UNIT OF WORK written for THE HILLS MONTESSORI SCHOOL, ADELAIDE
BY JACQUIE TAYLOR AND DENISE CONNELLY
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF AUSTRALIA: (Cycle 1)
TIME LINE
LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
INTRODUCTION:
 Look at and discuss the map of Australia. Through significant questioning review/revisit what the
children know about relevant concepts eg country, nation, state etc
 Provide information, in very general terms about the Australian landmass being a very, very, old
place. (Whilst children of this age can not be able to clearly understand the geological time line
they would be able to identify that the age of the dinosaurs etc was before the coming of human
beings. It would therefore be OK to give examples eg Show pictures of the giant animals that
lived in this country long before human beings lived here.)
(Australia has a fascinating geological history, its Paleontology is fascinating to children and one needs to be careful not to
take this journey at the expense of the purposes of this unit)
TIME LINE OF HUMAN OCCUPATION:
(When identifying how long human beings have lived in Australia it is important to acknowledge that many Indigenous groups
believe their people have been here since the start of time)
Use a woollen time line to show the relative time in history of white and Aboriginal occupation of
Australia. Eg Through modern scientific tests we know that human beings have lived in Australia for
over 60,000 years, there were groups of Aboriginal People living here at the same time when the
pyramids were being built. It is likely that people have lived here longer than that because Aboriginal
People believe that their ancestors have always been here. So this time line only shows us the last
60,000 years.
 Elicit from the children / develop the understanding that the piece of wool of the two colours, both
black and white, demonstrates the history of Aboriginal or Indigenous Peoples of Australia.
(Always using the plural) and that the white represents the white/shared history.
(This concept is taken up for further development as the focus of the Cycle two unit so all that is required is a basic
understanding that Aboriginal Peoples were here a very long time prior to the settlement by white people)
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF INDIGENOUS:
 Through categorisation the students will clarify/develop their understanding of the concept
indigenous. (Two suggestions)
1. A selection of pictures of mammals with only one not being indigenous to Australia. As a class
SPECIAL
RESOURCES
REQUIRED
ACTION
REQUIRED
2.

talk about the animals, being mammals and where they come from. Then make them into two
groups. Label the groups. From our country - From another country. This style could then be
repeated for plants, birds, reptiles etc
A work sheet could be developed where by the children identify the plant, animal that does not
originally come from Australia. (This activity would be very useful as an evaluation tool.)
Explain that groups of people who originally come from a particular place/environment are
described as being Indigenous to that area. They are the Aboriginal People of that place. (notice
not country because countries are political and change)
 Could play an oral language activity. Eg That is a very big word and it has this many letters
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Let us sound it out and see what it looks like.

To further clarify the meaning of Indigenous Peoples have a selection of photos of Indigenous
Peoples and a set of labels. As a class through questioning build up a small list of matching (and
very obvious) Indigenous Peoples of the world. (My guess is they would easily identify Eskimo People from
the Arctic Region, North American Indians from North American Continent, Japanese/Chinese as from Asia, Australian
Aboriginal etc.)

For political correctness explain that the words Indigenous and Native both mean Original but that
we talk about native plants and animals but Indigenous People.
GEOGRAPHY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA:
 Revisit the map of Australia and talk about its size, talk about South Australia being part of the
big land mass, (physically), and about belonging to the nation/country of Australia. (Want this
language used so that when in Cycle 2 they pick up the concept of The First nations the foundations will have been laid)


Have a selection of pictorial samples of areas in South Australia showing physical features and
select those that connect with the following main regions occupied by early Indigenous
Australians.
 Desert
(Western Desert Groups)
 Coastal
(Ngarrindjeri People of River Murray, Lakes & Coorong)
 Hills
(Peramangk People of Mt Lofty And Barossa Ranges)
 Plains
(Kaurna People)
Using a variety of resources build up a knowledge base of the Native plants and animals of each
area discussing the inter-relatedness / ecological issues.
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA:
Focus on one region at a time for a few days. I’d be likely to start with Kaurna or Peramangk group
 Introduce Naz and Les who can participate in the cultural aspects of the program taking children
for art, music, dance, toy making etc as special guests so that children keep thinking in the present
as well as traditional ways.
 Seek Lucy’s cooperation to teach Kaurna songs eg Bardi song
 Using an integrated approach ie non-fiction books, videos, Dreaming Stories, Art works, songs,
music build up an understanding of how the Indigenous People would have lived (in traditional times).
Significant questions: What would they have eaten? What would they have used for shelter? What
would they have used to defend themselves? What would have needed to learn to be able to live in
their environment? (Many of these answers would come from previous stories/ discussions) Do all
Aboriginal people live like this today? Perhaps some questions for Naz and Les about their lives
today
COMPARITIVE STUDY OF LEARNING:
 What have you needed to learn to live? How and when did you carry out your learning? Build a
personal time line of learning? (This may be done as a whole class discussion with materials then
made for children to make own time line eg pieces of string, small cards with labels ready for
them to draw important ‘stepping-stones’

What differences do you think there might have been in the way Indigenous children of “eg the
Kaurna group” learnt before white people lived in Australia and when following traditional lifestyle? (Important to keep bringing back to contemporary context as well so that Aboriginal People are recognised as
modern people who still value heritage)

Stories from Jacquie (to highlight traditional style of learning) and perhaps build up a learning
time line for young person of traditional times.
EXPLORATION OF TRADITIONAL CULTURE IN A CURRENT CONTEXT:
 Having established that traditional Indigenous group taught their young through DANCE, ART,
MUSIC, STORY TELLING according to the laws of the DREAMING it is necessary to explain
that, when young, children are told stories from which they could
 Learn how to behave in the group
 Learn about the environment and how to survive
 Learn how they should care for the environment


Examine some of the stories (if available- no printed ones for Peramangk People at this point in
time) with the children looking for the TRUTH that would teach them the above things.
Immerse the students in Cultural activities eg with Naz and Les, Lucy, with cooking
 Visit the museum (Some of Susan’s may act as guides) Be sure to book for hands on artifact
session.
 Plan a shared trip with peer tutoring with Susan’s class to take the Morialta Dreaming
Trail trip
Depending upon the interest and involvement and time commitment may develop regional studies to
differing levels
PRESENTATION OF LEARNING:
An open morning, presentation and performance. Perhaps using Susan’s again in peer tutoring
context.