This Is Me (ATOM Study Guide)

This Is Me showcases the life of a young Australian in each of 32 five-minute episodes.

The kids aged between 9–16 have a variety of interests and passions, come from vastly different backgrounds and dream a diversity of dreams about their futures. There are environmentalists, artists and academics. There are cultural custodians, community activists and sporting enthusiasts. There are deep thinkers, passionate doers and committed makers.

What they all share is a deep connection to family, land and cultural history.

Best of all, each one of these young Australians is so proud of who they are, they wanted to share it with the world. This Is Me is their stories, in their words, from their worlds.

Five minutes is a long time if you're waiting for … lunch … or for school to finish … or your younger brother to stop being annoying… or for your favourite TV show to start on ABC3.

But it's amazing what you can fit into five minutes when you are telling the stories of some of Australia's finest young hearts, minds, spirits and souls. Especially when those stories are being told by the kids themselves. .

We live in a pretty amazing country, and if you poke around, you can find some truly amazing kids. They might be super smart, or amazingly sporty. They might have a head for robotics, or a heart for culture. They might make stories, or pictures, or dream of a shiny future.

Finally, we have a TV show where real kids are sharing their experiences with the world. And boy, what stories they are.

Want to muster sheep across four thousand hectares of red dirt? Ever wondered what life feels like for a child in a refugee camp? Think you know what island life is like? Find out these things and so much more when you get a peek into the lives of some extraordinarily ordinary Aussie kids.

This Is Me showcases thirty-two kids aged 9–16 in five-minute TV morsels. A bite of life shared candidly, each with a little drama, humour, adventure and energy or wonder and poeticism.

In kids' own words, from kids' own worlds … This Is Me is a snapshot of Australian childhood. Here, now, on ABC3 … and you can also watch any or all of these 32 short films on ABC iView whenever and wherever.

when those stories are being told by the kids themselves.

Curriculum Links:

The young people in this series are aged between 9 and 16 although 27 of the 36 children appearing are aged between 11 and 13. Students in the age group from grade 4 Primary to years 9 and 10 Secondary are the target audience for the series – tweens, teens, young people, kids growing up. Having said that, younger students and older students are also sure to respond to these amazing stories and how they are told. Most adults would find these quirky 5 minute films more engaging and absorbing than the in-between promotional fillers and ads that tend to bookend most television programs, whether on Pay TV, commercial television, SBS or ABC. Short- form single portraits would engage interest many viewers.

From the earliest years of primary schooling, children today are encouraged to tell their own stories – to show and tell who they are, where they come from, their families, their histories and their interests. Developing a sense of identity is crucial to how we relate to one another and to the many worlds we move in. Becoming competent and resilient are important aspects of becoming a happy and confident individual. Curiosity, creativity, literacy and numeracy are best fostered through skill development in many areas including music, art and sport. This is how we all develop an identity and confidence.

The Australian Curriculum has a strong emphasis on Intercultural Understanding across the curriculum. These stories by and of a number of young Australians are at the heart of this understanding.