UNIT PLANNER INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE MEASUREMENT AND SCALE

UNIT PLANNER INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE MEASUREMENT AND SCALE IN OUR WORLD

Science Overarching Idea:
Indigenous Knowledge Measurement and Scale
Overall Aims of the Unit:
By the end of this unit, students will:
have a greater understanding that different cultures
are relevant, whilst maintaining cultural sensitivity knowledge and the benefits of it.
and respect
recognise the importance of maintaining aspects of
traditional culture and study the similarities and
differences among those cultures
learn that we can use traditional methods in our
every day life
have a greater understanding of how the Earth has
been formed
have a greater understanding of how time is
acknowledged in different cultures
have a greater understanding of different cultures
measure
Year Level: Sessions: Date:
3-4 3
Teaching Approach Assigned and Short Description:
Despite the time constraints, we hope that students can
construct their own ideas and views about traditional
Through an inquiry approach, students will learn the value
of different cultures methods and beliefs in relation to their
every day life.
Through teamwork and jigsaw strategies, students will
encompass the traditional methods of oral language to
learn from their peers.
Via a Learning Journal, students will be assessed on their
formative and summative learning.

1.3: This demonstrates my knowledge

to providing culturally diverse lessons
to support students from cultural,
linguistic, religious and socio
economic backgrounds
Key Vocabulary: Key Equipment/Resources:
Culture Evidence Learning Journal Calculator
Different Seasons/Seasonal Timeline Ruler/Measuring T
Time Calendar Creation Story Pictures
Measurement/Measure Clock Blank Paper 1.3 & 1.4: The
Growth Date Pencil Cases highlighted words
Developed Circular Blu-Tack show the variety of
cultural backgrounds
explored in the unit
UNIT PLANNER INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE MEASUREMENT AND SCALE

Indigenous Saint Days Indigenous Australian Pictures

Timeline Star/Zodiac Signs Vietnamese Story Pictures
Creation Czech Paper Plates
World Indigenous Australian Czech Clock Handouts
Formed Birthdays Indigenous Australian Handouts
Land/Mountains/Valleys Native American Lucky Dip Box/Bag
Waters/Sea/Rivers Egyptian Everyday items to measure with
Sky/Sun/Moon Hands Popsicle Sticks
Story Method

Science Content Descriptions Relevant to this Unit of AusVELS Standards Science Curriculum Levels 4 &
Work: 5:

Earths surface changes over time as a result of natural
processes and human activity (ACSSU075)
Science involves making predictions and describing
patterns and relationships (ACSHE061)
With guidance, identify questions in familiar contexts that
can be investigated scientifically and predict what might
happen based on prior knowledge (ACSIS064)
They describe structural features common to living things
and describe relationships that assist the survival of living
things.
They describe situations where science understanding can
influence their own and others actions.
Students suggest explanations for observations and
compare their findings with their predictions.

Important contributions to the advancement of science
have been made by people from a range of cultures
(ACSHE082)
Scientific understandings, discoveries and inventions are
used to solve problems that directly affect peoples lives
(ACSHE100)
They explain how natural events cause rapid change to
Earths surface.
Students explain how scientific knowledge develops from
many peoples contributions and how scientific
understandings, discoveries and inventions affect peoples
lives.

Scientific knowledge is used to inform personal and They organise data into tables and graphs to identify and
community decisions (ACSHE220) analyse patterns and relationships.
UNIT PLANNER INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE MEASUREMENT AND SCALE

Represent and communicate ideas and findings in a variety They suggest where improvements to their experimental
of ways such as diagrams, physical representations and methods or research could improve the quality of their
simple reports (ACSIS071) data.

Safely use appropriate materials, tools or equipment to They have an understanding of historical and cultural
make and record observations, using formal measurements contributions to science.
(ACSIS066)

SESSION 1: MEASURING THE GROWTH OF THE EARTH

Learning Outcome: By the end of this lesson, students will have a greater understanding
of cultural perspectives of how the earth has been formed.
1.3 & 1.4: This shows my
Before the session begins have an empty timeline on the wall. understanding of the
Ask students how do you think the Earth was formed? (Prior Knowledge). Indigenous perspective of
how they world came to be
ASSESSMENT LEARNING JOURNAL: Page 1. Have students answer: how many
stories of creation they know. and other cultural
backgrounds. This provides
(It is expected that at least one student will suggest the Catholic story of students with
Creation. If not, they will be prompted. If a child mentions another story, listen understandings of cultural
and draw the steps as they explain it).
Ask students to explain the catholic creation story to the rest of the group, as they explain it, a pre-service teacher will
place the corresponding picture on the blank timeline. Explain this process (and what a timeline is) as you go.

Ask students: do you think that everyone in the world agrees with this timeline? Why? Why not?
Discuss that this is just one cultures opinion; one cultures version. It doesnt make it right or wrong it is just what they
believe.

Separate the group into three smaller groups; one focusing on the formation of land/mountains/valleys/etc; one focusing
on how the waters/rivers/seas were formed; and one focusing on how the sky/sun/moon came to be. Students are asked
to work individually, to create and draw a way in which each component is formed.
UNIT PLANNER INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE MEASUREMENT AND SCALE

Once their individual drawings are complete, take one student from each group and form a mini-culture. With a pre-
service teacher, have students turn their pictures into a chronological timeline of creation. Ask students to justify their
decisions (e.g. fish cant live without water, so that had to come first).

When the timelines are in order, blu-tack them to the wall with the earlier Catholic timeline and as a class, let each group
explain their timeline and discuss how each culture is different but still valid. Add to the wall an Indigenous Perspective
and the Vietnamese Timeline and continue to discuss similarities and how there is no right or wrong way.

ASSESSMENT LEARNING JOURNAL: How many stories about the creation of the world do we know now? What have we
learnt about OUR views of different cultures? (Sneaky prompts: were all these timelines the same? Are any of them right
or wrong?)
SESSION TWO: MEASURING TIME IN DIFFERENT CULTURES
Learning Outcome: By the end of this lesson, students will have a greater understanding
of how different cultures have observed and interpreted time.

Ask students How can you prove to me what time of the year we are currently in without bringing me a calendar.
Ask students to go outside and get any object from the school grounds (e.g. leaves/jackets) to prove to the pre-service
teacher what time of the year it is.

Students have 5 minutes to find their objects and bring them back. Have a class discussion and come to a conclusion
that it is Autumn which means it must be either March, April or May.

Ask students to mark on their calendar where today might be. They can label their calendar to assist them. (Ask why
there are four sections).
Also ask students to mark their birthday on the calendar; ask them what seasonal changes/natural occurrences happen
around their birthday?
Whats the weather like on your birthday?

Heres another calendar with the seasons and give students print outs of the Czech Astronomical Clock from Prague.
Explain that this clock was made in 1410 and it tells ancient Czech time; therefore it is from the Ancient Czech culture.
Observe and discuss the different features of the clock/calendar. SEE ATTACHMENTS FOR IMAGES
The Astronomical Clock tells us: Monthly Illustration Descriptions:
- When the sun will rise January: the celebration of a birth of a child as the New
UNIT PLANNER INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE MEASUREMENT AND SCALE

- When the sun will set Year

- Ancient Czech time February: a farmer warms his legs by the fire and his wife
- Present-day time brings firewood (Winter)
- The movements of the sun, moon and stars March: the farmer ploughs the field
- The current zodiac sign April: the farmer fastens up the trees
- Sun dial May: a young man decorates his hat and a maiden collects
- The day flowers (Spring)
- The months June: the farmer cuts the grass
- The Saint Day July: the farmer mows the wheat
August: the farmer flails the crops
September: the farmer is sowing the seeds (planting)
October: the farmer reaps the grapes
November: cuts down an oak tree
December: farmer kills a pig (big meal? Christmas?)
For the purpose of this activity, just focus on the bottom clock.
Figure out the different elements and where today is; Ask students where they think today would be on their clock. Ask
what else is happening today based on the Astronomical clock and the same for their birthday.Have students write their
answers in their learning journal.
(A discussion about European Seasons and Australian seasons may be necessary (as we dont generally need fires to
keep us warm in February). )

If time permits: Present students with the Indigenous Calendar and ask them how many seasons they think there are.
Pre-service teacher leads a discussion about this calendar and students again figure out where today might be and their
birthdays and see what else they can learn. SEE ATTACHMENT FOR IMAGE
1.4: This
Key Questions: demonstrates my
Apart from the date, what else can we learn from these calendars? How do these knowledge of
calendars compare to our calendars?
incorporating
ASSESSMENT LEARNING JOURNAL: Make sure students names are on all their Indigenous culture
calendars and then pre-service teachers will attach them to their Learning Journal for into the classroom to
evidence (To be returned to students next week). support Indigenous
UNIT PLANNER INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE MEASUREMENT AND SCALE

SESSION THREE: MEASURING OBJECTS IN DIFFERENT CULTURES

Learning Outcome: By the end of this lesson, students will have a greater understanding of the various
measuring methods from different culture.

In a lucky dip box have lots of every day objects (rubbers, pens, rulers, drink bottle, books, etc). Each child selects an
item from the box and uses that as a measuring tool to measure a table, chair and door. Students record their answers
on a handout.

As a group discuss who found this easy/difficult and why? Ask if some tools were better than others, why, why not?
Ask students what else they could use to measure things? (Brainstorm ideas).

Split the group in half, give one group a popsicle stick each and the other group nothing. Say that both groups need to
measure the doorway/tree. Pre-service teachers will be with each groups and observe how they do it. Once they have
figured out a method, the pre-service teachers will introduce a new method (e.g. The Native American method for the
group with popsicle sticks and the Egyptian Method for the group without sticks). Students then re-measure the
tree/door way and complete the maths with their pre-service teacher.

Students then come together and compare their answers. (Hopefully they are similar!)

Then, using the cultural tradition of oral language (aka jigsaw teaching strategy), have 1.4: This is a
students share their method with a partner. If time allows, have students try the new strategy for
method that they have just learnt from their peer. teaching Aboriginal
ASSESSMENT LEARNING JOURNAL: Refer to the Session Three Page in the Learning and Torres Strait
Journal. Students should briefly reflect on their learning. Islander students as
t is responsive to
Final Conclusion: Discussion (record in learning journals) about what students have learnt their culture
over the past three sessions about different cultures.
UNIT PLANNER INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE MEASUREMENT AND SCALE

Session 1: How was the world made?

1) How many stories of creation do you

My Learning Journal know?

Name: ________________________ None One More than one

2) How many stories of creation do you think

there are now?
How do different cultures help me measure my
world?
3) What have you learnt about your views
about different cultures?

Session 2: How does the world tell the time? What have I learnt about today?

My Calendar:
UNIT PLANNER INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE MEASUREMENT AND SCALE

What have I learnt about my birthday?

Session 3: How can we measure? What have I learnt?

My object: What have I learnt about different cultures?

.

chair
table
doorway What do I think/feel about other cultures,
tree their beliefs and methods of measuring?
Interesting Silly Different Comfortabl
UNIT PLANNER INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE MEASUREMENT AND SCALE

The new method I learnt was from the e

Valuable Weird Uncomfort Confused
____________________culture. able
Good Useful Accepting Positive
The method I was taught was from the:
Are there any other thoughts youd like to
mention?
___________________culture.

I think these methods were:

UNIT PLANNER INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE MEASUREMENT AND SCALE
UNIT PLANNER INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE MEASUREMENT AND SCALE