Deaf Poetry & Belonging

Overview

Subject: Languages (Auslan – Australian Sign Language)
Year Level: Year 9
Lesson Number: 26 of 30 in unit "Expressing Deaf Culture"
Duration: 70 minutes
Curriculum Alignment:
Australian Curriculum – Languages: Auslan (Years 9 and 10):

• Communicating (Socialising): Interact to exchange ideas, experiences, feelings and preferences.
• Understanding (Role of Language and Culture): Reflect on how language and culture shape each other and contribute to the identity of groups and individuals.
• ACLANA118: Investigate and describe the nature and significance of connections between Deaf culture and identity.

Lesson Focus:
Students will explore the cultural and communal significance of Deaf poetry events in Australia and understand how such events help to build and strengthen Deaf identity and belonging.

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Learning Intentions

By the end of this lesson, students will:

• Understand the cultural significance of Deaf poetry within the Auslan and Deaf communities in Australia.
• Analyse examples of Deaf poetry performances and their emotional and social impact.
• Investigate the role of Deaf poetry events in fostering community, cultural pride, and inclusion.
• Reflect personally and critically on the ways in which performance-based language expression strengthens identity and connectedness.

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Success Criteria

Students can:

✅ Describe how Deaf poetry communicates identity, emotion, and community values
✅ Identify core elements of a Deaf poetry performance
✅ Explain the social role Deaf poetry plays within the Australian Deaf community
✅ Reflect on their observations through structured group and written tasks

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Resources Required

• Smartboard/projector
• Videos of Australian Deaf poetry performances (curated and captioned; consider local examples from Deaf Australia events or The Deaf Society showcases)
• Student journals
• Printed handout with performance analysis scaffold
• Visual emotion cards (Auslan-based)
• A3 community map template for creativity task
• Whiteboard and markers

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Lesson Structure (70 Minutes)

⏰ Starter Activity (10 mins) — Emotion in Movement

Objective: Connect emotionally before analysing Deaf poetry.
Activity:

• Display six Auslan signs representing emotions (e.g., pride, anger, sorrow, joy, love, protest).
• Students pair up and take turns performing one sign with exaggerated facial expressions and movement.
• Peers guess the emotion and discuss what made it clear without spoken words.

Pedagogical Purpose: Embeds kinaesthetic learning and primes students for visual interpretation.

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⏰ Introduction to Deaf Poetry (10 mins)

Teacher-Led Discussion:

• Define Deaf poetry — a visual-gestural art form using Auslan, facial expression, and movement rather than spoken word.
• Emphasise that it's not translated English poetry but rooted in Deaf culture and experience.
• Discuss Australian context: mention national events such as the National Week of Deaf People, Deaf Festival NSW, and how Deaf poets like Drisana Levitzke-Gray or Walter Kadiki have used Auslan performance to express resistance, pride, and connection.

Visual Anchor: Show 60-second clip of a local Deaf poet’s performance.

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⏰ Deep Dive Viewing (15 mins) — Analyse a Performance

Activity:

• Students receive a scaffolded handout with prompts:
  • What is the mood?
  • What symbols or recurring signs are used?
  • What was the message/feeling conveyed?
  • How did staging and movement contribute?

Process:

• Watch a full 3-minute Deaf poetry performance (e.g. from Signal Deaf Youth Melbourne or Bush Poets in Brisbane).
• Students work individually first, then share ideas in groups of 4.

Extension: Encourage artistic students to draw a metaphor or image from the poem.

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⏰ Class Discussion (10 mins) — Community & Belonging

Prompt:

“How do you think gatherings for Deaf poetry help build community? What do these events give to Deaf youth, families, elders?”

Facilitation Notes:

• Capture ideas on the board as a mind map under headings: Cultural Pride, Connection, Sharing Stories, Intergenerational Learning, Resistance & Resilience

Deeper Inquiry Question:
When a community has been historically marginalised, why might artistic expression feel especially powerful or necessary?

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⏰ Creative Task (15 mins) — Map the Deaf Poetry Space

Activity:
In groups of 5, students imagine a new Deaf poetry event in their city or town.
They sketch an A3 “event map” with the following:

• Name of the event in Auslan fingerspelling
• Location and why it’s meaningful
• Participants (aged 6–60+)
• 3 poetry topics/themes they will highlight (e.g. discrimination, childhood, celebration)
• Visual/emotional features (how the space will “feel”)

Outcome:
Each group briefly shares and posts their sketch on the wall.

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⏰ Individual Reflection & Exit Ticket (10 mins)

Prompt in Journal:

“If you created an Auslan poem about your identity, what themes would you include? What emotions would you want others to feel watching it?”

Students must write half a page or draw a conceptual plan using symbols and signs.

Exit Question (on sticky note):

In one sign or word, how would you describe Deaf poetry?

Stick it on the "Reflection Wall" near the exit door.

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Differentiation

• ESL and EALD learners: Use visual scaffold cards for analysis section; allow drawing as an alternative to written analysis.
• High-ability students: Extend by introducing ASL/Auslan comparisons or gesture improvisation.
• Students with hearing impairment: Ensure seating arrangements/front-on visibility; allow optional participation in performance aspects.
• Neurodiverse students: Allow pacing; use predictable routine format and offer low-sensory breakout space during poetry viewing.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Formative assessment through discussion and scaffolded performance analysis
• Observation of group participation and role contributions during the creative task
• Writing task assessed for depth of reflection and understanding of identity/themes
• Exit ticket to gauge emotional connection and core takeaway

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Teacher Reflection Prompt (Post-Lesson)

How did students emotionally interpret the performances? Did the creative group task reveal deeper understanding than traditional analysis? How can student interest in Auslan poetry be linked with final assessment tasks?

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Looking Ahead – Lesson 27 Preview

Title: Crafting Your Own Poem
Students will begin drafting their own Auslan poem, starting with a theme map and gesture bank. They will workshop their ideas in groups and prepare for staging in the final unit showcase performance in lesson 30.