National Anthem and Currency

Unit Context

This is Lesson 10 of 16 in the unit titled Australia’s Journey to Federation. In this lesson, students explore key Australian symbols—the national anthem Advance Australia Fair and Australian currency—and understand how these elements contribute to national identity.

Duration

60 minutes

Class Profile

• Year 5 students
• Class size: 30 students

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Learning Objectives

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

• Recognise and explain the significance of Advance Australia Fair as Australia’s national anthem.
• Identify features of Australian currency (coins and banknotes) and explain how these reflect Australian identity and culture.
• Understand the role of national symbols in reflecting shared values, history and identity.
• Respond to and create simple texts relating to Australian symbols.

NSW Curriculum Links

This lesson aligns with the Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) learning area, specifically focusing on:

• ACHASSK111: The importance of a key event or development in shaping a colony (NSW Syllabus for History, Year 5).
• ACHASSI106: Pose and respond to questions, and locate, collect and organise information and data from a range of sources.
• ACHASSI110: Communicate their findings, develop narratives and descriptions, and use multimodal texts.

This curriculum focus is on understanding significant symbols of Australia’s identity in the context of federation and national unity.

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Lesson Resources

• Audio recording or video of Advance Australia Fair
• Printed copies of the lyrics of Advance Australia Fair
• Examples of Australian currency (real or images of coins and notes)
• Chart paper and markers
• Worksheet: “Australian Symbols Reflection”
• Projector or interactive whiteboard for displaying images and video
• Materials for art activity (coloured paper, scissors, glue)

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Lesson Plan Details

1. Introduction and Engagement (10 minutes)

• Welcome & Recap: Briefly remind students this is a unit about Australia's journey to federation. Discuss the idea of national symbols and why countries have them.

• Activate Prior Knowledge: Ask students what symbols they already know that represent Australia (e.g., flag, kangaroo, coat of arms).

• Introduce Today’s Focus: Explain that today students will learn about Advance Australia Fair and Australian currency—both important symbols of national identity.

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2. National Anthem Exploration (15 minutes)

• Listen and Read: Play the audio or video of Advance Australia Fair. Display printed lyrics. Read the words together, discussing meaning and vocabulary as needed.

• Discussion: Facilitate a guided discussion about:

• What messages does the anthem share about Australia?

• How might singing the anthem make Australians feel? Why is it important during national events?

• How does the anthem help unite people?

• Active Learning: Invite volunteers to mime or act out parts of the lyrics to demonstrate understanding of the meaning of key phrases.

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3. Australian Currency Exploration (15 minutes)

• Visual Exploration: Show examples or images of Australian coins and banknotes.

• Identify Symbols: Discuss the images featured on currency (e.g., native animals, famous Australians, historical figures, national flowers). Ask:

• Why do you think these symbols were chosen?

• How do they represent Australia’s identity, culture, and history?

• Group Activity: In small groups, students choose one coin or note and create a quick poster describing the symbols on it and what it means for Australians.

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4. Reflection and Creative Response (15 minutes)

• Individual Worksheet: Students complete a worksheet reflecting on what they have learned about Advance Australia Fair and currency as symbols. They write or draw:

• Why are national symbols important?

• Which symbol do they relate to most and why?

• Creative Activity: Students make a simple collage or drawing combining elements from the anthem and currency that represent Australia’s identity.

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5. Conclusion and Assessment (5 minutes)

• Class Share: Invite a few students to share their reflections or creative work aloud.

• Recap and Connect: Summarise key points about how symbols help build national identity and unity, linking back to Federation.

• Formative Assessment: Teacher observes participation in discussion, group poster activity, and reviews reflection worksheets to assess understanding.

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Differentiation

• Support: Provide simplified lyrics or visual cues for students needing additional help.
• Extension: Challenge advanced students to compare Advance Australia Fair with another nation’s anthem, noting similarities and differences.
• Use paired work for students who benefit from peer support.

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Cross-Curriculum Priorities and General Capabilities

• Australia’s Cultural Diversity: Recognising Indigenous and multicultural elements on currency.
• Literacy: Reading, listening, and discussing the anthem and currency information.
• Critical and Creative Thinking: Analyzing national symbols and creating responses.
• Personal and Social Capability: Understanding shared identity and respect for cultural symbols.

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This lesson plan deliberately uses multimodal resources and engaging activities to build empathy and a deeper understanding of Australian identity through its national anthem and currency, aligning with the NSW syllabus requirements for Year 5 Humanities and Social Sciences and enriching students’ appreciation of national symbols in the Federation context.