Background Information

Content information:

The activities in this unit will help you to explore key aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures. Exploring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives with your children will benefit both First Nations and non-Indigenous children.

For any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in your centre, exploring their culture plays a key role in their development, identity and self-esteem, and contributes to the overall well-being of the child.

For non-Indigenous children, embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in their early education experiences is fundamental in creating inclusive and accepting attitudes, and positive race relations. These perspectives are also about celebrating different cultures and the uniqueness of individuals. It is enriching for children to experience the different perspectives and diverse human experiences other cultures can bring to the melting pot.

For more information about why you should aim to embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives at your centre - including terms of reference and cultural protocols - visit Caring for Country – Learning for Educators.
To access more activities to support you in exploring and embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories in your centre and activities, click here.

Before beginning this activity, it is strongly recommended that you complete the Tuning In Introductory Lessons. These activities will guide you to find out more about the Traditional Owners of your area. Having this information will support you in authentically embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in your room and centre as well as guiding you to build genuine relationships with the Traditional Owners of your area.

Part A: Discussion

Step 1.

Begin the activity by inviting children to have a discussion about fire. You could use some of the following questions:

I wonder what you think of when you imagine fire?
I wonder what words you could use to describe fire?
I wonder what might be some ways that we could use fire?

To find out more about how these types of questions help with oral language development, click here.

You can then explain to children that for a long time in the past there was no electricity so people had to use fire to do many of the things we now use electricity for. In Australia, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples used fire for thousands of years before electricity arrived and used it for all sorts of things. Fire still plays an important role in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; for example, fire is used for ceremonies, cooking, creating artefacts and tools, and for managing landscapes through cultural burning practices.

Part B: Activity

Step 1.

Explain to children that they are now going to play a memory game around the topic of fire. Lay the Fire Memory Cards face down on the floor and invite children to take turns in turning two over at a time to match the cards.

Spend some time discussing what you see in the images, for example:

I wonder what this is a picture of?
I wonder if I have seen this before?
I wonder what this reminds me of or makes me think about?
I wonder what questions I have about this?

Part C: Possible Lines of Development

Children may have their own ideas about how to extend the game, or you could consider the following:

Take a closer look at the cards saying ‘Hot’. Talk to children about how we can use words or symbols to alert us to dangerous things. Can you create your own images for ‘hot’ or ‘danger’ and add these to small cards that can be attached to the places around the centre where there is heat (such as hot water taps etc)?
Explore other Caring for Country Themed Activities.

Evaluation

Complete an analysis of learning, listing evidence about:

Belonging	Finding something of interest
Communication	Expressing an idea or feeling
Exploration	Engaging with challenge and persisting when difficulty arises
Wellbeing	Being involved

Caring for Country: Fire Games

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Activity Details

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In this activity