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Topic 1 – Fairness

In this topic students identify situations that are fair and unfair, kind and unkind and reflect on those situations.

Last updated 12 July 2020

Foundation to Year 2 – Fairness, Topic 1 overview. Fairness is good for everyone. Learning intention: In this topic, students identify situations that are fair and unfair, kind and unkind reflect on.

Overview

Tax talk

Fairness is good for everyone.

Learning intention

In this topic, students:

  • identify situations which are fair and unfair, kind and unkind
  • reflect on their understanding of fairness in familiar contexts
  • demonstrate their understanding of fair and unfair and good and bad situations through performance
  • consider the actions needed to make unfair situations fair.

Focus questions

  • What is fairness?
  • What is kindness?

Activities

  1. Introduction – fair and unfair
  2. The do’s and don’ts of being fair – brainstorm
  3. The look, sound, feel and place of fair and unfair – X Chart
  4. Observing fair and unfair situations – fish Bowl
  5. Unfair situations – role play
  6. Reflection –fFreeze frame and thought tracking

Resources

Some resources are available as both a PDF and as accessible text. If a resource does not have a text version and you need an accessible version, email us at schoolseducationprogram@ato.gov.au  

Topic 1 resources

Australian curriculum connections

Content

  • English
  • HPE
  • The Arts

General capabilities

  • Literacy
  • Creative and Critical Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Ethical Understanding
  • Intercultural Understanding

Curriculum mapping

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Introduction – fair and unfair

  1. Share the ‘Fair or Unfair photo story’ with students (Resource 1 – PDF, 373KBThis link will download a file) and for each photo ask:      
    • Is this fair? Count the show of hands.
    • Is this kind? Count the show of hands.
  2. As students respond, put the photos on the board in two columns:      
    • Column 1 – photos that most students considered were fair and/or kind.
    • Column 2 – photos that most students considered were unfair and/or unkind.
  3. Show the photos that students identified as ‘fair’ or ‘kind’ and ask:      
    • What can you see happening?
    • Is this fair? Why/why not?
    • Is this kind? Why/why not?
    • What do you think the children might be thinking and feeling?
    • Is this good? Why/why not?
    • Is this right? Why/why not?
  4. Repeat this process for photos that students identified as being ‘unfair’ and ‘unkind’.
  5. Students choose one of the unfair situations and talk with a classmate about how they could turn it into a fair and kind situation.
  6. Students share answers with the class.

Teacher tip

Use your own photographs or select photographs from the photo story that your students will relate to.

The do's and don'ts of being fair – brainstorm

  1. Brainstorm the do’s and don’ts of being fair. Rephrase student answers if necessary.
  2. Record responses and display the list as a reminder.
  3. Go through each ‘Do’ on the class chart of ‘Do’s and Don’ts of being fair’ and ask:      
    • Can you hear these words when we talk about classroom rules? (Give an example of a classroom rule).
    • Can you hear these words when we talk about our school values? (Give an example of a school value).

The do's and don'ts of being fair

Do's

  • Listen to others
  • Tell the truth
  • Help others
  • Take turns
  • Play by the rules
  • Share
  • Be kind

Don'ts

  • Ignore others
  • Lie
  • Be unhelpful
  • Boss others
  • Cheat
  • Be selfish
  • Be unkind

The look, sound, feel and place of fair and unfair - X Chart

  1. Draw an X Chart on chart paper.
  2. Display ‘Feelings chart’ (Resource 2 – PDF, 117KBThis link will download a file)
  3. Ask:      
    • Where have you seen people choose
      to be fair?
    • What did fairness look like?
    • What did fairness sound like?
    • What did fairness feel like? (refer to ‘Feelings chart’)
  4. Record student responses on the X Chart.
  5. Repeat with 'unfair' and record responses in a different colour on the same X Chart.
  6. Display the X Chart in the classroom.

Teacher tip

Encourage students to use the feelings chart when they are describing emotions.

Observing fair and unfair situations – fish bowl

  1. Arrange the classroom so that there are 2–3 students in the middle with other students around the outside.
  2. Invite students in the middle to role play a fair situation. If they cannot think of one, use one of the ‘fair’ photos from (Resource 1 – PDF, 373KBThis link will download a file).
  3. Student choose someone in the photo and use dialogue, body language, facial expressions and voice tone to show the audience how they are feeling.
  4. Choose a second group to role play an unfair situation to the class (follow the same process as in step 2).
  5. Ask:      
    • What was the same about both role plays?
    • What was different about both role plays?
    • What do you think the characters in the ‘fair’ role play were feeling? How would you feel? Draw it.
    • What do you think the characters in the ‘unfair’ role play were feeling? How would you feel? Draw it.

Unfair situations – role play

This activity may contribute to student portfolios.

Use a grouping strategy to organise students into small groups to role play an unfair scenario. To prompt students’ thinking, you may provide examples. Alternatively, use photos from the photo story as prompts.

Examples of prompts

  • The teacher always asks the same people to help him/her.
  • You don’t get asked to answer questions even though you always raise your hand.
  • You ask if you can join in and play with two friends. They yell at you and tell you to go away.
  • Your friend does something wrong in class and blames you.
  • You are in the line at the tuckshop when someone pushes past you to get served sooner.
  • You get tripped over by another runner in a race, so she or he can win.
  • You get punished for something you didn’t do.

Reflection – freeze frame and thought tracking

This activity may contribute to student portfolios.

  1. Introduce the 'freeze' cue and model how students will freeze when asked.
  2. Students perform their role play in front of the class. During each role play, ask students to freeze at key moments.
  3. Tap a student on the shoulder and ask them to share the thoughts or feelings of their character.
  4. Take a photograph of each freeze frame.
  5. When every group has finished their performance, choose a couple of scenarios and discuss with the class what could be done to make each situation fair.
  6. Ask students:      
    • Do you think you worked well with your classmate to produce your role play?
    • Did you listen to each other and take turns?
    • Why are these behaviours important?
  7. Provide each student with thought bubbles and the photograph of their freeze frame.
  8. Ask students to describe how each character was feeling.
  9. Keep the annotated photographs for use in Topic 6.

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