Activity 2

Name: Creation of a school flag.

Level: Year level 3.
Learning area: History.
Context: Whole class, group and individual work.

Activity description
This activity has been designed for students to discover the history of the Australian flag. Students will
research the meaning of the Australian flag through a variety of different websites. They will use these
websites to formulate their own understandings of what the Australian flag means to Indigenous people.
The students will then research the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags and will look at the
similarities and differences in the meaning of the symbols and colours on each of the flags and add this to
the venn diagram. Once student have the background knowledge of the flags they will be asked to
individually create their own inclusive school flag. They will justify their decisions for each element of their
design and share it with the class. The class will then vote on their favourite flag design which will be
displayed in the classroom. This activity will foster compassion and empathy towards Indigenous people
and their importance in Australian history. Additionally this activity will promote students to be inclusive
and accepting of all cultures which encompass Australia.

Activity process and questions

1. To orientate students to the activity the teacher will introduce the shoebox filled with Australian
symbols.
2. The teacher will ask two students to come up and feel what is inside the shoebox. After 30 seconds
she will ask the students what they think is in the box.
3. The students will need to guess what is in the box and what the meanings of the items are.
4. The items will then be revealed and discussed.
5. The teacher will leave the Australian flag to the end and pose the following questions.
o What symbols are displayed on the Australian flag?
o What do these symbols mean to Australia?
o Does the union jack connect with Indigenous culture?
o How do you think Indigenous people feel about the Australian flag?
o How can we make the Australian flag more inclusive?
6. Following this the students will be asked to research the symbols and meaning behind the
Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags using the websites provided and formulate a
venn diagram (or alternatively they can use popplet to create a concept map).
7. Once the students have gained their background knowledge on each of the flags the students will
be asked to incorporate these ideas and create a school flag.
8. Students will have the option to hand make their flag, or alternatively they could use a program of
their choice (Microsoft paint, Microsoft word) to create their design.
9. Once students have completed their flag they will need to upload an image of it onto the ThingLink
website and provide an explanation and justification for each of their symbols by adding tags and
notes to their flag design.
10. The students will then present their flag to the rest of the class through ThingLink and the class will
take a vote of their favourite.

Student background knowledge

Students have an understanding of:
o What a symbol is and all symbols have different meanings.
o The meaning of inclusive and why it is important to be inclusive.
Amy Gampe S00040034

Page 1

o How to use a venn diagram and it purpose in finding logical relationships in information (Year 2
ACHHS054).
o Identifing and comparing objects from the past and present (Year 2 ACHHS051).
o Using technologies to explore information from the past (Year 2 ACHHS050).

Learning objectives
By the end if this activity students will have the ability to:
1. Identify the symbols on the Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags.
2. Explain what the symbols on the Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flag represent.
3. Create an inclusive school flag which incorporates all Australians symbols and cultures.
4. Justify what symbols were incorporated on the flag and why they were selected.
5. Clarity why it is important to be inclusive and incorporate Indigenous perspectives on the school
flag.

Learning intensions
In the activity today we will be learning:
1. The meaning of national symbols.
2. The significance of the Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags.
3. What the Australian flag means to Indigenous people.
4. When we fly particular flags and the reason behind this.
5. What an inclusive school flag should look like and represent.

Curriculum content descriptions

History:
Historical knowledge and understanding: Community and remembrance:
o Days and weeks celebrated or commemorated in Australia (including Australia Day, ANZAC Day,
Harmony Week, National Reconciliation Week, NAIDOC week and National Sorry Day) and the
importance of symbols and emblems (ACHHK063).
Elaborations:
o Identifying and discussing the historical origins of an important Australian celebration or
commemoration.
o Generating a list of local, state and national symbols and emblems (for example club emblems,
school logos, flags, floral emblems, coat of arms) and discussing their origins and significance.
o Examining the symbolism of flags (for example the Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander flags) and recognising special occasions when they are flown (for example all three flags
are flown during NAIDOC week, National Reconciliation Week, National Sorry Day and MABO day).
Historical skills: Perspectives and interpretations:
o Identify different points of view (ACHHS069).
Elaborations:
o Identifying the meaning of celebrations from different perspectives (for example Australia Day for
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples compared with other Australians).
English:
Literacy: Creating texts:
o Use software including word processing programs with growing speed and efficiency to construct
and edit texts featuring visual, print and audio elements (ACELY1685).
Elaborations:
o Using features of relevant technologies to plan, sequence, compose and edit multimodal texts.

Amy Gampe S00040034

Page 2

General capabilities
Literacy:
o Students will use their literacy skills to justify the symbols and elements that they have
incorporated on their school flag. They will add this written information to their flag on the
ThingLink application.
Information and communication technology (ICT) capability:
o There are a variety of ICT opportunities through popplet, ThingLink and informational websites, for
students to enhance their knowledge of the topic and their ICT skills throughout this activity.
Critical and creative thinking:
o Students will be using their critical and creative thinking when designing their own school flag. They
will use the information they have gained throughout their research and will incorporate symbols
from a variety of different cultures onto their school flag.
Personal and social capability:
o Students will work collaboratively throughout the research process of this activity and will use each
others skills and understating to create a joint venn diagram.
Ethical understanding:
o This activity will assist students to understand the ethical issue the Australian flag has on the
Indigenous people of Australia and understand ways in which this can be improved.
Intercultural understanding:
o This activity will foster intercultural understanding of Indigenous Australians and will also promote
inclusion and respect for different cultures that encompass our country.

Cross curriculum
Aboriginal and Torrs Strait Islander histories and cultures:
o Indigenous histories and cultures has been the underpinning theme throughout this activity.
Learning about Aboriginal and Torrs Strait Islander histories and cultures through symbols will be an
engaging way for students to discover the meaning and importance of the original Australian
people (OI.4, OI.5).

ICT processes and skills

To complete the activity students will need to have:
o Basic operational skills.
o Efficient use of the internet.
o Navigation capability.
o Ability to take and upload photos.

Assessment for, as and of learning

Assessment for learning:
o During the activity a venn diagram has been incorporated for students to organise the information
they have gained throughout the exploration stage of the activity. This will provide the teacher with
an indication of how students are grasping the topic.
o Questioning techniques have also been used throughout the activity to extend students thinking
process during the creation of their school flag.
Assessment as learning:
o Throughout this activity the teacher will target specific students and ask them to set a goal on how
many symbols that they will research during this activity. This will allow the teacher to challenge
particular students to push themselves throughout the task.
Assessment of learning:
o The final assessment task for this activity is to create a school flag design which students will
present to the class. This activity will allow the teacher to recognise those students who effectively
understood the task.
Amy Gampe S00040034

Page 3

Risk assessment
o Throughout this activity students must follow the school and classroom rules.
o Students must not consume food or drink when using the laptops or iPads.

Materials and resources

Shoe box filled with Australian symbols:
A shoe box, boomerang, toy koala, vegemite, wattle and Australian flag will need to be sourced for this
activity.

Educational websites:
A variety of educational websites about Australian symbols have been selected to inform students about
the Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags.
o http://www.convictcreations.com/research/symbols.html
o http://www.about-australia.com/facts/australia-flags-emblems/
o http://www.naidoc.org.au/indigenous-australian-flags
o http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3681106.htm
Venn diagram:
During this activity students will have the option to create a hand written venn diagram to organise the
information they have gained during their research on the three flags. Or alternatively they can use the
popplet program and develop their own graphic organiser.

Amy Gampe S00040034

Page 4

ThingLink:
This application has been selected for students to use to display their new Australian flag with a
justification for each symbol they have created. This will be available for all students to see and share
information.

Differentiation of learning
Blooms taxonomy:
o A variety of higher order thinking questions will be asked throughout the activity. These questions
will allow the teacher to gain an understanding of how the students are progressing through the
activity and provide an opportunity to extend students higher order thinking skills (Whitton, Barker,
Nosworthy, Sinclair & Nanlohy, 2010).
Multiple intelligences:
o A variety of intelligences have been incorporated throughout this activity, which include visual,
linguistic, musical, tactical, interpersonal and intrapersonal. These learning domains will allow each
student to connect with the learning outcomes of the activity in a variety of different ways
(Armstrong, 2009).
Discovery learning:
o During this activity students will be provided with a number of websites that they will use to
discover their information about the symbols found on the Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander flags (Foster, 1972).
Collaborative learning:
o Students will be arranged in mixed ability groups to ensure that all students are being supported by
their peers throughout the learning experience (Loreman, Deppeler & Harvey, 2011).

Evaluation
o
o
o
o
o

Was this hands-on approach to learning engaging and educational?

Were all learners effectively catered for throughout the activity?
Were the questions asked effective in extending students higher order thinking?
Is there anything that can be improved to enhance students learning of the concept?
Did the assessment strategies display students knowledge and understanding of the activity?

References
ABC. (2015). Flag debate. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3681106.htm
About Australia Pty Ltd. (2015). Australias flags and emblems. Retrieved from http://www.aboutaustralia.com/facts/australia-flags-emblems/
Armstrong, T. (2009). Multiple intelligences in the classroom (3rd ed.). Alexandria VA: Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority. (n.d.). Australian Curriculum. Retrieved from
http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/
Australian Government. (2014). Indigenous Australian flags. Retrieved from
http://www.naidoc.org.au/indigenous-australian-flags
Convict Creations. (n.d.). Symbols of Australia. Retrieved from
http://www.convictcreations.com/research/symbols.html
Amy Gampe S00040034

Page 5

Foster, J. (1972). Discovery learning in the primary school. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
Loreman, T., Deppeler, J., & Harvey, D. (2011). Inclusive education: Supporting diversity in the classroom (2
ed.). Crows Nest: NSW: Allen & Unwin.
Notion Inc. (2013). Popplet for school: For learning in the classroom and at home. Retrieved from
http://popplet.com/
Whitton, D., Barker, K., Nosworthy, M., Sinclair, C., & Nanlohy, P. (2010). Learning for teaching: Teaching
for learning (2nd ed.). Melbourne, VIC: Cengage Learning Australia Pty Limited.

Amy Gampe S00040034

Page 6