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Baroque'n Roll
Theme: Countering racism - education, policy, legislation
Key Learning Area: Health and Physical Education (HPE) - Studies of Society and Environment (SOSE)
Age Group: Primary Upper (10-12) Resource Type: Audio-visual Stimulus Name: Baroque'n Roll
Outcomes
Students question discrimination against people from different cultural backgrounds and discuss ways to be inclusive showing concern for the welfare of others.
Introduction
In 1990 The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child came into effect. This video was produced by the National Film Board of Canada to make it better known to those most affected by it, children and teenagers.
Article 30 asserts that children belonging to an indigenous population or an ethnic, religious or linguistic minority have the right to enjoy their own culture, practise their own religion and use their own language.
A new boy from a different culture arrives in town and encounters a group of children. They throw snowballs at him and make fun of him. One boy falls into the icy water, his friends panic but the new boy rescues him using his turban. The group ends up befriending the new boy but then a new girl arrives in town...
Worksheets to download
List of Questions (rtf File)
United Nations Rights of the Child (simplified version) (pdf File)
(If you experience problems opening this PDF, download and install this reader.)
Resources Needed
Baroque'n Roll, a 4min 29sec segment from the video Rights from the Heart National Film Board of Canada 1995
available from Heathcliff Distribution,
PO Box 3158, Robina Town Centre, Qld 4230.
Telephone: 07 5575 9499 Email: Info@heathcliff.com.au
Suggested Activities
- View Baroque'n Roll segment of the video Rights from the Heart
- Discuss the following questions:
- Why do the people look "strangely" at the new boy when he arrives?
- Why do they throw snow at him and tease him?
- Why does the new boy throw snow back and laugh?
- Why do you think the boy underwater sees the new boy with devil's horns?
- How do the children feel about the new boy after he saves the other boy from the icy water?
- Why do they throw snow at the new girl?
- Who do you think threw the snowball?
- Do you think the new boy was involved?
- Did they learn anything from the experience?
- What is the video trying to teach?
Additional Strategies
- Pretend a new child arrives at your school. What could you and your friends do to make the person feel welcome.
- Invite a student/parent to come to school to show and talk about his/her/family's cultural background perhaps making reference to the significance of any piece of traditional dress they may be wearing eg scarf, veil, yarmulke, sari.
- Discuss:
"Why do some people torment, tease or ignore other people just because they look or dress differently?" - Imagine there are lots of students in your class from different cultural and religious backgrounds. In groups of four, brainstorm ways the students in your class could learn to value and respect these differences. Negotiate the choice of two strategies and explain them to the rest of the class.
- Imagine that other students are teasing you because of your cultural background. In groups of four brainstorm ways to deal with the situation. Negotiate the best way and explain it to the class.
- The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states that children have the right to develop their abilities to the fullest without suffering from hunger, poverty, negligence, exploitation, or any other forms of injustice.
Download the UNICEF simplified version and look at other articles in the Convention.
Consider them with the aid of other segments of the video Rights from the Heart - Visit the ABC Learn Online web site The Common good, which brings together a wide range of resources, information and activities for learning about civics and citizenship for teachers and students
Related Resources
CASTLE, Caroline. For every child Hutchinson, 2000
Relevant websites to visit
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, Information for Students
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
Cartoons for children's rights at United Nations Children's Fund
Date: 02 January 2001
