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• VCECU019

  Investigate the connections and distinctions between and the relative value of concepts including fairness and equality, and respect and tolerance

  Elaborations

  • discussing whether fairness and equality are the same thing, and if not, which is more important, using examples such as affirmative action, concessions for those with special needs, or differences in tax rates
  • discussing whether there are distinctions in attitudes of respect and tolerance, in relation to, for example, different views on child vaccination
  • discussing why punishments may be unequal and whether this is fair, for example, if applied to the same case in court or in a sporting tribunal

  VCECU019 | Capabilities | Ethical Capability | Levels 9 and 10 | Understanding Concepts

• VCECU001

  Explore the meaning of right and wrong, good and bad, as concepts concerned with the outcomes of acts

  Elaborations

  • exploring how the terms good, bad, right and wrong are used in different ways and identifying whether these are concerned with ethical outcomes, for example, ‘she is good at kicking a football’, ‘he is a good person’, ’this is a good drawing/design solution’, ‘it is wrong to give money to a beggar’, ‘winning was good’
  • using the term ‘good’, ‘bad’, ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ to describe a choice and exploring whether this reflects consideration of a likely outcome, for example, identifying a game rule ‘youngest goes first’ as a good or bad rule of a game and examining if the reasons are influenced by perception of the outcome

  VCECU001 | Capabilities | Ethical Capability | Foundation to Level 2 | Understanding Concepts

• VCECU009

  Examine the contested meaning of concepts including truth and happiness and the extent to which these concepts are and should be valued

  Elaborations

  • using ethical dilemmas, as a prompt for exploring whether it is ever desirable to lie, for example, lying to protect a friend from getting into trouble, to stop someone’s feelings being hurt, or about an injury in order to get picked for a team
  • asking a range of people what their views on happiness are, how important it is and what is necessary for happiness
  • investigating whether everyone should have the right to be happy and if so, whether this is possible, using as stimulus issues of treatment of prisoners or bullies, or how much the wealthy should help the poor or the strong the weak

  VCECU009 | Capabilities | Ethical Capability | Levels 5 and 6 | Understanding Concepts

• VCECU010

  Discuss how ethical principles can be used as the basis for action, considering the influence of cultural norms, religion, world views and philosophical thought on these principles

  Elaborations

  • investigating some common ethical principles, for example, ‘always treat people as ends not means’ (philosopher Immanuel Kant), and ‘actions are right in proportion to whether they promote happiness’ (philosopher John Stuart Mill), and comparing how they might be applied to a particular situation, for example, whether to participate in a fund raising event.
  • examining basic tenets of major world religions and non-religious worldviews and how they form the basis of a particular principle/s, such as ‘treat others as you would want to be treated’ (the Golden Rule)
  • investigating differing cultural norms concerning the importance of the individual relative to the family or wider community and how this may influence views on loyalty, obligation and responsibility and in turn views on guiding ethical principles

  VCECU010 | Capabilities | Ethical Capability | Levels 5 and 6 | Understanding Concepts

• VCECU004

  Explore the contested meaning of concepts including fairness and harm and how they can seem to differ in different situations

  Elaborations

  • testing a proposed definition of fairness as equal treatment by considering whether an older sibling should do more at home or whether there should be special parking places
  • testing a proposed definition of harm as involving a deliberate intention that caused mental or physical suffering, by considering whether an accidental injury to someone on the playground is harmful or whether taking offence to teasing or a joke is a choice
  • exploring the concept of fairness by setting a task where resources are distributed unevenly and reflecting on the desirability of the outcomes

  VCECU004 | Capabilities | Ethical Capability | Levels 3 and 4 | Understanding Concepts

• VCECU014

  Explore the contested meaning of concepts including freedom, justice, and rights and responsibilities, and the extent they are and should be valued by different individuals and groups

  Elaborations

  • exploring the meaning of justice by proposing and evaluating criteria that might be used for justice, such as what is deserved, adherence to laws or maximising the common good
  • comparing and evaluating two conceptions of freedom: the absence of anything that prevents you achieving what you want, and the ability to control your own interests (self- determination); and whether the harm principle should be used to limit freedom, as part of a study of an issue concerning freedom of speech, or freedom of action (such as restrictions to gambling or alcohol consumption)
  • using a range of examples, such as drink driving, to examine whether there are more important rights and responsibilities than others, whether rights are means or ends and the extent to which reasons involving rights do and should outweigh other reasons for actions

  VCECU014 | Capabilities | Ethical Capability | Levels 7 and 8 | Understanding Concepts

• VCECU006

  Discuss the ways to identify ethical considerations in a range of problems

  Elaborations

  • considering questions such as ‘does this matter and why?’, ‘is this about something where the outcome can be judged good, bad, right or wrong?’ for usefulness in identifying an ethical problem
  • identifying an ethical problem, such as whether to help a friend or stranger first and considering questions such as ‘Who is involved and how are they likely to be affected?’ and ‘Does this involve breaking a rule or other commitment?’
  • using if…then reasoning to identify possible consequences as an ethical consideration in a situation, for example, if animals thought to be cuter were protected ahead of other animals then…

  VCECU006 | Capabilities | Ethical Capability | Levels 3 and 4 | Understanding Concepts

• VCECU011

  Examine how problems may contain more than one ethical issue

  Elaborations

  • exploring the nature of an ethical dilemma in which there is a choice to be made between at least two options, none of which gives an ethically acceptable result, for example, choosing who to put in a lifeboat when there are limited places, or whether someone should tell the shop owner that they their friend is shop-stealing expensive medicine for their poverty stricken mother, or, whether to stop and help someone and miss an entrance exam, or whether to quit a sport team in a small town knowing that then there will not be enough players and the team will fold
  • investigating a problem such as responding to a natural disaster and identifying the ethical issues involved immediately and into the future
  • researching an historical example such as Batman’s 'treaty' and its validity, identifying the different ethical issues involved and from whose point of view

  VCECU011 | Capabilities | Ethical Capability | Levels 5 and 6 | Understanding Concepts

• VCECU021

  Distinguish between the ethical and non-ethical dimensions of complex issues, including the distinction between ethical and legal issues

  Elaborations

  • assessing a complex ethical issue that is, one, such as euthanasia, that involves more than one question and area of contestability, a range of diverse people, and/or is part of a wider problem or historical context, to discriminate and explain those features that are of ethical significance, using these questions: who is involved, what are their intentions and what gave rise to the intention (including relevant dispositions)?, Is there something inherently right or wrong in the act itself or interpretation of the issue?, Is there a duty at stake (for example arising out of a perceived right or a particular relationship such as friend to friend, parent to child or doctor to patient)?, What are the possible consequences?, Who is likely to be affected?
  • examining and comparing the ethical significance of codes of conduct, protocols, and legal responsibilities as preparation for undertaking research or working collaboratively
  • exploring a response to an issue such as the use of someone else’s ideas, conditions of factory workers overseas, or the rescuing of adventurers, to identify if there is no legal, but arguably an ethical, obligation

  VCECU021 | Capabilities | Ethical Capability | Levels 9 and 10 | Understanding Concepts

• VCECU005

  Explore the extent to which particular acts might be regarded by different people as good or bad, right or wrong, better or worse, and explain why

  Elaborations

  • inquiring into a proposal and examining reasons for a range of views on its desirability, for example, proposals to improve sustainability or resolve a local civic issue
  • investigating whether there are differences over time in views about issues such as treatment of animals in zoos and reasons for this
  • comparing different responses to a problem and classifying them as better or worse using a thinking tool and comparing the classifications with others and how the judgements were reached

  VCECU005 | Capabilities | Ethical Capability | Levels 3 and 4 | Understanding Concepts

• VCICCB001

  Identify what is familiar and what is different in the ways culturally diverse individuals and families live

  Elaborations

  • noting information from stories that identify similarities and differences between families from a range of places including stories from students in the class and in stories about children in other places
  • identifying how people express a familiar cultural practice, such as the food eaten at different celebrations, or the songs sung at a celebration
  • sharing stories about familiar cultural practices from home and describing their importance to the family
  • comparing the words students use for their grandparents, such as Nanna/Pop, Grandma/Grandpa; Nonna/Nonno (Italian); Yaya/Pappous (Greek)

  VCICCB001 | Capabilities | Intercultural Capability | Foundation to Level 2 | Cultural Practices

• VCICCB013

  Analyse the dynamic nature of own and others cultural practices in a range of contexts

  Elaborations

  • examining how a similar cultural practice can be expressed differently in other contexts, for example, compare the celebration of Christmas in commercial, cultural and religious contexts
  • analysing how a range of different cultural practices developed and how they may have changed, for example, comparing women’s roles over the past hundred years at home and at work, exploring changing influences of technology in popular music, discussing changes to religious observance, such as eating fish on Friday
  • exploring why people want to preserve their cultural practices, including linguistic, artistic and culinary traditions and investigating an example of cultural preservation
  • discussing possible consequences when cultural practices are not maintained, for example, changes to language practices in successive generations of migrant communities
  • exploring cultural issues in historical contexts such as the impact of a dominant culture, language, belief or legal system, for example during the Columbian Exchange

  VCICCB013 | Capabilities | Intercultural Capability | Levels 7 and 8 | Cultural Practices

• VCICCB018

  Analyse the ways in which intercultural relationships and experiences have contributed to the development of attitudes, beliefs and behaviours, and how they are manifested in various contexts

  Elaborations

  • using a range of scenarios to hold a student-led discussion about factors that may impact intercultural experiences, for example, welcoming visitors to your home, international adoption, or international aide relations between countries
  • comparing the underpinning assumptions of different national migration policies, for example, by contrasting the White Australia Policy with multicultural policy settings
  • exploring whether there are similarities in the experiences of successive waves of migrants to Australia
  • unpacking the different perspectives cultural groups may hold, for example, the contested usage of ‘Australian/UnAustralian’
  • using episodes of a television show to explore differences in attitudes, such as the SBS show ‘Go Back To Where You Came From’

  VCICCB018 | Capabilities | Intercultural Capability | Levels 9 and 10 | Cultural Practices

• VCICCB005

  Compare their own and others cultural practices, showing how these may influence the ways people relate to each other

  Elaborations

  • comparing the expression of common concepts or human experiences in a range of cultural settings, for example, life milestones and celebrations, learning from older family/community members, demonstrating an emotion
  • exploring rules or expectations within the school or classroom, for example, raising a hand before asking a question, using manners or wearing a uniform, and discussing how these may help foster a culture of respect for other students and teachers
  • researching a cultural practice, for example Japanese origami, or a cultural artefact, for example a kilt, and asking students to explain the significance to other students
  • discussing aspects of Australian culture that might seem ‘strange’ from another perspective, such as eating kangaroo or having an outlaw as a national hero, and contrast with other cultural practices that students may find ‘strange’, such as the Spanish practice of eating twelve grapes at New Years Eve

  VCICCB005 | Capabilities | Intercultural Capability | Levels 3 and 4 | Cultural Practices

• VCICCB010

  Explain how intercultural experiences can influence beliefs and behaviours, including developing a critical perspective on and respect for their own and others cultures

  Elaborations

  • using a range of overseas and national travel brochures to discuss different ideas about travel, including the notion that travel broadens peoples horizons, and create a list of reasons how and why Australians travel
  • creating a class list of what having an ‘open mind’ might look like and why it may be useful during intercultural experiences, such as in scenarios like student exchanges or overseas travel
  • exploring the meaning of terms such as tolerance, respect and acceptance and discussing a range of ways to show respect for different cultural practices
  • discussing how body language and gestures can influence communication and describing differences in meanings attached to body language and gestures in different cultures, such as giving a ‘thumbs up’, bowing or pointing

  VCICCB010 | Capabilities | Intercultural Capability | Levels 5 and 6 | Cultural Practices

• VCICCB009

  Analyse how aspects of their own and others lifestyle, behaviour, attitudes and beliefs can be culturally influenced

  Elaborations

  • comparing differences in a range of countries, such in legal driving or voting age, laws around alcohol consumption or school leaving age, and discussing these in relation to adolescent – adulthood rights of passages
  • identifying cultural connections between Australia and countries in the Asia region and the activities that facilitate these connections, such as travel, student exchange, storytelling formats, music and dance
  • exploring identity through economic, consumer and media practices and choices, and discussing these in relation to globalisation and/or American cultural influence, such a popular music, television or film
  • prompting students to explore and evaluate the source of a range of popular and traditional cultural practices or artefacts, for example, surfing in Australia, the notion of the larrikin, or Hip Hop

  VCICCB009 | Capabilities | Intercultural Capability | Levels 5 and 6 | Cultural Practices

• VCICCB002

  Describe their experiences of intercultural encounters in which they have been involved

  Elaborations

  • exploring stories that describe experiences of intercultural encounters, for example, when students met someone who spoke a language different from their own
  • brainstorming a range of activities, locations, events or technologies that may provide intercultural experiences, such as international travel, visiting their local library, attending Chinese New Year celebrations, or speaking to relatives overseas through video chat applications
  • creating posters to identify how students celebrate or commemorate a range of cultural events
  • using images of people in Australia and other countries to ask students a set of reflective questions about culture, such as whether they’re curious about their own culture or more curious about other cultures

  VCICCB002 | Capabilities | Intercultural Capability | Foundation to Level 2 | Cultural Practices

• VCICCB006

  Describe what they have learnt about themselves and others from intercultural experiences including a critical perspective on and respect for their own and others cultures

  Elaborations

  • examining the similarities and differences between their cultural practices and those of young people in a place outside Australia and discussing what it would be like to live in these places
  • asking students to describe an intercultural experience or event and prompting students to explore an intercultural experience or event from different perspectives
  • questioning students about their experience in a role-play, modelled or real-life situation which included an intercultural experience: were they excited, challenged, comfortable, curious?
  • exploring the different meanings of the national anthem, Waltzing Matilda and I am Australian or comparing the meanings associated with a range of national anthems from different countries
  • comparing different cultural norms that demonstrate respect, such as when using public transport, at religious events or in relation to grandparents

  VCICCB006 | Capabilities | Intercultural Capability | Levels 3 and 4 | Cultural Practices

• VCICCB014

  Examine how various cultural groups are represented, by whom they are represented, and comment on the purpose and effect of these representations

  Elaborations

  • using journal entries to collate, identify and critically explore generalisations and stereotypes from media sources, including television, radio and social media
  • examining the concepts of generalisations and stereotypes through a range of different representations of cultural groups, for example, positive and negative representations of Australians or by examining Australian tourism campaigns across different decades
  • analysing media coverage of a current issue and exploring the way different groups are represented
  • removing, rewriting, replacing or changing the racial identifiers in a short newspaper article, letter to the editor or political cartoon, and reflecting on ways that representations of stereotypes can be challenged

  VCICCB014 | Capabilities | Intercultural Capability | Levels 7 and 8 | Cultural Practices

• VCICCB017

  Analyse the complex and dynamic interrelationships between and within cultures in a range of contexts and the impact of these interrelationships on their own and others cultural practices

  Elaborations

  • discussing how student’s own expression of cultural practices may be complicated, for example, individuals may share the same nationality but have parents with different cultural heritages and/or linguistic backgrounds
  • analysing multifaceted and complex cultural practices, for example, how religion intersects with and diverges from culture or cultural practices
  • analysing and describing how culture and language use are interrelated and reflect and shape relationships, practices and attitudes between and within cultural communities
  • investigating the context and significant factors that contribute to a current global issue that includes an intercultural dimension, such as people movement, and prompt students to propose actions that may help improve or alleviate contributing factors

  VCICCB017 | Capabilities | Intercultural Capability | Levels 9 and 10 | Cultural Practices