Anzac Stories is a series of six documentary vignettes in which family members pay tribute to their loved ones whose stories are featured at the acclaimed National Anzac Centre in Albany, Western Australia.
The Centre is one of Australia’s most important cultural pilgrimages. It overlooks King George Sound from where nearly 40,000 Australians and New Zealanders departed by convoy for the battlefields.
Anzac Stories covers a range of wartime experiences including those of an army chaplain, nursing sister and military commander. We follow their remarkable journeys from enlistment to the battlefields and life after the war.
The Anzac Stories series and study guide are suitable for primary and secondary students, for use as a stand-alone classroom activity or with a visit to the National Anzac Centre. They are designed to support the Australian History curriculum, particularly for Years 5, 6, 9 and 10.
Family Rules Season 2 is an observational documentary series following the everyday triumphs and misfortunes of the Rule sisters as they balance their aspirations with the values of their mother, Daniella. This series provides an exclusive look into a contemporary Indigenous Australian family, which includes the familiar issues that face all families during adolescence, young adult life and parenthood.
In season two the lives of mother, Daniella, and the younger and middle Rule sisters, Hannah, Jessica, Aleisha, Sharna, Kelly and Kiara are the focus, while elder sisters Shenika and Angela are always on hand to give advice on their endless exploits.
The series’ overarching narrative is underpinned by individual episodes, each with their own escalating conflicts and ultimate resolutions. Running throughout is the thread of the personal journey of Daniella trying to find time for herself and juggle family obligations. Each episode focuses on a particular family member, giving an insight into challenges common to many women. The episodes are stand-alone, but build an overall picture of the concerns of the thoroughly contemporary Rule family. The series concludes with the matriarch of the family, Daniella, who says she’s not superwoman – even though everyone says she is.
The two youngest girls – Jessica and Hannah – are consumed by their adolescent dilemmas, Aleisha, sister number seven, is struggling to work out what to do with her life now school is finished and the three middle girls – Kelly, Kiara and Sharna – have returned home and are trying to navigate their early twenties alongside their frustrating but lovable younger sisters. Elder sisters Shenika and Angela attempt to keep their younger sisters in line for the sake of their mother, while she is looking forward to seeing all her daughters on the family’s ‘graduation wall’ and to finally doing something for herself. Navigating life in a family with nine sisters presents its own unique challenges and when Daniella is suddenly not at their beck and call, everyone has something to say about it.
Curriculum links
Family Rules Season 2 is most suitable for Middle and Senior Secondary Students (Years 9 – 12).
The series includes some low level swearing. It is recommended that teachers view the series before showing it to students. The issues explored could also make the documentary suitable for screening to younger students taking part in targeted personal learning programs.
General understandings addressed in the documentary:
• Adolescent injuries • Personal journeys • Contemporary family life • Relationships and support
Summary of links to the National Curriculum:
Learning areas
• English • Health and PE • Media • Drama
General Capabilities
• Personal and social capability • Intercultural understanding Cross Curriculum Priorities • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures
ATOM study guide
An ATOM Study Guide has been created for ‘Family Rules Season 2’ and is available to download here.
The apocalyptic group The Family and their guru, Anne Hamilton-Byrne – one of few female cult leaders – captured international headlines throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Hamilton-Byrne, a yoga teacher who some followers believed was Jesus Christ in a female form, was glamorous, charismatic and as many allege, a dangerous psychopath. From her base in the hills above Melbourne, she recruited wealthy professionals to join her cult, including psychiatrists, doctors, lawyers, nurses, architects and scientists.
The series spans over half a century, digging deep into the cult of The Family and its duplicitous, alluring leader. At the heart of her cult was a dark and terrible secret – a bizarre experiment to raise a ‘master race’ of children who would save the world after Armageddon. Along with her husband Bill, Anne was able to collect numerous children – some through adoption scams, some born to cult members and others unwittingly handed over by single mothers – to raise as their own. Home-schooled in an isolated compound, dressed identically and with dyed blonde hair, these regimented children were controlled by a group of ‘Aunties’ under Anne’s supervision. In 1987, after one of the children escaped, police and community services raided The Family’s lakeside compound.
The children recount terrible stories of near starvation, emotional manipulation, physical abuse and dosing with LSD and tranquillisers, but Anne cannot be found.
Her disappearance sparks an international police hunt. Can she be brought to justice? Despite Operation Forest, a five-year police investigation over three continents, Anne walks away without a jail sentence and just a paltry $5,000 fine. How did she get off so lightly? How did Anne maintain a hold over her followers? And how did such a notorious group come to flourish?
The series tracks Operation Forest as it tries to uncover who Anne really was and how she recruited Dr Raynor Johnson, respected Melbourne University College Master, to co-found the cult. It investigates the role of Newhaven, a private psychiatric hospital that Anne used as a cult recruiting ground.
The series features interviews with Peter Spence, Head of Operation Forest, and Marie Mohr, whose unflinching work as an investigative journalist forced Anne and members of the cult into the headlines.
At the heart of the series is the story of former Detective Lex de Man, who wrote the report that triggered Operation Forest and has supported survivors in their fight for justice right to the present day.
The series excavates the evidence gathered by police and takes testimony from cult survivors, their relatives and those who are only now prepared to speak on the record. It probes the psychology of love and loyalty, power and betrayal, justice and truth to address the question – how did she get away with it?
Drawing on revelatory new research including police interviews, cult movie footage and interviews with survivors, The Cult of The Family tells the strange and shocking story of one of the most bizarre cults in modern history.
Curriculum Links:
The Cult of The Family is suitable for secondary students in Years 10–12 studying English, Ethics, Health and Human Development, Legal Studies, Media, Psychology and Sociology.
ENGLISH:
The Cult of The Family can be used as an individual or supplementary text. Students should study texts that explore ethical dilemmas in real-world settings. It is also recommended that students have access to non-fiction texts that represent a synthesis of information from credible and verifiable sources. Activities in this study guide provide opportunities for students to:
identify and discuss key aspects of the documentary;
comprehend, appreciate and analyse the way in which the documentary is constructed and may be interpreted;
construct spoken, written and multimodal responses to the documentary.
LEGAL STUDIES:
The Cult of The Family can be used to investigate the ways in which the law and the legal system relate to and serve individuals, particularly children, and the community. In addition, the documentary can be used to study the administration of justice. Activities in this study guide provide opportunities for students to:
understand how laws are used by society to preserve social cohesion, and to ensure the protection of people from harm and from the infringement of their rights;
acquire an understanding of legal rights, responsibilities and ways in which individuals can engage in the legal system;
understand the need for effective laws and legal processes;
apply legal reasoning and decision-making to contemporary cases and issues;
engage in analysis and evaluation of existing legal processes and form opinions about the operation of the legal system.
MEDIA:
The Cult of The Family can be used to study the documentary’s representation of events, people, organisations, places and ideas. Activities in this study guide provide opportunities for students to:
understand the codes and conventions that are used to construct media narratives;
analyse media narratives to understand how meaning is constructed and how audiences are engaged;
learn that media narratives are created through a process of selection, construction and representation;
analyse and discuss the selection of images, words, sounds and ideas and the ways in which these are presented, related and ordered;
understand how media representations are subject to multiple readings by audiences who construct meaning based on a range of personal, contextual, social and institutional factors.
PSYCHOLOGY:
The Cult of The Family can be used to study aspects of social psychology by examining interpersonal and group behaviour. It is generally accepted that a key factor in the psychological well-being of individuals depends on the extent to which the need for affiliation is met – a sense of belonging and connectedness whether it be to family, a group, a school or workplace, or a wider community. Activities in this study guide provide opportunities for students to:
explain how attitudes are formed and changed;
analyse how behaviour and perceptions of self and others are shaped by social and cultural influences including the attitudes and behaviours of groups;
discuss the factors that affect the behaviour of individuals and groups;
understand the interplay of factors that shape the behaviour of individuals and groups.
SOCIOLOGY:
The Cult of The Family can be used to study human behaviour and in particular, the social institution of The Family and the purpose and experiences of family life portrayed in the documentary. In addition, the documentary can be used to study concepts of deviance and crime. The study of deviance and crime from a sociological perspective involves ascertaining the types and degree of rule-breaking behaviour, examining traditional views of criminality and deviance and analysing why people commit crimes or engage in deviant behaviour. Activities in this study guide provide opportunities for students to:
consider definitions of family and key influences on family life;
examine the ways people create and experience family life;
analyse the institution of family;
explain the role that family plays in terms of influencing the values and behaviours of family members;
explore the concepts of deviance and crime;
investigate the threat a subculture or group may pose to the social values and culture of broader society.
Teachers are advised to consult the Australian Curriculum online and curriculum outlines relevant to their state or territory for further information.
The series is also a valuable resource for students undertaking certificate and tertiary courses in Children and Family Services, Community Services, Psychology, Sociology, Social Work and Media, Film and Journalism.
Across Australia, as the dawn rises the marsupials go to bed – except for the ones that don’t. In this land of ancient wonders, big skies and jewelled seas, rules can be broken as the country boasts of splendid dragons, saltwater monsters and dancing spiders.
Magical Land of Oz offers a blue-chip, continent-wide series ranging from the land’s highest snow peaks to the depths of the frigid and wild southern seas; from its last populations of wild numbats to its largest diorama of giant cuttlefish. It’s a land of diverse beauty that delights and surprises. The series both entertains and deepens our understanding of how the natural world is made up of not just unique species, but distinct individuals, whose lives are far from predictable.
Using the latest camera technology we capture animal populations only recently discovered and unfamiliar behaviours of species we thought we knew well. We meet animal characters so enigmatic, most Australians are unaware they share not just their island continent but also their own suburban backyards.
We reveal the challenges these animals must navigate in a land of extremes and the intense human-induced change they must cope with in order to survive. Magical Land of Oz fills the screen with colour, dance, acrobatics, music, mating and murder as we witness animals in their natural habitat, making Australia a truly spellbinding place.
The stage is set for the story to begin…
Curriculum Links
Magical Land of Oz is suitable for students undertaking:
Science (Years 1–10)
Humanities and Social Sciences (Years 1–7)
Geography (Year 10)
Mathematics (Years 7 and 8)
The cross-curricular priorities related to the series are:
Sustainability
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures
As a curriculum resource in Science, Magical Land of Oz is primarily relevant to the Biological Sciences strand of ‘Science Understanding’. Investigations and observations suggested by the program allow students to develop ‘Science Inquiry Skills’, while connections to questions of sustainability and conservation ensures that this resource is also applicable to the ‘Science as a Human Endeavour’ criterion.
As a curriculum resource in Humanities and Social Science, Magical Land of Oz is primarily relevant to the Geography strand of ‘Knowledge and Understanding’. The questions of habitats, conservation and human intervention also presents students with the opportunity for students to demonstrate the qualities described in the ‘Inquiry and Skills’ descriptor of this subject.
Teachers are advised to consult the Australian Curriculum online and curriculum outlines relevant to their state or territory for further information.
Living things have a variety of external features (ACSSU017)
Living things live in different places where their needs are met (ACSSU211)
Living things grow, change and have offspring similar to themselves (ACSSU030)
Science Inquiry Skills:
Pose and respond to questions, and make predictions about familiar objects and events (ACSIS024/ACSIS037)
Compare observations with those of others (ACSIS213/ACSIS041)
Represent and communicate observations and ideas in a variety of ways (ACSIS029/ACSIS042)
Years 3 and 4
Science Understanding:
Living things can be grouped on the basis of observable features and can be distinguished from non-living things (ACSSU044)
Living things have life cycles (ACSSU072)
Living things depend on each other and the environment to survive (ACSSU073)
Science as a Human Endeavour:
Science knowledge helps people to understand the effect of their actions (ACSHE051/ACSHE062)
Science Inquiry Skills:
With guidance, identify questions in familiar contexts that can be investigated scientifically and make predictions based on prior knowledge (ACSIS053/ACSIS064)
Use a range of methods including tables and simple column graphs to represent data and to identify patterns and trends (ACSIS057/ACSIS068)
Represent and communicate observations, ideas and findings using formal and informal representations (ACSIS060/ACSIS071)
Years 5 and 6
Science Understanding:
Living things have structural features and adaptations that help them to survive in their environment (ACSSU043)
The growth and survival of living things are affected by physical conditions of their environment (ACSSU094)
Science as a Human Endeavour:
Scientific knowledge is used to solve problems and inform personal and community decisions (ACSHE083/ACSHE100)
Science Inquiry Skills:
With guidance, pose clarifying questions and make predictions about scientific investigations (ACSIS231/ACSIS232)
Construct and use a range of representations, including tables and graphs, to represent and describe observations, patterns or relationships in data using digital technologies as appropriate (ACSIS090/ACSIS107)
Communicate ideas, explanations and processes using scientific representations in a variety of ways, including multi-modal texts (ACSIS093/ACSIS110)
Year 7
Science Understanding:
Classification helps organise the diverse group of organisms (ACSSU111)
Science as a Human Endeavour:
Solutions to contemporary issues that are found using science and technology, may impact on other areas of society and may involve ethical considerations (ACSHE120)
Science Inquiry Skills:
Identify questions and problems that can be investigated scientifically and make predictions based on scientific knowledge (ACSIS124)
Use scientific knowledge and findings from investigations to evaluate claims based on evidence (ACSIS132)
Communicate ideas, findings and evidence based solutions to problems using scientific language, and representations, using digital technologies as appropriate (ACSIS133)
Years 9 and 10
Science Understanding:
Multi-cellular organisms rely on coordinated and interdependent internal systems to respond to changes to their environment (ACSSU175)
Ecosystems consist of communities of interdependent organisms and abiotic components of the environment; matter and energy flow through these systems (ACSSU176)
The theory of evolution by natural selection explains the diversity of living things and is supported by a range of scientific evidence (ACSSU185)
Science as a Human Endeavour:
Values and needs of contemporary society can influence the focus of scientific research (ACSHE228/ACSHE230)
Science Inquiry Skills:
Formulate questions or hypotheses that can be investigated scientifically (ACSIS164/ACSIS198)
Critically analyse the validity of information in primary and secondary sources and evaluate the approaches used to solve problems (ACSIS172/ACSIS206)
Communicate scientific ideas and information for a particular purpose, including constructing evidence-based arguments and using appropriate scientific language, conventions and representations (ACSIS174/ACSIS208)
Humanities and Social Sciences
Years 1 and 2
Inquiry and Skills:
Pose questions about past and present objects, people, places and events (ACHASSI018/ACHASSI034)
Explore a point of view (ACHASSI022/ACHASSI038)
Draw simple conclusions based on discussions, observations and information displayed in pictures and texts and on maps (ACHASSI025/ACHASSI041)
Present narratives, information and findings in oral, graphic and written forms using simple terms to denote the passing of time and to describe direction and location (ACHASSI027/ACHASSI043)
Knowledge and Understanding (Geography):
The weather and seasons of places and the ways in which different cultural groups, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, describe them (ACHASSK032)
The ways in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples maintain special connections to particular Country/Place (ACHASSK049)
Years 3 and 4
Inquiry and Skills:
Pose questions to investigate people, events, places and issues (ACHASSI052/ACHASSI073)
Interpret data and information displayed in different formats, to identify and describe distributions and simple patterns (ACHASSI057/ACHASSI078)
Draw simple conclusions based on analysis of information and data (ACHASSI058/ACHASSI079)
Interact with others with respect to share points of view (ACHASSI059/ACHASSI080)
Present ideas, findings and conclusions in texts and modes that incorporate digital and non-digital representations and discipline-specific terms (ACHASSI061/ACHASSI082)
Knowledge and Understanding (Geography):
The main climate types of the world and the similarities and differences between the climates of different places (ACHASSK068)
The importance of environments, including natural vegetation, to animals and people (ACHASSK088)
The custodial responsibility Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have for Country/Place, and how this influences views about sustainability (ACHASSK089)
Years 5 and 6
Inquiry and Skills:
Develop appropriate questions to guide an inquiry about people, events, developments, places, systems and challenges (ACHASSI094/ACHASSI122)
Examine primary sources and secondary sources to determine their origin and purpose (ACHASSI098/ACHASSI126)
Examine different viewpoints on actions, events, issues and phenomena in the past and present (ACHASSI099/ACHASSI127)
Evaluate evidence to draw conclusions (ACHASSI101/ACHASSI129)
Work in groups to generate responses to issues and challenges (ACHASSI102/ACHASSI130)
Reflect on learning to propose personal and/or collective action in response to an issue or challenge, and predict the probable effects (ACHASSI104/ACHASSI132)
Present ideas, findings, viewpoints and conclusions in a range of texts and modes that incorporate source materials, digital and non-digital representations and discipline-specific terms and conventions (ACHASSI105/ACHASSI133)
Knowledge and Understanding (Geography):
The influence of people, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, on the environmental characteristics of Australian places (ACHASSK112)
The environmental and human influences on the location and characteristics of a place and the management of spaces within them (ACHASSK113)
The impact of bushfires or floods on environments and communities, and how people can respond (ACHASSK114)
The world’s cultural diversity, including that of its indigenous peoples (ACHASSK140)
Year 7
Inquiry and Skills:
Construct significant questions and propositions to guide investigations about people, events, developments, places, systems and challenges (ACHASSI152)
Analyse primary sources and secondary sources to identify values and perspectives on people, actions, events, issues and phenomena, past and present (ACHASSI157)
Interpret and analyse data and information displayed in a range of formats to identify and propose explanations for distributions, patterns, trends and relationships (ACHASSI158)
Evaluate and synthesise evidence to draw conclusions (ACHASSI159)
Collaborate to generate alternatives in response to an issue or challenge, and compare the potential costs and benefits of each (ACHASSI160)
Develop and use criteria to make informed decisions and judgements (ACHASSI161)
Reflect on learning to propose personal and/or collective action in response to an issue or challenge, taking into account different perspectives, and describe the expected effects (ACHASSI162)
Present ideas, findings, viewpoints, explanations and conclusions in a range of texts and modes that incorporate source materials, citations, graphic representations and discipline-specific terms, conventions and concepts (ACHASSI163)
Knowledge and Understanding (Geography):
Causes, impacts and responses to an atmospheric or hydrological hazard (ACHASSK187)
The influence of environmental quality on the liveability of places (ACHASSK190)
Geography
Year 10
Geographical Knowledge and Understanding (Unit 1: ‘Environmental change and management’):
Human-induced environmental changes that challenge sustainability (ACHGK070)
Environmental world views of people and their implications for environmental management (ACHGK071)
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ approaches to custodial responsibility and environmental management in different regions of Australia (ACHGK072)
The application of systems thinking to understanding the causes and likely consequences of the environmental change being investigated (ACHGK073)
The application of geographical concepts and methods to the management of the environmental change being investigated (ACHGK074)
The application of environmental economic and social criteria in evaluating management responses to the change (ACHGK075)
Geographical Inquiry and Skills
Develop geographically significant questions and plan an inquiry that identifies and applies appropriate geographical methodologies and concepts (ACHGS072)
Apply geographical concepts to synthesise information from various sources and draw conclusions based on the analysis of data and information, taking into account alternative points of view (ACHGS077)
Present findings, arguments and explanations in a range of appropriate communication forms, selected for their effectiveness and to suit audience and purpose; using relevant geographical terminology, and digital technologies as appropriate (ACHGS079)
Reflect on and evaluate findings of an inquiry to propose individual and collective action in response to a contemporary geographical challenge, taking account of environmental, economic, political and social considerations; and explain the predicted outcomes and consequences of their proposal (ACHGS080)
Mathematics
Year 7
Number and Algebra:
Given coordinates, plot points on the Cartesian plane, and find coordinates for a given point (ACMNA178)
Solve simple linear equations (ACMNA179)
Investigate, interpret and analyse graphs from authentic data (ACMNA180)
Year 8
Number and Algebra:
Plot linear relationships on the Cartesian plane with and without the use of digital technologies (ACMNA193)
Statistics and Probability
Investigate techniques for collecting data, including census, sampling and observation (ACMSP284)
Cross-curricular Priorities
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities maintain a special connection to and responsibility for Country/Place.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have holistic belief systems and are spiritually and intellectually connected to the land, sea, sky and waterways.
The significant contributions of Aboriginal Peoples and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in the present and past are acknowledged locally, nationally and globally.
Sustainability
The biosphere is a dynamic system providing conditions that sustain life on Earth.
All life forms, including human life, are connected through ecosystems on which they depend for their wellbeing and survival.
Sustainable patterns of living rely on the interdependence of healthy social, economic and ecological systems.
World views that recognise the dependence of living things on healthy ecosystems, and value diversity and social justice, are essential for achieving sustainability.
World views are formed by experiences at personal, local, national and global levels, and are linked to individual and community actions for sustainability.
The sustainability of ecological, social and economic systems is achieved through informed individual and community action that values local and global equity and fairness across generations into the future.
Actions for a more sustainable future reflect values of care, respect and responsibility, and require us to explore and understand environments.
Designing action for sustainability requires an evaluation of past practices, the assessment of scientific and technological developments, and balanced judgements based on projected future economic, social and environmental impacts.
Sustainable futures result from actions designed to preserve and/or restore the quality and uniqueness of environments.
Hosted by star mathematics teacher Eddie Woo, ‘Teenage Boss’ sees a range of teenagers from diverse families put in charge of the monthly budget to teach them valuable lessons about financial responsibility and planning.
Teenage Boss is an observational documentary series that can be used to teach students about the value of money and the importance of financial literacy. Developing financial literacy skills and capabilities is essential in ensuring that children and teenagers are able to make responsible and informed decisions and are equipped to face financial challenges now and in the future.
The series is suitable viewing for students in Years 5 to 8. Teachers of Years 5 and 6 may find the episodes that feature the youngest participants are more appropriate for their students. Teachers are advised to preview Teenage Boss prior to use in the classroom.
There are fifteen episodes in the series. Each episode has a run time of 26 minutes.
This study guide to accompany Teenage Boss provides information and suggestions for learning activities in:
English
Mathematics
Humanities and Social Sciences
Teenage Boss is also relevant to the teaching of the following General Capabilities:
In completing the tasks, students will have developed a knowledge and understanding of:
The nature, forms and value of money;
the importance of financial literacy;
how to make responsible and informed decisions about money;
the importance of savings;
how decisions about money and the management of money affects an individuals and a familys quality of life.
In completing the tasks, students will have demonstrated the ability to:
describe the spending and saving behaviours of the teenage bosses;
analyse the financial decisions made by the teenage bosses;
evaluate the effectiveness of the teenage bosses;
identify their own and their familys financial priorities;
identify their attitude to spending and saving;
evaluate their spending and saving behaviours;
compile a budget;
use their own written and spoken texts to explore ideas and issues and to clarify their own and others understanding;
respond to a documentary series both personally and in detached and critical ways.
The activities featured in this study guide promote student engagement and active participation via individual reflection, class discussions and small group work. Multiple activities are provided to allow teachers to select those that will best suit the demands of the subject and the needs of the students. Each of the fifteen episodes can be viewed as stand-alone programs. There is an activity sheet for each episode. Suggested answers to the activity sheet tasks are provided.
Episode 1: When thirteen-year old Vasanths mum gets sick while he is in charge of the family budget, he risks spending all he has saved to buy scooter accessories to make her better.
Episode 2: Thirteen-year-old Ellenor is a natural at taking control, but when her family budget takes hit after hit during the month she is in charge, her dreams of saving money for a brand new double bed quickly sour.
Episode 3: Every cent counts for thirteen-year-old Bryon as he takes over the familys finances, but with mum and dad refusing to listen tough rules need to be put in place.
Episode 4: With a massive birthday party to pay for as part of her monthly expenses, fifteen-year-old Susan needs to juggle the family budget to save enough money for the awesome headphones she dreams of buying.
Episode 5: Imogen is a fifteen-year-old star of the stage, but as the teenage boss, her focus is saving money from the family budget. Her task is all the more difficult given her dad, a professional body builder, eats a fortune in food every month.
Episode 6: When fifteen-year-old Michael comes home from his first shopping trip as teenage boss with a brand new coffee machine and next to no food, his father and brother are in for a rocky month indeed.
Episode 7: Its a rock and roll life all the way for fan girl Christabel. By taking over the familys modest income, she hopes that she can save enough to buy the guitar she craves, or better still afford a secret holiday for her mum and three siblings.
Episode 8: When thirteen-year-old Dimity becomes the boss of her family for a month she quickly discovers that unexpected school bills and her big brother and sister make saving for make-up and clothes far harder than she ever imagined.
Episode 9: Sixteen-year-old Harry is a country boy who dreams of making it big as a film maker. When Harry takes control of his family finances for a month, his desire to buy an expensive new camera with any savings ensures his parents and sister are in for a very bumpy ride.
Episode 10: Its a steep learning curve for thirteen-year-old Mikayla, when her own frivolous spending on clothes and expensive foods tips her budget into debt. Will she be able to save enough in the last two weeks of the Teenage Boss experiment to drive her budget back into the black?
Episode 11: With his little sister, Zoe along for the ride, Nick is in for a big adventure as Teenage Boss. Zoes birthday party, Dads holiday and Mums makeup expenses means that saving money from the family budget to buy a new pair of soccer boots isnt going to be easy.
Episode 12: Elinya is old enough to be learning to drive a car, but how will she go taking the wheel of her familys finances for a month given her mums secret spending and an avoidable vet bill for Missy the dog?
Episode 13: When her family budget is hit with challenges, music fan Ula rises to the occasion. As Teenage Boss, she learns not just how to save money from her family budget but how to make money to add to it.
Episode 14: Fourteen-year-old Mitchell is a whiz at solving the most grown up maths problems and puzzles, but he soon learns that being the Teenage Boss of his own family for a month is more about dealing with people puzzles.
Episode 15: Hayley loves Horses, and has her sights set on running a business based on rescuing them, but with such massive dreams at stake her parents want to give her an expense-filled month as Teenage Boss to help her prepare.
About Eddie Woo
EDDIE WOO, THE HOST OF TEENAGE BOSS, IS AN AUSTRALIAN MATHEMATICS TEACHER. WOO IS THE HEAD MATHEMATICS TEACHER AT CHERRYBROOK TECHNOLOGY HIGH SCHOOL, SYDNEY. HIS YOUTUBE CHANNEL HAS OVER 280,000 SUBSCRIBERS AND MORE THAN 14 MILLION VIEWS WORLDWIDE. EDDIE IS A MENTOR FOR EACH OF THE TEENAGE BOSSES.’
The brutal, extreme culture of World Championship boxing, seen through the eyes of a woman. A Muslim Lebanese woman. Amateur boxer Bianca ‘Bam Bam’ Elmir, two time Australian Flyweight champion and Oceania champion, ‘Bam Bam’ aims to win gold at the World Championships.
But first Bianca must qualify at national level in a subjectively scored sport. Her outspoken nature, and propensity for public attention are a source of malcontent resulting in animosity from Boxing Australia. At her 2014 qualifying attempt she is unfairly judged, Boxing Australia seemingly determined not to allow her a pass to the World Championships. Her next opportunity is two years away.
Lebanon 1985, Bianca was kidnapped from her father, by her mother, Diana. They escape to Canberra, Australia. A difficult adolescence results in a tumultuous mother-daughter relationship, and a rebellious Bianca taking up boxing, hell-bent on a quest to prove herself. She meets her northern England larrikin coach, Garry. Not only coach and mentor, he is pseudo family.
Facing opposition on all fronts, from her conservative Islamic family, from the male dominated sport in which she fights and as a migrant in white Australia, ‘Bam Bam’ brazenly tackles opposition. She defies anyone who makes her conform, declaring, “boxing gives me an excuse not to be normal.”
Despite ongoing dissonance within her family, spirituality resonates for Bianca. Finding her own expression of Islam becomes a grounding force amidst the setbacks and barriers. Bianca, explores the shadows of who she is, her fears and loneliness. She reaches deep to focus upon the 2016 World Championships and she qualifies. She is set to represent Australia in Kazakhstan.
This is not Bianca’s first World Championships. In 2012, she qualified and was considered one of Australia’s best medal hopes. However, Bianca tested positive to a banned substance. She is dropped from the Australian team and stripped of her 3rd national title, resulting in a 12 month ban.
On returning to competition, ‘Bam Bam’ is targeted by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority. The testing forces her to take on excess liquid which, in a weight governed sport where boxers undergo severe dehydration to ‘make weight’, risks her not weighing in at her nominated division, and thus not competing. The process is gruelling on body and mind.
Surviving the setbacks, the rumours, the drug ban and the opposition, it is 2016 and Bianca is representing Australia at the World Championships. She is living her dream. But the dream is illusive. Careening face-to-face with her own shadow, ‘Bam Bam’ accepts her own self-worth – “I am me & I am enough”.
‘Bam Bam’ can be linked to the following subject areas in the Australian Curriculum as well as connecting with the General Capability of ‘Intercultural Understanding’:
– English: Years 9 – 10
– Health and Physical Education: Year 10
– Media Arts: Years 9 -10
The following Content Descriptions connect the text ‘Bam Bam’ with the Year 9 – 10 Health and Physical Education Curriculum:
Personal Social and Community Health
Evaluate factors that shape identities and critically analyse how individuals impact the identities of others
Investigate how empathy and ethical decision making contribute to respectful relationships
Critique behaviours and contextual factors that influence health and wellbeing of diverse communities
Critically analyse and apply health information from a range of sources to health decisions and situations
Movement and Physical Activity
Examine the role physical activity, outdoor recreation and sport play in the lives of Australians and investigate how this has changed over time
Reflect on how fair play and ethical behaviour can influence the outcomes of movement activities
••••••
‘Bam Bam’ can be used as an English text ‘Bam Bam’ and directly connected to the following Year 9 and 10 English Content Descriptions:
Students engage with a variety of texts for enjoyment. They interpret, create, evaluate, discuss and perform a wide range of literary texts in which the primary purpose is aesthetic, as well as texts designed to inform and persuade. These include various types of media texts, including newspapers, film and digital texts, fiction, non-fiction, poetry, dramatic performances and multimodal texts, with themes and issues involving levels of abstraction, higher order reasoning and intertextual references.
These texts explore themes of human experience and cultural significance, interpersonal relationships, and ethical and global dilemmas within real-world and fictional settings and represent a variety of perspectives
Interpret and compare how representations of people and culture in literary texts are drawn from different historical, social and cultural contexts (ACELT1633 )
Present an argument about a literary text based on initial impressions and subsequent analysis of the whole text
This documentary could also be used as part of students learning in Year 9 -10 Media Arts. ‘Bam Bam’ connects with the following Content Descriptions:
draw on media arts from a range of cultures, times and locations as they experience media arts
explore meaning and interpretation, forms and elements, and social, cultural and historical influences of media arts as they make and respond to media artworks
consider the local, global, social and cultural contexts that shape purpose and processes in production of media artworks
evaluate the social and ethical implications of media arts
*Content Warning* Teachers should be aware that this film contains strong language.
Since the 1970s, Australia has asserted itself as a proudly multiracial and multicultural country with boundless plains to share. Decades after the first wave of non-European migrants settled at the end of the White Australia policy, what does Australia look like for their children who are at the crossroads of two identities – that of their parents’ homeland and Australia?
For second-generation artists of non-European background, defining themselves – in their art and beyond – can be a difficult task. Third Culture Kids explores these questions through the stories of six Australian artists from non-European backgrounds by revisiting a childhood memory that explores growing up in two worlds and how that moment shaped and informed their arts practice.
Using a cross between narrative and factual storytelling, the visual style of Third Culture Kids is a montage that includes interviews, archive and recreations that enter the imagination of the artist to create a visual feast that seeks to reflect the melting pot that is contemporary Australia and what it means to belong.
Third Culture Kids is suitable for secondary students in Years 9 to 12. The series would also have application as part of tertiary arts courses.
Teachers are advised that there is a reference to pornography in Episode 2. It is recommended that teachers view the artists’ websites and Instagram sites before sharing them with students.
General understandings addressed in the film:
Cultural identity
Identity and belonging
Artistic influence
The impact of racism
The creative process
Islamophobia
Summary of links to the Australian Curriculum:
Visual Arts (Years 9–12)
Media (Years 9–12)
English (Years 10–12)
Humanities/History (Year 10)
Drama (Years 9–10)
General capabilities
Curriculum Links:
Visual Arts
Years 9 and 10
Conceptualise and develop representations of themes, concepts or subject matter to experiment with their developing personal style, reflecting on the styles of artists, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists (ACAVAM125)
Manipulate materials, techniques, technologies and processes to develop and represent their own artistic intentions (ACAVAM126)
Develop and refine techniques and processes to represent ideas and subject matter (ACAVAM127)
Plan and design artworks that represent artistic intention (ACAVAM128)
Analyse a range of visual artworks from contemporary and past times to explore differing viewpoints and enrich their visual art-making, starting with Australian artworks, including those of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, and consider international artworks (ACAVAR131)
Years 11–12
Links to senior Visual Arts curriculum in different regions.
English
Year 10
Responding to literature
Evaluate the social, moral and ethical positions represented in texts (ACELT1812)
Creating literature
Create literary texts that reflect an emerging sense of personal style and evaluate the effectiveness of these texts (ACELT1814)
Interpreting, analysing and evaluating
Identify and analyse implicit or explicit values, beliefs and assumptions in texts and how these are influenced by purposes and likely audiences (ACELY1752)
Creating texts
Create sustained texts, including texts that combine specific digital or media content, for imaginative, informative, or persuasive purposes that reflect upon challenging and complex issues (ACELY1756)
Years 11–12
Links to English in Units 1–4 in terms of analysing argument and point of view oral presentations
Media Arts
Years 9 and 10
Experiment with ideas and stories that manipulate media conventions and genres to construct new and alternative points of view through images, sounds and text (ACAMAM073)
Manipulate media representations to identify and examine social and cultural values and beliefs, including those of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (ACAMAM074)
Develop and refine media production skills to integrate and shape the technical and symbolic elements in images, sounds and text for a specific purpose, meaning and style (ACAMAM075)
Plan and design media artworks for a range of purposes that challenge the expectations of specific audiences by particular use of production processes (ACAMAM076)
Analyse a range of media artworks from contemporary and past times to explore differing viewpoints and enrich their media arts making, starting with Australian media artworks, including media artworks of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, and international media artworks(ACAMAR079)
Years 11–12
Links to senior Media curriculum in different regions.
History
Year 10
Depth study – Migration experiences (1945–present)
The impact of changing government policies on Australia’s migration patterns, including abolition of the White Australia Policy, ‘Populate or Perish’ (ACDSEH145)
The contribution of migration to Australia’s changing identity as a nation and to its international relationships (ACDSEH147)
Drama
Years 9 and 10
Improvise with the elements of drama and narrative structure to develop ideas, and explore subtext to shape devised and scripted drama (ACADRM047)
Perform devised and scripted drama making deliberate artistic choices and shaping design elements to unify dramatic meaning for an audience (ACADRM051)
Structure drama to engage an audience through manipulation of dramatic action, forms and performance styles and by using design elements (ACADRM050)
THE SCRIBE (2018) IS A FEATURE DOCUMENTARY WRITTEN, DIRECTED AND PRODUCED BY RUTH CULLEN. GRAHAM FREUDENBERG IS AN AUSTRALIAN POLITICAL SPEECHWRITER. THE SCRIBE RECOUNTS HIS WORKING LIFE AND HIS ENDURING LEGACY.
Synopsis
Master speechwriter Graham Freudenberg is the quintessential political insider. Advisor, confidant, master crafter and repository, his influence extends way beyond speech writing.
Graham was an essential part of the formation and articulation of policies which redefined Australia. His powers of expression continue to inspire and transcend while capturing the very essence of why politics matter.
Good speech writers are ghost orators. Not only do they need to get inside the mind of the speaker, they also need to combine the high visions of policy with the brass knuckle realities of political expediency.
Graham has written speeches for Federal and State leaders from Arthur Calwell to Simon Crean. This group includes Gough Whitlam, Neville Wran, Bob Carr and Bob Hawke, who described him as the ‘chameleon’ of speech writers. Over fifty years he has adapted his voice to that of his masters and the times.
The Scribe interrogates the symbiotic relationship between the speechwriter and the orator as it explores the craft of political speech writing from the man who re-defined the role in Australia. In the process, it examines the changing language of the political environment from the introduction of TV to the arrival of Trump.
Graham has written over a thousand speeches and The Scribe takes some of these epic speeches and interrogates common themes, many of which are still relevant – war, equality and the changing nature of power in our parliamentary democracy. Whether we realise it or not, Graham’s words have shaped our views today.
It is Graham’s wonderful ability to combine the high visions of political aspiration with the realities of winning votes that make his insights so significant and relevant. In this time of widespread cynicism about politicians, it is time to step back and ask bigger questions. The Scribe transcends party politics to reflect on the contract between the people and their elected representatives and how that has changed.
CURRICULUM LINKS
The Scribe is suitable for secondary students in Years 10 – 12 studying Civics and Citizenship, English, History, and Media Arts.
Through the study of Civics and Citizenship, students can develop skills of inquiry, values and dispositions that enable them to be active and informed citizens. The Scribe provides opportunities for students to investigate the nature and exercise of political power and the formulation and implementation of domestic and foreign policy.
Learning outcomes:
Students develop knowledge and understanding of the nature and exercise of political power;
Students analyse political speeches and the impact of these political speeches;
Students investigate past Australian domestic and foreign policy issues and consider the response of the Australian Government and Opposition to these issues.
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One of the stated aims of The Australian Curriculum: English is to ensure that students become confident communicators, imaginative thinkers and informed citizens. Given this aim, The Scribe offers teachers the opportunity to develop students’ knowledge, understanding and skills within the strands of Language and Literacy.
Learning outcomes:
Students learn that language is constantly evolving due to historical, social and cultural changes, and technological innovations;
Students learn that the language used by individuals varies according to their social setting and the relationships between the participants;
Students develop their knowledge and understanding of how language use can have inclusive and exclusive social effects, and can empower or disempower people;
Students identify and explore the purposes and effects of different text structures and language features of spoken texts, and use this knowledge to create purposeful texts that inform, persuade and engage.
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A knowledge and understanding of history is essential for informed and active participation in society and in creating rewarding personal and collective futures. The study of History promotes debate and encourages thinking about human values, including present and future challenges. The Scribe provides opportunities for students to develop historical knowledge and understanding.
Learning outcomes:
Students identify and analyse the perspectives of people from the past;
Students investigate significant world events and the impact of these events;
Students investigate government policies and the impact of these policies;
Students critically analyse and interpret primary and secondary sources.
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In Media Arts, students learn to be critically aware of ways that the media are culturally used and negotiated, and are dynamic and central to the way they make sense of the world and of themselves. The Scribe allows students to explore and interpret human experience through representations in images, sounds and text.
Learning outcomes:
Students develop knowledge and understanding of media languages used to tell stories;
Students make informed critical judgements about the media artworks they see, hear, interact with and consume as audiences;
Students identify ways audiences interact and engage with the media as a result of the growth of digital technologies across media forms.
Teachers are advised to consult the Australian Curriculum documentation for these learning areas online at http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/, as well as curriculum documents for these learning areas endorsed by their state or territory.
ON 6 APRIL 1966, IN THE MELBOURNE SUBURB OF WESTALL, ABOUT 200 STUDENTS, STAFF AND LOCAL RESIDENTS WATCHED AS A STRANGE OBJECT APPEARED OVERHEAD, LANDED BRIEFLY NEARBY, THEN TOOK TO THE SKY AND VANISHED. THE EVENT TOOK ABOUT TWENTY MINUTES.
Witnesses described the object as low flying, silver-grey and shiny, and shaped like a ‘cup turned upside down on a saucer’. There were five light aircraft apparently tracking or ‘shadowing’ it.
A mass of excited students surged out of school and ran after the object. Many reported seeing a circle of flattened grass on the ground where it had landed – one student even claimed to touch it as it took off. Photographs of the events were also taken by a teacher. Others soon observed men in uniforms cordoning off the ‘landing site’ and removing soil samples by the truckload. Some say they saw uniformed men burn the area a few hours later.
The incident was reported on the television news that night and in the local newspapers.
But despite the evidence that something had happened, the Westall principal called a special assembly at which he told students and staff that they had not seen a flying saucer – in fact, they hadn’t seen anything at all. And they were not to talk about it to anybody.
Afraid of being ridiculed or punished, many witnesses remained silent. Some are still angry about being told to lie. Others say the incident has affected their lives and continues to haunt them today.
More than forty years later, Shane Ryan is stirring up the past. Not a witness of the event, but motivated by a deep sense of injustice at how the students were treated, he’s tracking down former students and staff as well as searching for the authorities that presided over the day.
The 49-minute documentary film Westall ’66: a suburban UFO mystery (Rosie Jones, 2010) follows Ryan’s attempts to solve the mystery once and for all. This contemporary detective story is set against the backdrop of an Australian city, but it reflects on a fascinating and pivotal period in world history, a time when the rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union was played out in a massive conventional and nuclear arms race, the space race and the Vietnam War.
With its undercurrent of cold war paranoia, secret US air bases and a strong military relationship between Australia and America, this story raises questions about the acceptability of cover-ups and untruths delivered by governments in the interests of national security.
Westall ’66: a suburban UFO mystery is an intriguing real-life mystery. It is an an excellent resource for introducing middle and upper secondary students to the problem of ‘truth’ and the issues surrounding how we know what we know.
It can be used in:
History / SOSE / HSIE: A case study exploring historical method and ‘What is history?’ in the National Curriculum for History
Narrated by Tony Barry, one of Australia’s most distinguished and highly respected actors, Rivers of Australia: A Journey Along the Murray is a unique feature-length documentary that follows two southern adventurers – James Livingstone and Albany Asher, along with their faithful canine companions, ‘Onyx’ and ‘Rocco’ – on an awe-inspiring kayaking journey along Australia’s longest river: the Murray.
The Murray River is the lifeblood of Australia. Spanning 2756 kilometres across three southern states of Australia, one would expect such a large river system to be one of the most well-known and visited locations in the land down under. But it isn’t quite so. The majesty of the Murray is unknown to the vast majority of the world’s population, and hence James and Albany endeavour to take the audience on an epic (and very authentic) journey to meet Australia’s longest river, revealing its beauty and its charms; to meet the salt-of-the-Earth river dwellers; to explore conservation projects and innovations that benefit the river; to learn of its history, the Indigenous culture, the wildlife, the science and engineering, the townships … to take the audience somewhere they have never been before.
From Bringenbrong Bridge in New South Wales to the Coorong in South Australia, Rivers of Australia: A Journey Along the Murray is an epic adventure of grandeur – two kayaks, two explorers, two cattle dogs, and one mighty Murray River!
Curriculum Links Rivers of Australia: A Journey Along the Murray can be linked to the following subject areas within the Australian Curriculum:
• History • Geography • Economics and Business • Science • Health and Physical Education • Media Arts • Design and Technologies • English It also links with the Australian Curriculum’s cross-curricular priorities: • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures • Sustainability It also supports the Australian Curriculum’s general capability: • Ethical Understanding The documentary could also be used within an Outdoor Education program (Years 5–10) or to support planning any school journey such as a day trip, expedition, overseas tour or similar (Years 5–10).
Curriculum Relevance
History (Years 9 and 10) content descriptions:
• Living and working conditions in Australia around the turn of the twentieth century (that is 1900) (ACDSEH090) • The growth and influence of the environment movement within Australia and overseas, and developments in ideas about the environment including the concept of ‘sustainability’ (ACDSEH126)
Geography (Years 7–9) content descriptions:
• Classification of environmental resources and the forms that water takes as a resource (ACHGK037) • The way that flows of water connects places as it moves through the environment and the way this affects places(ACHGK038) • The quantity and variability of Australia’s water resources compared with other continents (ACHGK039) • Economic, cultural, spiritual and aesthetic value of water for people, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and peoples of the Asia region (ACHGK041) • Spiritual, aesthetic and cultural value of landscapes and landforms for people, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (ACHGK049) • Human alteration of biomes to produce food, industrial materials and fibres, and the use of systems thinking to analyse the environmental effects of these alterations (ACHGK061) • The effects of people’s travel, recreational, cultural or leisure choices on places, and the implications for the future of these places (ACHGK069)
Economics and Business (Year 7) content descriptions:
• Characteristics of entrepreneurs and successful businesses(ACHEK019) • Why individuals work, types of work and how people derive an income (ACHEK020)
Science (Years 7–8) content descriptions:
• Classification helps organise the diverse group of organisms(ACSSU111) • Interactions between organisms, including the effects of human activities can be represented by food chains and food webs (ACSSU112) • Science knowledge can develop through collaboration across the disciplines of science and the contributions of people from a range of cultures (ACSHE223) • Solutions to contemporary issues that are found using science and technology, may impact on other areas of society and may involve ethical considerations (ACSHE120) • People use science understanding and skills in their occupations and these have influenced the development of practices in areas of human activity (ACSHE121) • People use science understanding and skills in their occupations and these have influenced the development of practices in areas of human activity (ACSHE136)
Health and Physical Education (Years 5–10) content descriptions:
• Examine how identities are influenced by people and places(ACPPS051) • Explore how participation in outdoor activities supports personal and community health and wellbeing and creates connections to natural and built environments (ACPPS059) • Plan and implement strategies for connecting to natural and built environments to promote the health and wellbeing of their communities (ACPPS078) • Plan and evaluate new and creative interventions that promote their own and others’ connection to community and natural and built environments (ACPPS097)
Media Arts (Years 5–8) content descriptions:
• Explain how the elements of media arts and story principles communicate meaning by comparing media artworks from different social, cultural and historical contexts, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander media artworks(ACAMAR065) • Identify specific features and purposes of media artworks from contemporary and past times to explore viewpoints and enrich their media arts making, starting with Australian media artworks including of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander media artworks (ACAMAR072)
Design and Technologies (Years 7–8) content descriptions:
• Critique needs or opportunities for designing and investigate, analyse and select from a range of materials, components, tools, equipment and processes to develop design ideas (ACTDEP035) • Independently develop criteria for success to evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions and their sustainability(ACTDEP038)
English (Years 7–9) content descriptions:
• Identify and explore ideas and viewpoints about events, issues and characters represented in texts drawn from different historical, social and cultural contexts (ACELT1619) • Reflect on ideas and opinions about characters, settings and events in literary texts, identifying areas of agreement and difference with others and justifying a point of view(ACELT1620) • Discuss aspects of texts, for example their aesthetic and social value, using relevant and appropriate metalanguage(ACELT1803) • Recognise and analyse the ways that characterisation, events and settings are combined in narratives, and discuss the purposes and appeal of different approaches (ACELT1622) • Analyse how the construction and interpretation of texts, including media texts, can be influenced by cultural perspectives and other texts (ACELY1739) • Recognise and explain differing viewpoints about the world, cultures, individual people and concerns represented in texts(ACELT1807) • Explore and reflect on personal understanding of the world and significant human experience gained from interpreting various representations of life matters in texts (ACELT1635)
