Daily Activity Signs

Overview

In this first lesson of the unit Exploring Daily Routines in Auslan, students begin building a shared set of signs for common daily activities beyond morning routines. They practise recognising and producing signs using visual supports and partner practice.

Learning intentions

Students will be able to:

• Identify and sign daily activities in Auslan.
• Use class visual cues to understand meaning and sequence.
• Practise signing with correct handshapes and clear movement at an age-appropriate pace.
• Demonstrate understanding by signing at least five new activities in a short sequence with a partner.

Success criteria

• I can sign at least five new daily activities in Auslan when shown a picture cue.
• I can match each sign to its meaning using visual supports.
• I can practise signing clearly with a partner and respond when my partner indicates a prompt.
• I can use my signed routine to show order (first/next/final) using simple linking.

Curriculum links

• Communicating in a language: using signs to share information about familiar topics.
• Language awareness: noticing how meaning is made through handshape, movement, and non-manual signals.
• Intercultural understanding: recognising that Auslan is a language with its own grammar and visual-gestural communication.
• Building communication skills: practising in interactions, with support, for a purpose.

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 1–4 min | Welcome and WALT

• Teacher writes and displays: “WALT: Identify and sign daily activities in Auslan.”
• Briefly review what Auslan is (visual-gestural communication) and explain today’s focus: lunch and playtime (and other daily activities as time allows).

2. 4–10 min | Visual introduction of signs

• Show picture cards (large, clear images) for 6–7 activities: e.g., lunch, snack, playtime, reading, toilet/bathroom, tidy up, home (choose based on class needs).
• Teacher models each sign once, then again slowly with emphasis on movement and facial expression.
• Students do a “mirror check” (hands up, watch carefully, then try). Keep it light and short for Year 3/4.

3. 10–15 min | Check-understanding quick match

• Teacher holds up a picture card; students point to the matching card on their desk or use a response gesture (e.g., thumbs up) after seeing the teacher sign.
• For 2–3 cards, students attempt the sign together as a class to build confidence.

4. 15–22 min | Partner paired practice

• Students work in pairs: Partner A shows a picture; Partner B signs the activity; then swap roles.
• Teacher circulates with a simple observation checklist: sign attempt, clarity, and correct matching to the picture cue.
• Encourage a “slow and clear” rule (moving too fast reduces accuracy).

5. 22–27 min | Mini routine sequencing

• In pairs, students choose 3 picture cards and arrange them in order for a simple routine (e.g., lunch → playtime → tidy up).
• Teacher models a simple linking idea using non-verbal cues for sequence (e.g., indicating “first/next” with body and facial emphasis), without requiring complex grammar.

6. 27–30 min | Exit sign (5 activities)

• Teacher quickly revisits the picture set.
• Students attempt a final “sign sprint”: teacher shows 5 pictures; students sign in response (or attempt with support if needed).
• End with quick feedback: what improved (clarity, matching) and what to practise next.

Resources

• Large picture cards for at least 6 daily activities (print or laminated).
• Teacher Auslan picture cue board (display space for picture cards).
• Student sets of mini picture cards (1 set per pair).
• “Slow and clear” visual reminder (classroom poster).
• Optional: short video clips of each sign (played without sound, purely visual), if available in school resources.
• Simple teacher checklist sheet for observation.
• Timer and area for pairs to sit facing each other.
• Gloves or hand position cue cards are optional (only if your school uses them for accessibility).

Assessment

• Formative: teacher observation during partner practice (matching picture to sign; clarity of movement and non-manual cues).
• Formative: exit sign sprint—can the student sign at least five activities from visual cues?
• Self/peer: students give a brief “clear match” signal to their partner after each attempt (e.g., nod and thumbs up if correct).

Differentiation

• EAL/D learners:
• Use picture-first instructions (minimise reliance on spoken explanations).
• Pair students strategically so a supportive peer can model and repeat picture cues.
• Provide sentence starters for spoken reflection if needed (e.g., “I can sign ___.”), but do not require it to succeed.
• Learners needing additional support:
• Reduce the number of new signs to 4–5 for the exit sprint while keeping the practice routine the same.
• Provide a “word bank” style sheet with pictures and teacher-produced visual cues (no text requirement).
• Offer extra one-on-one modelling for the tricky signs (slow, clear, one element at a time).
• Extension for advanced learners:
• Add 2 extra activity signs to their set during partner practice.
• Ask them to create a 4-sign sequence and practise consistent linking for “first/next/final” using facial/body cues.
• Have them teach one sign to their partner using a “model → mirror → try” routine.
• SEN / motor or attention needs:
• Allow movement breaks between activities.
• Use a “watch first, then try” approach and accept partially formed signs initially as long as meaning is attempted.
• Keep paired tasks time-limited and structured to maintain engagement.

Extension (optional)

• Create a vocabulary flashcard set: students select 5–7 activity pictures, draw/choose the matching images, and practise attaching a teacher-provided sign cue (or their own notes for handshapes/movement). Students use the cards in the next lesson for revision and self-testing.