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Learning & Teaching

Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden

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Inquiry Units - Semester 1 2025

 

As per our school’s Curriculum Plan and Policy, the core Curriculum Areas of Religious Education, English and Mathematics are complemented by the delivery of an integrated unit of work using an inquiry approach.  

 

Each year level’s integrated Inquiry Units will encompass the General Capabilities as well as several discipline-based curriculum areas from the Victorian Curriculum, such as History, Geography, Civics & Citizenship, Economics & Business.

 

This semester, our whole school Inquiry concept is: HARMONY

 

In order to plan engaging learning experiences and meaningful units of work, staff commenced the planning process in November last year.  The voice of students and staff were considered prior to more in-depth planning of our Inquiry units.

“Student Voice” was collated by classroom teachers, specifically through class discussions about the concept of HARMONY and explicitly planned activities where students shared their prior knowledge of various topics that may be covered in our units.

Here is a snapshot of each level’s Inquiry units for Semester 1 2025:

 

Prep

Title: I Belong!

Compelling Questions: 

  • Who am I?
  • How are we connected?

Key Topics & Understandings:

  • Culture - songs, rhymes, artwork, dance from other cultures
  • Belonging - groups I belong to, groups my family belongs to, God’s family
  • Family - family structure, family tree, family history, background/origin
  • Celebrations - family celebrations, different cultural celebrations, past celebrations (i.e. Passover)
  • Diversity - respecting differences, recognising similarities, inclusion

Understandings:

  • We are different but the same in many ways.
  • I belong to my school and family
  • I can have lots of different emotions

Year 1/2

Title: Our Harmonious Stories

Compelling Questions: 

  • What is your story?

Key Topics & Understandings:

  • Celebrations - meals, liturgical, family, church, school, achievements, Harmony Day, NAIDOC Week, Easter
  • Family - history, traditions, culture, language, meals, connections, beliefs, past and present, relationships, connection to place, celebrations
  • Traditions - food, events, language
  • Change - past and present, roles of family, technology, daily life
  • Stories - Dreamtime, way of explaining our world, different cultures, bible, our stories, family stories, history, timeline

Understandings:

  • I can share my own stories with others
  • I can explain how to show respect for all people
  • I can identify different cultures and what makes them special

Year 3/4

Title: Living Harmoniously

Compelling Questions: 

  • What does Harmony look like in Australia between states, groups and Indigenous groups?

Key Topics & Understandings:

  • Acceptance of other cultures
  • Understanding of how cultures celebrate and why
  • Inquiring into the perspectives of the First Peoples of Australia
  • Respecting our First Peoples of Australia

Understandings:

  • That harmony is including others so that we can get along and create happiness as a group
  • That different cultures around the world celebrate differently

Year 5/6

Title: Journeys & Connections: How Migrations Shapes Australia and the World

Compelling Questions: 

 

Term 1: History and Civics and Citizenship

  • "Why do people migrate, and how do their journeys shape societies?"
  • "How have different migrant groups contributed to the story of Australia?"
  • "What role does law and citizenship play in building inclusive communities?"

 

Term 2: Geography and Economics and Business

  • "How do people and places around the world influence each other?"
  • Blue Zones
  • "What makes countries and communities similar and different?"
  • "How do we balance needs, wants, and resources in a connected world?"

Key Topics & Understandings:

  • Compassion:  Demonstrating kindness and empathy towards others in actions and attitudes.
  • Diversity:  Recognizing the richness and challenges brought by cultural differences and traditions.
  • Unity:  Working collaboratively and building inclusive communities.
  • Justice:  Exploring fairness and equity in policies and treatment of migrants, refugees, and Indigenous peoples.
  • Interconnection:  Examining how migration shapes and is shaped by global and local communities, economies, and environments.

Understandings:

  • I understand that people move to new places for different reasons, and it can bring both challenges and new opportunities.
  • I know that having people from different backgrounds helps make our communities stronger and more peaceful.
  • I can see how migration has shaped Australia’s history and will continue to shape its future.