Sport and Australian culture

About this module

This module uses the National Library’s vast collections to explore how participation in the Commonwealth Games, alongside migration, the media and the involvement of women, para-sport athletes and Aboriginal and Torres Strait lslander people, have impacted the ways in which Australians play and understand sport.

This resource has been generously supported by Optus in association with their sponsorship of the Gold Coast 2018 XXI Commonwealth Games.

Copyright for teachers

You can download all collection materials in this resource for education purposes. For more information, go to copyright for teachers.

Digital Classroom: Sport and Australian Culture

Topics in this module

A large poster showing a naked man preparing to throw a discus. Behind him is a Union Jack on a green background. There is a red strip along the bottom of the page with the words "Australia's 150th Anniversary Celebrations. Sydney 1938". In smaller writing next to the man is text saying "British Empire Games 5 to 12 Feb 1938

Australian National Travel Association, Australia's 150th Anniversary celebrations, Sydney, 1938 : British Empire Games 5-12 Feb. 1938, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-135690109

The Commonwealth Games

Topic

The first recorded games between Empire athletes coincided with the coronation of King George V in 1911.

Digital Classroom
A gold medal standing upright on a white cotton surface. The medal shows a figure holding a trumped and a wine amphorae. Behind the figure is a bust on a stand. In raised lettering around the edge of the medal are the words 'Olympiska Spelen Stockholm' The year '1912' is also present.

Olympic gold medal won by Miss Fanny Durack at Stockholm, 1912, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-139311257

Women in sport

Topic

Today, at the Commonwealth Games, Olympic Games, tennis tournaments and a host of other sporting events, men and women can compete at elite levels. But this has not always been the case for sports and recreational physical pursuits.

Digital Classroom
Black and white image of a poster titled 'First Australian Team of Cricketers that visited England, 1868'

Photoline Printing Co., First Australian team of cricketers that visited England, 1868, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-141855333

First Nations people in sport

Topic

The first Australian cricket team to tour overseas was an Aboriginal one.

Digital Classroom
Black and white photo of British migrant women waving on the deck of a ship

London News Agency Photos Ltd, British women migrants aboard passenger ship, London, ca. 1920s, https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-138115134

Migration and sport

Topic

With new people and cultures come new ideas and practices. These could be new foods, new religions, new art forms or even new sports.

Digital Classroom
Black and white photo of Cathy Freeman carrying Australian and Indigenous flags with a cameraman filming alongside her

Melanie Louise Collins, Cathy Freeman, Commonwealth Games, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, 1994, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-145960092

Sporting heroes

Topic

Australians make heroes of their most famous sportsmen and women, with the cricketer Sir Donald Bradman, Olympian Cathy Freeman and the racehorse Phar Lap among the most celebrated figures in the Australian sporting scene.

Digital Classroom

Introductory activities

Survey

Ask students to identify if they play a sport in a team or club. Ask them if they watch sport on TV and, if so, which they watch the most. Chart responses to show the students' involvement in sport.

Which sport is the most popular? Are there any unique sports? How many people watch but don't play or vice versa.

Demonstrate

Individually or in groups, run a short lesson and demonstration on how to play the basics of a sport. It could be a sport the group/individual is familiar with or it could be set as a research task: learn the basics of a new sport and then teach it to the wider group.

Ensure that basic rules are communicated, the skills needed are modelled and the class has an opportunity to try the skills.

Create

Research any large sporting event such as the FIFA World Cup, the Australian Open or the AFL or NRL season. Sports with many teams or individuals competing must have a way to organise a draw. What are some of the ways sporting codes do this to maintain a fair and sustainable competition. What are the advantages and disadvantages of particular draw systems? Are some better suited for some competitions than others? Use a quick and simple in-class game (like rock, paper, scissors, etc.) to try out different draw approaches.

Concluding activities

Fair for all

Large sporting events like the Commonwealth Games or the Olympics promote accessibility and equality for all players involved.

Have students play a game that involves the whole group and is known to the whole class (Dodgeball, Freeze Tag, Octopus Tag, etc.). After playing, have students debrief on the game:

  • How actively was everyone involved?
  • Were people doing nothing for long periods?
  • Was anyone at a disadvantage?

Based on this discussion, modify the game to ensure that all players:

  • have equal share of the play
  • can participate safely
  • have turns at playing different positions.

Discuss: Did the game allow individuals to be more involved? How did greater involvement make individuals feel?

Make a pitch

Have students identify a sport that they play or like that is not part of the Commonwealth or Olympic Games. Have students create a campaign or sales pitch as to why their chosen sport should be allowed into the games. Ask them to research and/or think about:

  • How are games selected?
  • What sports are allowed in the games?
  • Would their sport be practical to host?
  • Has it ever been included in the games?
  • What might be some reasons it's not part of the games line-up?
  • Who would they have to campaign to have their sport recognised (IOC, AOC, Commonwealth Games Federation, etc.)?

Students could present their campaign as a flyer, poster, digital art or oral presentation. The class could vote or decide on one of the sports based on the presentations/campaigns created. Play that sport (if possible).

Track record

Ask students to identify an athlete or sports person whom they admire or who they think has achieved great things in their chosen sport. Have students research that person and present a timeline of their involvement in the sport, including how the person got into the sport and what their training regime is like. Ask students to consider what the pros and cons of being an elite sports person are.

Glossary

Accolades

a recognition of merit, as an award, honour or public tribute

Australian Bureau of Statistics

The Australian Bureau of Statistics is Australia's official statistical organisation. It assists and encourages informed decision-making, research and discussion within governments and the community, by providing a high quality, objective and responsive national statistical service.

British Empire

the territories, countries, dominions, colonies, protectorates, dependencies, trusteeships, etc., collectively, under the control of the British Crown

Census

an official record of inhabitants, with details as to age, sex, pursuits, employment, etc.

Condemning

pronouncing judgement on; expressing strong disapproval of

Contemporary

  1. belonging to the same time; existing or occurring at the same time
  2. of the same age or date
  3. of the present time
  4. in the most modern style; up-to-date

Coronation

the official act or ceremony of crowning a new monarch.

De-ethnicise

the act of removing an ethnic or cultural identity

Democracy

  1. government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system
  2. a state of society characterised by formal equality of rights and privileges
  3. political or social equality; democratic spirit

Earl

a British nobleman ranked immediately below a marquess and immediately above a viscount

Exemplar

a model or pattern to be copied or imitated

Exploitation

unfair use, usually for profit or selfish gain

Gaelic

noun - the Celtic language and culture of ancient Ireland and any of the languages that developed from it (Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic and Manx, of the Isle of Man)

adjective - of or relating to the Gaels or their language

Influx

the arrival of people or things in large numbers or great quantity

Monarch

a hereditary sovereign with more or less limited powers, as a king, queen, emperor, etc.

Onslaught

an onset, assault or attack, especially a vigorous or furious one

Paralympics

an international sporting competition for disabled athletes, modelled on the Olympic Games and occurring immediately after them; first held in the 1960s

Persists

continues steadily or firmly in some state, purpose, course of action or the like, especially in spite of opposition

Realms

royal domains; kingdoms: the realm of England

Rule of law

the idea that all people are equal before the law, and that the government is subject to the law

Segregating

separating or setting apart from the others or from the main body; isolating

Sought

past tense and past participle of seek

Sponsors

1. Someone who vouches or is responsible for a person or thing

2. a person or organisation that:

  • finances a radio or television program in return for advertisement of a commercial product, a service, etc.
  • finances an entertainment or sporting event in return for advertising and marketing rights

Suggestive

such as to suggest something improper or indecent

Unaesthetic

unattractive; offending the aesthetic sense

Viscount

a British nobleman next below an earl or count and next above a baron

Curriculum links

This module addresses content descriptions and achievement standards across the Australian Curriculum learning areas of History: Year 10 and Health and Physical Education Years 7-10.

 

This module includes material that supports students working towards Health and Physical Education Achievement Standard: Year 7-10 through which:

  • They analyse how stereotypes, respect, empathy, and valuing diversity influence relationships.
  • They evaluate how attitudes and beliefs about equality, respect, diversity, and inclusion influence the nature and quality of relationships.
  • They apply and evaluate leadership approaches, collaboration strategies and ethical behaviours across a range of movement contexts.

This module includes material that supports the teaching of Health and Physical Education – Year 7-10

  • examine how roles, decision-making, and levels of power, coercion and control within relationships can be influenced by gender stereotypes (AC9HP8P03)

    Elaborations

    • Exploring scenarios in texts that demonstrate how gender inequality can arise from intergenerational patterns of inequity and unequal power in relationships.
    • Examining how gender roles and stereotypes can influence beliefs and decisions about self, friendships, sexual relationships, sexual behaviour, contraceptive use, substance use and future life plans.
    • Identifying those positive character attributes and strengths that are values regardless of gender.
    • Investigating strategies that have been successful in challenging harmful or limited stereotypes, attitudes, or practices.
  • investigate strategies that influence how communities value diversity and propose actions they can take to promote inclusion in their communities (AC9HP8P05)

    Elaborations

    • Investigating how respecting diversity and challenging racism, sexism, ableism (disability discrimination) and homophobia influence individua and community health and wellbeing
    • Examining values and beliefs about cultural and social issues such as gender, race, violence, sexuality and ability, and how resisting stereotypes can help students be themselves.
    • Developing strategies to challenge narrow views of gender, race, violence, sexuality, gender diversity and ability to contribute to inclusive communities.
    • Researching how norms, stereotypes and prejudice are challenged in local, national, and global contexts.
    • Investigating events and strategies that value the contributions of First Nations Australians and strengthen relationships, such as Indigenous rounds in sporting codes and NAIDOC week.
    • Identifying examples of beliefs and cultural practices within, between and across cultural groups, including cultural groups from the Asian region, and describing how they have changes or remained the same over time.
  • analyse factors that shape identities and evaluate how individuals influence the identities of others (AC9HP10P01)

    Elaborations

    • Examining how societal norms, stereotypes and expectations influence perceptions of movement competence.
  • investigate how gender equality and challenging assumptions about gender can prevent violence and abuse in relationships (AC9HP10P03)

    Elaborations

    • Exploring scenarios in texts that demonstrate how gender inequality can arise from intergenerational patterns of inequity and unequal power in relationships and proposing strategies for challenging inequality in their communities.
  • propose strategies and actions individuals and groups can implement to challenge biases, stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination, and promote inclusion in their communities (AC9HP10P05)

    Elaborations

    • investigating how respecting diversity and challenging racism, sexism, ableism (disability discrimination) and homophobia influence individual and community health and wellbeing
    • examining values and beliefs about cultural and social issues such as gender, race, violence, sexuality and ability, and how resisting stereotypes can help students be themselves.
    • developing strategies to challenge narrow views of gender, race, violence, sexuality, gender diversity and ability to contribute to inclusive communities.
    • researching how norms, stereotypes and prejudice are challenged in local, national, and global contexts.
    • investigating events and strategies that value the contributions of First Nations Australians and strengthen relationships, such as Indigenous rounds in sporting codes and NAIDOC Week
    • identifying examples of beliefs and cultural practices within, between and across cultural groups, including cultural groups from the Asian region, and describing how they have changed or remained the same overtime.

This module includes material that supports students working towards History Achievement Standard: Year 10 through which:

  • They explain the causes and effects of events, developments, turning points or movements in 20th century Australia and internationally, leading up to and through World War II, and the post-war world.
  • They describe social, cultural, economic and/or political aspects, including international developments, related to the changes and continuities in Australian society over this historical period.
  • Students explain the role of significant ideas, individuals, groups, and institutions connected to the developments of this period and their influences on Australian and global history.
  • They evaluate perspectives of significant events and developments and explain the important factors that influence these perspectives.

This module includes material that supports the teaching of History - Year 10.

  • the causes of changes in perspectives, responses, beliefs, and values on migration that have influenced Australian society since 1945 (AC9HH10K08)

    Elaborations

    • Discussing the contribution of migration to Australia's changing identity as a nation; for example, the influence of different cultural and religious groups with the arrival of different waves of migrants, such as those from Europe in the 1950s-1960s, from different parts of Asia in the 1970s-2000s, from the Middle East in the 1980s-1990s, from India in the 1990s-2000s or from Africa in the 2000s.
  • the significant events, individuals, and groups in the women's movement in Australia, and how they have changed the role and status of women (AC9HH10K12)

    Elaborations

    • Examining the contributions of significant female leaders in Australian public life for example, political leaders and activists, social reformers, sporting identities, artists, and entertainers
  • changing social, political, economic, cultural, environmental, and technological conditions, and the causes of a major global influence in Australia (AC9HH10K17)

    Elaborations

    • Investigating policies of multiculturalism since the 1970s and the concepts of cultural heritage and assimilation
  • the effects of global influences on Australia's changing identity as a nation and its international relationships (AC9HH10K19)

    Elaborations

    • Investigating Australia's contribution to international popular culture in music, film, television and sport, and the recognition of Australian creative and performing arts internationally.

This module also makes connections with the following Cross-Curriculum Priorities:

It also aligns with the following General Capabilities:

Page published: 04 Sep 2023

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