Harmony week 3-6
Harmony Week is a time we celebrate all of the different cultures in Australia. It's a day of cultural respect for everyone who call Australia home.
Read Anh's story as a class and complete the discussion questions.
Hi. I’m Anh.
It’s not often I ask myself who I really am, but that’s what I’m doing right now.
We’re going to have a day at school where we have to wear clothes and bring food to celebrate who we are and where our families are from.
Well, I was born here and so were both my parents. So I was thinking that I’d wear shorts and take some lamingtons. And celebrate being an Aussie: that’s who I am!
But tonight my bà made my very favourite dinner: I call it ‘magic noodles’ and that makes her smile. Bà often looks really sad so it’s good when she smiles. Her mother taught her to make the noodle soup in Vietnam; but she couldn’t make it for a many years because her life was very hard. And when she first got to Australia, she couldn’t buy the things to make it taste like it should.
But now there are lots of Vietnamese shops here. And I go with Bà when she buys the spices and incense that she has always loved.
So, I am an Aussie. But I love ‘magic noodles’ and it would make Bà so proud if I took them to school. I’m thinking that I really do have a special story to share about who I am and where my family is from.
Discussion Questions:
Do you think that Anh may have been worried about needing to be the same as other students when she said she wanted to ‘wear shorts and take lamingtons’ to the celebration day at school? Have you ever made a decision that was based on not wanting to be different from your friends?
Why do you think that Anh decided to take Vietnamese noodle soup to school instead of lamingtons? Do you think that this was a difficult decision for her? Explain your answer.
Why do you think that Anh says her grandmother will be proud if she takes the noodle soup to school? What do you think that Anh’s parents might think about her decision?
What are some backgrounds in your class? Have your parents or grandparents come over from another country? What are some special family traditions you celebrate?
Learn how to say hello and goodbye in another language.
HarmonyDayPaperChainCraftActivityAdobeReader.pdf