Inclusivity Through Sport

Overview

In this third lesson of the unit, students explore the Paralympics and understand how inclusivity and access influence sport and society. Students begin with a short story about a Paralympic athlete, then build understanding through discussion, a mini research task, and a reflection.

Learning intentions

• Students will identify what the Paralympics are and how they have grown in Australia and globally.
• Students will describe how the Paralympics promote inclusion, respect and participation.
• Students will explain the connection between sport opportunities and broader community attitudes.
• Students will use evidence from a text to support ideas in a short written response.

Success criteria

• I can summarise key features of the Paralympics in my own words.
• I can explain at least two ways inclusivity is shown in Paralympic sport.
• I can use at least one detail from the story to support my opinion or explanation.
• I can reflect on how attitudes and access can change experiences for individuals.

Curriculum links

• Historical thinking: identifying key facts and drawing conclusions from sources.
• Understanding perspectives: describing how different experiences shape viewpoints.
• Social responsibility: recognising how communities support inclusion and fair participation.
• Literacy in humanities: using evidence from texts to communicate ideas clearly.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 5 min — Hook story read (teacher-led) Play the role of a narrator and read a brief story about a Paralympic athlete’s journey (teacher-prepared text or printed excerpt). Students follow along and underline one detail that shows challenge or achievement.

2. 10 min — Think–Pair–Share: What does this tell us? Students pair up to answer: “What was the athlete’s challenge?” and “What changed over time?” Pairs share one idea with the class, and the teacher records responses using simple categories: challenge, support, training/skills, opportunities, outcomes.

3. 10 min — Mini lesson: What are the Paralympics? Teacher explains: the Paralympic Games, athlete classification in broad terms (without complex technical detail), and how the Paralympics fit within the Olympic movement of striving, skill, and international competition. Students add one new fact to their notes.

4. 15 min — Evidence task: Inclusivity in action In groups of 3, students choose one “inclusivity prompt” card (e.g., access to sport, community support, public attitudes, representation, pathways for athletes). Using their story plus a short teacher-provided information sheet, they complete a 3–2–1 response:

• 3 facts about the Paralympics or athlete journey
• 2 inclusivity examples (how inclusion happens)
• 1 concluding sentence linking sport to community inclusion

5. 10 min — Group share: Communicate with clarity Each group delivers a 30–45 second summary using the 3–2–1 structure. After each share, the teacher prompts the class: “What evidence did you use?” to strengthen the link between claims and details.

6. 8 min — Individual reflection (exit ticket) Students write: “One way the Paralympics promote inclusion is…” and “A question I still have is…” Provide a sentence frame list on the board. Collect for formative assessment.

7. 2 min — Pack up and preview next lesson Teacher previews Lesson 4: how Australia has supported inclusive sport pathways and recognition (students will build on today’s inclusivity ideas).

Resources

• Short Paralympic athlete story excerpt (teacher-prepared; age-appropriate, about effort, challenges, and opportunities)
• Teacher information sheet: “What are the Paralympics?” (plain English, 1 page)
• Inclusivity prompt cards (4–6 prompts)
• Group response template for 3–2–1
• Underline/highlighter pens or coloured pencils
• Sentence frames for reflection (supporting writing)
• Timer and presentation slides or board headings
• Optional audio recording of the story (for dyslexia-friendly access)

Assessment

• Formative: teacher observes pair and group discussions, listening for accurate facts and inclusion explanations.
• Formative: collect exit tickets to check understanding of inclusivity and evidence use.
• Summative-in-mini: evaluate group 3–2–1 responses for clarity, correct key features, and evidence-based conclusions.

Differentiation

• Support for students who need it:
• Provide a text with larger font, clear spacing, and a short audio version of the story.
• Offer sentence frames and word banks (e.g., “challenge”, “support”, “opportunity”, “inclusion”, “community”).
• Allow students to complete the task using “highlight and speak” first, then write a single concluding sentence.
• Extension for advanced learners:
• Add a “compare and contrast” prompt: “How might access differ between Paralympic and non-Paralympic opportunities in the community?”
• Ask students to include one specific evidence detail from the information sheet and one inference about community attitudes.
• Challenge students to propose one realistic change that could improve inclusion (and justify it with evidence from the lesson).
• EAL learners:
• Pre-teach 6–8 key words using gestures/pictures on the board.
• Permit oral responses for group share; provide translated glossaries if available school-wide.
• Use structured talk stems: “I think… because… I noticed…”
• SEN/dyslexia-friendly strategies:
• Reduce reading load: provide the story in two shorter sections, allowing students to choose where to start.
• Use dyslexia-friendly options: audio, tracking line focus, and reduced punctuation complexity.
• Keep instructions concise and displayed visually at each step.