Category Archives: HSIE
Australian Democracy
The Australian system of government is called a democracy. This system decides who holds power and influence in the ruling of our nation. ‘Democracy’ combines two shorter Greek words: ‘demos’ meaning citizen and ‘kratos’ meaning power or rule.
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s4460249.htm
View the slideshow. Why did Australia use parts from both the British and United States government systems? Which one do we appear to be closer to?
Parliament is a place where ministers and senators meet to represent the people of Australia and make laws. The power to make and manage these laws is separated between Parliament, the Executive and the Judiciary. This separation is very important. If a small group of people has all the power, they may make decisions and laws that are not helpful to the majority of our citizens. The three arms of the government make sure that the power is balanced and that the people are represented.
Your task:
In small ‘expert’ groups, create a poster to display in the classroom that summarises one of the following topics below.
- Parliament of Australia
- Separation of Powers
- The House of Representatives
- The Senate
Populate or Perish!
Setting the scene:
| World War II has just ended. Australia’s population had dropped, and we were under the threat of a potential Japanese invasion. Australia did not have the manpower or military strength to successfully defend Australia against Japan. The country needed a long-term strategy to ensure that all Australians could defend themselves. The Australian economy had suffered under the strains of war and conscription. Australia had two options: populate or perish. |
Option 1: A natural increase in population, where women would need to have more babies following the war. This did not boost the population enough.
Option 2: Initiate a migration program where immigrants were sent to Australia to boost our numbers.
Activity: Consider some immigration experiences of people who migrated to Australia during the Populate or Perish time. How did migration to Australia change their lives?
Discuss:
- Should immigration policies be used to boost Australia’s declining population? Why/why not?
- Despite being popular amongst Australian citizens, the government decided to end the White Australia policy. Can you think of some reasons why they may have done this?
- One Nation’s Multicultural policy is below. Why is the One Nation Party controversial? What do you think of this policy? “Immigration should address issues of social cohesion and migrants who choose Australia as their permanent homeland should, as a part of their decision to migrate, understand and embrace Australia’s cultural values, lifestyle, laws, freedoms and language.”
- Should people have to embrace cultural values of the country they live in, that may be vastly different from their own? Why / Why not?
- Is there any chance our society would revert to ‘whites only’ again? Explain your answer.
Bambooville: The best shopping in town
We created posters to advertise our community businesses.
We also made radio ads to persuade you to shop in our businesses.
Where would you go shopping in Bambooville, and why?
Technology in Action
We have been learning to use the free program Pic Collage on the Mini iPads. It was perfect for making posters to advertise our businesses. See how we are all being Active Learners!
New Neighbours
Bambooville has decided on a new neighbour to open a business. After thinking about the pros (good things) and cons (bad things) for a bank, restaurant, or café, most people voted for a supermarket.
Some pros were:
– Everyone needs food, so there will be more customers in town
– You can get money there like at a bank
– Customers might go shopping in our businesses when they buy their food
Some cons were:
– Food rubbish is smelly
– They might be too busy and people will have to wait
– There will be too many cars without parking, so we might have traffic problems
We can’t wait for opening day!
Storypath Communities
Stage 1 classes are investigating communities by developing their own businesses represented as part of a 3D art mural, and using drama strategies to develop characters of the employees. After building their knowledge about the role of businesses in a community, students will be confronted with realistic problems that they have to solve in the role of their employees. Some of the problems to be investigated involve how businesses can attract customers through advertising, and negotiating to decide how to fill an vacant lot.
Meet our communities, Wattle City, Bambooville, and Jacmore. They’re full of businesses such as stores, restaurants, banks, and train stations.
Emergencies
An emergency is a big problem where somebody needs help QUICKLY. We have emergency services to help at these times. The main ones are:
- Police – help if there has been a crime (somebody breaking the law)
- Fire Brigade – help if somebody needs to be rescued
- Ambulance Service – help is somebody is sick or injured
Learn more:
K Swan’s Community Artworks
Look at our pictures of buildings and city skyscrapers!
A city is a large community with lots of people and places.
Communication
As part of our learning about ourselves, Kindy are learning about communication. That means, ways to send messages. We can use our body, face, sounds, actions, and words to communicate. We can also use technology. On Friday, Kindy tried out email!
We can’t wait to try using this blog to communicate with each other by leaving comments to read and reply to!
What makes K Swan happy?
K Swan has been learning about feelings! These are the things that make us happy. 
Miss Wilson: I am happy when K Swan tries hard to do their work.
Lisa: I am happy when I have a birthday party.
Rowan: I am happy when I play with Harry.
Sarhan: I am happy when I am playing.
Toawaf: I am happy when I am at school.
Robera: I am happy when I am eating sandwiches.
Harry: I am happy when I play with Rowan.
Roger: I am happy when I am playing.
Georgia: I am happy when I play with Mary-Joyce and Elizabeth.
Zana: I am happy when I play with my cousins.
Mary-Joyce: I am happy when I play with my dog.
Yusra: I am happy when I play with my friends.
Jaida: I am happy when I go to the park.
Bianca: I am happy when it is my birthday.
Badr: I am happy when I win a race.
Ben: I am happy when it is the weekend because I can play with Toby.
Izaak: I am happy when we learn about the letters and the sound they make.
Elizabeth: I am happy when I play with my friends.
