Getting to Know Us

Lesson Overview

A 25-minute engaging introductory lesson for Years 1-2 bilingual Auslan students where the teacher introduces themselves using Auslan, shares fun facts, and invites students to share and demonstrate Auslan signs they know. The lesson is designed with interactive activities appropriate for young learners and is aligned with the Australian Curriculum (v9) for Languages — specifically Auslan for Years 1 and 2.

Curriculum Links

Australian Curriculum Content Descriptions (Auslan Years 1 and 2):

AC9L1AU2C03: Locate, with support, key information in familiar texts, and respond using gestures, images, words and modelled phrases.
AC9L2AU2C05: With support, create signed, visual and multimodal texts, using modelled fingerspelling, lexical signs, depicting signs, non-manual features and signing space.
AC9L1AU2U04: Notice that people use language in ways that reflect cultural identity.

These objectives underpin the lesson's focus on self-introduction, cultural identity, and emergent Auslan communication skills appropriate for Year 1-2 students .

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

Recognise and understand simple personal introductions in Auslan.
Use familiar Auslan signs to introduce themselves or respond to questions.
Identify and share signs they already know, expressing aspects of their identity and interests.
Experience how Auslan communicates meaning through hands, facial expressions, and space.

Resources Required

Teacher-prepared basic personal introduction in Auslan (modelled signs, fingerspelling name).
Visual aids: photos or cartoon representations of the teacher and 'fun facts' symbols.
Flashcards with common and simple Auslan signs known to young learners (e.g., "hello", "thank you", "cat", "food", "friend").
Small handheld mirrors for students.
A video/song in Auslan (optional, to warm up).

Lesson Breakdown (25 minutes)

Time	Activity	Description	Curriculum Links
0–5 min	Welcome and Warm-up	Teacher greets students in Auslan with a simple "Hello" sign, followed by an Auslan greeting song or a short video clip to engage visual attention and establish signing space awareness.	AC9L1AU2C03_E5, AC9L2AU2U02_E1
5–10 min	Teacher Introduction with Fun Facts	Teacher introduces themselves using Auslan: name fingerspelled, signs for "I", "teacher", and 2-3 fun facts (e.g., favourite colour, pet, hobby) supported by visual aids. Emphasis on facial expressions and signing space for meaning.	AC9L2AU2C05_E1, AC9L1AU2C04_E6
10–15 min	Interactive Questioning	Teacher asks students if they know any signs, encourages volunteering to share a sign by demonstrating in front of the class. Teacher repeats the sign to model positive feedback and normalise participation. Use simple questions like "What sign do you know?" and "Can you show us?" with Auslan support.	AC9L1AU2C03_E1, AC9L2AU2C05_E7, AC9L1AU2U04_E1
15–20 min	Mirror Practice	Each student uses a handheld mirror to try signing "Hello", "Thank you", or their name fingerspelling, with teacher guidance. This activity builds students’ confidence and reinforces engaging non-manual features (facial expression in Auslan).	AC9L2AU2C05_E6, AC9L2AU2U02_E7
20–25 min	Wrap-up and Reflection	Group discussion in Auslan/English: What new signs did we see today? What fun fact did the teacher share? Teacher summarises learning and praises students’ efforts to build motivation.	AC9L1AU2C04_E8, AC9L1AU2U04_E5

Differentiation and Support

Use visual prompts liberally for students who need additional language support.
Allow students to communicate signs they know non-verbally or with gestures.
Pair shy students with a buddy for support during demonstration.
Adapt speed and complexity based on student responsiveness.

Assessment and Feedback

Observational: Teacher notes participation in sharing signs and use of facial expressions.
Peer feedback: Positive reinforcement during group sharing.
Self-assessment: Encourage students to tell the teacher one sign they remember after the lesson.

Teacher Reflection Post-Lesson

Did students engage with the language and participate actively?
What signs were easiest or hardest for the cohort?
Were there opportunities to celebrate Deaf culture and identity effectively?
How can the next lesson build on this introduction (e.g., learning signs about family or school)?

This lesson plan is designed to meet the needs of young bilingual Auslan learners by nurturing identity and communication skills in a culturally aware context, fully aligned with the Australian Curriculum (v9) Languages outcomes for Years 1 and 2 Auslan learners.

If you wish, I can provide a detailed scripted signing model or a template for the interactive questioning stage to assist with classroom delivery.

Teaching Instructions