Little J feels lucky when he wears a new pair of yellow undies. After Old Dog destroys them, he loses his confidence. Big Cuz saves the day with the remnants of the undies made into a sweat band, and Little J finds confidence to play the basketball game and win the day.

Engage - Posing questions about representations of place and sources

Theme - SYMBOL

After viewing Little J & Big Cuz, episode 1, ‘Lucky Undies’, engage students with the following activities to support their understanding of Little J’s sense of luck and superstition.

Quiz students on their favourite colours or have students respond to a Kahoot poll to see which colour is the class favourite. Develop a ladder chart with the most popular colour at the top and the least at the bottom.

Introduce the concept that colours can have different symbolic meanings in different cultures. The most meaningful colours are often the colours featured in the flags of each country. Have students list the countries of their parents/carers and/or grandparents, which is also part of their own cultural heritage.

Develop a chart listing the countries the students nominate. Ask students to research the country and find an image of the national flag. Print or have the students draw and colour the flag. Hang these flags with the name of the country on a line in the classroom.

Suggested resource:

• Flags of the World

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students could use the Aboriginal flag and/or the Torres Strait Islander flag, as well as the Australian flag, or that of another country.

Examine the following flags and discuss the symbolism of each flag, particularly the colours:

• Aboriginal Flag
• Torres Strait Islander Flag
• Flag Society of Australia Ltd

Ask students to consider that the Australian flag is made up of red, white and blue, yet the national representative colours are ‘Green and Gold’. Have students pose questions why there is a difference in the colours. Have the students suggest why green and gold are symbolic of Australia.

Invite students to redesign the Australian flag using the colours of ‘Green and Gold’. As an extension, students could also design a flag for their school.