Indigenous Studies - Year 4

Outcomes include:

Improving learning conditions of Indigenous students
Improving knowledge of indigenous issues and cultures

Objectives:

The student demonstrates intercultural understanding
The student understands about Australia and Australians

Challenge activities:

1. Find out about the traditional owners of the land you were born on.
2. Research the life of a prominent Indigenous person - choose from writing, visual art, literature, as well as sport.
3. Research and find at least 10 significant dates in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history.
4. Research at least 10 local place/street names and find out their Aboriginal meaning.

Word Bank:

Aboriginal, Dreamtime, boomerang, community, spirit, ancestors, shelter, storytelling, waterholes, kangaroo, hunting, spears, canoe, fire, children, elders, kinship, digging, Bogong moth, Witchetty grub

Activities:

Introduction to topic:

- Word Bank activity
- 'What I know' (pre test) journal entry.

Background Information:

- Study of The Dreamtime to gain insight into how traditional Aboriginal people view the world.
- Analysis and illustration of the Aboriginal creation story

Elements of traditional Aboriginal culture:
Tribes/Families/Community

- Comparison of similarities and differences between family structure of students and traditional Aboriginal families.
- Researching roles/routines of different tribe members, act/draw/write what they would do in a typical day - present to class.

Living off the land

- Research different food and shelter sources (lakes, bush, etc) summarising what is found there and how it is gathered.
- Design an ideal environment showing where food can be found and shelter can be formed. Evaluate each design and discuss what we can learn from this way of living.

Storytelling

- Read/view several traditional Dreamtime stories, identify common elements (morals, characters, language, themes). Discuss purpose and modes of storytelling in both our own and the traditional Aboriginal societies.
- Write class Dreamtime story to be acted out and shared.

Reflection

- Final written entry - What have you learned/enjoyed.

Assessment and evalutation will include:

Journal entries
Anecdotal evidence (discussions and group work)
Work samples
Presentation and illustration of work

STUDIES OF SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT

Society and Environment is an essential part of a balanced education where all students learn about the factors that shape their individual identity and that of their society.

This area is important because it expands students’ knowledge and understanding of their own society, other societies, local and global environments and the relationships between environments and societies. It develops knowledge about Australia , the diversity of its people, its cultural and natural environmental heritage, and its place in the world.

Our classroom provides opportunities for the development of:

- investigation, communication and participation skills,
practical survival skills,
- interpersonal skills necessary for getting along with others and establishing attitudes, values and beliefs,
- strategies for making decisions and choices,
- developing skills that enhance the ability to live in peace and harmony in our independent and interconnected world of natural and social systems.

SOSE: Adventures in Time and Place

The dimensions of thinking for SOSE in term 3, 2009, for the Year 4 class will focus on:
- critical thinking and creative thinking
- assess significant local and current affairs from a variety of sources, with a
focus on examining bias and distinguishing fact from opinion
- historical thinking use primary sources to broaden understanding of historical events and issues
- geographic thinking construct and interpret various types of maps (i.e., historical, physical, political maps) to broaden understanding of topics being studied
- decision making and problem solving
- propose and apply new ideas, strategies and options, supported with facts and
reasons, to contribute to decision making and problem solving.

Research and resource materials will focus on:

1. Volcanic activity
2. Tropical Rain forests
3. The Great Barrier Reef

Student communication will focus on:

- Communication by oral, written and visual literacy
- Student will express opinions and present perspectives and information in a variety of forms, such as oral or written presentations, speeches or debates.

Student skills involve initially watching a class SOSE DVD then working on the topic to research information, have small group then whole group discussion. Topics for discussion will involve the gathering of new information and the writing of a spelling word bank. Factual reports will be written and given orally.

Activities:

Introduction to topic -
1. Keyword strategy
2. 'What I know' pre testing by journal writing

Background -
Study of the SOSE DVD to gain insight into the topic and then analysis and illustration of the research completed in class using classroom computers.

Presenting and sharing competed themes -
By class circle time, by presentation using electronic media.