Lesson ideas

View by learning area | View by theme | View by age

Who participates?- Identifying diversity

Nick GiannopoulosTheme: Stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination
Key Learning Area: English - Health and Physical Education (HPE) - Studies of Society and Environment (SOSE) - Technology
Age Group: Secondary Lower (13-14) - Secondary Middle (15-16) Resource Type: Audio-visual
Stimulus Name: Who participates?- Identifying diversity

Outcomes

Students listen strategically and discuss issues to understand the stereotypical portrayals of cultural groups presented in the media.

Introduction

Nick Giannopoulos, producer/director of "The Wog Boy" gives some insights on the non-representation of Australia's cultural diversity in the popular media.

Worksheets to download
Quick Time Sample (video File)
Transcript (rtf File)
Television questionaire (rtf File)

Suggested Activities

  1. Listen to sound bite and answer the following questions
    • What does Nick Giannopoulos believe is the view overseas countries have of Australian society?
    • How are these views formed?
    • What does Nick Giannopoulos believe will change the narrow ideas and programming standards of television in Australia?
  2. Download Television Questionaire.
    Groups of students use questionnaires and view popular television shows to observe actors used and characters portrayed.
    After viewing discuss the findings:
    • How were the different groups (eg sex, race) portrayed?
    • Based on the portrayals, of which group would you want to be a member?
    • In what ways do the different portrayals represent your view of that particular group?
    • How do you think you would feel if you were a member of one of the groups negatively portrayed?
    • In what way do you think that your opinions about other people are influenced, if at all, by the television programs you watch?
    • Are you concerned about the way certain groups of people seem to be portrayed?
    • If yes, what are you going to do about it?
Additional Strategies
  1. Students examine how various Australian cultural groups are portrayed in other forms of the media eg radio, newspaper, film, advertising.
  2. Find an example of a stereotyped portrayal in the media and rewrite or redesign to better reflect Australia's cultural diversity.
Related Resources

Shiman David A The Prejudice Book- Activities for the Classroom Anti Defamation Commission of B'nai B'rith


Copyright Acknowledgement
NSW Board of Studies and University of Technology Sydney
Nick Giannopoulos
BOS NSW / UTS CD-ROM "Making Multicultural Australia"


Date: 10 October 2000