Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

20 minutes	Part A: Key terms for regeneration
30 minutes	Part B: Watching “Regenerating Australia”
45 minutes	Part C: Regeneration in our Place
25 minutes	Reflection

In Part C of the lesson, students will leave the classroom and use a device to take a photo - please ensure that other staff have been informed of this before sending out your class to avoid misunderstandings when students are completing the task.

Part A: Key terms for regeneration

Step 1.

Take some time to introduce key vocabulary relating to the content of the film “Regenerating Australia” Print and cut out the Regeneration key terms and definitions, and give one section (either a term or a definition) to each student (ensuring that the terms and their definitions aren’t given to people sitting next to each other!)

Step 2.

Invite students to move around the room to find the person who has the term or definition that pairs with what is on their paper.

Step 3.

Ask students to sit down together and read out the terms and their definitions. Invite students to make any adjustments that they think might be necessary and to change seats so that they're sitting with their pair.

Wrap up the activity by inviting students to ask any questions, then attach their term and its definition to a designated wall or display area in the classroom to refer to them while watching “Regenerating Australia”.

Part B: Watching Regenerating Australia

Pre-watch activity:

Step 1.

Inform students that they will be watching a film titled “Regenerating Australia”. Before they do that though, you’d like to hear their ideas about the concept of regeneration.

Step 2.

Give each pair of students five sticky notes. Ask students to write one question about the concept of regeneration on each sticky note, using the 5Ws (Who/What/Where/When/Why). Reassure students that they don't need to know anything about the concept of regeneration at this time.

Step 3.

While students are writing down their questions, attach these 5Ws Posters to the classroom walls at even intervals around the room (this will allow students to circulate the room more freely).

Step 4.

Ask students to attach their sticky notes to the associated poster.

Step 5.

Encourage students to circulate the room to view each other’s questions about the concept of regeneration, then request that they take their seats.

Step 6.

Refocus the class by writing the following prompt on the board:

Share one question (besides your own) to which you would like to know the answer.

If students are reluctant to share, try asking “students who have (for example) the letter R somewhere in their name” to share.

Watching the film:

Step 1.

Ask students to position themselves so that they can see the screen, and explain that this documentary explores what Australia would look like by 2030 if we simply listened to the needs of its people. Regenerating Australia is a 17-minute short film based on a four-month interview process with a diverse group of Australians who shared their hopes and dreams for the country's future. Emphasise that while the film is not ‘real’, the problems and people featured in it are real and the solutions identified could be reality.

Step 2.

Watch the film through without interruption at least once.

This is a good time to note any other terms from the film that students are unfamiliar with by writing them on a clean piece of paper and adding them to the words already attached to the wall in the classroom. You may choose to repeat the activity from Part A of this lesson to support student understanding of the concepts explored in the film.

Step 3.

Invite students to return to the sticky notes around the classroom. If the film has answered their questions about regeneration in some way, they should summarise that idea in the space provided on the Student Worksheet.

Step 4.

Ask students to circulate amongst each other, sharing what they have discovered, and if they weren't able to answer their questions, seeking further insights from their classmates to note on the back of their sticky note.

Step 5.

Distribute the Regeneration Factsheet to students, allow some time to read through it, and note down any information that links to or answers the questions they posed.

Part C: Regeneration in our Place

Step 1.

Invite students to think about the school as a small community where all people (including students and staff) come to learn, work, socialise, grow and develop.
Ask students to think about an area of the school that they believe would benefit from regeneration.

This may look like this:

Making changes to your classrooms so that they are more energy-efficient
Creating more green spaces in the school to cool the areas down during the hot summer months
Planting more native trees and shrubs in the schoolyard to encourage local birds and wildlife to return to the area
Starting a worm farm or creating a composting system to reduce food waste
Making the places where students congregate more appealing and accessible so that people enjoy sitting and connecting
Starting a regular consultation group between students and teachers to enable robust and positive communication for all who are part of the school community
Create a ‘student voice’ newsletter that shares the activities students are engaged in with the wider community to make stronger connections.

Step 2.

Once students have a bit of an idea of the part of the school (or school community) that they would like to see regenerated, ask students to go out and photograph that area of the school (or something that symbolises their idea, if it doesn't relate to a specific location), then return to the classroom, and write a summary of their idea on the Student Worksheet. If possible, ask students to use their own devices to complete the task; alternatively, if you have a class set of iPads, students could use them. If access to a device is limited, perhaps students could go to the location they’re thinking of, take a closer look, then use their refreshed memory to describe it verbally.

Set a time limit for this activity, and ensure that students have a way of tracking time so that they have returned when expected. You might even consider splitting the lesson into two and setting this task as homework for students to complete before the next lesson.

Step 3.

Once students have returned to the classroom, invite them to sit together in a discussion circle in order to share their image and why they chose it as their focus of regeneration.

A discussion circle is when a teacher and their students sit in a circle and participate in a student-led conversation that explores ideas, questions, experiences and opinions. This circle can include the whole class or a smaller group of students. Students practise listening to one another, making meaning, and finding common ground while participating in a rich conversation.

Reflection

While students are still in the discussion circle, ask this follow up question:

How would regeneration of what you photographed benefit the school and the wider community?

Students can share with the person next to them. After they've had time to share their thoughts, ask for volunteers to share what their partner said (or if students are reluctant to contribute, use the approach described in Part A of this lesson). If time permits, they could note down the contents of their discussion in the space provided on the Student Worksheet.

Congratulate students on their ideas, and thank them for sharing with the class. Summarise the lesson by highlighting that regeneration can occur across all facets of our communities and reminding students that regeneration of our communities and ecosystems is important to ensure that generations to come will survive and thrive.

Differentiated learning

Extension

In Part C of the lesson, invite students to consider more abstract ideas for regeneration in their school. They may benefit from being prompted to think about issues they believe exist within the school that would benefit from regenerative action.

Provisions for learning support

Before beginning the discussion circle, ensure that clear expectations have been set so that students feel safe and confident to contribute, You could use this handout to set circle time norms before commencing the discussion.

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?

Regenerating Australia - Watching The Film (Years 7 & 8)

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Summary

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