Alisa Cleary from the Global Learning Centre gave a presentation on using children's literature to promote intercultural understanding. She discussed how stories can be used to explore issues in a safe way, see other perspectives, and support identity development. Specific strategies for reading the world through books included questioning characters, role playing, and addressing stereotypes. The presentation also covered how the Australian curriculum and Early Years Learning Framework emphasize intercultural understanding.

2. Reading the world – intercultural
understanding in the Australian
Curriculum & the EYLF.
Wednesday 12 March 2014
4.00 PM - 5:45 PM
Alisa Cleary
Global Learning Centre
Education Consultant

3. What’s your story?
Let’s play Gin Rummy…
On three small separate pieces of paper
(or sticky notes), write a couple of words
using the following categories.
1. Things I enjoy out of school
2. Places I have a connection with
3. My goals or ambition
Match or link your responses with group
members.
(Adapted from Teaching the Global Dimension - Key principles and
effective practice, edited by David Hicks and Cathie Holden, 2008:143)

4. Outcome – I learnt about Nena, I considered my own
characteristics and individuality, and I realise the many ways in
which we share interests or background.

5. • Explore difficult issues in a safe way,
• To see other people’s points of view,
• To see the world,
• To support children in developing their own personal
narratives,
• To identify with characters,
• Explore and develop attitudes and values,
• For enjoyment, it is ok to explore feelings,
• To develop verbal and visual literacy, critical thinking
skills,
• To empathise - get under the skin of others,
• To deal with difficult realties in a manageable and
non-threatening way.
What would you add to or change on the list?
Why use stories to explore issues?

6. • Issues are raised naturally as children try to make
sense of the world,
• To help them to reflect on their experiences,
• To support their intellectual development,
• As a way of valuing their concerns and taking them
seriously,
• To break down ignorance, prejudice and fear,
• To encourage them to question and develop critical
thinking,
• To build on discussions they have with parents at home,
• For developing self-confidence and give them the power
to change things,
• As an effective way of promoting equal opportunities,
• To prepare children as effective global citizens.
Why should we encourage young
children to talk about issues?
(Start with a Story - Supporting young children’s exploration of issues,
Teachers in Development Education, DEC, Birmingham, page 5)

7. The changing purposes of schooling
The Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals
for Young Australians 2008
Preamble continued
Global integration and international
mobility have increased rapidly in
the last decade. As a consequence,
new and exciting opportunities for
Australians are emerging. This
heightens the need to nurture an
appreciation of and respect for
social, cultural and religious
diversity, and a sense of global
citizenship.

8. Goal 2: All young Australians become successful
learners, confident and creative individuals, active and
informed citizens
2008
Melbourne
Declara-on
on
Educa-onal
Goals
for
Young
Australians.

9. The Australian Curriculum
P-10
• English, Mathematics, Science,
History
• Geography, Languages, The Arts
• Health and Physical Education, Design
and Technology, Economics/Business/
Civics and Citizenship

10. Cross-Curriculum Priorities
– Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Histories and Cultures
– Asia and Australia’s Engagement with
Asia
– Sustainability

11. General Capabilities

12. Intercultural Understanding
• Intercultural understanding encourages students
to make connections between their own worlds
and the worlds of others, to build on shared
interests and commonalities, and to negotiate
or mediate difference.
• It develops students’ abilities to communicate
and empathise with others and to analyse
intercultural experiences critically. It offers
opportunities for them to consider their own
beliefs and attitudes in a new light, and so gain
insight into themselves and others.
(Source: ACARA)

13. Expected Learning Outcomes in the Early
Years Learning Framework (EYLF) for
Australia.
1. Children have a strong sense of
identity
2. Children are connected with and
contribute to their world
3. Children have a strong sense of
wellbeing
4. Children are confident and involved
learners
5. Children are effective communicators.

14. Outcome 2: Children are connected with
and contribute to their world
a) Children develop a sense of belonging
to groups and communities and an
understanding of the reciprocal rights
and responsibilities necessary for
active community participation
b) Children respond to diversity with
respect
c) Children become aware of fairness
d) Children become socially responsible
and show respect for the environment

15. (b) Children respond to diversity with respect
This is evident, for example, when children-
• begin to show concern for others,
• explore the diversity of culture, heritage,
background and tradition and that
diversity presents opportunities for
choices and new understandings ,
• become aware of connections, similarities
and differences between people,
• listen to others’ ideas and respect
different ways of being and doing,
• practise inclusive ways of achieving
coexistence, and
• notice and react in positive ways to
similarities and differences among people.

16. But how do I achieve
this?

17. What is the GLC?
Not-for-profit community based organisation.
Offers:
• a professional library
• access to the Global Education Network
• curriculum materials and support for time
poor teachers
• the delivery of the Global Education Project in
Queensland.

18. GLC Digital/Online Resources
Scoop.It!
Tumblr
Pinterest
Facebook
Global
Learning
Centre
Twi@er

19. Global Education Project
www.globaleducation.edu.au/global-education/
what-is-global-ed.html

20. The Framework
The framework for global
education outlines the
values, knowledge,
skills, and opportunities
for action within five
interconnected learning
emphases and their
encompassing spatial
and temporal
dimensions.
(Quittner and Sturak, 2008:5)

21. Identity and cultural diversity
…an understanding of self and one’s own culture, and
being open to the cultures of others.
Cartoon
by
Nicholson
from
"The
Australian"
newspaper:
www.nicholsoncartoons.com.au

23. Let’s take a look at activities using picture books to read
the world.

24. The accompanying CD Rom

25. Inclusive Classrooms…creating an
environment for talk
• Sharing Circles: encourage interaction and
communication
• Home Corner: include utensils, clothing,
dolls, music, money, recipe books, children’s
comics and toys etc which represent a
variety of cultures including the backgrounds
of those in the class. Avoid gender
stereotyping.
• Display Materials: use posters, photos,
artwork that represent a diverse range of
places, people and cultures. Inflatable globes
and wall maps are useful. When displaying
learners’ work ensure that all are included
and all types of learning are represented.
(Thinking Globally, page 16-17)

26. Inclusive Classrooms continued
• Literacy Materials: include picture
storybooks, non-fiction books, videos,
DVD’s, CD-ROM’s, songs, rhymes,
games and puppets which reflect
diversity and represent a range of
cultural traditions and avoid stereotype.
• Learning Centers: include mystery
items and hobbies from a variety of
cultures, items made in various
countries, highlight the weather in
different parts of the world using maps,
clothing and activities.
(Thinking Globally, page 16-17)

27. Strategies for responding to global
issues in children’s literature
(Thinking Globally, page 19-21)
1. Three levels of questioning
2. Challenging stereotypes
3. Graffiti
4. Think, pair, share
5. Book reviewing
6. Dramatising the story
7. Story maps
8. Drawing and labeling pictures
9. Retelling a story
10. Questioning characters in a book
11. Speech bubbles
12. Excursions or visitors
13. Indigenous dreaming stories

28. (Thinking Globally, page 55)
Whoever you are & families

29. h@p://www.globalwords.edu.au/

31. (Thinking Globally, page 56-57)
My name & a right to a name

32. Appreciating the importance of a
name.
Name sharing - respond to any of the following
questions with another.
1. After whom were you named?
2. Do you like your name? Why or why not?
3. What’s the ethnic or language background of
your name?
4. Do you know what your name means?
5. Have you ever met anyone else with the same
first name?
6. What other names are in your family (sisters,
brothers, other relatives)?
(Source: Mara Sapon- Shevin, 2010:73)

33. • Hebrew origin - ‘great happiness’
• Hard to pronounce - Alicia, Alica, Aliza, Ailsa,
Alisha
• First memory at 12 years of meeting another
Alisa.
• Sisters - Katrina, Christina, Emma
(Source: http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning)
Alisa

35. 1. All children have the right to what follows, no matter what their race, colour
sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, or where they were born or
who they were born to.
2. You have the special right to grow up and to develop physically and spiritually
in a healthy and normal way, free and with dignity.
3. You have a right to a name and to be a member of a country.
4. You have a right to special care and protection and to good food, housing and
medical services.
5. You have the right to special care if handicapped in any way.
6. You have the right to love and understanding, preferably from parents and
family, but from the government where these cannot help.
7. You have the right to go to school for free, to play, and to have an equal
chance to develop yourself and to learn to be responsible and useful.
Your parents have special responsibilities for your education and guidance.
8. You have the right always to be among the first to get help.
9. You have the right to be protected against cruel acts or exploitation, e.g. you
shall not be obliged to do work which hinders your development both
physically and mentally.
You should not work before a minimum age and never when that would hinder
your health, and your moral and physical development.
10. You should be taught peace, understanding, tolerance and friendship among
all people.
Ten Rights of the Child

36. (Thinking Globally, page 64)
Discrimination

37. Role play
Enabling children to enter the world of a story and to
imagine what it might feel like to be one of the
characters.
‘ I’d like to ask’ … developing
questioning skills.
In groups children decide on questions they
would like to ask one of the characters in the
story. They put them to a child or a teacher,
who takes a ‘hot seat’, playing the part of
that character and answering the questions.
(Start with a Story - Supporting young children’s
exploration of issues, Teachers in Development
Education, DEC Birmingham, page 5)

38. Fair Skin Black Fella

39. h@p://www.creaJvespirits.info/
aboriginalculture/people/aboriginal-­‐
idenJty-­‐who-­‐is-­‐aboriginal#toc0

40. The
single
story
creates
stereotypes,
and
the
problem
with
stereotypes
is
not
that
they
are
untrue,
but
that
they
are
incomplete.
They
make
one
story
become
the
only
story.”
(Chimamanda
Ngozi
Adichie
)”

41. Interactive multimedia resource
A world of clothes - Year 3 & 4
Activity 1: Dressing up
Activity 2: Photo wardrobe
Activity 3: What clothes can I buy?
Activity 4: Clues within clothes
Activity 5: Voice Thread explorations
on clothing
Activity 6: Our clothes tell a story
Activity 7: What are stereotypes?
Activity 8: Recognising stereotypes
Activity 9: Taking action – Addressing
assumptions about clothing

42. Put yourself in the picture
Draw your portrait on a post-it note.
Place the portrait in the picture.
• What is like to be in the picture?
• What does it smell like?
• Look like?
• Sound like?
What questions would you like to ask the
other people in the picture?
(Thinking Globally, page 20-21)

43. (Source: Gabiann Marin, 2009)

44. http://www.globaleducation.edu.au/

45. Taking Flight…
Have you ever moved? How did you feel
about moving?
(Thinking Globally, page 107)

46.
h@p://www.literacyshed.com/

47. h@p://www.prejudicenoway.com.au/

48. h@p://en.childrenslibrary.org/

49. http://www.worldstories.org.uk/
home/home

50. h@p://www.globalkidsoz.com.au/

51. Some tips on selecting appropriate texts:
• Texts should be representative of
languages spoken at home and in
the community.
• Books need to depict a variety of
family structures, ethnicities,
cultures and ages (including the
elderly). Contemporary as well as
traditional perspectives are
important.
• Books should show men and
women engaged in different
activities at home, work and
leisure.
• Texts that challenge stereotypes
and bias, such as The Paper Bag
Princess (Robert Munsch) are a
worthwhile inclusion.
• Look for literature that embeds
cross-cultural friendships in
naturalistic ways.

52. March Membership Madness – 25%
Discount
Individual: $35/$26
School/Preschool: $85/$64
Got
to
www.glc.edu.au/
join_us
Code:
MARCH
14

53. Contact Us
102 MacDonald Road
Windsor
Ph: 3857 6666
Fax: 3857 6655
Email: glc@glc.edu.au
Website: www.glc.edu.au
Alisa
alisa.cleary@glc.edu.au
Karena
karena.menzie@glc.edu.au
Laura
laura.broadbent@glc.edu.au
Nena
(teacher/librarian)
nena.morgante@glc.edu.au