UNIT OF WORK: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples: Culture, Country & Sustainability

Rationale:
This unit of work is focused around Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, their culture, their connection to Country and their sustainable
practices. The target learners for this program are stage 2, year 3 students. I have used a combination of key learning areas history, geography and
English to bring together this unit of work. I decided to design this unit with Aboriginal content and perspectives as the focus throughout the entire unit,
as this is rarely the case. This is not only important for Aboriginal students within the class to support their cultural identity, but essential for non-
Aboriginal students to learn about our nations first peoples. It was very important to keep the content and the learning experiences localised, so that
students could relate and see the relevance to the content being taught. Thus, in the first part of the unit of work, students learn about the Aboriginal
languages spoken in the local area and digitally see how their area has changed since 1788. It is also critical that students understand that Aboriginal
peoples were the first peoples to have lived in Australia, thus a whole lesson is dedicated to demonstrating to students the longevity of Aboriginal
peoples in comparison to the invasion of white people, and students birth. It was important to include a learning on Country experience for the
students who are partaking in this unit as the concept of Country was a significant focus. I selected the Ka-Ring-Gai National Park as the place for the
excursion, as an Aboriginal person led the tour and it provides students with a more traditional view of what Country looks like. Similarly, it was also key
to include an incursion within the unit where we could embed another Aboriginal persons perspective. Incorporating a local dreaming is a fantastic way
for students to develop an appreciation of the spiritual connection that Aboriginal peoples feel with Country. Not only do these kinds of experiences
enhance student learning and engagement, but also has the potential to strengthen ties between the school and the local Aboriginal community. Whilst
on the excursion in the national park, students are introduced to sustainable practices that Aboriginal peoples used to survive off the land. Sustainability
is the final focus of this unit of work. Students will learn about the native bush foods and practices that Aboriginal people used to live and which of
these people still use today. Finally, working collaboratively to create their own school bush foods garden. This bush food garden is a way that students
can work together, applying other knowledge they have learnt throughout the unit, such as respect for Country, and spread knowledge and appreciation
of Aboriginal peoples culture around the school. The main assessment task occurs during the middle of the program that requires students to create
their own Acknowledgement of Country. I selected it to be in that part of the sequence as the majority of learning around Country is in the first part of
the unit. It is also the lesson that follows the excursion where students will have had a more traditional learning on Country experience. Ultimately, I
have strived to make this unit of work non-tokenistic. I acknowledge that I have assumed that the school has strong ties with the local Aboriginal
community. The main goal of the unit is for students to develop an understanding of Aboriginal peoples culture, Aboriginal peoples connection to
Country and learn how Aboriginal people cared and lived off the land for thousands of years before us.

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Unit Outline Unit
duration
This unit is a study of the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, peoples and their connection with country. Students learn
through different Aboriginal peoples perspectives to be able to develop an understanding of the diversity of Aboriginal peoples and the 10 hours
knowledge they bring in order to become more culturally minded and respectful students. Students are provided with unique opportunities to
learn on country, whilst on an excursion at the Ka-Ring-Gai National park, as well as have Aboriginal peoples from their local community come
into the classroom to share local knowledge. Finally, students explore Aboriginal peoples knowledge of the land and their sustainable practices,
and apply this knowledge by designing and creating a bush foods garden for the school grounds.
Big ideas / key concepts Why does this learning matter?
Incorporating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and content into the curriculum is not only
The meaning of Country/Place to mandatory, but it is essential when working towards becoming a reconciled country. Through providing students
Aboriginal peoples with the opportunity to learn about and from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and peoples allows them
Aboriginal peoples were the first to develop an understanding and an appreciation of Aboriginal culture. Incorporating Aboriginal perspectives are
to live on this nation also highly important for Aboriginal students in the classroom and school in order for them to strengthen their
Aboriginal peoples and their cultural identity and feel valued within the education system. It is imperative that all students understand that
culture are diverse Aboriginal people are the worlds oldest continuous culture and that they were here first. Similarly, it is essential
Aboriginal peoples sustainable that students understand that aboriginal peoples have extensive knowledge of Country and we can learn many
practices things from them by working together, such as areas in sustainability.

ACARA CCP Links Target outcomes

History
Country/Place Outcome
OI.1 Two distinct Indigenous groups - Describes and explains how significant individuals, groups and events contributed to changes in the local community
OI.2 Connection/Responsibility over time HT2-2
Content
OI.3 Unique belief systems/spiritual
The importance of Country and Place to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples who belong to a local area.
connection
Culture Geography
OI.4 Many languages Outcomes
People - Describes the ways people, places and environments interact GE2-2
OI.7 Diversity of nations across - Examines differing perceptions about the management of places and environments GE2-3
Australia Content
Investigate the ways people, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, value environments
Examination of how the practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples support the sustainable use of
environments

English
Outcome
- Responds to and composes a range of texts that express viewpoints of the world similar to and different from their
own EN2-11D
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 Teacher/Professional Development Resources Student/Classroom Resources

- Reconciliation Australia (n.d.). Narragunnawili: My Acknowledgement of Country (Primary). - Reconciliation Australia (n.d.). Narragunnawili: Who we
Retrieved from https://www.narragunnawali.org.au/curriculum-resource/74/my- are: Country/Place (Primary). Retrieved from:
acknowledgement-of-country-primary https://www.narragunnawali.org.au/curriculum-
- Reconciliation Australia (n.d.). Narragunnawili: Languages Map Activity (Primary). Retrieved resource/125/who-we-are-countryplace-primary
from https://www.narragunnawali.org.au/curriculum-resource/93/languages-map-activity- - Horton, D. (1996). Aboriginal Languages Map. Retrieved
primary from: http://www.abc.net.au/indigenous/map/
- NSW Department of Education and Training. (2002). Talking Identity: teachers handbook. - NSW Department of Education and Training. (2002).
Retrieved from: http://graftonpublicschool.com.au/Libweb/OtherPDF/talkingidentity.pdf. Talking Identity: teachers handbook. Retrieved from:
- Korff, J. (3 December 2016). Welcome to Country & Acknowledgement of Country. Retrieved http://graftonpublicschool.com.au/Libweb/OtherPDF/talki
from: https://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/spirituality/welcome-to-country- ngidentity.pdf.
acknowledgement-of-country - Behind the News. (11 June, 2013). Bush
- NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. (n.d.). Basin Aboriginal art site. Retrieved from: Food. Retrieved from:
https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/aboriginal-sites/basin-aboriginal-art-site http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s37759
- Perso, T. F., & Hayward, C. (2015). Teaching Indigenous students: cultural awareness and 84.htm
classroom strategies for improving learning outcomes. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin. - ABC News (22 April, 2017). Virtual Songlines Warrane
- Respect, Relationship, Reconciliation. (n.d) Evaluating Texts. Retrieved from: (Sydney Cove). Retrieved from:
http://rrr.edu.au/unit/module-3/topic-4/evaluating-texts http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-22/8447724
- Lowe, K., & Yunkaporta, T. (2013). The inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content - State Library (n.d.). Stories: Eora. Retrieved from:
in the Australian national curriculum: A cultural, cognitive and socio-political evaluation. http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/stories/eora
Curriculum Perspectives, 33(1), 1-14. Retrieved from http://www.acsa.edu.au/ - Flinders University (n.d.) Appropriate Terminology,
pages/images/KLowe_article%20(2).pdf Indigenous Australian Peoples. Retrieved from:
- Flinders University (n.d.) Appropriate Terminology, Indigenous Australian Peoples. Retrieved http://www.ipswich.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/00
from: 08/10043/appropriate_indigenous_terminoloy.pdf.
http://www.ipswich.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/10043/appropriate_indigenous_te City of Sydney Barani (n.d.). Aboriginal People and Place.
rminoloy.pdf. Retrieved from:
- McCarthy, F. D. (1959). Rock engravings of the Sydney-Haweksbury District. Part 2: Some http://www.sydneybarani.com.au/sites/aboriginal-people-
important ritual groups in the Country of Cumberland. Records of the Australian Museum. and-place/
24(14). 203-216. Retrieved from: - Survival, Tracking and Awareness (n.d.). Bush Tucker Plant
https://australianmuseum.net.au/uploads/journals/17404/652_complete.pdf. Foods of Sydney and the Blue Mountains. Retrieved from
- Low, T. (1991). Wild Food Plants of Australia. HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd. https://www.survival.org.au/bushfood.php

Assessment
- Students design their own Acknowledgement of Country (Lesson 5)
- Responses to story told by Aboriginal Elder (Lesson 6)
- Letter to principal (Lesson 7)
- Students reflect on their own learning via KWL chart (Lesson 1 & 9)
- Student learning reflection journals (Lesson 1 9)
- Teacher observation (Lesson 1 9)

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Content Teaching / Learning Experiences

L1: Introduction to Lesson 1: Introducing Aboriginal culture (1 hour)

Aboriginal culture,
Students learn about the - Students are provided with a KWL chart with the heading: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
diversity of Aboriginal Individually, students fill out the What I know and What I wonder sections. This will be revisited in the last
culture & learn about lesson of the unit.
different Aboriginal words - Display the Aboriginal language map on the IWB. Locate the schools local Aboriginal nation on the Aboriginal
for the places within their language map. Ask students: What is different about the way the Aboriginal language map is divided and they
local area way the map of Australia is divided today? As a class discuss the diversity of Aboriginal cultures
- Explain to students that there are two distinct groups, Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
- Watch the Virtual Songlines Warrane video (displayed on IWB)
CCP: - Explore the NSW State Library website and observe how the Sydney landscape has changed since 1788.
Aboriginal and - In small groups, students create a venn diagram, comparing how the Sydney landscape looks now compared to
Torres Strait before 1788. Groups share ideas with the class
Islander - In the same groups, students are given a sorting activity with local suburb names (e.g. Umina) with the
perspectives Aboriginal translation/meaning (e.g. Place of Rest). Students can use their personal electronic devices to
Literacy research these meanings.
ICT - To finish, teacher leads discussion about the correct terminology used when speaking about and referring to
Aboriginal peoples students are provided a hand out to stick into their journals to refer back to
- Students are given a journal to use throughout the sequence of lessons. Students write in their journal about
new learning or things they have found interesting during the lesson.

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L2: Students learn about Lesson 2: Who lived here first and how do we know? (1 hour)
how long Aboriginal - As a whole class students discuss this inquiry question: Who lived here first and how do we know? Jot down
peoples have been living ideas that students have on the whiteboard.
in Australia - Ask students when the first fleet arrived to Australia & How long Aboriginal peoples have been living in
Australia. Write these estimations on the board.
CCP: - Students use their devices to research how long Aboriginal peoples have been living in Australia as well as the
Aboriginal and date of the arrival of the first fleet. Change the estimations on the board if necessary.
Torres Strait - As a class calculate how many more years Aboriginal peoples have been living in Australia compared to how
Islander many years white people have been living in Australia.
perspectives - As a class create a basic timeline on the whiteboard, adding in the current date, the date that Aboriginal
Mathematics peoples have been living on Australia, when the first fleet arrived and when students were born.
ICT - In small groups students collaboratively construct a physical timeline, using rope, tape measures, pegs and
labelled cards that will represent these significant dates. This will provide students with a strong visual
representation of the significant length of time that Aboriginal peoples have been living in Australia compared
to white people.
- As a class, discuss correct terminology around the arrival of the first fleet discovered, arrived, settled,
invaded
- Finally, as a class revisit the inquiry question who lived here first and how do we know?
- Students write in their reflective journals
- Students keep this visual representation in classroom to display

L3: Introduction to the Lesson 3: What is Country? (1 hour)

concept of Country - Introduce the word Country to students, brainstorm ideas of what the word Country means
- Watch video of an Aboriginal person explaining what Country is and what it means to them (Narragunnawili
CCP: resource)
Aboriginal and - Discuss the importance of using a capital letter when writing the word Country in this context
Torres Strait - Students go out into the playground to get a sense of what belonging to Country means
Islander - In groups of 3, students take turns being an investigator, reporter and writer.
perspectives - The investigator is blindfolded and sits on the ground, and smells the air. The investigator then explains to the
reporter the smells that they experience. The reporter then relays the key concepts or words that they hear
onto the writer who writes these down. The groups rotate for 2 more times, once for the sounds of the
environment and a third time for the feeling of the environment (student takes of shoes to feel with both
hands and feet.
- Students go back into the classroom and ask the reporters for the same sense (smell, touch, sound) to meet
and discuss the key findings between the different groups. In these groups students present the findings to the
class.
- Students add to the mind map started at the beginning of class

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 - Students write in their journals to the heading: what is Country
- Homework: Students select a place that is special to them and writes what makes the place feel special.
Students use the headings: feels like, Sounds like, Smells like

L4: Students learn on Lesson 4: Excursion to Ku-Ring-Gai National Park By National Parks NSW (2 hour learning + 40 minute lunch break)
Country Cultural Part 1: Basin Rock Engravings (1 hour)
Immersion Experience - - Before entering the Basin rock engravings site, students are welcomed to country by one of the traditional
Excursion at the Ku-Ring- owners of the land (their guide). Students are painted with clay (from the land) that will protect them whilst on
Gai National Park the country of the Garingai people.
- Guide explains the difference between a Welcome to Country and an Acknowledgement of Country
CCP: - Guide explains the significance of Country and what Country means for Aboriginal peoples
Aboriginal and - Students walk to the Basin rock engravings site
Torres Strait - Students listen to Aboriginal dreamings shown on the rock engravings (told by guide)
Islander - Guide educates students about re-engraving, the importance of these engravings in regards to providing
perspectives evidence of ancestors as well as the impact of vandalism, what is a sacred site
Part 2: West head walk + Aboriginal ways of life (1 hour)
- Students walk to a look out location which also has some rock engravings guide explains the significance (link
to the country of their school grounds)
- Students experience the look out at West Head. The guide describes the relationship between the Garingai
people and the Darkinjung peoples and their relationship and how they would get across the Hawkesbury
- Students learn about the history of this site when Captain Cook came into the waters
- Students learn about how sustainable Aboriginal peoples live, learning about the different uses of plants,
animals, how they made shelters, how they used natural resources to live Students get a hands on
experience

When students go back to school, they must write in their reflective journal.

L5: Students demonstrate Lesson 5: Acknowledgement of Country (1 hour)

their understanding and - As a class discuss the difference between an Acknowledgement of Country & a Welcome to Country
the importance of - Teacher displays map of NSW Aboriginal peoples and the Aboriginal languages map on the IWB Aboriginal
Acknowledgement of Languages Map to guide students in answering the following questions:
Country & develop their - What is the name of the language group of this area?
own - How far does it extend?
- What are neighbouring language groups?
CCP - Have you always lived on the same Country?
Literacy - Students add to the mind map (from lesson 3) what is country adding in some aspects that they may have
ICT learnt from the excursion

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 Aboriginal and - Teacher displays a sample Acknowledgement of Country and discusses the critical features.
Torres Strait - Individually students create an Acknowledgement of Country (assessment). Students are provided with a
Islander checklist and assessment criteria which they will be assessed on
Perspectives - Students share their acknowledgement to Country with the class
- Display Acknowledgements of Country in classroom
- Students write in reflective journal

L6: Students listen to a Lesson 6: Incursion: Dreamings (1 hour)

local Aboriginal dreaming Consult with a local Aboriginal elder from the community to come into the classroom to tell students a
told by an Aboriginal Elder dreaming story. Ask this person if it is possible for students to ask other questions that they may have
and learn about the regarding Country and other aspects discussed within the unit of work
importance of dreamings - Aboriginal Elder explains the importance of dreamings to Aboriginal peoples, and why they use the word
in Aboriginal culture dreamings and not dream time. Aboriginal Elder also highlights that the dreaming is still happening, it is not a
thing of the past.
CCP: - Students listen to an Aboriginal Elder telling a dreaming that comes from the local area if possible one that
tells a moral focused on sustainability (for example, only take what you need from the land, dont be greedy).
Aboriginal and - Ask students what the moral of the dreaming is
Torres Strait - Students respond to the dreaming by drawing/painting a picture to represent the dreaming. It is very
Islander important that students dont try and do an Aboriginal style dot painting to represent this, as this becomes
Perspectives tokenistic
Literacy - Students ask questions to Aboriginal elder (if any)
- Display these artworks in the classroom
- Students write in reflective journal

L7: How Aboriginal Lesson 7: Caring for Country Bush Food Garden Proposal (1 hour)
peoples cared for Country - Discuss as a class the ways that Aboriginal peoples care for country how is this sustainable? What were some
& introduction to a bush of the ways that Aboriginal people lived off the land that we learnt about on the excursion?
foods garden - Activity: In pairs match the plants and animals (talked about on the excursion) with their uses (i.e. how the
Guringai peoples used them). What ones do we still use today? (e.g. honey, fish, eggs).
CCP: - Watch the BTN story: bush foods
- Announce to class that like in the news story, the class will be working together to create a bush foods garden
Aboriginal and for the school, but first they need the principals approval.
Torres Strait - Discuss the importance of using more sustainable practices and how having a bush food garden would make
Islander the school more sustainable. Discuss how students could use the bush foods garden to educate other students
Perspectives about Aboriginal peoples culture.
Literacy - Students write a letter to the school principal explaining why they need a bush foods garden.
- Students write in their reflective journal

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L8: Students plan their Lesson 8: Students plan a bush foods garden (1 hour)
bush foods garden - Announce to students that they have the principals approval to create a bush foods garden in a section of the
school grounds
Aboriginal and - Divide students into groups that will work together to plan and create this bush foods garden. Provide groups
Torres Strait with appropriate templates and guidelines to work with.
Islander - All groups are assigned a group leader to keep the group on track.
Perspectives - Groups are provided with 5 minutes to plan how they will use their time to achieve their allocated goal
Literacy - Group 1: Students go into the playground and map up the area of the bush food garden. Students need to
Maths record the perimeter and the area of the space available. Students design a potential layout of the garden
ICT - Group 2: Students research the cost of plants that they would like to have (students are provided with a budget
to work with)
- Group 3: Students create a plaque that explains the importance of bush food gardens [how can we learn from
Aboriginal peoples in term of living sustainably] students also create a plaque that has an Acknowledgement
of Country created by the class
- Group 4: Students work with Group 2 and research what foods grow best in the local soil, what plants need
shade, full sun, need a lot of water etc.
- Students write in reflective journal

L9: Students create their Lesson 9: Students create their bush foods garden (1 hour)
bush foods garden Ask parents and local Aboriginal members to come into the classroom to help put the bush food garden together
- In allocated groups, students plant bush food plants in the mapped out area
CCP: - Students sign up to a roster to look after the garden during the school week
- Individually, students come back to class and write in their reflective journals
Aboriginal and - Individually, students fill out the What I learned section of the KWL chart they started in lesson one of the unit
Torres Strait of work
Islander
Perspectives
Literacy

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 Evaluation of Unit
I will evaluation this unit of work in the following five ways:

1 Student Journals
Students will write journal entries at the end of every lesson in the unit. These journals will not be counted towards their final mark; however, they will
provide me with a timeline of student learning and what students got out of each individual lesson. If for some reason the majority of students felt
negatively about a particular lesson, I would be able to reflect on this and change the lesson to hopefully better suit the students next time.

2 Student KWL chart

This KWL chart will act as a pre and post-test for students. In lesson 1, students write down their prior knowledge of the subject, and then at the end of
the unit, students write in the what I learnt column. Thus, reflecting the new knowledge they collected. This will provide me with a broad view of all of
the aspects that students learnt. If students were not highlighting the main concepts related to the syllabus outcomes and key learning outcomes, this
would be a very good indication for me to change some elements of the unit.

3 Assessment Task
What the students produce for their Acknowledgement of Country will demonstrate their ability to not only understand Aboriginal peoples connection
to Country, but also understand some key factors about their local land that the school stands on (for example, the local Aboriginal language name).

4 Recording of my own practice

During at least 2 of the lessons that I teach, I will record my own practice for my own reflections. This provides me with an opportunity to reflect on my
own practice. Recording my practice and reviewing it also allows me to take note of the vocabulary that I am using, and to check that I am using correct
terminology when referring to different aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture.

5 Peer observation on lesson

For one of the lessons in this unit I will have one of my peers observe the lesson and give me feedback. It is highly valuable that I have another peer
observe my practice as they may see some things that I wouldnt have been able to pick up on when reviewing my own teaching.

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 Create your own Acknowledgement of Country

Outcomes to be assessed:

English
Outcome
- Responds to and composes a range of texts that express viewpoints of the world similar to and different from their own EN2-11D
History
Outcome
- Describes and explains how significant individuals, groups and events contributed to changes in the local community over time HT2-2
Content
The importance of Country and Place to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples who belong to a local area.

Task: Create your own Acknowledgement of Country

You must create your own Acknowledgement of Country. This Acknowledgement of Country may be used at the beginning of a school
assembly and displayed in our classroom. Think about all of the things you have learnt about Country, what Country means for
Aboriginal peoples, and why it is important that we have and use Acknowledgements of Country.

You must include

- Acknowledgement of the traditional owners/custodians of the land
- Acknowledgement of Elders both past and present
- Make your Acknowledgement of Country personal and specific to the area.

Assessment Criteria:
You will be assessed on how well you:
- Acknowledge the traditional owners/custodians of the land
- Acknowledge Elders both past, present and future
- Use appropriate and respectful language
- Make your Acknowledgement of Country personalised to the area
- Communicates Aboriginal peoples long and continuous connection to Country & place

This task create your own Acknowledgement of Country reflects my ten hour program as addresses key student learning outcomes that are taught
during the unit. This task will allow me to assess whether students have demonstrated an understanding and respect for Aboriginal culture and local
Aboriginal knowledge as well as their understanding of Aboriginal peoples significant connection to country. This assessment task provides students to
demonstrate their knowledge that has been built on from the previous lesson, as the lessons prior support all of the learning necessary for students to
be able to design their own Acknowledgement of Country.

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