HASS · Year 6

Active learning ideas

Multiculturalism: Celebrating Diversity

Active learning lets students experience cultural diversity firsthand, moving beyond abstract facts to sensory and social engagement. By tasting foods, moving to music, and designing events together, they build empathy and see how shared traditions form Australian identity.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9HASS6K03

• 25–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Stations Rotation
• 45 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Cultural Food Tasting

Prepare small samples of foods like felafel, dumplings, and pavlova at four stations, each with info cards on origins and Australian adaptations. Groups rotate every 10 minutes, taste safely, journal flavors, and note influences. Conclude with class share-out on favorites.

Explain how cultural diversity enriches Australian society and identity.

Facilitation Tip

During Cultural Food Tasting, arrange foods in small bowls with colored flags naming the culture of origin so students can connect taste with heritage.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'How has the food you eat at home or at school been influenced by people who have migrated to Australia?' Ask students to share one specific example and explain the cultural origin of that food.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Gallery Walk
• 30 min · Pairs

Pairs Practice: Festival Dance Exchange

Pairs research and teach each other a simple dance from a migrant culture, such as Greek syrtaki or Indian bhangra. Practice steps together, then perform briefly for the class. Reflect on how movement shares stories.

Analyze examples of how different cultures have influenced Australian food, arts, and language.

Facilitation Tip

During Festival Dance Exchange, play 30-second clips of each dance style first so pairs can practice before performing for each other.

What to look for

Provide students with a graphic organizer listing categories like 'Food', 'Festivals', 'Language'. Ask them to fill in one example for each category that demonstrates cultural diversity in Australia, naming the originating culture.

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

Activity 03

• Gallery Walk
• 50 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Diversity Event Design

Groups brainstorm a school 'Celebrate Us' day with stalls for languages, foods, and crafts. Sketch plans, assign roles, and pitch to class for feedback. Vote on top ideas to implement.

Design a plan to promote inclusion and celebrate diversity within our school community.

Facilitation Tip

During Diversity Event Design, provide a simple template with sections for goals, activities, and community partners to keep planning focused.

What to look for

On an exit ticket, ask students to write two ways cultural diversity makes Australia a more interesting place to live. Then, ask them to suggest one small action they could take at school to make someone from a different cultural background feel more welcome.

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

Activity 04

• Gallery Walk
• 25 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Language Phrase Chain

Start a chain where each student shares a phrase from a family or researched culture, like 'buongiorno' or 'xin chào,' with meanings. Class repeats and adds gestures. Chart phrases on a mural.

Explain how cultural diversity enriches Australian society and identity.

Facilitation Tip

During Language Phrase Chain, write each new phrase on a strip of colored paper so the growing chain is visible to the whole class.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'How has the food you eat at home or at school been influenced by people who have migrated to Australia?' Ask students to share one specific example and explain the cultural origin of that food.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should frame diversity as a strength by highlighting hybrid traditions, such as Vietnamese-Australian banh mi or Greek-Australian weddings. Avoid separating cultures into silos; instead, show how influences merge over time. Research shows that when students actively co-create knowledge through multisensory experiences, their understanding of identity becomes more nuanced and personal.

Students will articulate how migrant cultures blend with local life through concrete examples and collaborative explanations. They will use the language of respect when discussing differences and similarities in cultural practices.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Cultural Food Tasting, watch for students assuming each dish belongs only to one culture.

  Prompt students to notice ingredients like pasta or chili that appear across multiple cultures, and ask them to explain how these items traveled and changed.

• During Festival Dance Exchange, watch for students labeling dances by nationality only.

  Have pairs describe the feelings or stories behind the dance moves, then ask them to identify any shared themes with other cultures.

• During Diversity Event Design, watch for groups planning events that separate cultures rather than blend them.

  Require groups to include at least one hybrid activity, such as a fusion food stall or a bilingual performance, before finalizing their plan.

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Methods used in this brief

• Stations Rotation
• Gallery Walk