Harmony Week Messages

Overview

In lesson 8 of 24 in Representations of Australian Youth, students examine how Harmony Week posters represent cultural diversity and young people. They build on prior learning about representation by analysing visual and language features, then justify an evaluation with evidence from the posters.

Learning intentions

• WALT understand the significance of cultural diversity in representations of Australian youth.
• Students will analyse how images, colour, typography and words shape meaning.
• Students will explain how a poster’s language varies according to its audience and purpose.
• Students will use evidence to evaluate the effectiveness of a multimodal text.

Success criteria

• I can identify the audience and purpose of a Harmony Week poster.
• I can describe at least three visual or language features.
• I can explain how features communicate a message about cultural diversity.
• I can support my judgement with specific evidence from the poster.

Curriculum links

• Language — analyse how language features shape meaning and vary according to audience and purpose.
• Literature — explore ideas, issues and representations connected to social and cultural contexts.
• Language — recognise evaluative language and substantiate judgements using evidence from visual and multimodal texts.
• Literacy — use predicting, questioning, connecting, inferring and summarising to analyse information and ideas.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook and prediction. Teacher displays two contrasting Harmony Week poster images using the opening poster comparison and asks, “What does each poster want young Australians to think, feel or do?” Students silently notice details, make one prediction about each poster’s message, then share with a partner.

2. 5–13 min · Vocabulary and context. Teacher introduces the words diversity (the presence of different identities, cultures and experiences), inclusion (ensuring people can participate and belong), representation (how people or ideas are shown), audience, purpose, slogan and evaluative. Use the vocabulary and Harmony Week context slides with clear icons and audio pronunciation. Read the short passage below aloud once, then invite students to reread it silently or with a partner.

Reading passage: Harmony Week is a time to recognise Australia’s cultural diversity and encourage belonging. It invites people to learn from different experiences, challenge exclusion and participate respectfully in their communities. Posters aimed at young people may use bright colours, inclusive language, familiar images and a clear call to action. These choices help communicate that diversity is valuable and that everyone can contribute to a welcoming community.

Students underline one sentence that explains the purpose of Harmony Week and circle one word that connects to cultural diversity. Check meaning through quick whole-class responses.

3. 13–23 min · Explicit modelling. Teacher models a “notice, name, explain, evidence” analysis of one poster on the teacher modelling slide. Think aloud: “I notice several young people positioned together. This is a visual representation of community. It suggests belonging because no one person is presented as more important.” Model an evaluative sentence: “The poster is effective because its inclusive image supports the message that cultural difference strengthens community.” Students identify the feature, effect and evidence in the model.

4. 23–40 min · Paired poster investigation. Teacher places students in pairs and distributes the Harmony Week poster analysis worksheet. Each pair studies two posters from the slide deck or teacher-provided poster copies. Students record the audience, purpose, slogan, images, colour, composition, typography and inclusive or emotive language. They explain how at least three features shape the message and compare which poster is more effective for a youth audience. Encourage students to use the sentence frames: “The poster targets ___ because ___”; “The use of ___ suggests ___”; and “This is effective/less effective because the evidence shows ___.”

5. 40–53 min · Evidence discussion. Teacher displays the comparison and discussion prompts and forms groups of four by joining two pairs. Students share their judgements, challenge or build on one another’s ideas, and agree on one evidence-based response: “The most effective poster for Australian youth is ___ because ___.” Each group must refer to two specific features and one audience or purpose consideration. Invite three groups to report; clarify that cultural identities should not be treated as stereotypes and that posters are constructed representations, not complete descriptions of people or cultures.

6. 53–60 min · Plenary and exit response. Teacher returns to the opening question using the plenary and exit prompt. Students complete the final section of the individual exit response: “One cultural message communicated by a poster is ___; the feature that communicates it is ___; this is effective for its audience because ___.” Collect responses to identify students ready to analyse independently and those needing further modelling.

Resources

• the Harmony Week analysis slide deck
• the Harmony Week poster analysis worksheet
• Two age-appropriate Harmony Week posters representing cultural diversity
• Projector or interactive display
• Headphones or teacher audio recording for vocabulary pronunciation
• Highlighters or coloured pencils
• Timer
• Whiteboard and markers

Assessment

• Listen for accurate use of audience, purpose, representation, inclusion and evaluative during paired and group discussion.
• Review worksheet annotations for identification of features, explanation of their effects and relevant poster evidence.
• Use the exit response to assess whether students can connect a cultural message, a language or visual feature, and the intended audience.

Differentiation

• Provide visual vocabulary cards on the slides, audio pronunciation, teacher read-aloud and dyslexia-friendly copies with clear sans-serif font, generous spacing and short lines. Allow students to listen to the passage through text-to-speech or work with a supportive reading partner.
• Give students who need support a partially completed analysis table, highlighted poster features and sentence starters. Permit oral recording of the paired analysis before written completion.
• Pre-teach the distinction between describing a feature and explaining its effect; rehearse one example with the class before independent work.
• Extend confident students by asking them to compare how the same message might change for a younger audience, an adult audience or a social media format, referring to specific design choices.
• Use mixed-ability pairs and allow quiet think time before discussion. Remind students to discuss cultures respectfully, avoid generalisations and focus on how the poster constructs its representation.