Curriculum resources

Students learn about the different ways stories can be told, and view First Nations stories shared through the drawing of symbols and imagery in sand. Students explore how animals can be represented in stories, and share their own stories by drawing in sand and using technology.

Students explore the many ways stories can be told in First Nations cultures. They explore the cultural and educational role stories play and engage in processes of retelling and creating stories about our world and our experiences using elements of music, movement and dance.

Students explore the patterns linking their world with First Nations cultures, investigating patterns in nature, storytelling, language and counting systems. Students identify, create and interpret patterns, with a focus on the meaning and value in patterns for First Nations Peoples.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Students explore the ways female First Nations artists use visual conventions to convey meaning in their artworks, how their art is inspired by Country, and the ways they use art to share First Nations cultures. Students experiment with different artistic styles to create their own artworks.

Students explore First Nations bush foods, making connections to the seasons, environment and food availability. They investigate agriculture methods used by First Nations people to sustainably grow and harvest bush foods. Lastly, they design a bush food dish and share their dishes and knowledge.

Students investigate ways materials can be physically changed through hands-on learning. They develop understanding by predicting, observing and discussing the results of changes. Students learn about changes First Nations Peoples make to natural materials and use this knowledge, and exploration, to design their own object from natural materials.

Students explore length using both variable and uniform informal units of measurement and investigate ways First Nations people use measurement in everyday life. Students create a weaving artwork using informal measurement to share their learning with others.

Students explore the meaning behind the Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country protocols and how we can use these protocols, meaningfully, to show respect for the relationship between First Nations people and Country.

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.

Students compare the observable properties of soils, rocks and minerals, and investigate why they’re important resources. They discover how rocks and minerals are used by First Nations Peoples, and learn about scientific knowledges that have been passed down through generations.

Students explore maps as tools for understanding the spaces they occupy, and interpret different kinds of maps. They discover the ways First Nations Peoples make, use and share maps, and what this can tell us about our place in the world, and show their understanding by creating their own maps.

Students explore First Nations Peoples’ connection to Country and how it can be depicted through art. Students experience Country by observing and discussing the work of Bundjalung artist Bronwyn Bancroft, and express their own connections to special places using artistic processes and language.

Students explore shapes through home design, and use drawing and modelling to create designs. They learn about First Nations architecture to understand the connection between design function and form, and consider the importance of designing homes to meet the needs of the household and environment.

Students inquire into the unique and spiritual connection First Nations Peoples have with Country. Students explore aspects of the interconnectedness First Nations Peoples have with Country through elements of drama and movement.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

Students explore First Nations Peoples’ unique relationship with and responsibility to care for Country. They learn about ways of caring for Country and how knowledge has been passed down, and practices adapted to each geographic location and available resources. Students reflect on their role in protecting biodiversity in local areas and beyond.

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.

This unit immerses students in the cultural stories and songs of First Nations Peoples, exploring the important role cultural practices and beliefs play in the development and expression of identity. Students consider the role culture plays in their own lives and reflect on how they might express their unique identity.

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.

Explore how First Nations cultures, and target language cultures, express identity through art, dance and music. Students build language skills, cultural understanding and creativity through inquiry, reflection and a final project of their choice.

Students explore musical styles of First Nations musicians, the use of instruments and language/s in their music, and how culture can be shared through song. Students then create and present their own composition inspired by aspects of First Nations music explored in their learning.

In this unit, students explore how First Nations people use stories and art to connect to Country. Students identify a special place to them, creating artworks inspired by that special place, and analyse the visual contentions used by First Nations artists, as well as the connection to Country the artworks represent.

Students explore the impacts of feral animals on Country and culture, and the role First Nations rangers play in protecting Australia’s unique flora and fauna. Students use online research, flowcharts and algorithms, culminating with the creation of an ebook.

Students learn how we can use scientific knowledge of erosion and weathering to better protect and preserve sites of cultural significance of First Nations Peoples. Students experiment on different materials to see erosion and weathering in action.

Students inquire into the impact of colonisation on people and places throughout the late 1700s and 1800s. They look at the causes and effects of change on different groups of people, particularly First Nations Peoples, and the environment. Students explore varying perspectives on key aspects of colonisation.

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.

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.

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.

Explore how First Nations cultures, and target language cultures, express identity through art, dance and music. Students build language skills, cultural understanding and creativity through inquiry, reflection and a final project of their choice.

Students explore fairness in Australia’s government by comparing Western and First Nations approaches to land, law and leadership. They consider the impacts of colonisation on First Nations Peoples, and end the unit by planning a real-world civic response that promotes justice and inclusion.

Students learn about First Nation Peoples knowledges of the sky and the ways observing the night sky can inform ways of timekeeping. They view stories, pictures, dance and petroglyphs to develop their understanding of sky Country and better understand its significance to First nations people.

In small reading groups students explore themes in novels by First Nations authors. They experience a story through the lens of the author and examine characters, settings and events. This learning is then applied in group discussion and writing activities.

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 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.

Students explore representations of First Nations Peoples throughout history in the media and in works of First Nations producers and directors. Students consider who has the ‘right to story’ and build their understanding of Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property protocol.

Students consider recent and historical updates made to Australia’s national anthem; investigating purpose, structure and inclusivity of anthems. They explore perspectives of First Nations people and non-Indigenous people, and work together to create an inclusive anthem for their school community.

Through an examination of interconnected elements of identity, students build and apply knowledge of target language and culture. They explore First Nations People’s connection to Country and the way language, culture, family and place shape identity in all people.

Students explore poems by First Nations authors on themes such as connection to Country, disconnection from Country and heroes on Country. Students learn how literary devices are used by First Nations poets to build meaning, and create original poetry to demonstrate their learning.

In this unit, students work with algebraic formulas, identifying patterns and interactions between real-life variables. They begin to understand First Nations Peoples’ knowledges and observations of the environment, in this instance moon phases and tides in First Nations fishing practices.

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 explore the connection between art, cultural expression and cultural identity. They learn about cultural appropriation and how to avoid it, and analyse First Nations 3D art and unique ways story can be told through art. Students respond by creating and exhibiting their own 3D artwork.

Students learn about First Nations aquaculture practices and write inquiry questions to guide their research into significant sites. Through a Brewarrina Fish Traps case study, students draw conclusions about the site’s importance and show their findings in a multimodal presentation.

Students learn how sources are located and identified. They examine primary and secondary sources to draw conclusions about how evidence is used to learn about the lives of First Nations Peoples. By investigating the findings at Lake Mungo, students study the importance of conserving historical sites.

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.

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​​.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Students explore representations of First Nations Peoples throughout history in the media and in works of First Nations producers and directors. Students consider who has the ‘right to story’ and build their understanding of Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property protocol.

Students consider recent and historical updates made to Australia’s national anthem; investigating purpose, structure and inclusivity of anthems. They explore perspectives of First Nations people and non-Indigenous people, and work together to create an inclusive anthem for their school community.

Through an examination of interconnected elements of identity, students build and apply knowledge of target language and culture. They explore First Nations People’s connection to Country and the way language, culture, family and place shape identity in all people.

Students explore the connection between art, cultural expression and cultural identity. They learn about cultural appropriation and how to avoid it, and analyse First Nations 3D art and unique ways story can be told through art. Students respond by creating and exhibiting their own 3D artwork.

Students consider the connection First Nations people have with Country in built and natural environments. They explore the complexity of that connection through naming of Country, and study the role First Nations consultation plays in managing and caring for Country in urban settings. 

The circle holds deep significance for many human cultures. In this unit, students explore the circle’s significance from both a mathematical and cultural perspective. They derive formulas for the circumference and area of a circle in hands-on activities and apply them to First Nations contexts.

This unit explores the cultural accounts of geological features and events by First Nations Peoples, and how these histories have been preserved for millennia. Students research and locate volcanoes around Australia and compare creation stories against the geological evidence found today.

In this geology unit, students explore how rocks are formed and change over time, alongside the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ geological knowledges and rock selection. Students understand the importance of protecting culturally significant geological sites.

Students develop awareness of the ways speeches inform ideas and actions around reconciliation. Relevant concepts are unpacked and their representation in spoken texts is examined. Students engage with a variety of texts, a diversity of voices and different uses of persuasive language techniques.

Students explore lived experiences of First Nations Peoples, reflecting on the use of language to examine themes of identity, Country and disconnection from culture. Students develop an understanding of tone and other literary devices, and skills in communicating their ideas about texts.

Students will explore significant landscapes in Australia and connections to First Nations Dreaming. They’ll consider perspectives about Country and land use and create visitor guides to demonstrate understanding of landscapes and landforms and their significance to First Nations Peoples.

This unit allows students to develop awareness of the ideas, contexts and perspectives around reconciliation. Students unpack relevant concepts and texts and are encouraged to convey a respectful attitude towards learning about a complex issue that affects all Australians.

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.

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.

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.

Students explore how we all connect with Country, and special places for individuals – internationally and in Australia. Students learn how we can, and should, work together to manage and protect special places in partnership with First Nations Peoples.

Students explore their own culture and identity to prepare for learning about First Nations connection to Country and conventions for acknowledging Country. They role-play in the target language, translate short texts, and communicate their learning to a target culture audience through video posts.

Students explore the effects and impacts of four major historical events on First Nations people. Using the philosophy and techniques of the choreographer Mary Overlie, students undertake a range of practical exercises to increase their awareness of this continent’s vast histories and rich cultures.

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.

Students explore challenges in native food production and food access within Australia’s biomes. They consider issues within these biomes, as well as management solutions and programs. Students evaluate existing programs for their effectiveness in managing food production and access in Australia.

Students investigate ways First Nations artists explore identity, values and cultures through their visual arts practice, and examine their own. Students build awareness of cultural appropriation and how to avoid it. Using self-designed symbols, they create artworks and reflect on that process.

Students gain an understanding of how First Nations Peoples can use theatre practices to challenge perceptions of identity. Students use experiential activities to explore identity and learn how theatre can raise awareness of oppression and challenge us to acknowledge Australia’s shared history.

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.

Students explore their own culture and identity to prepare for learning about First Nations connection to Country and conventions for acknowledging Country. They role-play in the target language, translate short texts, and communicate their learning to a target culture audience through video posts.

Students explore the effects and impacts of four major historical events on First Nations people. Using the philosophy and techniques of the choreographer Mary Overlie, students undertake a range of practical exercises to increase their awareness of this continent’s vast histories and rich cultures.

Students investigate ways First Nations artists explore identity, values and cultures through their visual arts practice, and examine their own. Students build awareness of cultural appropriation and how to avoid it. Using self-designed symbols, they create artworks and reflect on that process.

Students gain an understanding of how First Nations Peoples can use theatre practices to challenge perceptions of identity. Students use experiential activities to explore identity and learn how theatre can raise awareness of oppression and challenge us to acknowledge Australia’s shared history.

In this unit, students understand how to write and use exponential models to predict the growth of invasive species populations. They research methods of control, including those used by First Nations rangers, and advocate for a collaborative approach to control a local invasive species.

Students learn about the contribution of First Nations knowledges to Western science, and the benefits of approaching science from different worldviews. They consider global issues using understanding of First Nations science and cultural knowledges, and show their understanding by writing a report.

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.

This unit encourages students to engage with and appreciate a diverse range of First Nations Dreaming stories. By exploring modernised texts, which have transformed previously oral texts into contemporary forms, students begin to appreciate the cultural importance of Dreaming stories.

Students explore community-led programs that improve wellbeing for First Nations people. They examine case studies to build their understanding of challenges and responses to human wellbeing in different settings and complete a summative report or proposal for a First Nations-led wellbeing project.

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.