The Wound
Our History
Why Me?
Our Cultures
My Response
How Indigenous ecological practices can help reduce emissions
Our resources cover a wide array of topic - not just history. For example, this Year 10 science resource provides a lesson plan that explores how First Nations approaches are being used in the fight against climate change.
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The Last Daughter - Coming Soon
Y-2 Temporary
Key Dates
Mabo Day 2023 – F–Y2 Activity
In this resource, students explore the concept of fairness by learning about the ways Eddie Mabo stood up for his people in the fight for land rights. Students will identify the ways we can all help make things fairer for everyone by creating a poster to share with the school community.
F–Y2 Booklet
Mabo Day 2023 – Y3–6 Activity
In this resource, students learn about respect and fairness from the ways Eddie Mabo stood up for his people in the fight for land rights. Students will consider different perspectives on terra nullius, and reflect on how first contact could have been approached respectfully.
Y3–6 Booklet
Mabo Day 2023 – Y7–10 Activity
In this resource, students explore the life and achievements of a ‘hero of human rights’, Eddie Mabo. Students will consider the ways First Nations Peoples have been impacted by terra nullius, in the past and present, by reflecting on the different perspectives on the colonisation of this continent.
Y7–10 Booklet
F-Y6 Australia Day guide
This comprehensive selection of engaging activities and resources helps students to consider different perspectives on celebrating Australia Day on January 26, a date which commemorates the arrival of the British in 1788 and the start of colonisation. Students think critically about our nation’s history and their own points of view.
Teacher guide
F-Y6 Australia Day Pride and Pain Timeline Activity
Through the Pride and Pain timeline, students engage with reasons behind differing perspectives on celebrating Australia Day on January 26, which commemorates the start of colonisation in 1788. Students think critically about our nation’s history and their own points of view. For more activity ideas, see the F–Y6 Australia Day Guide.
Teacher guide
Y7-10 Australia Day guide
This comprehensive selection of engaging activities and resources helps students to consider different perspectives on celebrating Australia Day on January 26, a date which commemorates the arrival of the British in 1788 and the start of colonisation. Students think critically about our nation’s history and their own points of view.
Teacher guide
Y7-10 Australia Day Pride and Pain Timeline Activity
Through the Pride and Pain timeline, students engage with reasons behind differing perspectives on celebrating Australia Day on January 26, which commemorates the start of colonisation in 1788. Students think critically about our nation’s history and their own points of view. For more activity ideas, see the Y7–Y10 Australia Day Guide.
Teacher guide
NAIDOC Week 2022 – F–Y2 Heroes of Change
This NAIDOC Week, download our Heroes of Change activity booklet for Foundation to Year 2 and celebrate the achievements of remarkable First Nations people. Your students can work through the activities across the week to bring to life the stories and perspectives of four Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander change makers.
F–Y2 Booklet
NAIDOC Week 2022 – Y3–6 Heroes of Change
This NAIDOC Week, download our Heroes of Change activity booklet for Years 3 to 6 and celebrate the achievements of remarkable First Nations people. Your students can work through the activities across the week to bring to life the stories and perspectives of four Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander change makers.
Y3–6 Booklet
NAIDOC Week 2022 – Y7–10 Heroes of Change
This NAIDOC Week, download our Heroes of Change activity booklet for Years 7 to 10 and celebrate the achievements of remarkable First Nations people. Your students can work through the activities across the week to bring to life the stories and perspectives of four Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander change makers.
Y7–10 Booklet
NAIDOC Week 2022 – References and Australian Curriculum links
Heroes of Change – download the complete list of sources and Australian Curriculum links for the Heroes of Change resources.
Refs & AC Links
NAIDOC Week 2021
Invite your students to 'Heal Country, heal our nation' in NAIDOC Week 2021. This comprehensive resource offers rich primary and secondary activities and respectful ways to celebrate as a school. Activities are organised by learning areas, covering HASS, English, visual arts, music, science and the environment, for Foundation to Year 10.
Teacher guide
Foundation
Foundation English & HASS – Stories, families, places: belonging forever and ever
Students use story books, songs and videos to explore the importance of place and family in First Nations stories. Students look at past and present First Nations stories and explore texts that relate to place, family and belonging. Students reflect with their families on their own stories embedded in place and create their own texts.
ACELT1575, ACHASSI002, ACHASSK017
Teacher guide
Student handout
Foundation Science & HASS – Caring for Country: how Indigenous scientific observation and cultural practices support ecosystems
This unit explores the special, reciprocal relationship First Nations Peoples have with Country. It investigates how Indigenous scientific knowledge, gained through observation of the environment, has informed cultural and land management practices for millennia enabling the land, sea, plants, animals and humans to survive and thrive.
ACHASSK016, ACSHE013
Teacher guide
PDF slideshow
Foundation English, Science & Visual Arts – Looking at and listening to our world
Students observe places and engage with art to develop scientific understandings of their own place and the continuity of seasons. They consider Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and the limitations of applying European seasons in an Australian setting. The resource can be adapted to include local Indigenous knowledge.
ACELY1650, ASCSU004, ACAVAR109
Teacher guide
Foundation Maths – Estimating, counting and adding: connecting number words, numerals and quantities
Students learn about estimating, counting and adding using the numbers 0 to 9, and potentially beyond, in both Western and Indigenous counting systems. This is learnt in the context of story and everyday life, with a focus on symbols and multi-sensory learning. Students connect physical quantities with abstract numerical representations.
ACMNA002, ACMNA004
Teacher guide
Foundation Science & Health and PE – Bush toys: investigating how size and shape affects movement
Students investigate and observe how the size and shape of Indigenous instructive toys influences their movement by making simple toys and engaging with indoor and outdoor games. Students also look at the role toys play in the cultural life and education of First Nations children.
ACSSU005, ACSHE013, ACPPS007
Teacher guide
Paper Propeller
Year 1
Y1 Science & English – Knowing Country
This unit explores the important information First Nations Peoples collect and communicate from observing the natural environment. Students will identify and make connections to what we observe, why we observe, how we observe and ways to communicate observations.
v9.0 AC9S1U02, AC9S1H01, AC9S1I03, AC9S1I05, AC9S1I06, AC9E1LA08, AC9E1LE04
Access unit and lesson guide/s
Y1 Science & HASS – Observing and living with the seasons
This unit guides learners to explore seasons, both Western and Indigenous, through observation, community research, hands-on activities and critical thinking. Indigenous seasonal knowledge was essential in the past for living well, and remains important today in order to live with and look after Country for future generations.
ACSHE021, ACHASSK032, ACSSU019, ACHASSI019
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y1 Science & Music – Exploring the science of sound with Indigenous instruments
Students explore how sounds are produced using Indigenous musical instruments and learn how First Nations people produce musical instruments using sustainable natural materials. Students demonstrate their learning by creating an instrument of their own using sustainable materials and sharing how the instrument produces sound.
ACSSU018, ACSSU020, ACSHE022
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y1 Science, HASS & Visual Arts – How Indigenous knowledge is represented and communicated through art and design
Students explore the diversity of Indigenous art, analysing how symbols, patterns, shape and colour are used to record and communicate cultural, spiritual, historical and geographical knowledge. Students explore how to use these same design components to communicate information about their own lives within their local landscape.
ACSIS029, ACHASS1024, ACAVAR109
Teacher guide
PDF slideshow
Y1 English, HASS & Drama – First Nations societies before colonisation: Dreaming, living, using waterways
Dreaming is reflected in stories and beyond to give meaning to the world. Students work with Dreaming stories, including creating tableaux in a drama activity. Students find evidence of pre-colonisation engineering, aquaculture and trade economies to learn about First Nations practices and to reflect on sustainability for a shared future.
ACHASSK031, ACHASSK033, ACELY1655, ACADRR0289
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y1 English & Science – Tracking meanings from cultures and Country
Students will be immersed in First Nations stories, art and dance and reflect on how this can enrich their own communication and understanding. They will learn how to use features such as animal tracks, visual patterns, rhyme, descriptive words and movement to read the world and communicate meanings to others.
ACELT1581, ACELT1585, ACSSU017, ACSIS213, ACELA1444
Teacher guide
PDF slideshow
Year 2
Y2 HASS & Science – Indigenous toys used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
Students learn about the types of toys used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, methods used in making them, and the push and pull forces involved in using them. Students design and make a toy boat using sustainable materials and race them to test their designs.
ACHASSK046, ACSSU031, ACSSU033
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y2 English & HASS – Exploring texts by Indigenous authors
Students explore connection to Country and place through Indigenous stories, including Dreaming stories and those by contemporary Indigenous authors. Students use stories to explore the language features of texts and oral storytelling.
ACELA1460, ACELT1591, ACHASSI035, ACHASSI041, ACHASSK048
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y2 Maths – Comparing Western and Indigenous concepts of seasons, ordering Western months and understanding seasonal cycles
Students learn months of the year; European seasons; and how for thousands of years, First Nations people in Australia marked seasons and seasonal change by observing animal behaviours and natural features. Students begin to develop an understanding of the cyclical nature of time.
ACMMG040
Teacher guide
Y2 Maths & HASS – Grouping, partitioning, rearranging and measuring distance in everyday life
Students learn how to group, partition and rearrange numbers up to 1000 in the context of story and everyday life, such as when measuring distance. Students learn about standard and non-standard partitioning; the latter is an important precursor for learning division. Students learn to pose questions about people, places and events.
ACMNA028, ACHASSI034, ACHASSI040
Teacher guide
Y2 Science & HASS – Living things: making connections with the world around us
This scientific investigation into living things explores reciprocity between Country and First Nations Peoples. Students learn about local plants and animals through observation, data collection and research; and unpack sophisticated belief, kinship and knowledge systems some First Nations people use to understand and care for Country.
ACSSU030, ACSIS037, ACSHE034, ACHASSK049
Teacher guide
PDF slideshow
Year 3
Y3 HASS – Flags and dates
Students explore what flags, symbols and significant dates represent in Australia and the protocol involved in their use. Through exploring stories told by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, students identify different perspectives on significant events.
v9.0 AC9HS3K02, AC9HS3K03, AC9HS3S04, AC9HS3S06
Access unit and lesson guide/s
Y3 Science & Design and Tech – Scientific knowledge helps people develop effective and sustainable products
Students explore the use of scientific knowledge for the development of effective and sustainable techniques and products in First Nations communities over thousands of years. Students learn how knowledge of the change in state between solid and liquid through heating is used to adapt materials when creating a range of products.
ACSSU046, ACSHE051, ACTDEP014
Teacher guide
Y3 English – Sharing stories
Students engage with Indigenous stories to understand how cultural traditions are important in recognising similarities and differences across all people’s lives. They explore characters, settings, events and language features creating multimodal texts inspired by elements from stories they read.
ACELT1594, ACEL1596, ACEL1791
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y3 HASS & Visual Arts – Where we live: mapping Country
Students are guided to see the different ways maps can represent place and learn conventions of mapping, such as BOLTSS. They identify boundaries and territories of geographical and political regions and First Nations language groups. Through the Ngurrara Canvas and other art, students also explore ways First Nations people map Country.
ACHASSK066, ACHASSI057, ACAVAM110
Teacher guide
Y3 HASS – Putting the YOU in community
Students explore community participation and how to actively contribute as an ally to First Nations communities. Through examining history from First Nations perspectives and learning how to determine fact from opinion, students create a plan to support a First Nations cause.
ACHASSK072, ACHASSI060, ACHASSI056
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y3 HASS – Australian flags and significant dates
Students explore what flags, symbols and significant dates represent in Australia. Through exploring stories told by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, students identify different perspectives on significant events.
ACHASSI056, ACHASSK064
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y3 Science, HASS & Health and PE – Heat transfer – now we’re cooking!
Students explore heat and heat transfer, identifying examples in their everyday lives, and observe cooking methods at home as examples of heat transfer. Students learn about First Nations cooking methods to better understand the cultural importance that‘s woven into the cooking and sharing of food in many communities.
ACSSU049, ACSIS053, ACSIS054, ACHASSK062, ACHASSI059, ACPPS042
Teacher guide
Student handout
Year 4
Y4 Maths & HASS – Enough for me, enough for Country: sustainability using fractions and Indigenous lore
Students investigate fractions, mixed numbers and counting by halves and thirds. They develop geographical understandings about Indigenous custodial responsibility and sustainable resource use. This leads to reflection on our shared responsibility for the present and future and connects numeracy to human wellbeing.
ACMNA078, ACHASSK089
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y4 English & HASS – Indigenous languages and Standard Australian English: influences and impacts
Students explore the diversity of Indigenous languages in Australia and how they’ve shaped the Standard Australian English used today. Students look at the historical context of European records of Indigenous languages, and consider how colonisation and the loss of Indigenous languages has impacted First Nations people and Country.
ACELA1487, ACHASSK083, ACHASSK086
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y4 Maths & Science – Patterns tell stories
Students explore the relationship between pattern and symmetry in mathematical equations and as a tool to estimate and predict outcomes. Students will appreciate the central role that pattern, symmetry, and scientific thinking and processes in mathematics and science play in Indigenous life and cultures.
ACMMG091, ACSHE061
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y4 HASS & Drama – First contact
Students investigate peoples and events at the time of first contact between First Nations and British people. Students reflect on the ongoing impact of British colonisation, and through role play they act out past events, considering different perspectives and worldviews.
ACHASSK086, ACHASSI080, ACADRM031, ACADRM032
Teacher guide
Scenario cards
Y4 Science, HASS & Design and Tech – Properties of materials
Students investigate properties of natural materials through investigation, experiments and research. They learn how First Nations Peoples apply scientific knowledges to create tools, clothing and artworks. Students learn how the diversity of Australia’s materials defines the design of everyday items.
ACSSU074, ACHASSK083, ACTDEK010, ACTDEK011, ACTDEK013
Teacher guide
Student handout
Year 5
Y5 Science – Cultural ecology
Students explore how First Nations Peoples use knowledges of the structural features and behaviours of some animals and plants. They learn about Australia’s unique plant and animal diversity, and how First Nations Peoples to use and manage this through ancestral knowledge systems and practices.
v9.0 AC9S5I06, AC9S5I01, AC9S5U01
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Y5 Maths – Comparing 12- and 24-hour time systems and Indigenous concepts of time
Students compare and convert between 12- and 24-hour time, in a context where they also learn that 12- and 24-hour time systems are one way, rather than the only way, of measuring time. Students learn how First Nations people in Australia have measured short-term time (daily time) and medium-term time (seasons) for thousands of years.
ACMMG110
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y5 Maths – Indigenous and non-Indigenous ways of mapping and navigating
Students use a grid reference system to describe locations, and use landmarks and directional language to describe routes. Students learn how First Nations people in Australia have designed sophisticated maps for thousands of years.
ACMMG113
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y5 Science & HASS – Sustainable solutions: how Indigenous knowledge can lead to better land and water management in Australia
Students explore sustainable Indigenous resource management practices. Students engage with perspectives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples about how relationship to Country shapes decision-making, and they examine a geographical site to show how the environment was altered to sustain ways of living.
ACSHE083, ACHASSK120, ACHASSK112
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y5 Science – Indigenous stories of the night sky
In this science resource, students will test predictions by gathering data and using evidence to develop explanations of observable facts and events. They’ll examine First Nations Peoples’ contributions to, and the importance of, Indigenous astronomy stories and knowledge to understand phenomena from the land, sky, sea and waterways.
ACSHE081
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y5 HASS – Expanding the colony
Students learn how, in the early 1800s, European colonists sought a passage across the Blue Mountains to find resources for the growing colony at Sydney Cove. Students analyse sources, including diaries and art, to explore how expanding the colony impacted both First Nations Peoples and colonisers at Sydney Cove and their local area.
ACHASSK108, ACHASSK120, ACHASSI009
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y5 English – One continent, many voices
Students examine literary texts that depict the diversity of experiences between First Nations people in urban and remote settings. They explore narrative voices in texts created by First Nations people, analyse the responses these voices evoke and study different interpretations of the texts. (Updated March 2022)
ACELT1608, ACELT1610
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y5 English – The power and purpose of protest
This unit explores protest songs of the 20th and 21st centuries from Australia and around the world, looking closely at the techniques employed by artists to persuade audiences to their way of thinking. Of particular focus are persuasive techniques: emotive language, simile, metaphor, personification, repetition, alliteration and rhyme.
ACELT1611
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y5 Science – Cultural ecology
Students gain an understanding of how First Nations Peoples use knowledges of the adaptations of certain species of animals and plants in everyday life. They learn about Australia’s unique plant and animal diversity and the ways First Nations Peoples continue to use and manage this through ancestral knowledge systems and practices.
ACSSU043, ACSIS086, ACSIS093, ACSIS231
Teacher guide
Student handout
Year 6
Y6 HASS – Examining sources relating to Australia’s Federation and Constitution
This resource combines ACHASSK134 and ACHASSI126. Students analyse sources to investigate Federation and the related stereotyping and over-generalisation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Students explore the Constitution, the lack of Indigenous voices in its development, and the ongoing fight for recognition.
ACHASSK134, ACHASSI126
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y6 HASS – A timeline of Indigenous resistance
This resource combines ACHASSI125 and ACHASSK135 to examine Indigenous resistance in Australian history, looking at the lack of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ rights and how this changed over time. History is broken up into eras, and short, relevant examples are given for students to explore under teacher direction.
ACHASSI125, ACHASSK135
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y6 HASS – The negotiation of native title
This resource combines ACHASSK137 and ACHASSI129 for a blended civics/history activity. Students learn about the complex concept of native title, an important matter for many First Nations communities. They examine how negotiation is a key part of communities applying for native title.
ACHASSK137, ACHASSI129
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y6 HASS – Analysing maps and statistics
This resource combines ACHASSI128 and ACHASSI123. It‘s designed to show the effects of the past by examining contemporary statistics and data about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Students research and analyse case studies where the past has influenced the present – language, population distribution and racism.
ACHASSI128, ACHASSI123
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y6 Maths – Rotation and symmetry in animal tracks and symbolic language from Indigenous cultures
Students gain a basic understanding of symmetry, lines of symmetry, transformations of rotation by multiples of ninety degrees, and reflection transformations by exploring these concepts in the context of storytelling and cultural symbols of First Nations Peoples. Students explore maths concepts in the context of daily life experiences.
ACMMG141
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y6 English – Rich expression: bringing together Indigenous languages and Standard Australian English
English in Australia has many influences. The rich diversity of Indigenous languages have helped to develop different varieties of English and influence the vocabulary of Standard Australian English. By understanding these contributions we show respect for all languages in Australia and can describe and understand this land more fully.
ACELA1515, ACELA1526
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y6 Science – Learning from Indigenous fire management practices
Students learn about Indigenous ecological knowledge and fire management practices. They investigate how Indigenous knowledge continues to be used today to look after plants, animals and the landscape; and how the science of reversible or irreversible change applies.
ACSHE100, ACSSU094, ACSSU095
Teacher guide
Student handout
Year 7
Y7 Drama – The spaces between
In this Y7–8 unit, students engage with First Nations Peoples’ knowledges, stories and art to challenge their thinking about the dramatic element of ‘space’. Students investigate how the spaces between bodies and objects can create meaning and how cultural appreciation can enhance their theatre-making.
v9.0 AC9ADR8D01, AC9ADR8D02, AC9ADR8E02
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Y7 Geography – Ethical research of geological events with First Nations Peoples
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples hold knowledge of geological events that date back thousands of years. Ethical protocols for research in the field of geology recognise the value of Indigenous oral traditions that record details of meteorite craters, volcanoes and rising sea levels.
ACHGS048
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y7 Geography – In what ways is water important to First Nations people and societies?
Students explore the impacts of colonisation on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ access to water and basic details about water resource management. They engage with First Nations’ perspectives about the value and importance of water and examine local Indigenous cultures to understand the different meanings water holds.
ACHGK041
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y7 Civics and Citizenship – Maintaining First Nations cultures and identities
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, cultural identity is key to wellbeing. Students will explore their own identity and culture to build empathy and understanding of ways that colonisation has affected First Nations People’s identities. They will also explore what’s being done to support and revive Indigenous cultures.
ACHASSK198, ACHCK053
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y7 History – Conserving the ancient past of Australia’s First Peoples
Students are introduced to Australia's ancient past, and the ways it’s been analysed by European researchers. They engage with some of the issues caused by previous approaches to First Nations communities, and they examine the basics of heritage legislation and the way heritage status is determined for cultural sites.
ACDSEH148
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y7 History – Interpretations and theories about Australia’s ancient past
Students examine conundrums that exist within the field of ancient history. They learn Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ perspectives on these matters and use the example of the (so-called) Bradshaw rock paintings to understand how theories are made about the ancient past. They examine the ancient history of their own area.
ACHHS209
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y7 English – Whose experience? Whose perspective?
Students explore the representation of Indigenous characters in texts from different historical, social and cultural contexts. They analyse stories and songs of challenge told by First Nations people to build knowledge about culture and literary heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
ACELT1619, ACELT1622
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y7 HASS – Indigenous spirituality within Australia‘s multi-faith society
Students explore Australia as both a secular nation and a multi-faith society. They learn about the diversity of Indigenous spiritualities that have existed in Australia for many thousands of years, and the introduction of different religions, particularly Islam and Christianity. Students consider freedom of religion as a human right.
ACHASSK196, ACHCK051
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y7 Science – Biological sciences: Indigenous classification and understanding food webs
Students compare and contrast First Nations Peoples’ different approaches to classifying organisms and the Western scientific approach known as the Linnaean system. They explore how different classification systems might inform our knowledge of the ecological interactions between organisms, including food chains and food webs.
ACSSU111, ACSSU112, ACSHE119, ACSHE223, ACSHE121, ACSIS125
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y7 Civics and Citizenship – How did a referendum change rights for First Nations people?
Students learn key facts about the Constitution and referendums, and understand that First Nations people have historically had fewer rights under the law compared with non-Indigenous Australians. Students can explore the history of referendums in more detail by undertaking further research and/or a case-study.
ACHCK049, ACHASSK194
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y7 Science – Separating mixtures
Students explore ancient and contemporary chemistry techniques that people, including First Nations Peoples of Australia, use to separate substances from mixtures. They investigate how particles in pure substances and mixtures can be modelled and how differences in the properties of substances can be used to separate mixtures.
ACSSU113, ACSHE223, ACSHE120, ACSHE121, ACSIS125
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y7 Science – The cycles of Earth and space
Students explore how First Nations Peoples recognise cycles on Earth and in space, and how they utilise them in daily life. They’re given opportunities to compare and contrast this with the Western scientific understanding of the same phenomena, through a variety of hands-on science activities.
ACSSU115, ACSHE121, ACSIS124, ACSIS125, ACSIS126, ACSIS129, ACSIS130, ACSIS133
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y7 Geography – Place and liveability
This resource explores what Country means to First Nations Peoples, and how all that Country encompasses relates to liveability. Students examine case studies and elements of Country. And, through geographic inquiry and investigation, they apply these elements to their own places and spaces to improve liveability.
ACHGK043, ACHGK046, ACHGK047, ACHGS048
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y7 Science – Forces and motion
Students explore how First Nations Peoples use unbalanced forces to enhance motion in the design of everyday objects. They’re given opportunities to understand the physics of motion through a variety of hands-on science activities that are underpinned by First Nations pedagogy.
ACSSU117, ACSHE223, ACSIS130, ACSIS131, ACSIS133
Teacher guide
Student handout
Year 8
Y8 Drama – The spaces between
In this Y7–8 unit, students engage with First Nations Peoples’ knowledges, stories and art to challenge their thinking about the dramatic element of ‘space’. Students investigate how the spaces between bodies and objects can create meaning and how cultural appreciation can enhance their theatre-making.
v9.0 AC9ADR8D01, AC9ADR8D02, AC9ADR8E02
Access unit and lesson guide/s
Y8 English – Connection to Country in Indigenous-authored texts
Students learn how culture influences the way we write, and our perception of texts as readers/viewers/listeners. The history of the Indigenous relationship with written culture is examined. European and Indigenous concepts of land and Country are explained and compared. Students use this information to then analyse Indigenous texts.
ACELT1806
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y8 Civics and Citizenship – What is customary law?
This unit gives students an introduction to Indigenous customary laws. They learn that customary law has a completely different basis when compared to the European system of laws, as it forms part of cultural knowledge and Dreaming.
ACHCK064
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y8 Civics and Citizenship – Reconciliation and its influence on Australia’s national culture and identity
Students explore the contradictions in the traditional Australian ‘national identity’, particularly the idea of ‘fair go’ when considered alongside Indigenous dispossession. Students consider how, in recent years, reconciliation has influenced the inclusion of First Nations people as part of a ‘national identity’.
ACHCK066
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y8 Geography – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander place names and meanings
Students investigate the significance of landscapes and landforms to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Students explore the names and naming of landforms and the ways that mapping and geographic information systems (GIS) can be used to represent data.
ACHGK048
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y8 Economics and Business – Indigenous businesses and cost-benefit analysis
Students explore an Indigenous business and analyse how it’s responded to an opportunity or issue. They apply a cost-benefit analysis to identify opportunities in the market and propose alternative ways to take advantage of these.
ACHES035
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y8 Geography – Indigenous land management and its cultural value
Students will develop an understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ diverse connections to and knowledge of Australia’s landscapes and landforms. Students will also explore the role Songlines play in knowing the land, and research Indigenous land-management techniques. Resource combines ACHGK049 & ACHGK052.
ACHGK049, ACHGK052
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y8 Geography – Indigenous cultural landscapes and landforms – degradation and its effects
Using Uluru as a case study, students research different ways a landscape or landform, especially one with cultural significance, can be impacted by human actions, such as vandalism, tourism or pollution. They examine the effect that the degradation, both physical and spiritual, of a cultural heritage site has on First Nations people.
ACHGK051
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y8 Geography – How Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have been studied and researched over time
This resource provides a context to protocols and ethical guidelines about Indigenous culture, knowledge and language. In an examination of past research practices, students will see that ideas about what constitutes good research has changed over time. Case studies of specific artefacts and their return to communities will be examined.
ACHGS056
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y8 Geography – Mapping land the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ way
This resource gives students an overview of how diverse Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities used spatial strategies and positional navigation to map and navigate the land of Australia prior to and following colonisation.
ACHGS059
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y8 Economics and Business – Indigenous trade and trade markets: History and current practice
This resource explores traditional Indigenous trade practices, current practices in cultural tourism and barriers to Indigenous business ownership. Students will read about historical Indigenous trade routes, the items traded and cultural reasons for trade. Activities cover cultural tourism and a report on an Indigenous business.
ACHEK028
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y8 Geography – Why Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples might move to different places
Students learn key factors influencing Indigenous population mobility. Students understand the historical context. They’re encouraged to listen to First Nations people about population mobility and examine topical issues such as the BasicsCard and inner-city gentrification.
ACHGK056
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y8 Geography – Mapping the location of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
This is a short resource on constructing a statistical map showing the distribution of Indigenous populations. Students are given background information on how and why First Nations people have historically been moved and displaced. This unit is complemented by the Australians Together resource for ACHGK056.
ACHGS058
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y8 Science – Investigating First Nations people’s science knowledges in the production of pigments and dyes
Students investigate how First Nations people use geological knowledge and sophisticated mining techniques to extract ochre, and the chemical processes employed to make pigments and dyes. Students analyse how the colonisation of Australia impacts the sharing of Indigenous sciences and disrupts First Nations people’s connection to Country.
ACSSU225, ACSSU153, ACSHE226
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y8 Science – Fire management and sustainability practices of First Nations Peoples
Students investigate how First Nations Peoples’ land and fire management techniques assist to maintain biodiversity, reduce the severity of bushfires and reduce carbon emissions. Students explore the use of renewable energies used by First Nations people in remote communities.
ACSSU155, ACSHE226, ACHSE135, ACSHE136
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y8 Civics and Citizenship – Prominent First Nations women’s views on Australia Day
Students are introduced to elements of the current debate about the appropriateness of celebrating Australia Day on the day that marks the beginning of Aboriginal dispossession. Students become familiar with the perspectives of five prominent Aboriginal women on the issue and investigate their views and backgrounds in further detail.
ACHCS069
Teacher guide
Year 9
Y9 English – Exploring First Nations texts
Students explore how First Nations Australian authors reflect unique ways of being, knowing, thinking and doing. This is achieved by reviewing the early history of First Nations literature and the difficulties of storytelling, and by analysing and contextualising protest poetry, drama and contemporary autobiographical writing.
v9.0 AC9E9LE01, AC9E9LA01, AC9E9LE02, AC9E9LE05, AC9E9LA08
Access unit and lesson guide/s
Y9 History – Settlement versus invasion
Using the case study of January 26/Australia Day, students investigate links between history and national identity, and explore reasons for the contested nature of the terms settlement and invasion. They learn about academic history debates and how and why narratives often conflict with one another.
v9.0 AC9HH9K06, AC9HH9S02, AC9HH9S04, AC9HH9S06, AC9HH9S07, AC9HH9S08
Access unit and lesson guide/s
Y9 Science – Issues in feedback systems
In this biological sciences unit, students investigate disorders of feedback systems and effects on the development of products to address issues. Students research the relationships between First Nations healing and biomedical models in contemporary medical systems, and present findings to peers.
v9.0 AC9S9U01, AC9S9I07, AC9S9I01
Access unit and lesson guide/s
Y9 History – How the arrival of Europeans from 1788 impacted Aboriginal peoples
Students examine the different ways that Aboriginal communities and their cultures were affected and disrupted by the invasion of Europeans on their land. They understand the issues that caused the Frontier Wars. Students gain understanding and empathy about the ongoing effects of colonisation today.
ACDSEH084
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y9 History – The Frontier Wars: Consequences of colonisation for Aboriginal peoples
Students examine reasons leading to the Frontier Wars between Europeans and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. They understand how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and culture were affected and disrupted by the invasion of Europeans on their lands, and the ongoing impacts.
ACDSEH020
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y9 English – How have Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander literary texts emerged in Australia?
Students explore how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have traditionally been represented in literature in Australia. They examine stereotypes of people and misrepresentations of culture. Students then explore texts by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors.
ACELT1633
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y9 English – How does the media report on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples?
Students engage in their own analysis of how mainstream media outlets report on events relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. They examine stereotypes, racism and prejudice, and consider how readers’ perceptions of different groups might be shaped by approaches to reporting.
ACELY1739
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y9 Geography – Traditional food sources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
This topic examines the significant disruption to Australian biomes by European colonisation. Native flora and fauna have struggled to compete with introduced species. Alterations in diet have negatively impacted many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Students suggest ways native food sources can be developed and promoted.
ACHGK063
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y9 Geography – Ethical research and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
This topic discusses ethical research methods and the use of protocols developed by and with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups. Indigenous perspectives critical of research by outsiders are contextualised with a historical overview of the field of anthropology.
ACHGS064
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y9 Science – Protecting Australian ecosystems
In this biological science unit, students explore the relationship humans have with ecosystems, focusing on the ways First Nations people have used and continue to use scientific knowledge to maintain ecosystems. Students investigate the use of fire to regulate biotic and abiotic factors in ecosystems, and as a land management technique.
ACSSU176, ACSHE157, ACSHE160, ACSIS164, ACSIS170
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y9 Science – Heat transfer
Students investigate the principles of convection, conduction and radiation through a case study in possum skin cloaks, an important practical and cultural item for First Nations Peoples in south-eastern Australia. Students apply what they’ve learnt, as well as principles of biomimicry, to develop and test their own perfect insulators.
ACSSU182, ACSIS164, ACSIS165, ACSIS169, ACSIS170, ACSIS174
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y9 History – The debate about ‘settlement’ versus ‘invasion’
By using the case study of Australia Day, students investigate links between history and national identity, and the reasons for the contested nature of the terms ‘settlement’ and ‘invasion’. They learn about academic history debates and explore how narratives often conflict with one another.
ACHHS165, ACHHS168, ACHHS172, ACHHS173
Teacher guide
Student handout
Year 10
Y10 Science – The biological evolution of First Nations Peoples to the harsh Australian climate
The past tells how our ancestors migrated across the world and came to settle in Sahul. A story of resilience is uncovered through studying the biological evolution of First Nations Peoples. Genetic isolation and extreme climate changes have given rise to societies rich in archaeological histories.
v9.0 AC9S10U01, AC9S10U02, AC9S10H04, AC9S10I02
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y10 History – The experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were taken from their families as children
Students gain a comprehensive understanding of the Stolen Generations through the specific experiences of individual survivors. They examine policy and practice in their own state and explore and consider Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s perspectives and ongoing criticisms of child removal policies.
ACDSEH104
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y10 History – A comparison of Freedom Rides in the United States of America and Australia
This unit complements two other Australians Together resources on the Freedom Ride. It introduces the broad historical context and origins of racism and discrimination in the United States of America and Australia. Students understand the patterns and how the recognition of shared experiences led to the 1965 Australian Freedom Ride.
ACDSEH105
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y10 History – The aims, tactics and outcomes of the 1967 Referendum
This unit outlines the historical context of the 1967 Referendum and the aims, tactics and outcomes of the ‘yes’ campaign groups. Students are asked to evaluate campaign material and research the circumstances of the Referendum in their specific state or territory. They evaluate the Referendum’s limitations in its aftermath.
ACDSEH106
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y10 History – Charles Perkins and the Freedom Ride
Students learn about the Freedom Ride from the voice of its main Aboriginal participant, organiser and spokesperson, Charles Perkins. They learn about the experiences that shaped Perkins’ involvement, and consider the legacy of the Freedom Ride. This unit complements two other Australians Together resources on the Freedom Ride.
ACDSEH134
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y10 History – Continuing struggles for rights and equality by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
This unit gives students an understanding of Indigenous peoples around the world. They learn about the introduction of the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and then conduct a detailed examination of the contemporary issue of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child removals, including current strategies for reduction.
ACDSEH143
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y10 History – Timeline of the Freedom Rides in the United States of America and Australia
This unit complements two other Australians Together resources on the Freedom Ride. The events surrounding the US and Australian Freedom Rides are listed on comparable timelines and students draw conclusions and make comparisons. They can create their own timeline from research of the itinerary of the Australian Freedom Ride.
ACHHS182
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y10 History – Historical debates after the Bringing them home report in 1997
This unit uses the Bringing them home report and resultant public debates as a case study for examining how history can be constructed and understood. Students become aware of how academic history debates influence wider society. They realise there are many ways of understanding the past, depending on selection of facts or evidence.
ACHHS187
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y10 History – European empires and decolonisation movements around the world
This unit contains an overview of how the global system of European empires eventuated, and the decolonisation movements that existed during them. Students understand how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are part of a global community of colonised peoples who share similar experiences.
ACOKFH022
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y10 Geography – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ approaches to environmental management
This resource gives students an overview of environmental management in Australia, and the ways that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are involved. Students are guided with ways to research the topic independently and recommended activities incorporate key geographic ideas.
ACHGK072
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y10 Geography – Geographic information systems and conservation management
Students examine ways in which contemporary technologies such as geographic information systems (GIS) are providing support to Indigenous communities to sustainably manage and benefit from their lands. Students are encouraged to explore further examples of the use of GIS by Indigenous communities.
ACHGS078
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y10 Geography – Differences in wellbeing across Australia for Indigenous populations
In this resource, students are led on a thorough examination of the concept of wellbeing as a way of measuring the state of a community. They understand how factors influencing wellbeing may differ between individuals and communities. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's concepts of wellbeing are explained.
ACHGK080
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y10 Geography – Initiatives to improve the wellbeing of remote Indigenous communities
Students are given the history and context of current wellbeing policies for remote Indigenous communities. With this knowledge, they research ways in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are proposing and implementing improvements that lead to improved health and social wellbeing.
ACHGK081
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y10 Geography – Ethical Research and Indigenous communities
Qualitative and quantitative data are outlined, and students get an overview of how approaches to researching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities have changed over the past few decades. Students investigate the emergence of Indigenous-controlled research, guidelines and protocols.
ACHGS073
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y10 Maths – Age distribution in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population
Students understand how historical experiences can result in noticeable differences in statistical reports. They’re given an activity to work with ‘box plots’, and an explanation for why age distribution data is valuable. Raw population data for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is provided for activities.
ACMSP249
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y10 Maths – Evaluating and comparing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population statistics
Students are given a clear outline of how and why life expectancy estimates are created by governments and other agencies. Historical reasons for why life expectancy estimates differ for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population are explained. Various activities are suggested to examine and analyse statistical reports.
ACMSP253
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y10 English – Comparison of Indigenous and non-Indigenous media sources
Students understand key differences between mainstream commercial media and Indigenous-controlled media. They learn about how and why regulations and codes of practice governing the mention of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in media reports have come about. Ideas for critical analysis are given.
ACELY1749
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y10 Civics and Citizenship – The High Court and the Mabo Decision
Students gain a detailed understanding of the role of the High Court in deciding in favour of native title. The student handout includes a historical overview including Eddie Koiki Mabo’s achievements. Students explore the aftermath of the decision and are encouraged to research the practical application of native title locally.
ACHCK092
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y10 Civics and Citizenship – International human rights laws and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
This unit gives students an overview of how United Nations international conventions and declarations are connected to Australian Government policies relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Students learn how recognition of these conventions has increased over time.
ACHCK093
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y10 Science – How Indigenous ecological practices can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Students learn how traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) of First Nations Peoples is passed on through generations, and how collaboration with governments on climate change can reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Students investigate the different fire management strategies and the reinstatement of TEK to protect Australian biodiversity.
ACSSU189, ACSHE192, ACSHE194
Teacher guide
Student handout
Y10 Science – Exploring First Nations knowledges of celestial bodies
As the first astronomers in Australia, First Nations Peoples have rich knowledges and understanding of the night sky and how it affects the land. First Nations Peoples have used knowledges of the celestial bodies for navigation, weather predictions and explaining the universe's origin through sky stories.
ACSSU188
Teacher guide
Student handout
Australians Together Learning Framework
Take a deep dive into the Learning Framework and explore our vast array of First Nations stories, activities, resources, and more. Curate your own customised learning journey to unlock the truth of our past, prompt reflection about our present, and inspire meaningful action that will bring about a brighter shared future for our nation.
The Wound
Injustice from the impact of colonisation.
Discover our curated collection of stories, articles and statistics that expose the injustices at the heart of our nation.
Who are Indigenous Australians?
Our History
A past that shapes our story as a nation.
Tell stories that many Australians have never heard.
Immerse yourself in stories and articles to understand the connection between our nation’s past and present.
Busting the myth of peaceful settlement
Early missionaries to Australia
The civil rights movement in Australia
Why Me?
What’s it got to do with me?
Examines why this is relevant to every Australian.
Browse articles and stories that explore the ways we’re all connected, and what this means for us as Australians, collectively and individually.
What does this have to do with me?
Australia Day: answers to tricky questions
Our Cultures
Everyone has culture. Know about your culture and value the culture of others.
Dive into stories and articles that explore the significance of culture and its role in building a better future together.
Welcome to and Acknowledgement of Country
My Response
Steps we can take to build a brighter future.
Find inspiration in stories and articles that show even little steps can lead to big change when we do things together.
How do I get the most out of these resources?
The resources are designed to be flexible and modular, working around how you like to teach. You can use the resources exactly as they’re designed, or as a starting point from which to build your own lessons. Make them your own and use them to help you feel more confident in class.
How will Australians Together continue to help me?
Change takes time and we’re here to provide the support you need over the long term. We’re constantly building new resources and we love to hear from educators like you. Feel free to reach out at any point and we can see how we can help. Together we can build a brighter future and a more united Australia for everyone.
Here’s why so many teachers love our resources:
- Everything is ready to go
Our resources include teacher guides and student handouts. - Save you time
Teachers love our resources as they it saves them time when lesson planning and they’re packed full of activities that really engage students. - Authentic learning
Teachers are following our resources’ responsive framework to confidently teach about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and perspectives.
Have your say
Lets talk
We'd love to hear your feedback, comment or suggestions.
Contact us
contact@australianstogether.org.au
Phone: (08) 7073 6499
PO Box 107
PARK HOLME SA 5043
