Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes

Tune In: Experiences of discrimination

15 minutes

Find Out: Participation barriers

20 minutes

Take Action: Reconciliation Action Plan

5 minutes

Reflection

Learning intentions

Students will:

explore barriers to participating in sports created by discrimination.

Success criteria

Students can:

identify and discuss the barriers specific to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander athletes participating in sport
identify strategies from Commonwealth Games Australia’s RAP targeting these barriers.

Ensuring psychological safety and inclusivity

Before beginning this lesson, it is essential to account for the experiences of any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in your class. This resource is developed for mainstream classes, but it is important not to isolate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in how the material is taught. Some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students may have important insights or contributions that should be welcomed. However, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students should not be expected to contribute any more than other students.

Tune In: Experiences of discrimination

Step 1

Watch the following video with your students.

What is Discrimination? - (youtube.com/watch?v=da6UCBskqNk)

After viewing, ask students to turn to the person next to them and share an example of discrimination they may have heard, seen, experienced or read about. Invite students who feel comfortable to share their response with the class.

Step 2

Provide each student with a copy of the Experiences of Discrimination Factsheet, and read through the information as a class. Discuss the following points with your students:

Were there any examples of discrimination that you hadn’t previously considered?
Was there any information on this factsheet that was surprising to you?
Look at the dates of the different Acts and Policies. Which were earlier than you thought, and which were later than you thought?
What do you think the ongoing impacts of these Acts and Policies have been? Look at the second page of the factsheet.

Learning extension: Create a timeline showing when Australia created Acts and Policies that either promoted discrimination (below the timeline) or aimed to combat discrimination (above the timeline). Use this factsheet as a starting point and then complete your own research to fill in other dates.

Find Out: Participation barriers

Step 1

Explain to students that in this lesson, we are going to focus specifically on how discrimination manifests in the world of sport for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander athletes. Highlight to students that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia are the oldest living culture in the world. Over the past 65,000 years, they have shared their customs, knowledge and cultures with others. Alongside this, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander athletes have played a vital role in the sporting success of Australia and the rich history of sport that has been created as a nation.

Step 2

Highlight to students that the discrimination often faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander athletes impacts their participation in sports. Provide the students with the Challenges for Athletes Worksheet, and draw a matching T-chart on the whiteboard.

In small groups, brainstorm the challenges that all non-Indigenous athletes face in representing Australia at the Commonwealth Games and list these on the left side of the T-chart.

Some examples could include:

lack of representation and funding for para-athletes
intense competition within Australia itself
rigorous qualifying standards and trials
physical and mental stamina requirements
financial constraints for training and travel
balancing training with work or education
managing injuries and recovery effectively
handling the pressure of representing the country.

Step 3

Now, invite students to consider the additional challenges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander athletes face in training, competing and qualifying for the Commonwealth Games. You may need to prompt students’ thinking by asking them to think about how discrimination in Australia impacts marginalised minority communities, and in particular, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

List the challenges students brainstorm in the right side of the T-chart.

Some examples could include:

lower numbers and visibility of sporting role models (you can’t be what you can’t see)
limited access to quality training facilities and coaching
cultural and racial stereotypes
financial barriers affecting travel and equipment costs
balancing cultural obligations with training schedules
having their cultural identity come before their sporting achievements in media and reporting.

Step 4

Lead a class discussion with your students by using the following prompts:

Some of these barriers sit on both sides of our T-chart. Do you think they present an equal barrier to participation for both groups, or is one group more impacted than another?
Take another look at the barriers that have been listed. Can you spot any stereotypes?
Have you thought about these barriers before?
How do you think these barriers impact local community sports?
What do you think is being done to address these barriers and make competitive sports more inclusive for all Australians?

Take Action: Reconciliation Action Plan

Step 1

Explain to students that in the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, Australia was represented by 429 athletes, including 10 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander athletes, the largest contingent so far. Many sporting organisations are working to reduce the barriers many athletes face, specifically to ensure safety and support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Step 2

Ask the class if they have heard of, or know what a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) is. Ask students who are aware of a RAP to explain further to the class.

Outline that many organisations and businesses work with Aboriginal groups and organisations to develop a RAP to support and display a commitment to improving outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. This is a formal document that organisations use to commit to improving relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It outlines specific actions like promoting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ employment and supporting cultural awareness, aiming to contribute positively to reconciliation efforts.

Step 3

Display Chern’ee Sutton’s, a contemporary Aboriginal artist from the Kalkadoon people, artwork depicting her interpretation of the history of Commonwealth Games sport in Australia. You can view this artwork on page 5 of the Commonwealth Games Australia RAP (commonwealthgames.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Commonwealth-Games-Australia-Reconciliation-Action-Plan-May-2022-May-2023.pdf).

Encourage students to predict how Sutton’s artwork may relate to the Commonwealth Games Australia RAP. Read the explanation on page 6 to students as they view and track the story to the artwork.

Step 4

Divide students into 4 groups and ask each group to read through the sections of Commonwealth Games Australia’s RAP listed below, and to answer the corresponding questions on the Student Worksheet.

CGA Vision (pages 11-15)
History (pages 16 - 21)
Significant Figures (pages 22 - 28)

Now that your students have had an opportunity to explore the Commonwealth Games Australia RAP, and know more about the history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples at the Games, let’s focus on the deliverable actions outlined. Assign 1 of the below sections to each group.

Group 1: Relationships (page 34)
Group 2: Respect (page 35)
Group 3: Opportunities (page 36)
Group 4: Governance (page 37)

Your students’ task is to read through the deliverable (action) outlined for their area and explain how this action is working towards increasing the representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and culture in the Commonwealth Games. Remind them to refer to their T-chart of barriers to participation and reflect on how these actions are directly addressing these barriers.

Step 5

Invite each group to present the information they learned, including 1 deliverable (action) that Commonwealth Games Australia is taking to promote inclusion, safety and support of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Reflection

Prompt students to consider the 2 reflection questions on the Student Worksheet. This could be completed as an exit ticket for formative assessment purposes.

Thinking about the action you explored today, how could you apply this action to combating discrimination in your own life?
How does increased knowledge and understanding lead to reconciliation?

Social Barriers to Participation

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Social Barriers to Participation

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