Cultural Perspectives Health

Overview

This 60-minute lesson is Lesson 2 of 12 in the Year 10 Languages unit Cultural Connections and Wellbeing. Students will explore diverse cultural perspectives on health and lifestyle. They will compare these cultural health views with their own, developing intercultural understanding and language skills, aligned specifically to the NSW Languages K-10 Syllabus.

WALT (We Are Learning To)

Understand how different cultures perceive and approach health and wellbeing.
Compare cultural health perspectives with our own to appreciate diversity.
Use language skills to describe and discuss health concepts from multiple cultural viewpoints.

Curriculum Links and Learning Objectives

NSW Syllabus for Languages K-10 (Year 10):

Communicating: Students initiate and sustain interactions to exchange and compare ideas about personal worlds including health and wellbeing.
Understanding: Students interpret and analyse information in texts demonstrating understanding of cultural perspectives and values on wellbeing.
Reflecting: Students reflect on their cultural perspectives and identity in relation to health and wellbeing.
Develop the ability to negotiate meaning and apply language conventions when discussing complex cultural ideas.

Success Criteria

I can describe at least two cultural perspectives on health and lifestyle behaviours.
I can explain how these perspectives differ from or align with my own views.
I can use appropriate language structures and vocabulary to express comparisons and reflections.
I actively listen and respond to peers’ cultural insights respectfully.

Resources

Visuals of health practices from different cultures (e.g., images/videos of traditional medicine, diet, exercise, mental health practices).
Handouts with key vocabulary and sentence starters (dyslexia-friendly fonts and layouts).
Whiteboard, markers, post-it notes.
Worksheet for comparing cultural and personal perspectives.

Lesson Structure and Timing

Time	Activity	Description	Differentiation	Extension / Support
0 - 5 mins	Engagement / Starter	WALT and success criteria shared. Quick class brainstorm: “What comes to mind when you think of ‘health’ or ‘wellbeing’?” Write ideas on whiteboard.	Provide word prompts/pictures for diverse learners. Dyslexia-friendly display.	Challenge advanced learners to include cultural words or idioms related to health.
5 - 15 mins	Introduction	Teacher introduces 3 cultural perspectives on health (e.g., Indigenous Australian holistic view, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Mediterranean lifestyle). Show visuals/videos.	Use simple captions, allow peer discussion in pairs for understanding.	Encourage advanced students to identify cultural values expressed in the examples.
15 - 30 mins	Group Activity	In 3 groups (4 students each), assign each a cultural health perspective. Students discuss and list key health beliefs/practices using provided vocabulary sheets.	Provide sentence starters to scaffold language. Use visuals for reference.	Advanced learners prepare short role-plays or presentations.
30 - 40 mins	Comparing Perspectives	As a whole class, each group shares their cultural health perspective. Teacher records similarities and differences vs. Australian/common perspectives on whiteboard.	Support with note-taking templates. Clarify meanings during discussion.	Advanced learners pose questions or give critical reflections on cultural concepts.
40 - 50 mins	Individual Reflection	Students complete a worksheet comparing cultural vs. personal health perspectives. Use sentence starters: “In my culture…” / “In (culture studied)…”, “One difference is…” etc.	Allow oral responses or assisted writing if needed. Dyslexia-friendly worksheet.	Extension: write a short paragraph evaluating which cultural practice they find interesting and why.
50 - 60 mins	Plenary / Review	Group discussion: How does learning about these health perspectives affect our understanding of wellbeing? Revise WALT and success criteria.	Positive reinforcement, verbal feedback for all students.	Invite advanced learners to summarise key learning points or pose new questions.

Differentiation Strategies

Visual support: Use images, videos, graphic organisers.
Sentence starters and vocabulary banks: Help with structure and vocabulary.
Oral/paired discussion options: Reduce written load, support language practice.
Dyslexia-friendly resources: Clear fonts (e.g., OpenDyslexic), spacing, and colour coding.
Teacher check-ins: Regularly scaffold or extend based on student needs.

Extension Ideas

Research a cultural health perspective not covered and present findings.
Create a comparison poster illustrating differences and similarities in health beliefs from multiple cultures.
Role-play a doctor-patient consultation incorporating cultural health beliefs using target language structures.

Assessment Opportunities

Observation of group discussions for cultural understanding and language use.
Completed reflection worksheets assessing ability to compare perspectives and language accuracy.
Oral presentations or role-plays for fluency and depth of intercultural insight.

Notes for the Teacher

Emphasise respect and open-mindedness when discussing different health beliefs.
Draw on students’ own cultural backgrounds to personalise learning.
Link this lesson to wellbeing themes in other subjects like PDHPE or HSIE when possible for cross-curriculum relevance.
Use metalanguage (e.g., “perspective”, “belief”, “lifestyle”, “wellbeing”) explicitly to develop academic language skills.

This detailed plan aligns with the NSW Languages K-10 syllabus focus on intercultural understanding, communication in diverse contexts, and reflection on identity, suited specifically for Year 10 learners exploring cultural wellbeing concepts within their language study.

Teaching Instructions