We recently received some feedback that teachers are finding our lesson plans useful.
We can send you these in a word document which is easier to use.
Just write to rosemarypattison@yahoo.com.au for a copy :)))
Tag Archives: social conscience
taking a check on our consumerism
Lesson plan – taking a check on our consumerism
Book “George went to see the Prime Minister”
Concept:
Raising awareness of our own consumerism. We are inundated with advertising from the internet, TV, and bill boards. We are hugely influenced in the way in which we purchase our food, clothes, toys, furniture, cars and everything!
In the story, “George went to see the Prime Minister”, George is addicted to buying clothes. At one stage in the story she stops and thinks about what she is doing, and decides that there are better ways to spend her time.
Lesson plan
As a group, read “George went to see the Prime Minister”
Bring to class lots of advertisements from magazines, the internet or anywhere, that are suitable to your students’ level – G rated. Divide the students into groups of 3 or 4 and ask them to fill out the following worksheet:
Who is the advertisement aimed at (who is the audience, who will read it)?
Is it selling something? What is it selling?
What is the advertisement is intending to do?
What is it trying to make us believe?
We will get more friends if we buy their product?
Will we be more famous if we buy it?
Bring the class back together and ask each group to discuss their answers.
(This concept can be revisited weekly, as students bring more examples to the classroom).
Family activity – taking a check on our consumerism
Book “George went to see the Prime Minister”
Concept:
Raising awareness of our own consumerism. We are inundated with advertising from the internet, TV, and bill boards. We are hugely influenced in the way in which we purchase our food, clothes, toys, furniture, cars and everything!
In the story, “George went to see the Prime Minister”, George is addicted to buying clothes. At one stage in the story she stops and thinks about what she is doing, and decides that there are better ways to spend her time.
As a family, read “George went to see the Prime Minister”
It is great to be on the spot as advertisements come on the TV to discuss. You can also pick out appropriate advertisements from magazines, the internet or anywhere, that are suitable to your family. Let the adults in the family share appropriate stories of how they are targeted (cars, etc) by advertisers and how they may be influenced to keep up with certain important peer groups. Discuss the following:
Who is the advertisement aimed at (who is the audience, who will read it)?
Is it selling something? What is it selling?
What is the advertisement is intending to do?
What is it trying to make us believe?
We will get more friends if we buy their product?
Will we be more famous if we buy it?
Keep revisiting this concept, building on examples, and raising awareness
Looking after our planet – family activity
Concept:
Focusing on the need to be continually looking after our planet and thinking about the future.
In our story, “George and the problem of food” the friends worked for many long hours and for days and nights to fix the problem of food. It was such an effort that they decided to work on the problem of food more often.
As a family, read “George and the problem of food”.
If you don’t have a vegetable garden at home, it is a good idea to create one. Just creating a vegetable patch applies the learning. Your children will be able to plant vegetables and watch them grow. If you already have vegetables growing, then discuss the following:
- What vegetables are growing?
- When will each of them be ready to eat?
- Create a calendar and write in (or draw) the vegetables that will be ready to eat on each month
- Select a month when nothing will be ready to eat
- Select and plant a vegetable that will be ready to eat in that month
If a vegetable garden is not an option for you, then you could think of planting herbs in pots, or alfalfa sprouts
Looking after our planet – lesson plan
Hey teachers, here’s a great way to engage your students to care about our planet:
Concept:
Focusing on the need to be continually looking after our planet and thinking about the future.
In our story, “George and the problem of food” the friends worked for many long hours and for days and nights to fix the problem of food. It was such an effort that they decided to work on the problem of food more often.
Lesson plan
As a group, read George and the problem of food.
If you don’t have a vegetable garden for your class, it is a good idea to create one. Just creating a vegetable patch applies the learning. Your students will be able to plant vegetables and watch them grow. If you already have vegetables growing, then to apply the learning follow these steps:
- Do an audit of the vegetables growing
- What is currently growing in the patch?
- When will each of the different varieties be ready to eat?
- Create a class calendar and write in (or draw) the vegetables that will be ready to eat on each month
- Select a month when nothing will be ready to eat
- Select and plant a vegetable that will be ready to eat in that month
If a vegetable garden is not an option for you, then you could think of planting herbs in pots, or alfalfa sprouts!
