Understanding Service

Unit: Service and Social Justice

Lesson 1 of 3

Duration: 60 minutes

Year Level: Year 1

Class Size: 30 students

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Learning Objectives

Aligned with the Australian Curriculum (v9) general capabilities and relevant Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) content for Year 1 Civics and Citizenship and Personal and Social Capability:

• Understand the concept of service as helping or contributing to the community.
• Identify community helpers and recognise how their service benefits others.
• Express ideas about service through oral language, drawing, or writing.
• Develop empathy and respect for individuals who help others in the community.
• Foster collaboration and communication skills through group discussion and sharing.

(Although there is no specific "Other" subject in the Australian Curriculum, this lesson integrates Civics and Citizenship, Personal and Social Capability, and English learning areas.)

Relevant Curriculum References:

• Australian Curriculum: Civics and Citizenship (HASS)
  • ACHASSK031: Recognise that family and community groups have different roles and responsibilities.
  • ACHASSI030: Pose questions about familiar issues.
• English
  • ACELY1646: Listen to and respond orally to texts and to the communication of others in informal and structured classroom situations.
• Personal and Social Capability
  • Reflect on ways to contribute to classroom and community wellbeing.
• Cross-curriculum priorities
  • Incorporate understanding of community and social responsibility.

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Lesson Plan Outline

Time	Activity	Description	Learning Focus	Materials/Preparation
0-10 min	Welcome and Introduction	Welcome students. Briefly introduce the topic of “service” by asking: What does it mean to help others? Discuss briefly what a community is and who helpers might be.	Activating prior knowledge; oral language.	Chart paper, markers, pictures of community helpers (firefighters, nurses, teachers, etc.)
10-25 min	Storytelling: Community Helper Story	Read aloud a picture storybook about a community helper (e.g., a nurse, firefighter, or local volunteer). Use expressive voice and show illustrations to engage students. Pause to ask comprehension questions like Who is helping? How are they helping others?	Listening skills; comprehension; identify service actions.	Storybook (teacher-selected or digital story), visual aids
25-40 min	Class Discussion: What is Service?	Facilitate a guided discussion on ways individuals serve the community. Chart ideas from students, reinforcing understanding of service as helping and supporting others. Encourage examples from students' own lives.	Verbal expression; emerging concepts of social justice and responsibility.	Chart paper, markers
40-55 min	Group Activity: Draw or Write About a Helper	In pairs or small groups, students draw or write about someone they know who helps others (family member, teacher, neighbour). Teachers support emergent writers and encourage verbal sharing for those who prefer. Display these drawings/writings around the classroom.	Expressing understanding through multimodal texts; collaboration; empathy.	Drawing paper, crayons, pencils, word lists for writing prompts
55-60 min	Sharing and Reflection	Invite some students/groups to share their drawings or stories. Recap the main lesson ideas: service means helping others in our community and everyone can contribute.	Oral communication; reflection and appreciation of service.	None additional

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Differentiation and Inclusion

• Provide sentence starters or word banks to support writing for emergent writers.
• Encourage oral sharing or alternative recording for students with fine motor difficulties.
• Use visual supports and gestures during storytelling for English language learners and diverse needs students.
• Pair students with varied strengths to encourage peer support.

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Assessment for Learning

• Observe student participation in the discussion and storytelling segments for understanding of service.
• Review drawings and writings for evidence that students can identify helpers and describe their role.
• Listen to verbal sharing for use of relevant vocabulary and concepts about service.

Teachers can document anecdotal notes and use student work samples as formative assessment aligned with Year 1 English and HASS achievement standards.

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Extension Ideas

• Create a “Service Wall” in the classroom with photos or drawings of community helpers.
• Plan a simple class service project (e.g., helping to tidy a garden or writing thank-you cards to community helpers) in subsequent lessons.
• Include First Nations perspectives by discussing traditional community roles and responsibilities for caring and sharing.

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This lesson structure ensures a language-rich, interactive exploration of service tailored to Year 1 learners, fostering both knowledge and empathy in line with Australian Curriculum aims for social justice and community engagement.

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References

• Australian Curriculum: Civics and Citizenship content descriptions and elaborations
• Australian Curriculum: English achievement standards and general capabilities alignment
• Australian Curriculum: Personal and Social Capability Framework (not separately cited but foundational to lesson design)