When B-Boy comes to stay overnight, Little J becomes envious of the attention he is getting from everyone. Out walking on Country, Nanna, Little J, Big Cuz and B-Boy find an injured joey. Uncle Mick, a Search and Rescue officer, tells them how to care for the joey that they name ‘Hopalong’. The children feed and look after Hopalong until Mick finds him a place in a wildlife shelter.

Elaborate - Recognise similarities and differences in individuals and groups, and explore how these are celebrated and respected

Theme - BELONGING

As a class, brainstorm a list of the different types of groups that people might belong to, for example: sporting teams; clubs; grades and classes; different suburbs, streets, towns; people with black hair, short hair, curly hair, etc.; people with similar ancestry, languages, and religions/beliefs.

Develop an extensive list of the types of groups students and their families could identify with. Have students list all their connections to place, ancestry, language spoken, beliefs, etc. Once individual students have developed their own connections, focus on the various types of grouping. Lay multiple hoops on the floor and label each hoops with a different type of grouping (those appearing in the students’ personal list). Ask students to move to the group they identified as belonging to. Have students note how many different groups they identify with. They should also note how many other students also identify as belonging to the same group/s. When students belong to more than one group, ask the students whether they can think of a way of showing that they identify with more than one group. This may lead to a discussion and the use of a Petal diagram to show the multiple connects individuals have.

Access a ‘Three monkeys’ image such as this one:

• 'Monkey see, Monkey do' emoji

Explain to students what each emoji means.

• What do you HEAR when a group belongs together?
• What do you SAY (or SING) when a group belongs together?
• What do you SEE when a group belongs together?

Provide a chart diagram with each of the emoji’s and ask students to respond to the three questions in relation to three of the groupings they belong to.

Show students the following flags:

• Australian National Flag
• Aboriginal Flag
• Torres Strait Islander Flag

In groups, brainstorm how flags symbolise a particular group and how the flag designs use emblems and symbols to represent each group. Analyse the symbols on the Australian national flag, the state flag where the students live, the Aboriginal flag, and Torres Strait Islander flag. Have students suggest how the symbols use represent themselves.

Alternatively, examine the designs of Australian currency (or stamps), past and present. Explore how the designs symbolise the important flora, fauna, people, and places of Australia. Invite students to design a coin that represents their ideas of belonging to a community in Australia. Suggested resources:

• Banknotes of the Australian dollar
• Coins of the Australian dollar

Have students design either a flag, a note or coin, or a stamp that represents their community; where they belong. Discuss how students can use emblems of flora, fauna, landmarks, sporting equipment, text/language, etc. Display the designs and have students share their stories of what their flag, note, or coin means to them.