Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

5 minutes

Tune In: Preparing for research

25 minutes

Find Out: Rapid research

20 minutes

Take Action: Using research to suggest actions

5 minutes

Reflection

Learning Intentions and Success Criteria

Students will:

research an aspect of homelessness to gain a better understanding of this social issue
identify actions that can be taken to address an aspect of homelessness through creative thinking.

Students can:

summarise some key points from research about an aspect of homelessness
develop ideas and actions to help address an aspect of homelessness.

Tune In: Preparing for research

Step 1

Ask students to organise themselves into the same groups they were in for the previous lesson (Lesson 3). Invite each group to state which topic they chose for formulating their questions using the Question Quadrant - housing, trauma or women.

Step 2

Outline that this next part of this lesson will be used to answer one or two of the questions they created using the Question Quadrant (through a documentary and some rapid research). Then, they will use their findings to ideate (brainstorm) a range of possible actions to help address homelessness.

Step 3

Ask students to assign roles to each group member to optimise productivity. Arrange the groups so there are at least two researchers, a scribe and a reporter in each group.

The scribe and reporter should be responsible for synthesising, summarising, and paraphrasing any findings to their question(s) from watching the documentary and their rapid research.
The researchers should ensure they are using trustworthy sources.

Find Out: Rapid research

Step 1

Explain to students that before they begin researching in their groups, they will watch the documentary, ‘In Conversation with Catherine Hill and Maurya Bourandanis’ (10:54 minutes). Direct students to take notes regarding the questions they are researching.

Step 2

If time allows, provide students with 15 minutes to conduct research based on their chosen quadrant questions after watching the documentary. You can guide groups to the sources listed in the Teacher Content Information as a starting point. Encourage them to look at websites that end in ‘.edu’, ‘.gov’ or ‘.org’ and to check the ‘About us’ page to check for reliability.

Extension: show students this TedTalk video about Housing First as an example of thinking creatively and implementing bold actions to tackle the issue of housing in relation to homelessness. (Note: this video has content that may not be suitable for viewing by all young people as it mentions sex work and drug use. Teachers are advised to use their discretion when deciding whether to show it).

Step 3

Direct students to write their findings to their quadrant question(s) on the Student Worksheet, reminding them to use their own words as much as possible.

Step 4

Once time is up, ask the reporter from each group to share an OSS (one-sentence summary) or the most surprising piece of information from their group’s research in relation to their question and topic.

Take Action: Using research to suggest actions

Step 1

Explain to students that now they’re going to use their research findings to have an ideation session. They need to brainstorm ideas for possible actions that could be taken to address the topic they researched about homelessness - with no idea too big or small! Students can reflect on the new knowledge gained from their research and the resources they looked at. Encourage students to be creative!

Examples of thinking, both big and small, are:

implementing a universal basic income (UBI)
collecting toiletry packages for women
using tiny homes
Providing 24-hour lockers for those experiencing homelessness
dedicating school fundraisers to support an action that addresses an aspect of homelessness
committing to conversations with a family member or friend about the issue of homelessness.

Note: an alternative approach to this activity could be to jigsaw the groups instead of students remaining in the same research group.

Step 2

Guide students to create potential actions and to record these in the Student worksheet. Students could be organised into groups to generate ideas based on the context or level of action that can be taken. For example, small ideas, big ideas, ideas that can be enacted at an individual level, ideas that involve family/friends, ideas that involve their school, ideas that involve their community, etc.

If students need some more support with getting started on their ideation session, encourage them to use Cool.org’s Act Framework for ideas about what actions they can take OR students can look at the ‘Act Now’ recommendations featured on Some Happy Day’s website, including:

sharing what they've learned with each other or their community through presentations, discussions or workshops
donating their time or money to an existing cause that supports individuals experiencing homelessness
advocating for change by writing letters to policymakers, organising awareness campaigns or participating in community events
offering other types of support, such as volunteering at local shelters, organising donation drives, or providing mentorship to individuals affected by homelessness.

Step 3

Facilitate a discussion where students can share their brainstormed ideas for action.

Reflection

To wrap up the lesson and finish the unit, pose the following reflection questions as an exit ticket. These questions will not only help evaluate students’ understanding but assist them in consolidating key ideas from the film and their research, and identifying changed perceptions of homelessness:

How has your understanding of homelessness and those who experience homelessness evolved throughout this unit of learning?
Reflecting on your research, what was the most surprising or impactful finding you uncovered?
In what ways do you think your actions, both individually and collectively, can contribute to addressing homelessness in your community?
How can we continue to raise awareness and foster compassion for individuals experiencing homelessness beyond the classroom?
Students should also complete the Lonergan survey (post-unit questionnaire) [insert link here]

Researching and Proposing Actions to Address Homelessness

Go to

Summary

Lesson guides and printables

In this lesson