Dear Melissa,

Thank you for your learning sequence. Here is the feedback on the total assessment as per
the selection criteria as detailed in the unit outline.

Selection criteria applied to your submitted learning sequence

Your rationale demonstrated explicitly theoretical knowledge and critical engagement with
content of this unit that were excellent, understanding and critical knowledge of the
positioning of Indigenous histories and the ongoing impact of the history in the present were
good. Your skills in synthesising knowledge and understandings to ensure effective learning
and engagement of students in different geographic and socio-cultural contexts were
excellent.
Your learning sequence demonstrated skills in critical reflection in the development of a
pedagogy suitable to the engagement of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students that were
excellent. Creative and critical awareness of effective and appropriate assessment were also
excellent.

More detailed comments on your strengths and weaknesses within

rationale and learning sequence: Your engagement with relevant texts linking the
theory and the learning sequence was excellent. Your demonstration of a pedagogy fostering
deeper reflection/stimulation was excellent. Your demonstration of engagement with cultural
context and cultural respect was deep.
In summary, the link between theory of teaching in this area and your practice was excellent.
Your rationale was also excellent. Your major strength was the logical development of a
relevant and carefully considered sequence.
Finally this assessment demonstrated you have gained an excellent foundation in
which to teach in this area.
Well done I wish you every success in your future career and thank you for your engagement
with this unit.

Assessment: CR
Assessors Signature (optional) :

Dated: 24/10/13

ESH390 Cultural Awareness/Aboriginal Studies

Melissa Spence

Assessment #3

Indigenous studies learning sequence

To begin, the lesson sequence created for this assignment was aimed at a year 2 level. In
the class of 23 students, there are three students who have difficulties with writing. Although
there are no diagnosed special needs children, one student is prone to behavioural issues and
struggles to stay focused on one task for an extended period of time. To avoid disruption to other
students, they have their own desk near the front of the classroom, but not close enough so that
the student feels isolated from their peers. Roughly half of the students in the class have parents
from a different culture; predominantly Asian, Indian and Maori. There are no Aboriginal and/or
Torres Strait Islander students in the classroom. Although most of the students are fluent with the
English language, there are two students who have only recently moved to Australia and
occasionally struggle to understand certain words. There is one education assistant assigned to
the classroom to assist the teacher. The school itself is in an urban district in a low
socioeconomic area, and is combined with an educational support centre for children with
diagnosed learning difficulties. In addition the school has a selected number of Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander students, and an Aboriginal representative that works on campus to assist
these students, their teachers and communication with their families.
Teaching Aboriginal studies is a highly significant and beneficial topic that can create
more inclusive, positive and challenging learning environments (Price, 2012, p. 41-42). To
extend this point, teaching Aboriginal studies can help create an understanding and acceptance
for non-Indigenous students which promotes positive relationships in both the school and the
community. Even though there are no Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander students in the
classroom setting described above, Aboriginal studies is about Australian people, Australian
history, and current critical Australian justice concerns (Partington, 2002, p. 194). There are

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many useful strategies and models that can be used by a teacher when they are integrating
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and culture into multiple areas of the curriculum.
One example includes the Stevens model, which is developed based on the ideas of Uncle Ernie
Grant (As cited by Gilbert & Hoepper, 2011). This model provides useful information that needs
to be considered, such as the organisational procedures, recognising how Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander studies can be linked to curriculum outcomes and how to engage the topic on an
individual level. It also provides key concepts that can be developed, such as land, relationships,
place, time, language and culture.
Furthermore, contacting an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander representative of the
school, or locating an appropriate Aboriginal centre in the community allows the teacher to
discuss certain issues or questions they might have relating to content that they wish to teach in
the classroom. By researching and locating someone suitable to talk to, a teacher can not only
show their genuine interest in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, they can also
develop a professional mannerism and learn how to show appropriate displays of respect.
Alternatively, there are multiple teacher education courses that specialise in the topic of
Aboriginal studies which aim to develop a teachers knowledge and give them the confidence
when teaching this topic in the classroom.
The lesson sequences provided (see appendix A) is developed around the English
learning outcomes of the national curriculum for grade 2 students. It introduces the topic of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language, literature and song. The lessons were designed so
that they could be taught to students without expecting prior knowledge, since some of the
students in the class have an extremely limited knowledge on Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander history and culture. As the national curriculum English year 2 describes, students are

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expected to engage with oral narrative traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,
as well as contemporary literature of these two cultural groups (Australian Curriculum
Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA], 2013, p. 20).
According to Walsh & Yallop (1993), it was estimated that there were over 250 different
types of Aboriginal language groups in the 1800s. The language that each Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander tribe used to communicate with each other is an important part of their culture and
individual identities. As such, it is imperative that a teacher is taught how to correctly pronounce
words before teaching the words to students. Or, if it is possible, locate an Aboriginal speaker
that is willing to help during classes that involve speaking in an Aboriginal language. The lesson
involves learning the names of some native Australian wildlife; the students should be familiar
with iconic animals such as the kangaroo and the emu, however it would be simple enough to
provide images to help the students make a connection. The language that is used comes from the
Noongar Aboriginal people, who resided in the south of Western Australia. It is also important to
discuss the acknowledgement of country that is given by the school before certain events and
what it signifies. As the Department of Education and Training (2013) document explains, It is a
demonstration of respect dedicated to the traditional custodians of the land or sea (p. 6), and
students need to be aware of its purpose within the school and community.
Continuing on after the language lesson, students are exposed to a range of literature that
was created by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers and illustrators. Throughout their
school years, students are exposed to a range of different texts in order to broaden their
understanding of certain concepts and make sense of the English language. By year two students
should begin learning about types of texts and their purposes, as well as distinguishable text
features. Although a student might not be familiar with the dreamtime stories, and the

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distinguishable features of Aboriginal text and imagery, there is still an opportunity to develop
critical thinking skills by comparing what is different about the text compared to other books
they have read. Students can then use critical thinking skills to formulate questions relevant to
obtaining the necessary information to engage in reasoned thinking about the matter (Mulnix,
2012, p. 470) when comparing literature involving Aboriginal dreamtime stories. Students also
begin to consider the importance of Aboriginal storytelling as both a method of gaining
knowledge and a record of historical events of their culture. During the lesson sequence, students
are asked to retell particular events or characters that appealed to them. This is done by either
describing what happened using words, or drawing images that represent these events and
characters for students who struggle to create readable sentences. Throughout the lesson,
students are encouraged to express their own understanding, listen to what other children and
the teacher say, collate their own judgements alongside the ideas of others, and participate in
dialogue-argument and dialogue-disagreement (Kurganov, 2009, p. 32)
Similar to languages and text, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have used various
forms of iconography that can be traced back thousands of years. Evidence of this is seen in
traditional and contemporary paintings and rock art. Aboriginal artwork is more than just a
picture; it reflects feelings and visually captures events that tell a story. Engaging students with
Aboriginal art and iconography provides students with an appreciation of cultures other than
their own (Vize, 2009, p. 20). The final lesson plan begins to branch out into other forms of
literature, such as songs, and can potentially include poetry, chants and rhymes. While the songs
used in the fifth lesson were created by a contemporary artist, further lessons can explore more
traditional forms of song and music. All of the resources used in the lesson plans can be

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purchased, which helps support the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It also ensures
that the teacher is providing accurate information to their students.
Overall the lesson sequence incorporates Aboriginal studies into aspects of the English
curriculum by providing engaging and quality language, literature, symbolism and songs into
classroom activities. It addresses various learning abilities by providing alternatives to writing
and hands-on activities to express the students understanding. The lesson sequence also provides
multiple opportunities to cover other topics to broaden a students understanding of the
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders culture and history.

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References
Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA]. (2013). English.
Retrieved from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/English/Curriculum/F-10
Department of Education and Training. (2013). Protocols for Welcome to Country and
Acknowledgement of Traditional Ownership. Retrieved from
http://generationone.org.au/uploads/assets/WelcomeToCountry.pdf
Kurganov, S. (2009). Reading and literature in the primary and middle schools of the dialogue of
cultures. Journal of Russian and East European Psychology, 47(2), 30-58.
Mulnix, J. W. (2012). Thinking critically about critical thinking. Educational Philosophy and
Thinking, 44(5), 464-479.
Partington, G. (ed.). (2002). Perspectives on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education.
Katoomba, NSW: Social Science Press.
Gilbert, R. & Hoepper, B. (2011). Teaching society and environment (4th ed.). South Melbourne,
VIC: Cengage Learning.
Price, K. (ed.). (2012). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education: an introduction for the
teaching profession. Port Melbourne, VIC: Cambridge University Press.
Vize, A. (2009). Understanding culture and diversity: Australian Aboriginal art. Arts and
Activities, 144(5), 20-43.
Walsh, M. & Yallop, C. (1993). Language and culture in Aboriginal Australia. Retrieved from
http://encore.lib.utas.edu.au/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1629194

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Appendix A
Aboriginal studies lesson sequence.

LESSON PLAN 1
CLASS: Year 2
Duration: 40 minutes
LEARNING OBJECTIVE/S: KEY OBJECTIVE:
Students understand that there is more than one tribe of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Students examine the different languages used by the Noongar people.
CURRICULUM LINKS:
National Curriculum Grade 2 - English Understand that spoken, visual and written forms of
language are different modes of communication with different features and their use varies according to
the audience, purpose, context and cultural background (ACELY1694).
RESOURCES REQUIRED:
English books
Noongar animals poster - http://www.noongarculture.org.au/wp-content/gallery/posters/noongar-animals_v801.jpg
Structure
Groupings
Activities
Introduction
Whole class
Introduce the topic of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
(10 minutes)
culture.
Explain that there are many different types of Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander people residing throughout Australia and that each clan
has their own territory.
Discuss why the principal gives an acknowledgement of country as a
show of respect to the Aboriginal community before a public assembly
and what this means.
Episode 1
Whole class
Investigate the Noongar Aboriginal people that reside in the Perth area.
(20 minutes)
Individually
Discuss how each Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tribe has their
own language to communicate with each other.
Show the class the animal poster and get the teacher to read out the
names of the animals first in English then in Noongar.
Go through the activity as a class, getting the students to say the names
out aloud.
Explain that the students will pick one of the animals to draw on a blank
page in their English books, making sure they write both the English
name and the Noongar name of whatever animal they choose.
Lesson End (10 Whole class
Get some students to share what they drew, and get the whole class to
minutes)
say the animal name in both English and Noongar again.
ASSESSMENT:
Contribution to pronouncing Noongar words.
Using the correct English and Noongar name to label their chosen animal drawing.

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LESSON PLAN 2
CLASS: Year 2
Duration: 40 minutes
LEARNING OBJECTIVE/S: KEY OBJECTIVE:
Students explore illustration styles used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
Students retell the key events of an Aboriginal story.
CURRICULUM LINKS:
National Curriculum Grade 2 - English Discuss how depictions of characters in print, sound and
images reflect the contexts in which they were created (ACELT1587).
RESOURCES REQUIRED:
English books
Better Beginnings: The kangaroo and the porpoise - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mRFoIIDm4U
Hard copy of The kangaroo and the porpoise by Pamela Loft and Agnes Lippo.
Story review worksheet - http://i40.tinypic.com/qy5kkl.jpg
Structure
Groupings
Activities
Introduction
Whole class
Refresh students on the Noongar animal names that the class learn last
(10 minutes)
lesson.
Show the students the cover of The kangaroo and the porpoise told by
Agnes Lippo and compiled by Pamela Loft. Explain that this story was
told by an Aboriginal that lived in the Northern Territory.
Question students about the illustrations; such as what colours are used,
what style of painting, and if any students can guess what a porpoise
might be.
Episode 1
Whole class
Play The kangaroo and the porpoise youtube video clip.
(25 minutes)
Individually
Afterwards, discuss the main characters and how the author portrayed
them. Locate similarities and differences to non-Indigenous stories.
Question if there was a moral to the story, or what the story teaches us.
Brainstorm other examples of stories that have a moral.
Hand out a copy of the story review worksheet to the students and get
them to complete it using text, pictures, or both.
Lesson End (5 Whole class
Ask students to share what they liked about the book. Then get them to
minutes)
glue the worksheets in their English workbooks.
ASSESSMENT:
Retelling key events of the story in the story review worksheet.

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LESSON PLAN 3
CLASS: Year 2
Duration: 50 minutes
LEARNING OBJECTIVE/S: KEY OBJECTIVE:
Students recognise how the emotions that an animal may feel in a story relate to human emotions.
Students communicate favourite characters and events.
CURRICULUM LINKS:
National Curriculum Grade 2 - English Identify aspects of different types of literary texts that
entertain, and give reasons for personal preferences (ACELT1590).
RESOURCES REQUIRED:
Meet with guest speaker prior to classroom appearance to discuss if they can focus on retelling stories where
animals experience human like behaviour and emotions and if the speaker would consider answering student
questions afterwards.
English workbooks.
Structure
Groupings
Activities
Introduction
Whole class
Before the guest speaker arrives, discuss how students should behave
(5 minutes)
around the guest and how to properly show respect.
Welcome the guest and acknowledge traditional ownership as a sign of
respect.
Episode 1
Whole class
Allow the guest speaker to begin telling stories relating to his or her
(35 minutes)
culture.
At the end, allow some students to ask questions if the speaker agrees.
Otherwise get the entire class to thank the speaker and say goodbye.
Question how the animals feelings and emotions are similar to our own.
Ask students for verbal examples of when these feelings might be felt
by a human.
Lesson End (10 Whole class
Using a blank page in their English workbooks, get the students to write
minutes)
and/or draw their favourite characters and events from some of the
stories they heard.
Share some students responses with the class.
ASSESSMENT:
Class discussion.
Drawing or explaining characters and/or events from a story.

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LESSON PLAN 4
CLASS: Year 2
Duration: 45 minutes
LEARNING OBJECTIVE/S: KEY OBJECTIVE:
Students examine Aboriginal iconography.
Students create short stories using Aboriginal symbols.
CURRICULUM LINKS:
National Curriculum Grade 2 - English Discuss how depictions of characters in print, sound and
images reflect the contexts in which they were created (ACELT1587).
RESOURCES REQUIRED:
Sample pictures of Aboriginal art:

Maisie Dick - http://www.artitja.com.au/wp-content/gallery/paintings/p1020281.jpg

Ruby plains country - http://www.artitja.com.au/wp-content/gallery/paintings/stan-brumby-76x76cm.jpg
Rosemary bird - http://www.artitja.com.au/wp-content/gallery/small-paintings/p1050438.jpg

Aboriginal art graphic symbols and meanings - http://www.aboriginalartshop.com/aboriginal-art-graphicsymbols-and-meanings/

Aboriginal colouring pages by Olwyn Avery and Helen Price (print out various copies) http://www.brisbanekids.com.au/aboriginal-colouring-pages/
Structure
Groupings Activities
Introduction
Whole class Show sample pictures of Aboriginal art to the class and begin a discussion
(10 minutes)
about how Aboriginal people use symbols that have special meanings. Draw
an emu footprint on the whiteboard and ask students to guess what it is
(prompt for answers such as an animal, or a bird). Clearly label the symbol.
Continue this process; introducing symbols such as man, woman, campfire,
boomerang, kangaroo, goanna, star, and meeting place etc.
Episode 1
Individually Get students to open their books and copy the symbols and their title on a
(30 minutes)
blank page.
Once each student has a copy of the Aboriginal symbols in their books,
model a small paragraph using some of these new words. For example:
The man waited at the meeting place with his boomerang because he is
going to hunt a kangaroo.
Get students to copy this sentence into their workbooks, and draw the
symbol above the word.
Next, explain that the students have to pick at least one word from the
Aboriginal symbols list and create a sentence using it, and then they have to
draw the symbol above the word they used.
For students who struggle with writing, get them to create a story using only
the Aboriginal symbols.
Lesson End (15 Whole class Ask if any students would like to share their sentences with the class.
minutes)
To end, give students 10 minutes to colour in an Aboriginal colouring page
printout.
ASSESSMENT:
Contribution to brainstorming.
Sentences made using senses words.
Paragraphs describing bedroom.

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LESSON PLAN 5
CLASS: Year 2
Duration: 35 minutes
LEARNING OBJECTIVE/S: KEY OBJECTIVE:
Students listen to songs created by an Aboriginal artist.
Students experiment with rhythmic sound patterns.
CURRICULUM LINKS:
National Curriculum Grade 2 - English Identify, reproduce and experiment with rhythmic, sound
and word patterns in poems, chants, rhymes and songs (ACELT1592).
RESOURCES REQUIRED:
The kangaroo club CD by Mereki purchased from: http://www.thekangarooclub.com
Song lyrics for the kangaroo club CD to display on whiteboard http://www.thekangarooclub.com/lyrics.html
Structure
Groupings
Activities
Introduction
Whole class
Tell students to open their workbooks to a blank page, and then give
(15 minutes)
them 5 minutes to brainstorm everything they have learnt about
Aboriginals in the last few lessons (or draw if they are unsure of the
names). Then ask students to share some of their ideas with the class
(teacher records the answers on the whiteboard).
As a class brainstorm other forms of storytelling. Include ideas such as
poems, story books, telling stories verbally like the guest speaker did,
and introduce ideas such as dancing and singing.
Episode 1
Whole class
Explain that the class is going to listen to a couple of songs from the
(20 minutes)
Kangaroo club CD. The first song is called Children of the dreaming
(which tells a story about how two Aboriginal children spent their day).
Afterwards, talk about why they didnt want to go down to the billabong
at night and how some Aboriginal stories are created to stop children
from doing certain things.
Next, play the Native animal song. Get the students to listen to it from
their desks first, then put the lyrics on the interactive whiteboard so they
can sing along with it the second time around.
Then on the third time clear enough space in the classroom so that
students can make up actions to mimic the animal that is described at
each stage in the song, but make sure to specify that students need to be
careful not to hurt themselves/other students. Model some animal
actions to help students who are need it.
Lesson End (5 Whole class
Play both songs one more time, and encourage the students to sing along
minutes)
and dance (safely).
ASSESSMENT:
Recite and sing along to a song.
Brainstorming ideas on different types of literature.

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References
Aboriginal art graphic symbols and meaning [Image]. (2012). Retrieved from
http://www.aboriginalartshop.com/aboriginal-art-graphic-symbols-and-meanings/
Avery, O. & Price, H. (2013). Aboriginal colouring pages. Retrieved October 2, 2013, from
http://www.brisbanekids.com.au/aboriginal-colouring-pages/
Better Beginnings (2012, April 12). The kangaroo and the porpoise by Pamela Loft and Agnes
Lippo [Video file]. Video posted to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mRFoIIDm4U
Lofts, P. & Lippo, A. (2004). The kangaroo and the porpoise. Lisarow, NSW: Scholastic.
Maisie Dick [Image]. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.artitja.com.au/wpcontent/gallery/paintings/p1020281.jpg
Mereki. (2013). Song lyrics for the kangaroo club CD. Retrieved October 5, 2013, from
http://www.thekangarooclub.com/lyrics.html
Mereki. (2001). The kangaroo club. [CD ROM]. Canberra, Australia: Australia Council for the
Arts.
Noongar animals [Image]. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.noongarculture.org.au/wpcontent/gallery/posters/noongar-animals_v8-01.jpg
Rosemary bird [Image]. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.artitja.com.au/wpcontent/gallery/small-paintings/p1050438.jpg
Ruby plains country [Image]. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.artitja.com.au/wpcontent/gallery/paintings/stan-brumby-76x76cm.jpg

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Story review worksheet [Image]. (2013). Retrieved from http://i40.tinypic.com/qy5kkl.jpg

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