Curriculum resources

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.

Students explore how cultural stories of First Nations Peoples of Australia describe the patterns in the changing positions of the sun, moon and stars. Students recognise that astronomers use patterns of movement of celestial objects in the sky.

Students learn how First Nations Peoples understand and use the life cycle of living things sustainably. They develop an understanding and appreciation for the diversity of life through personal observation, investigation and creative writing.

Students examine the ecological importance of the Daintree Rainforest and learn about the Daintree’s Traditional Custodians – Eastern Kuku Yalanji People. Students also learn how, as a decomposer and keystone species, the southern cassowary regenerates the Daintree Rainforest by distributing seeds.

Students learn about water and the ways it enriches life. They explore how water’s perceived, valued and how it connects places in the environment. In looking at how First Nations Peoples understand and care for water, students develop their appreciation for water and water places, to learn to care for and sustain these places.

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.

This unit explores the relationship between habitats and survival of living things and how the knowledges of First Nations Peoples about Country allowed different species to thrive for millennia. Students investigate changing physical conditions by creating their own experiment.

Students explore their local environment by surveying biodiversity and creating food webs. They investigate the differences between various types of fire, including cultural burning, and how such fires affect biodiversity in their local region.

Students examine how current carbon-dating science supports First Nations Peoples’ ancient oral histories of and long presence on this continent. Students research and present on ancient artefact locations and learn how advances in technologies are giving a greater insight into the continent’s past.

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.

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.