Activities for Year 3 HASS: Exploring Australia’s Celebrations and Symbols

Take your students on a virtual tour of significant Australian sites such as the Australian War Memorial or the National Museum of Australia, where they can explore historical artifacts connected to national celebrations. 

Websites like Google Arts & Culture offer engaging, interactive experiences that allow students to immerse themselves in history and discover the stories behind these important landmarks. 

It’s a fantastic way to bring history to life and spark curiosity in your classroom.

Engage your students with short, captivating videos on the history of Australian celebrations. You can explore content like:

ANZAC Day – Behind the News (BTN)

All About Chinese New Year for Kids - Twinkl

What Is NAIDOC Week? -ClickView

Australia's Flag - Behind the News

These videos provide a fun and educational way for students to learn about significant events, followed by a class discussion to highlight key takeaways. It’s a great way to make learning interactive and bring history to life!

Students can research a celebration from around the world and then design their own mini parade to represent that event.

 They'll create props, posters, and choose music that reflect the unique traditions of celebrations like Mardi Gras, Chinese New Year, or Diwali. 

This hands-on activity encourages creativity while deepening students’ understanding of global cultures and their vibrant celebrations. 

It’s a fun way to connect history and cultural exploration in an interactive, student-driven project!

Turn learning into an exciting adventure with a Symbol Scavenger Hunt! Hide images of symbols such as flags, emblems, and coats of arms around the classroom, then give students clues to find them. 

Once they locate a symbol, they’ll research its meaning and present their findings to the class. 

This activity encourages exploration and critical thinking while helping students connect with the cultural and historical significance of various symbols.

It’s a fun and interactive way to bring symbols to life!

Let students tap into their creativity by designing their own commemorative coin or stamp for an Australian celebration. 

Using drawing materials or a digital design tool like Canva, they can craft a design that reflects the significance of events such as ANZAC Day, National Sorry Day, or Australia Day.

 After completing their designs, students can present their work to the class, explaining the meaning behind their design choices. 

This activity combines art and history, allowing students to engage with important celebrations in a hands-on, meaningful way.

Get students involved in a fun and engaging activity by assigning small groups different celebrations to explore.

Each group will create a short skit that showcases why and how their assigned celebration is observed. 

Whether it’s through drama, dialogue, or storytelling, this activity helps build a deeper understanding of cultural traditions and events. 

It’s a creative way for students to connect with the significance of celebrations while developing their teamwork and presentation skills!

Let students reflect on their favourite celebration by writing letters or drawing pictures that represent what the celebration means to them. 

These personal reflections can be sealed in a decorated 'time capsule' (a special box), which will be kept safe until the end of the school year. 

When the capsule is reopened, students can see how their thoughts and celebrations have evolved, providing a fun way to track personal growth and celebrate the year’s events!

Incorporate literature into your lessons with these fantastic books:

• Why Do We Remember? ANZAC Day by Diane Collins
• Sorry Day by Coral Vass
• Celebrations Around the World by Katy Halford
• Who Am I? The Story of the Australian Flag by Jane Smith
• The Story of Australia Day by Krista Bell
• Mardi Gras: A Celebration in New Orleans by Laura L. Sullivan
• Diwali: The Festival of Lights by Shalu Kothari
• The Twelve Days of Christmas in Australia by Colin Buchanan

These books provide valuable insights into important celebrations, helping students engage with the topics through storytelling and vibrant illustrations.

Bring the world’s celebrations to life in your classroom by setting up a variety of hands-on activity stations. 

Each station will focus on a different global celebration, giving students the opportunity to explore cultural traditions through creative projects. 

These activities not only engage students in a fun way but also deepen their understanding of the diversity and significance of celebrations around the world. 

Here are some ideas for your celebration stations:

• Make Diwali Rangoli art
• Craft Chinese New Year lanterns
• Bake traditional ANZAC biscuits
• Create Mardi Gras masks
• Design Australian Day flags
• Colour and decorate Easter eggs

These stations provide an interactive learning experience, encouraging students to get creative while learning about different cultures and their unique celebrations.

Students can dive into the world of digital storytelling by using tools like Google Slides, Book Creator, or Flipgrid to research and present on an Australian or global celebration. 

They can enhance their presentation by adding images, voice recordings, and fun facts, bringing their chosen celebration to life. 

This activity not only helps students develop their research and presentation skills but also encourages them to explore celebrations in a creative, digital format, making learning both interactive and engaging.

Collaborate as a class to create a mural that showcases important national and international celebrations. 

Each student can contribute their own creative piece, whether it's a drawing, painting, or collage element, to represent a celebration. 

This collaborative project allows students to work together while learning about the significance of various celebrations and their visual representation. 

It’s a fun and engaging way to bring history and culture into the classroom while fostering teamwork and creativity.

Make learning about celebrations fun with the Guess the Celebration game! Write different celebrations on index cards and have students act them out without speaking while the class guesses which celebration they are representing.

 This activity encourages teamwork, helps reinforce students' understanding of celebrations, and provides a light-hearted, interactive way to review what they’ve learned. 

It’s a great way to wrap up the topic while keeping the energy high!

Explore the fascinating world of flags and their symbolism, including the flags of Australia’s states and territories, as well as the Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander flags. 

Provide students with a range of flags to examine and discuss their meanings, colours, and symbols. 

This activity helps students connect with the rich history behind each flag and appreciate their significance in both national and cultural contexts. 

To make it even more personal, have students design a flag that represents their own identity and values, encouraging creativity while deepening their understanding of symbolism and the diversity of Australian culture.

Wrap up the unit with a reflective classroom discussion where students share their thoughts on why celebrations and symbols matter. 

Use prompts like:

• What was your favourite celebration to learn about?
• Why do you think symbols are important in history?
• If you could create a new celebration, what would it be about?

This discussion allows students to express their personal reflections and gain deeper insights into the importance of celebrations in both a cultural and historical context. 

It’s a great way to conclude the topic, allowing students to reflect on what they’ve learned and share their creative ideas.

Incorporating these exciting activities into your Year 3 HASS lessons will not only engage students but also deepen their understanding of celebrations, symbols, and the importance of history and culture.

By encouraging creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration, you'll help your students develop a strong foundation in social studies while fostering a sense of connection to the world around them.

With these resources, your Year 3 HASS classroom will be filled with curiosity, exploration, and meaningful learning experiences that students will remember.

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