Community: year 3 – Dreaming
Why is the Dreaming important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people?
In this inquiry question students learn of the value of oral traditions in maintaining histories. They discuss
to compare stories from a range of cultures.
Organising ideas
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have unique belief systems and are spiritually
connected to the land, sea, sky and waterways.
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' ways of life are uniquely expressed through ways of
being, knowing, thinking and doing.
What do we want the students to know?
ENGLISH
Discuss texts in which characters, events and settings are portrayed in different ways, and speculate on
the authors' reasons (ACELT1594)
How will we know if the students have got it?
The students will know:
> that in texts language features, images and vocabulary choices are used for different effects
– there are similarities between many of the Dreaming stories that come from different Aboriginal
language groups
– Dreaming stories, and stories and legends from other cultures, have a purpose.
The students will understand:
> how language can be used to express feelings and opinions on topics
– stories are created to pass on knowledge and values as well as to entertain
– that they can be creators of stories.
The students will be able to:
> contribute actively to class and group discussions, asking questions, providing useful feedback and
making presentations
– discuss the characters, events and settings of Dreaming stories from different Aboriginal language
groups from various parts of Australia
– create their own texts about an important aspect of their culture.
What do we want the students to know?
ENGLISH
Create texts that adapt language features and patterns encountered in literary texts, for example
characterisation, rhyme, rhythm, mood, music, sound effects and dialogue (ACELT1791)
______________________________________________________________________________________________
© Government of South Australia 2013. With the exception of material owned by other parties, this work is
licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike Australia 3.0 licence.
How will we know if the students have got it?
The students will know:
> that content can be organised using different text structures depending on the purpose of the text
– Dreaming stories have a special purpose
– Dreaming stories from different language groups have many similarities.
The students will understand:
> language features are used to link and sequence ideas
– how language can be used to express feelings and opinions on topics
– that knowledge, value or learning is being passed on through Dreaming stories
– that other cultures also have stories and legends that pass on knowledge, value or learning.
The students will be able to:
> create a range of texts for familiar and unfamiliar audiences.
– make a list of the similarities between Dreaming stories and stories and legends from other cultures
– create their own stories about something from their culture that would be important to pass on; this
text can use written, musical, visual or multimodal elements to convey the knowledge, values or
learning.
What do we want the students to know?
HISTORY
The importance of Country and Place to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples who belong to a
local area. (This is intended to be a local area study with a focus on one Language Group; however, if
information or sources are not readily available, another representative area may be studied) (ACHHK060)
How will we know if the students have got it?
The students will know:
> how to sequence events and people (their lifetime) in chronological order, with reference to key dates
– Indigenous people's connection to their Country can be seen in many of their Dreaming stories.
The students will understand:
> that they can identify events and aspects of the past that have significance in the present
– Indigenous people occupied the land on which they are living and learning for thousands of years
and have developed a special connection to their land
– historical events caused huge changes to the way of life of Indigenous people.
The students will be able to
> pose questions about the past and locate information from sources (written, physical, visual, oral) to
answer these questions. Students develop texts, including narratives, using terms denoting time
– read Dreaming stories from the local Indigenous people as well as stories from other Aboriginal
language groups
– list the knowledge, value or learning that is being passed on through the story
– compare Dreaming stories with stories and legends from other world Indigenous cultures.
How do we get the students there?
> Invite an Aboriginal community member to tell a Dreaming story linked to a local site of Aboriginal
significance. Visit the place if possible for the story telling.
> Does the story tell anything about:
o the local environment and ways of working with it?
o the roles of various language group members?
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© Government of South Australia 2013. With the exception of material owned by other parties, this work is
licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike Australia 3.0 licence.
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> Discuss the role of this and other Dreaming stories as a way of passing on knowledge and values
through an oral tradition that spans over 40,000 years. Explore Dust Echoes, which has a range of
Dreaming stories and provides background information on each story and what can be learned from it.
> With a partner, students choose a Dreaming story to read from one of a range from across regions of
Australia. Students list the values and knowledge it imparts, then share with the class.
> Students do a similar task with an animated Dreaming story viewed on the internet.
> Discuss as a class the similarities and differences between Dreaming stories from different regions
across Australia. In what ways are they similar or different and why might that be? Students may need
support in understanding contextual differences.
> Either as a class or in groups or pairs, students read a story or legend from another culture. What is it
about? Who are the characters? What knowledge, value or learning is being passed on through the
story?
> How do Dreaming stories compare with stories and legends from other cultures? Discuss similarities
and differences.
> Read Tjilbruke the Ibis Man and demonstrate the maths in the story.
> Select a Dreaming story that students are all familiar with. Find the maths in the story.
Resources
Animated Dreaming stories from each state of Australia, http://australianmuseum.net.au/Stories-of-theDreaming
Definition of the Dreaming and Dreaming stories, http://australianmuseum.net.au/Indigenous-AustraliaSpirituality
Dust Echoes, http://www.abc.net.au/dustechoes/default.htm
Education Services Australia, Storytelling traditions - unit of work (Scootle R11570)
Interactive animated Dreaming stories, www.abc.net.au/dustechoes/dustEchoesFlash.htm
Kondili the whale, www.aboriginaleducation.sa.edu.au/files/links/Kondili_the_whale__teachin.pdf – a
Ramindjeri and Kaurna story
Winda the Owl, www.aboriginaleducation.sa.edu.au/files/links/Winda_the_owl_story_and_so.pdf – a
Narungga story
Stories and legends from around the world
http://worldoftales.com/
http://www.pitara.com/talespin/folktales.asp
http://www.unc.edu/~rwilkers/title.htm
Tjilbruke the Ibis Man
DECS 1996, Aboriginal Perspectives Across the Curriculum, Work Card 6.24: Tjilbruke the Ibis Man –
includes a model for using a Dreaming story to teach maths
Acknowledgements
Excerpts from the Australian Curriculum are reproduced courtesy of the Australian Curriculum,
Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA).
______________________________________________________________________________________________
© Government of South Australia 2013. With the exception of material owned by other parties, this work is
licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike Australia 3.0 licence.
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