Resources for teachers
Professional development video
This 17 minute video informs teachers and other school staff about key issues related to gambling and young people. Find out how you can help students become critical thinkers in an environment where gambling is being increasingly normalised.
Units of work for the classroom
Use these curriculum-based units in your planning for a variety of subject areas for Years 10 to 12. These resources have been mapped to:
- Compulsory VCAL strands including literacy and numeracy skills and personal development Skills
- Year 10 humanities, critical and creative thinking and social capability
These units have been piloted by senior high school teachers and are designed to be user friendly and flexible. All required materials are included and you are able to pick and modify tasks according to your students' needs.
Factsheets
Be Ahead of the Game resources for 2021
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VCAL Literacy skills
Potential Influences
This resource has been developed to address Literacy learning outcomes for students working at Foundation, Intermediate and Senior levels.
Students will consider the potential influences shaping their and others’ gambling attitudes including increased access to gambling, apps and video games that simulate gambling, proliferation of gambling advertising, and peer attitudes to gambling.
Students will write a report for a sporting club that explains influences on attitudes to gambling.
They will go through the process of planning, drafting and editing their report. They will then reflect on their report and complete a self-assessment using a rubric.
VCAL Literacy Skills Unit: Potential Influences
Love the Game
This resource has been developed to address learning outcomes from literacy for students working at Foundation, Intermediate and Senior levels.
Students will develop a presentation (‘pitch’) for a sporting club of their choice to convince the club that they should sign up to the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation’s Sporting Club Program.
Students will analyse a sample pitch and then go through the process of planning, drafting and editing their pitch.
They will then reflect on their pitch and complete a self-assessment using a rubric.
VCAL Literacy Skills Unit: Love the Game
Love the Game pitch presentation
Note: These units were initially developed and piloted in partnership with VALAD Solutions education consultants and have now been updated by Multifangled Pty Ltd education consultants
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VCAL Numeracy skills
What are the odds?
In this unit students will learn about the randomness of gambling games/activities along with the limited chances of winning given the size of gambling losses in Australia and the difficulty in predicting outcomes.
Students will gain an understanding:
- that 'chance has no memory'
- that many gambling games involve random processes
- how gambling agencies/venues make profits
VCAL Numeracy Unit: What are the odds?
Spreadsheets for demonstrating gambling outcomes and data:
PowerPoint presentations (pdf format) of lesson overviews:
- Lesson 1: Chance has no memory
- Lesson 2: Who are the real winners?
- Lesson 3: Pokies
- Lesson 4: Sports betting
- Lesson 5: Horse racing
This unit was developed and piloted in partnership with the Mathematical Association of Victoria.
Budgeting, losses and probability
This resource has been developed to address learning outcomes from Unit 1 Numeracy Skills for students working at Foundation, Intermediate and Senior levels. These resources may also be adapted to suit the Victorian Curriculum Mathematics requirements.
Developing numerical skills by using the worksheets and activities, students will develop awareness of the mathematics associated with gambling and risk. Students learn to recognise the costs of living and start to develop personal budgeting skills, including an understanding of the responsibilities of paying common bills.
Note: These units were initially developed and piloted in partnership with Mathematical Association of Victoria (MAV) and have now been updated by Multifangled Pty Ltd education consultants.
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VCAL Personal Development skills
Knowing when it's a concern
This resource has been developed to address learning outcomes from Unit 1 Personal Development Skills (PDS) for students working at Foundation, Intermediate and Senior levels. The activities in this resource have also been mapped to learning outcomes from Literacy Skills, Reading and Writing and Oral Communication.
Using information from either the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation’s (VRGF) senior student workshop or a series of videos, students will develop an activity (e.g. a media campaign for the school, an expo for the community, performing a play they have written, developing a board game) that develops awareness of when gambling might be a concern for someone and the support available.
Students will work in groups to develop the activity. Through developing the activity, students can be assessed against the learning outcomes from PDS Unit 1 and relevant Reading and Writing and Oral Communication learning outcomes.
VCAL PDS Unit: Knowing when it’s a concern
Knowing the Score
This resource has been developed to address learning outcomes from Unit 2 Personal Development Skills (PDS) for students working at Foundation, Intermediate and Senior levels. The activities in this resource have also been mapped to learning outcomes from Literacy Skills, Reading and Writing and Oral Communication.
Using the information from either the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation’s senior student workshop or a series of videos, students will create a product (e.g. a magazine, song, podcast, TV-style interview, newsreader-type documentary, poem, artwork, PowerPoint or Prezi information session) for young people focusing on a relevant issue associated with gambling.
Students will work in groups to develop and then share the product. Students working at the Senior level will also need to partner with an external organisation or group. Through developing and sharing the product, students will be able to be assessed against the learning outcomes from PDS Unit 2 and relevant Reading and Writing and Oral Communication learning outcomes.
VCAL PDS Unit: Knowing the Score
Note: These units were initially developed and piloted in partnership with VALAD Solutions education consultants and have now been updated by Multifangled Pty Ltd education consultants
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VCE Health and Human Development
GAME ON. Gambling: a youth health issue
This six lesson unit of work and assessments aligns with VCE Health and Human Development Unit 1, Area of Study 3 (Youth health and wellbeing).
In this unit, students are required to focus on the health and wellbeing of Australia’s youth and conduct independent research into a selected area of interest. This resource will support teachers to introduce this topic to their students using a strengths-based approach, providing data and resources from VRGF’s various projects and support programs to enable students to analyse real life data and develop an understanding of help seeking strategies should students find themselves, or a friend, in this position.
Lesson plans, worksheets, PowerPoints and an assessment task have been developed that will assist teachers to achieve Unit 1, Outcome 3 for their students.
These resources were developed in partnership with ACHPER Victoria.
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Year 10 Wellbeing
Telling gaming from gambling
In this unit students will learn how it’s becoming increasingly difficult to tell the difference between gaming and gambling and how digital games that look like gambling can be misleading.
Students will:
- investigate the screen time habits of their peers and their common online activities
- consider their awareness of ‘fake’ gambling apps and identify possible cyber safety issues associated with these apps
- understand the difficulties in differentiating between gaming and gambling
- develop a tool which is targeted to parents to assist them to educate their children about ‘fake’ gambling apps and cyber safety concerns.
Well-Being: Telling gaming from gambling
Teacher instruction video: Telling gaming from gambling
This unit was developed and piloted in partnership with Valad Solutions Pty Ltd education consultants.
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Year 10 Humanities
The role of regulation
In this unit students will understand that gambling is an inherently risky activity and regulation exists to help protect Australian and Victorian citizens from gambling harm.
Students will:
- revise and consolidate their understanding of elements of a democratic society and freedom of choice
- consider reasons for the regulation of gambling in Australia and draw comparisons with other risky activities which are regulated to protect citizens from harm
- understand the role the government has in regulating gambling in Australia
- investigate effects of gambling regulation in Australia
- learn about how gambling is regulated in Australia and overseas.
Humanities Unit: The role of regulation
Teacher instruction video: The role of regulation
Risky business
In this unit students will understand the financial risks associated with gambling and how recognising the limited chances of winning can be a way of protecting yourself.
Students will:
- understand the concept of chance and probability
- understand the limited chances of winning money when gambling because gambling and betting agencies are businesses that exist to make a profit
- identify some of the short and long term financial risks associated with gambling, with a greater emphasis on shorter term
- identify strategies to minimise the financial risks associated with gambling.
Humanities Unit: Risky business
Teacher instruction video: Risky business
Note: These units were developed in partnership with Valad Solutions Pty Ltd education consultants.