Reconciliation progress

Curriculum information

Achievement standard

Students compare and analyse the distributions of multiple numerical data sets, choose representations, describe features of these data sets using summary statistics and the shape of distributions, and consider the effect of outliers.

Content descriptions

Students plan and conduct statistical investigations involving the collection and analysis of different kinds of data; report findings and discuss the strength of evidence to support any conclusions (AC9M9ST05)

General capabilities

Numeracy

Interpreting and representing data (Level 8)

Digital literacy

Interpret data (Level 6)

Critical and Creative Thinking

Develop questions (Level 6)
Identify, process and evaluate information (Level 6)
Interpret concepts and problems (Level 6)
Draw conclusions and provide reasons (Level 6)

Ethical understanding

Explore ethical issues (Level 6)
Explore ethical concepts (Level 6)

Cross-curriculum priority

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures (A_TSIP1)

Assessment

Create an infographic

Provide students with a relevant digital infographic creation tool such as Canva (Education version).
As a group students use their collated information and supporting statistics to back up their claim.
Assess students proficiency in describing features of their data sets and use of summary statistics.

Prerequisite student knowledge and language

Prior to this lesson, it is assumed that students:

have an understanding of the term reconciliation
can interpret data represented in tables and charts
use a range of data visualisations such as 100% stacked bar charts
have familiarity with spreadsheet software and creating charts.

Provide students with the Reconciliation Student Toolkit for students who are new to the concept of reconciliation. The guide within the toolkit will help to support the prerequisite/assumed knowledge and the success criteria around knowing how they can get involved.

Areas of challenge

Some students may:

not understand what reconciliation is or its complexity
have limited use or familiarity with spreadsheet software such as Excel for Word or Numbers for for iOS and macOS
not understand differences in data, data representations and how they can be successfully compared and analysed to draw conclusions.

Suggested strategies

Classroom talks

Questioning

Culturally responsive pedagogies

Mathematics investigation

Collaborative learning

What you need:

Lesson plan (Word)

Teacher's slides (PowerPoint)

Sample spreadsheet (Excel)

Access to internet and computers or devices with spreadsheeting software

Learning goals

Learning intention

We are learning to investigate data in reports relating to the state of reconciliation in Australia.
We are learning to gain awareness of attitudes towards reconciliation and the social issues around reconciliation.
We explore the reconciliation process using reported data.

Success criteria

By the end of this lesson, students can:

interpret and draw conclusions from data visualisations
plan and conduct a statistical investigation
understand the process of reconciliation in Australia and how they can be involved in it.

Why are we learning about this?

This investigation provides students with the real-life context of reconciliation in Australia, and how they can contribute to it. It incorporates the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures cross-curriculum priority into mathematics, that is, where statistics and data can be investigated to learn through a social justice lens.

Learning hook 10 mins

Download and use the teacher’s slides to accompany your teaching. You will find this in the ‘What you need’ section.

Introduction

Introduce students to the topic of reconciliation in Australia and its importance using the teacher’s slides (slides 2-3).

Learning hook

Present students with the inquiry question: Has progress been made on reconciliation in Australia?
Use slides 4-5 to explain that students will undertaking a statistical analysis using data presented in the 2022 Australian Reconciliation Barometer (ARB) report, published by Reconciliation Australia, an independent not-for profit organisation and lead body for reconciliation in Australia. Briefly explain the intention behind the report and that the 2022 report provides data across years 2014-2022.
Use slide 5 to introduce the 5 dimensions of reconciliation, revealing each one using a mouse click. The ARB provides data and an analysis organised around these five key areas.
Use slide 6 to explain the statistical investigation and the inquiry question.

Explore 60 mins

Familiarise (data visualisations) 15 min

Introduce several ways data is visualised in the report so that students are familiar with the types of charts and the types of data used to create them. Slides 7-16 provides examples of data extracted from the report presented firstly as a table, and next on the following slide, the way the data is visualised in the report. Use the slide notes as a guide to form discussion of the different visualisations and draw conclusions from the data presented.
Provide these two resources Evaluating Resources Guide and Terminology Guide to support discussing/engaging with reconciliation themes.

Statistical investigation (45 min)

Present the task of the statistical investigation and the process of acquiring relevant data and statistics extracted from 2022 Australian Reconciliation Barometer (ARB) report (slide 17).
Provide access to the report and organise students to work in collaborative groups to divide the task into manageable parts.
Students familiar with spreadsheeting software can create their own charts and data visualisations using data from the report. A sample spreadsheet provides examples of data extracted from the report that was used in the teacher’s slides. You may decide to conduct a small teaching group to provide basics of using a spreadsheet for students who require support.
As a group students decide on the information and supporting statistics to use to back up their claim. They collate the information to use in the assessment task of creating an infographic conducted in a follow-up lesson.