HASS · Year 3

Active learning ideas

Planning a Community Celebration

Active learning works because Year 3 students grasp cultural diversity best when they create shared plans instead of just listening. Mapping traditions, negotiating roles, and designing events let them experience inclusivity directly, making abstract concepts tangible and memorable.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9HASS3S06

• 30–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 35 min · Small Groups

Brainstorm Session: Cultural Traditions Map

Students in small groups research and list three traditions from different cultures using class resources or family input. They plot these on a shared map poster, noting similarities and differences. Groups present one tradition to the class for voting on event inclusion.

Design a plan for an inclusive community celebration.

Facilitation Tip

During the Cultural Traditions Map, provide sentence starters like ‘In my family we celebrate by…’ to scaffold discussions and ensure every voice is heard.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine our class is planning a 'Harmony Day' celebration for our school. What are two different traditions we could include, and what is one challenge we might face in making sure everyone feels represented?' Listen for students identifying specific traditions and potential conflicts or misunderstandings.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 45 min · Small Groups

Role-Play: Community Planning Meeting

Assign roles like local elder, recent migrant, or school principal to small groups. They debate and negotiate a celebration plan, recording agreements on a shared chart. Debrief as a class on compromises made.

Analyze the challenges of incorporating diverse cultural traditions into one event.

Facilitation Tip

In the Community Planning Meeting role-play, assign specific roles (e.g., cultural representative, budget manager) to structure negotiations and prevent one student from dominating.

What to look for

Provide students with a simple template for a celebration plan. Ask them to fill in sections for 'Activity', 'Who it's for', and 'Why it's inclusive'. Review their entries to see if they are making thoughtful choices that consider diverse needs.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 30 min · Pairs

Design Challenge: Event Blueprint

Pairs sketch a festival layout including stages for performances and food areas. They label choices with justifications linked to inclusivity. Display blueprints for a gallery walk with peer sticky-note feedback.

Justify the choices made in planning a celebration for a multicultural community.

Facilitation Tip

For the Event Blueprint, limit materials to one large sheet and colored pencils to force prioritization of key elements over decorative details.

What to look for

On a slip of paper, ask students to write down one thing they learned about planning for different cultures and one question they still have about making an event welcoming for everyone.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 04

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 40 min · Small Groups

Pitch Presentation: Justify the Plan

Small groups prepare a 2-minute pitch of their full plan to the class, using visuals. Class votes on the most inclusive plan with reasons. Reflect on what made plans successful.

Design a plan for an inclusive community celebration.

Facilitation Tip

During the Pitch Presentation, require students to reference at least one peer’s suggestion in their justification to reinforce active listening.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine our class is planning a 'Harmony Day' celebration for our school. What are two different traditions we could include, and what is one challenge we might face in making sure everyone feels represented?' Listen for students identifying specific traditions and potential conflicts or misunderstandings.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should balance structure with open-ended exploration. Use guided questions to keep cultural representations respectful and research-based, avoiding stereotypes. Research shows that when students co-create inclusive plans, they retain more content and develop empathy. Avoid rushing to a ‘final answer’—let the process of negotiation and revision unfold naturally.

Successful learning looks like students collaborating to design an event that balances multiple traditions, justifies choices with evidence, and adjusts plans based on feedback. They should move from broad ideas to specific details while considering fairness and practicality.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Cultural Traditions Map, watch for students grouping cultures under broad labels like ‘Asian’ or ‘European’.

  Redirect by asking them to list specific traditions (e.g., Lunar New Year, Diwali) and compare how families practice them differently. Use a Venn diagram to highlight overlaps and differences.

• During the Community Planning Meeting, watch for students defaulting to the most popular activity without considering others’ needs.

  Introduce a ‘needs check’ round where each group states one tradition they want included and why, forcing students to justify beyond popularity.

• During the Event Blueprint, watch for students placing activities based on space availability rather than accessibility.

  Have them use a simple grid to mark ‘easy to reach’ and ‘needs assistance’ areas, then adjust placement to ensure fairness.

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Methods used in this brief

• Outdoor Investigation Session