What’s Hidden in the Midden?
Year 2 Program
This full-day, interactive, Geography program at Dunwich, North Stradbroke Island allows students to discover the
world’s oldest living culture, Aboriginal Australia and the unique connection to place. Students are inspired to be
‘Champions for the Bay’ as they help uncover the first people’s story of Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island).
During a pre-program visit to the classroom Moreton Bay Environmental Education Centre (MBEEC) teachers set the
scene for the day. They seek to become members of the ‘Quandamooka Anthropological Club’ (QuAC) and enlist help
from students with the first step of this quest, a jigsaw puzzle. The students put the puzzle together to form an
Australian Aboriginal Language Map only to discover that the Moreton Bay piece is missing. The MBEEC teachers recruit
students to become Junior Anthropologists and invite them to join their quest.
On the program day, MBEEC teachers, armed with clues from the QuAC, join the Junior Anthropologists to sail the seas
to Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island). Throughout the quest, the Junior Anthropologists work collaboratively, piecing
together the clues in order to find the missing puzzle piece. This is achieved through the collection and recording of
geographical data, gathering information via mapping, fieldwork, observation and exploration. The Junior
Anthropologists participate in an Indigenous Presentation, learn some Jandai Language, investigate a 10,000 year old
midden and take part in an Aboriginal Cultural Treasure Hunt at the North Stradbroke Island Museum.
The day culminates in celebration as the missing jigsaw piece is found. The Junior Anthropologists return to the
mainland with stories, information and a new understanding about the people and place of Minjerribah.
Curriculum Intent
Geography
Australian Curriculum
People are connected to many places
 The ways in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples maintain
special connections to particular Country/Place (ACHGK011)
 Pose geographical questions about familiar and unfamiliar places
(ACHGS013)
 Collect and record geographical data and information, for example, by
observing, by interviewing, or from sources such as, photographs, plans,
satellite images, story books and films (ACHGS014)
 Reflect on their learning and suggest responses to their findings (ACHGS018)
C2C Unit 2 – ‘Exploring local and more distant places’: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures
 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities maintain a special connection to and responsibility for
Country/Place throughout all of Australia (01.2)
 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have unique belief systems and are spiritually connected to the
land, sea, sky and waterways (01.3)
 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander societies have many Language Groups (01.4)
Available Terms 2 and 3
*A Curriculum Activity Risk Assessment is available upon request.
Moreton Bay Environmental Education Centre
“Inspiring Champions for the Bay”
(07) 3906 9111 • www.moretoneec.eq.edu.au
admin@moretoneec.eq.edu.au