Learning Expo Day

Lesson Overview

This 60-minute lesson is the culminating community learning expo for Year 1 students, showcasing their learning from the unit Past, Present and Future. The lesson facilitates students presenting their projects to family and community members, celebrating their understanding of changes over time in people’s lives and local places.

Curriculum Links

This lesson aligns with the NSW Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) syllabus for Year 1, and addresses the following learning outcomes and achievement standards:

• Students identify continuity and change in family structures, roles, and significant aspects of daily life.
• Students identify the location and nature of natural, managed and constructed features of local places, explain how places change, and how they can be cared for by people.
• Students develop questions and collect, sort and record information and data from observations and provided sources, interpret information, and share narratives about people, places and the past using subject-specific terms.
• Achievement Standard: By the end of Year 1, students identify aspects of change and continuity in their own lives and local community, draw conclusions, and use sources to share observations about places and the past.

Learning Objectives

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

• Confidently present their project about past, present, and future aspects of family life or their local place to an authentic audience.
• Use subject-specific vocabulary (e.g., past, present, future, family, change, community).
• Answer simple questions from family and community members about their projects, demonstrating understanding and communication skills.
• Appreciate how their learning connects with their community and families.

Lesson Duration

60 minutes Class Size: 2 students (ideal for individualised attention and supportive community engagement)

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Lesson Sequence

1. Preparation and Set-Up (10 minutes)

• Greet and welcome family/community members as they arrive.
• Arrange student projects neatly for display; ensure visuals or artefacts (e.g., drawings, models, photos) are accessible.
• Revisit with students their key points about their projects to build confidence. Prompt with questions like: "Can you tell me what you learned about your family?" or "What is special about your place?"
• Remind students of respectful speaking and listening strategies when engaging with visitors.

2. Student Presentations and Sharing (30 minutes)

• Each student takes turns to present their project to family and community members in a small, informal group setting.
• Students use simple sentences to explain:
• What their project is about (e.g., a family member’s past and present roles, or how the local place has changed).
• Important things they learned about past and present.
• What they think might happen in the future related to their topic (optional).
• Family/community members encouraged to ask questions; teacher scaffolds if needed.
• Teacher supports students in using subject-specific vocabulary and concepts during presentation and responses.

3. Interactive Discussion and Reflection (15 minutes)

• Facilitate a simple group discussion with students and community members prompted by questions like:
• “What did you find interesting about the students’ projects?”
• “Can you share how your family or place has changed or stayed the same?”
• Students are encouraged to listen and relate their own learning to the discussion.
• Teacher prompts students to use HASS terms (past, present, change, family, community) in their responses.

4. Conclusion and Acknowledgement (5 minutes)

• Thank students, families, and community members for participating.
• Highlight the importance of sharing stories about past and present to understand who we are today.
• Provide positive affirmations to students reinforcing their achievements in learning and communication.
• Optionally, provide a simple certificate or sticker recognising their project work and presentation effort.

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Resources

• Students’ completed projects (artefacts, drawings, posters, or digital presentations) from previous lessons in the unit.
• Display tables or boards for projects.
• Name tags for students and visitors.
• Subject-specific vocabulary prompts visible for students (words like past, present, future, family, change, community).
• Reflection question cards for discussion prompts.

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Assessment and Feedback

• Informal assessment of students’ oral communication skills and application of vocabulary during presentations and discussion.
• Teacher observes students' confidence, ability to convey key ideas about past and present, and responsiveness to audience questions.
• Use anecdotal notes to record evidence of meeting achievement standards in understanding continuity and change, and communicating observations and narratives.
• Positive verbal feedback to students immediately post-presentation to reinforce learning and confidence.

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Differentiation and Support

• Given the very small class size, individual support during presentations to scaffold language and ideas will be provided.
• Use visual aids and sentence starters for students who need assistance organising their thoughts.
• Encourage family members to provide supportive, encouraging questions to help students feel comfortable.

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This lesson provides a meaningful, authentic context for Year 1 students to consolidate and celebrate their learning in Social Sciences, engaging their families and communities as partners in education. It aligns closely with the NSW Curriculum learning objectives for Year 1 Humanities and Social Sciences and supports development of early inquiry and communication skills essential for lifelong learning.