaining that positive race relations is one of the five goals identified by Reconciliation Australia. You can use this website: https://www.reconciliation.org.au/what-is-reconciliation/

“All Australians understand and value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous cultures, rights and experiences, which results in stronger relationships based on trust and respect and that are free of racism.

Goal: Positive two-way relationships built on trust and respect exist between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous Australians throughout society.” (Source)

Step 5.

Invite students to discuss how they feel Jasirah and those who hugged her contributed to this goal. Encourage them to provide evidence or specific examples.

Step 6.

Summarise this section by explaining that positive human connection is the key to improving race relations, whether in Australia, the USA or anywhere else in the world. This was demonstrated in both Jasirah’s and Thomas’ videos.

Part D: Building Human Connection

Step 1.

Have students form small groups of 4-5, giving each group two large pieces of paper and markers.

Step 2.

Invite students to write each of the following values on one sheet of paper. They should then think of one small action someone can do on a personal level that relates to each value:

Kindness
Possible actions: helping a neighbour in their garden, letting a friend borrow something of yours, giving someone a gift.
Empathy
Possible actions: giving someone a hug when they need it, listening without needing to talk, sending a heartfelt card.
Out of the Comfort Zone
Possible actions: trying a new activity, apologising for hurt you've caused, publishing a video on YouTube.
Trust
Possible actions: sharing your secret with a responsible person, asking for help, abseiling with someone.
Brave Goals
Possible actions: expressing your beliefs publicly, calling out racism or homophobic language, putting your artwork in a gallery.

Step 3.

Invite students to think about how they can build positive human connection in their school or community. They can use the other piece of paper. They will need to consider how they can apply the following AIME values to their approach:

Kindness
Empathy
Out of the Comfort Zone
Trust
Brave Goals

Extension opportunity: Students can focus explicitly on how they can build positive relationships between people of different races, cultures or language groups. If interested in working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities specifically, you can find information and support on the Narragunnawali platform, such as this course on Cultural Safety and Respect in the Classroom or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People in the Classroom.

Note: Students can conduct this activity in a variety of ways. They could write a long list, mind-map or octopus chart. Regardless of the approach, each group should select one project they want to focus on building out.

Step 4.

Invite groups to fill out this Action Planner. They should be able to provide detail about the timing, materials, roles and intentions behind their reconciliation or human connection idea.

Extension opportunity: Support your students to bring their ideas to life.

Reflection

Invite students to independently respond to the following questions on the Student Worksheet:

What were some emotions you experienced during this lesson?
What prompted the most enjoyable emotions you experienced during this lesson?
What prompted any challenging emotions you experienced during this lesson?
How could you use kindness to help someone feel good today?

Differentiated Learning

Extension - Part B, Step 9: Students can complete the extension activity if you feel they have the emotional maturity to handle the difficult content. This is only recommended for secondary students.
Provisions for Learning Support - Consider providing education for your students on 'Tricky People'. Refer the teacher content information on 'Safety Around Strangers' for more information.

Teacher Reflection

Take this opportunity to reflect on your own teaching:

What did you learn about your teaching practice today?
What worked well?
What didn't work so well?
What would you share?
Where to next?
How are you going to get there?

IMAGI-NATION{TV} - Connecting with Kindness

Go to

Summary

Lesson guides and printables

In this lesson