Teaching and Learning Resources: Early Adolescence
Lesson plans
KLA-based lesson plans with a values focus (approximately 50 minutes in length) for secondary (Early Adolescence) students are available for downloading as PDF files below. Each lesson includes teaching and learning strategies with introductory activities to engage students, guided inquiry and culminating activities.
Early Adolescence
Topic description: Students begin by discussing the world’s energy needs and the impact that meeting them has on the environment. They then use interactive learning objects to gain background information on the use of wind power as an alternative to fossil fuels to help meet our energy needs. Working in groups, students investigate an aspect of the use of wind power and consider the issues surrounding its use on both the local and global community. The teams present their findings and opinions in a three-minute presentation to the class. Students consider the values that they can draw upon when considering environmental issues and the values implied when working in teams. They conclude by writing a letter to the Prime Minister arguing the case for or against the use of wind power based on the evidence they have collected and their values. | ||||||||||
Age | Explicit values focus | Key Learning Areas | ||||||||
12–15 years |
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Topic description: Students identify stereotypes of scientists by drawing them or using clip art or photos. They then conduct a Web search in teams to find scientists who don’t fit the profile and prepare a brief presentation to the class of one non-stereotypical scientist they found. They use the presentations to lead into a class discussion about how stereotyping arises and its effects on groups. The lesson concludes with the students writing a non-stereotypical entry for a ‘Scientist’ for Wikipedia. | ||||||||||
Age | Explicit values focus | Key Learning Areas | ||||||||
12–15 years |
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Topic description: Students discuss what being Australian means to them and then explore the diversity of Australian society by examining the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), 2001 Census – Basic Community Profiles. Working in teams, they download the appropriate spreadsheets from the ABS website and use the software to calculate percentages and create graphs to compare the data on Australia-wide, State and regional levels. Students discuss the requirements to compare data then develop suitable questions to compare their own class with the ABS data. They conduct a survey of class members and use spreadsheets to collate and display this data in graphical form and then compare it with Australian Bureau of Statistics data. The class discusses how the statistics the students gathered and the ABS statistics fit with their earlier picture of what being Australian means to them. Each team takes on a role as a community representative and prepares a report on future planning needs of their community, based on the statistics gathered which they present to the class. | ||||||||||
Age | Explicit values focus | Key Learning Areas | ||||||||
12–15 years |
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Topic description: Students will work in groups to identify the values implied in popular song lyrics and compare them to their own beliefs, values and actions. The lesson will conclude with a discussion of the values implied in the lyrics. | ||||||||||
Ages | Explicit values focus | Key Learning Areas | ||||||||
12–15 years | Depending on the songs chosen by the students any of the nine Values for Australian Schooling could be addressed:
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