www.Auslan.net
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This material is organised and designed to assist in the teaching of AUSLAN to children at Primary School, level K to 6.
It has been based on :
- The K-6 Generic Syllabus Framework for Languages Other Than English k-6 (NSW)(ISBN : 0731075110)
- "Defining Mandatory Outcomes in the K-6 Curriculum", by the NSW Board of Studies
- WA Early childhood LOTE Framework (Open in a new window)
- QLD - Preschool curriculum (Open in a new Window)
- together with other curriculum provided by teachers across Australia who are currently teaching Auslan as a LOTE.
It is hoped that, by providing easy access to a curriculum, together with all neccessary support and accessment material, that meets ALL standards and requirements of ALL Australian Education Departments, that more schools will adopt Auslan as their LOTE.
Please note this curriculum, and all associated material is subject to copyright.
For further information contact Bilby Publishing.
Introduction
For primary schools LOTE(Auslan) is a component of the Human Society and Its Environment (HSIE).
As part of HSIE students in all states are required to acquire an understanding of the role language plays in communicationg
with others and conveying culture. As with one in every five Australians over 15 years have a hearing impaired (see footnote 1)
the examination of communication within a society has never been more poignant. Signing people are estimated to be the largest growing
minority group in Australia. They also have equal rights to access services within the community in their native language, Auslan....more.
As part of the HSIE key learning areas students are also required to develop an understanding of the values and attributes that
promote intercultural understandings and an appreciation of cultural heritage. With this in mind we have developed a set of teacher notes,
worksheets and other resources to assist in the study of Deaf culture and community heritage within Australia.
This K-6 curriculum and supporting material have been organised into three stages:
- Early Stage 1 : Kindergarten (Preschoolers)
- Stage 1 : Years 1 - 2
- Stage 2 : Years 3 - 4
- Stage 3 : Years 5 - 6
While an ideal world would have children start at Stage 1 and progress fuintly through the syllabus we understand that this is rarely a
perfect world. We have included notes for 'older students' within each stage. Each stage also includes a pdf 'Stage Summary" file for
revision of each stage and to assist students begining mid stage.
General Rationale for Learning Auslan
Ausan is the main medium of communicating for many Australians. It is also recognised as an official Australian language.
By developing an understanding of the Australian sign language children will be able to communicate with the ever growing
community of signing people across Australia. There is also significant research into the enhanced overall comunication
capabilities of children who are exposed to sign language as a means of communication. As 10% of primary school children
within Australia are estimated to have a hearing loss impairing speech development and understanding, the introduction of
sign language within the primary school environment is likely to have far reaching implifications, beond that of the LOTE curriculm itself.
As Auslan is a visual means of communication, the application of Auslan as a LOTE also provides children with a deeper
insight into the variations of communication methods. Expanding the childs mental flexibility and aproach to communication.
As part of the deeper understanding of the signing comunity examined within higher stages, students will be introduced to a
range of new technologies, utilised by both signing and nonsigning members of society (such as SMS and online chat).
Providing children with an expanded knowledge of the world around them and their own society and environment.
Auslan forms an intrensic part of the culture, traditions attitudes and values of Australian Signing people and Deaf commuinties.
By developing a linguistic ability and gaining a sociocultural understanding students will develop a greater understanding of the
greater part of the Australian population, Australias hearing and commuincation impaired people.
Class Content
Auslan is the native sign language for Australian signing people. There are many other sign languages used internationally.
Australian Sign Language differs from the sign language used by signing people in other countries in linguistic structure
and grammar similarly to oral languages between nations, say English and Italian for example.
Learning LOTE Auslan involves more than just a knowledge of a selection of signs, but also the development of an understanding
of Auslans unique lingistic structure, grammer and alike.
The LOTE curriculum also provides for the study of the cultural significance of the language being taught, in this case AUSLAN.
Most Auslan users are children and adults who need it as their main means of communication; however everyone else who shares their
lives may also use Auslan. These include the families, carers, friends and professionals such as teachers, speech and language
therapists, social workers, playgroup staff, college lecturers, instructors, nurses, and psychiatrists.
The primary users of Auslan are the Australian Deaf commuinty, and as such their culture, history and sociology with form the
primary focus for the cultural components of the AUSLAN LOTE curriculum.
In an attempt to make this curriculm both easy to implement and of interest to students; each learning stage has been
divided into Themes (Generalised areas of study, eg Animals) and Topics (Sub sections of the theme, eg Pets or Farm Animals).
Each Theme includes
- an objectives statement,
- classroom activities games and handout material,
- assessment tools and outcome criteria,
- Notes for Older students studing ES1
Auslan LOTE Curriculum and Learning Plan (K-6)
Note: It is presumed that the Early Learning Level may not occur for all students, and as such this curriclum may be adopted from Stage 1.
About the topics/putting your class together
There are 16 sub topics under each stage (except Early Learning). It is intended that teachers select 8 Sub-Topics per year (Ie 2 per term in a 4 term system)
Therefore providing approx 2.5 hours per subtopic of class time (based on an avg of 5 X 30 minute classes)
Sample sections are available from this page.
Click on the Stage heading (Eg "Stage 1") to open the stage in detail and gain access to all support material, plus a printable version of this table.
Note : This is only available to subscribers of the site.
Student Folder Requirements
Handout material has been designed to be stored in an A4 ring folder, with tabs based on the main topic headings. This folder will carry through from stage 1 to 3. At the conclusion of all stages childen will have their own consise reference book of Auslan signs. In this way, children who comence studies at any stage (eg a child who begins at the school at stage 2) can be easily brought up to date with the "revision/catch up" material provided under each topic.
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Topics
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Early Learning
(Pre-school/Kinder)
Learning through Fun
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Stage 1
Grades 1-2
Building KeyWords
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Stage 2
Grades 3-4
Communication Begins
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Stage 3
Grades 5-6
Bringing it Together
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At the conclusion
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Children will have an understanding of a simple set of signs, but may not yet be able to use them in context
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Children will have acquired a vocablory of stand alone signs and a breif introduction to the isers of Sign Language. They should be able to provide signed answers to signed and oral questions, such as "what fruit is this?", in 1-2 sign answers.
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Children will be familiar with a large range of Auslan vocablory and begin using these in context, such as describing themselves and others in a basic way.
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Children will be able to describe themselves and others in detail, in the context of appearance, occupation, family relationship, age (inc date and place of birth) etc. They will also be able to describe animals in detail, under similar contexts. They will be able to fingerspell, describe the weather and participate in daily conversations in Auslan. They will have a thorough understanding of, and large vocablory in Auslan (in excess of 1000 signs).
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Descriptors
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Colours (basic)
- Rainbow Song
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Colours (expanded)
Shapes
Sizes
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Revision/catch up:
Colours, Shapes, Sizes
New Sub-Topics:
Textures (basic)
Feelings/Emotions (basic)
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Revision/catch up:
Colours, Shapes, Sizes, Textures & Feelings
New Sub-Topics:
Describe Me : putting descriptors into practice
Emotions (expanded) - the use of the negitive and facial expressions
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People, Family, Places
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Not covered
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New Sub-Topics:
Who is in my family?
At the circus
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Revision/catch up:
Family
New Sub-Topics:
Describing people : in terms of their relationship to you (eg dad), their appearance (tall, thin, brown eys etc)
Prior knowledge required
Descriptors Stage 1 & 2; Family (Stage 1)
Occupations (basics)
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Revision/catch up:
Occupations (basics)
New Sub-Topics:
Countries
Occupations (Expanded)
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Animals
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Farm Animals
Pets
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New Sub-Topics:
Farm Animals & Pets (expanded)
Birds and Ocean creatures
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Revision/catch up:
Farm Animals, Pets, Birds, Ocean Animals
New Sub-Topics:
Describing Farm Animals and Pets
Prior Knowledge Required : Stage 1 & 2 Descriptors, Farm animals and Pets
Native Australian Animals, Reptiles & Insects : (New vocal) Plus practice describing these animals/reptiles/insects
Prior Knowledge Required : Stage 1 & 2 Descriptors, Reptiles and Insects
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Revision/catch up:
All animal sub topics Stages 1-2
New Sub-Topics:
At the Zoo : (new/reveised animal signs). Describe the animals at the zoo...their texture, size, colour etc.
Prior knowledge required : Stage 1 & 2 Descriptors and Animals
Describing Animals (expanded) : What do they eat? Where do they live? What do they look like?
Prior knowledge required : Stage 1 & 2 Descriptors and Animals, plus Stage 3 Countries
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Games & Activities
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What's in our yard?
Nursery Rhyme Time
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New Sub-Topics:
Toys and games (basic)
Outdoor activities (basic)
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Revision/catch up:
Toys and games (basic), Outdoor activities (basic)
New Sub-Topics:
Outdoor sports
Playing inside
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Revision/catch up:
Toys and games (basic), Outdoor activities (basic), Sports, Inside games
New Sub-Topics:
Sports (expanded) : Describing rules and game play
Indoor games (expanded) : What are the rules? How do I play?
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Around and About
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What do we have at preschool?
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New Sub-Topics:
In my classroom/at my school
Places in my house
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Revision/catch up:
Places in my house
New Sub-Topics:
In my bedroom (including clothing)
In my house (furniture and household objects, not food)
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Revision/catch up:
Clothing, Rooms of the House, In my classroom/at my school
New Sub-Topics:
When I wake up : Describing the daily routeen. What time do you get up, who/what wakes you? What do you where, what do you do, what do you eat to get ready for school?
Prior knowledge required: Stage 1 - Rooms in the house. Stage 2 - Telling time, In my house and clothing
At my school : Who will you see? what are their names? Who are your friends? What do you do (classes and/or with your friends etc)?
Prior knowledge Required: Stage 1 - In my classroom/at my school. Stage 2 - Describing people and fingerspelling
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Numbers & Time
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Numbers 1 to 10
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New Sub-Topics:
Introduction to numbers (1-10 and number words)
Counting by 10's, and 1-20
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Revision/catch up:
Numbers 1-20 and counting by 10's
New Sub-Topics:
I can count to 100
Telling time (digital and analogue)- includes introduction to fractions
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Revision/catch up:
Numbers 1-100, Telling Time
New Sub-Topics:
Other Numbers (Eg 1000's)
Fractions and decimals
Describing Time (eg yesturday, tomorrow, in the past, in the future)
Days, Months, seasons
Note: these are short sub-topics and thus 2 can be taught per year)
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Shopping & Food
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Fruit break
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New Sub-Topics:
Fruit and vegitables
What's for lunch? (breif introduction to other foods)
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Revision/catch up:
Fruit & Vegitables
New Sub-Topics:
Snacks and drinks
What meal? (meal words and expanded food vocab.)
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Revision/catch up:
Fruit & Vegitables, Snacks, beverages, and general food vocab.
New Sub-Topics:
Going shopping - food, quantities and cost (introduces money vocab)
Prior Knowledge Required : Stage 2 - Food Topics and Numbers 1-100
Time to cook - recipies and cooking
Prior knowledge required : Stage 2 - Numbers and food. Stage 3 - Fractions
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Finger-Spelling
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-Not Applicable-
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-Not Applicable-
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New Sub-Topics:
Auslan Alphabet
What is that? (simple fingerspelling of names and small words)
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Revision/catch up:
Auslan Alphabet
New Sub-Topics:
Where do you live? - Practice fingerspelling through street and suburb names.
Alphabet words - look at signs that are drived from the alphabet (eg Tomoate, Year, Month, Mum, accident, alcohol, answer, about....) |
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Greetings & Communication
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Everyday Words
Eg. Yes, No, Finished, more...
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New Sub-Topics:
Everyday and inportant words
Greet Me (basic) (Eg Hello, how are you?, Good morning, good night..)
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Revision/catch up:
Not required
New Sub-Topics:
Greetings and salutations
Prior knowledge required : Stage 2 - Emotions and feelings
Weather words
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Revision/catch up:
Weather, Greetings and salutaions
New Sub-Topics:
Grade 5 topic
Meet and greet : Meet in pairs, introduce yourself, dicuss where you live, the weather
Prior knowledge required : Auslan alphabet, Greetings and salutations, Weather
Grade 6 concluding topic/exersise
This is me - Introduceing me. My name, my age, date and place of birth, what i look like (eg I have black hair...), members of my family (including names and relationship to you), what you like doing (eg sport, art etc), pets you have...describe them
Prior knowledge requirements : Stage 1-3 number and Time, Stage 2-3 fingerspelling, Stage 1-3 People and Family, Stage 1-3 describtors.
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About Signing People / Deaf Culture
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-Not applicable-
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New Sub-Topics:
Who uses sign language? (basic intro only)
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New Sub-Topics:
Why is sign language important? - Expolre in more depth the need for sign language and the people who use it
Famous and not so famous deaf people - Explore the stories of Deaf people..their lives, their experiences.
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New Sub-Topics:
Deaf history in Australia
What is Deaf culture?
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Special Events*
Optional Section
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We have developed a range of special activity sets based around special events such as Easter and Christmas. They include songs, colour-in pages, card making, and games.
Go to these now
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Footnotes
1. “Hearing Loss is already estimated to be the second most prevalent health condition in Australia, with one in
every five people over 15 years experiencing some sort of hearing impairment.” “Early detection is the key to ensuring
babies and young children access hearing intervention as soon as possible and are not disadvantaged socially and
intellectually in the longer term”
The Honorable Julie Bishop, MP
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