Hey, Little Ant (Civics and Citizenship)
Dear
parents and carers
This
term in Humanities and Social Sciences (HaSS) foundation have been learning
about how to be good citizens who have skills to participate in our
democracy. This unit of learning has drawn upon skills and outcomes from the
Australian Curriculum (ACHASS1005) and the Early Years learning Framework outcomes
one and two (EYLF).
Citizenship education with young children is all about children learning how to participate in and contribute to their community (Bae, 2009). It is about giving them skills that will one day translate to them being active and informed citizens. At this stage, we look at developing skills like making choices, being fair, and taking responsibility in ways relevant to the children (through stories, in play, through local events and by learning about issues that affect them) (Brett & Duff, 2019; Division for Early Childhood, 2014).
Children in foundation have been learning about how to explore points of view and develop empathy care and respect while enjoying the story ‘hey, little ant’ by Phillip and Hannah Hoose. Empathy, care and respect are important skills that help children relate to others and to understand, connect with and contribute to their world (Cotton, 1992).
Our hey
little ant empathy and point of view lesson began by looking at the cover
of the story and sharing some ideas about what the story might be about and
times we may have seen ants. We checked the back of the book for a blurb
which we used to get our brains thinking about the story. As we read the
story, we learned about the perspective of a child who thought it was fun to
squish ants. As the story goes on, we also learn about the ant’s life, his
family, and how he does not want to be squished. The book asks prompting questions
like ‘if you were me, and I were you, what would you want me to do?’. The
book ends with the ‘kid’ holding his foot above the ant and asks the children
what they think the kid should do.
Once we read the book we had a class discussion about what we thought the characters were feeling and thinking, how we would think and feel if we were in that situation, and what we think the child should do. The children then went off with the sheet pictured in image one to draw what the kid should do in the thought bubble.
Being able to explore and understand points of view is highlighted in two of the general capabilities of the Australian Curriculum. Children in foundation have developed their personal and social capability by learning to appreciate diverse perspectives. They have also strengthened their critical and creative thinking by identifying and exploring information and ideas and by considering alternatives.
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Kind regards
Hayley
References
Bae, B. 2009. Children’s right to participate –
challenges in everyday interactions.
European Early Childhood Education Research Journal 17, no. 3: 391–406.
Cotton, K. (1992). Developing empathy in children and youth. Portland, Or.:
Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory.
Department of Education Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR).
(2009). Belonging, Being and Becoming: the Early Years Learning
Framework. Barton, ACT: Australian Government
Division for Early Childhood. (2014). DEC recommended practices in early
European Early Childhood Education Research Journal 17, no. 3: 391–406.
Cotton, K. (1992). Developing empathy in children and youth. Portland, Or.:
Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory.
Department of Education Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR).
(2009). Belonging, Being and Becoming: the Early Years Learning
Framework. Barton, ACT: Australian Government
Division for Early Childhood. (2014). DEC recommended practices in early
intervention/early
childhood special education 2014. Retrieved from
www.decsped.org/recommendedpractices
www.decsped.org/recommendedpractices
Green, D., & Price,
D. (Eds.). (2019). The past in the present: bringing history and
civics and citizenship education to life in early years settings In Brett, P. &
Duff, K. Making humanities and social sciences come alive: Early years
and primary education. Port Melbourne, VIC: Cambridge University Press.
civics and citizenship education to life in early years settings In Brett, P. &
Duff, K. Making humanities and social sciences come alive: Early years
and primary education. Port Melbourne, VIC: Cambridge University Press.
Hoose, P. M., &
Hoose, H. (1998). Hey little ant. Berkeley, CA: Tricycle Press
The Australian
Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA).
(2016). Retrieved April 18, 2018, from https://australiancurriculum.edu.au/
(2016). Retrieved April 18, 2018, from https://australiancurriculum.edu.au/
Hey Hayley,
ReplyDeleteHere are a few feedback points for your first blog.
- I love how you have titled your blogs. The first part of the title is great because it gets the reader engaged and wanting to find out how it links to the blog.
- Right at the beginning you have addressed the audience making it inclusive by addressing both parents and carers.
- It is great how you have informed the readers straight away about what area of the curriculum the blogs are about and what grade level the focus is on.
- I think it would be beneficial to add in hyperlinks to the EYLF and AC so that parents and carers (if they desire) can see exactly where the outcomes and learning skills are coming from.
- The way you have explained the learning sequence was really well done and fluent and the example questions that might be used shows the reader what kind of direction the lesson will go in.
- Something you might want to consider is assessment. Would the sheet (in image 1) be used to assess the children? Or maybe the discussions?
- You mentioned democracy in the first paragraph however you might consider explaining how the skills the foundation children have been learning, link to democracy.
Hi Hayley,
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with Charlotte on pretty much everything she has written. I've added a few notes of my own though. Hope they are somewhat helpful.
- I don't see any in-text referencing or hyperlinks? It's very clear you've done the research due to your reference list, but I don't exactly know where each of those references belong in the text and what they are backing up. What you've done is probably accurate for a real life scenario, but as this is for uni, I suggest adding these. It would also benefit parents/carers if you did add these as they would know what source to go to to read up further on any particular point.
- I assume the worksheet would be the assessment piece as it made sense in my mind. If you have the words to spare I would try to make this clearer, or even add to the image caption that the sheet would be the assessment piece.
- I know the whole empathy and understanding points of view relates to democracy, but it isn't overly explicit in your post. I would clarify that. Maybe adding links to the sources as suggested above would add to that clarity, but I don't know. You know what sources you chose better than I do.
Shara.