HASS · Year 10

Active learning ideas

Multiculturalism in Australian Society

Active learning engages students with tangible examples of multiculturalism, making abstract concepts visible. By handling real dishes, analyzing authentic media clips, and mapping local stories, students connect theory to lived experience, deepening understanding.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9H10K08

• 30–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Gallery Walk
• 45 min · Small Groups

Gallery Walk: Multicultural Cuisine Transformations

Students research and create posters showing one multicultural dish's journey to Australia, including origins, adaptations, and social impacts. They place posters around the room, then walk the gallery in groups, noting common themes and evidence of cohesion. Conclude with a class vote on most influential food.

Analyze how multiculturalism has transformed Australian cuisine and cultural practices.

Facilitation Tip

During the Gallery Walk, circulate and prompt students to compare dishes by migrant group, asking them to note fusion techniques on their sheets.

What to look for

Provide students with a card asking them to name one specific Australian dish that has been influenced by migration and explain which migrant group introduced it. Then, ask them to write one sentence about how this dish contributes to Australia's cultural landscape.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Gallery Walk
• 35 min · Small Groups

Media Analysis: SBS Segments

Select short SBS clips on multicultural events. Groups watch, identify promotion strategies for understanding, and chart evidence of contributions to cohesion. Groups present findings to class, comparing institutional roles.

Explain the role of institutions like SBS in promoting multicultural understanding.

Facilitation Tip

For Media Analysis, pre-select clips that contrast migrant stories with mainstream narratives to highlight SBS’s inclusive approach.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'How has the role of SBS in broadcasting contributed to multicultural understanding in Australia?' Ask students to share specific examples of programs or initiatives they are aware of and discuss their impact on viewers' perceptions of different cultures.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Gallery Walk
• 50 min · Pairs

Debate Pairs: Social Cohesion Impacts

Assign pairs pro or con positions on multiculturalism's net effect on cohesion. They gather evidence from provided sources, debate in rounds, then switch sides. Whole class reflects on strongest arguments.

Evaluate the contributions of multiculturalism to Australia's social cohesion.

Facilitation Tip

In Debate Pairs, provide sentence starters on cards to scaffold argument structure and ensure balanced participation.

What to look for

Present students with a short case study about a fictional community experiencing challenges related to multiculturalism. Ask them to identify two potential strategies that could be implemented to improve social cohesion, referencing concepts learned in class.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 04

• Gallery Walk
• 30 min · Individual

Personal Mapping: Local Multiculturalism

Individually, students map family or community multicultural influences in education, media, or food. Share in pairs, then contribute to a class digital wall. Discuss patterns in Australian life.

Analyze how multiculturalism has transformed Australian cuisine and cultural practices.

Facilitation Tip

For Personal Mapping, display blank maps at the front with labeled migration waves, so students can add their own data points visibly.

What to look for

Provide students with a card asking them to name one specific Australian dish that has been influenced by migration and explain which migrant group introduced it. Then, ask them to write one sentence about how this dish contributes to Australia's cultural landscape.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should foreground lived experience by prioritizing student stories and local examples over textbook definitions. Avoid overgeneralizing; instead, highlight variability within and between migrant communities. Research shows that when students analyze real media or food, they more readily challenge stereotypes and see multiculturalism as an ongoing process, not a static outcome.

Students will explain how migrant communities have shaped Australian education, media, and food. They will evaluate claims about social cohesion through evidence and personal stories, demonstrating nuanced views of cultural integration.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Gallery Walk: Multicultural Cuisine Transformations, watch for students who claim multiculturalism erases traditional Australian culture.

  Use the fusion dishes in the gallery to ask students to trace ingredients back to their origins, then identify how Australian techniques (like baking) blend with migrant traditions.

• During Media Analysis: SBS Segments, watch for students who believe SBS only serves migrants.

  Have groups tally themes in their notes, such as universal values like family or resilience, then ask them to share examples that appeal to all Australians.

• During Personal Mapping: Local Multiculturalism, watch for students who assume multicultural impacts are uniform across groups.

  Ask pairs to compare their maps and note discrepancies in settlement patterns or language programs, then discuss why experiences vary by community.

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Methods used in this brief

• Gallery Walk