Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

15 minutes

Tune In: How do we care for our environment?

15 minutes

Find Out: Land management practices of First Nations People

25 minutes

Take Action: Create an infographic of a First Nations land management practice

5 minutes

Reflection

Learning intentions

Students will:

understand various land management practices used by First Nations people.
understand the values that underpin these land management practices.

Success criteria

Students can:

brainstorm methods used to care for Country
identify how environmental practices have evolved since colonisation.

Tune In: How do we care for our environment?

Step 1

Brainstorm on the whiteboard with students all the different types of natural environments, such as forests, deserts, mountains, oceans, and rivers. Discuss how we care for these environments.

Suggested responses could include:

Forests	• Reforestation and tree planting • Sustainable logging practices • Protecting biodiversity and wildlife corridors • Fire management and prevention • Reducing deforestation for agriculture and development.
Deserts	• Prevent desertification through sustainable land use • Conserve water resources • Protect native species and habitats • Restore degraded desert areas • Promote eco-friendly tourism.
Mountains	• Prevent erosion by planting trees • Sustainable, low-impact tourism • Protect water sources (snowmelt, glaciers) • Conserve wildlife through protected areas • Reduce deforestation on slopes.
Oceans	• Reduce plastic and waste pollution • Support sustainable fishing practices • Establish marine protected areas • Prevent pollution from land runoff • Restore coral reefs and preserve marine biodiversity.
Rivers	• Prevent pollution and littering • Restore riverbanks with native plants • Manage water use sustainably • Restore natural river flows • Protect freshwater species and habitats.
Wetlands	• Prevent development and draining • Restore native vegetation and water flow • Control pollution and reduce runoff • Manage water use sustainably • Protect biodiversity, including migratory species • Raise public awareness of their ecological importance.
Grasslands	• Prevent overgrazing and land degradation • Restore native grass species • Protect biodiversity and wildlife • Use sustainable farming practices • Support controlled burning to promote regeneration.

Step 2

Place three sheets of butcher’s paper and textas in the centre of the room. Invite students to gather around the paper. On each sheet, write one of the following questions:

How do these methods change and shape landscapes?
Have these methods always been used? Why/why not?
How did people shape the Australian landscape before colonisation?

Encourage students to work collaboratively, brainstorming or as they respond to each question on the paper.

Step 3

Invite volunteers to share the responses students have recorded on the paper. Use this to gauge student understanding in land management before colonialism.

Find Out: Land management practices of First Nations peoples

Step 1

Ask students to think of knowledge such as seasonal indicators and/or practices such as cultural burning that First Nations people use to care for Country. Next, ask students to share their answers with someone near them before sharing them with the class. List all answers on the whiteboard.

Step 2

Watch the following videos with your students, which explore different examples of land management practices and how First Nations peoples use their knowledge to care for the Country and protect cultural heritage.

Video 1: The Butchulla Water Stories Project - (vimeo.com/1030956578?share=copy)

Video 2: Traditional Owners Working on Country - (vimeo.com/1030958218?share=copy)

Video 3: Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation - (https://vimeo.com/1038825160?share=copy)

Video 4: Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation - (https://vimeo.com/1038825375?share=copy)

Step 3

Direct students to the Student Worksheet to complete the ‘See, Think, Me, We’ thinking routine on one of the videos of their choice.

Take Action: Create an infographic of a First Nations land management practice

Step 1

Divide students into five groups and provide groups with the corresponding factsheet on their topic. Explain to students that each group will learn about the practices First Nations peoples use in different land management areas. Each group will be designated one of the following topics:

Food management
Aquaculture
Firestick farming
Oral storytelling
Water resources

Outline to students that each clan of First Nations peoples has its own individual land management practices. For example, in Video 3, Lordie Walker discussed how oral storytelling and building relationships with the community was key to understanding Quandamooka Country and the practices of his ancestors. The practices they research today may be specific to certain Traditional Custodian groups, and it is not to be assumed that all First Nations peoples possess the same land management practices.

Step 2

Direct students to read through the Factsheet and conduct independent research online to deepen their understanding of the topic further. Students may like to use the space on the Student Worksheet to take notes. Using this information, students will create an infographic on the practices. The infographic could include:

Information about Traditional Custodian groups who use these practices
Statistics
Facts
Images

Advise students to use reputable sources, especially those led by First Nations peoples, organisations, and businesses, to ensure that the information they collect is authentic and accurate.

Step 3

After students have created their infographic, invite the group to present it to the class. Encourage students to ask the presenting group questions about their topic if there are questions that you or the students do not know the answer to, and model research skills for students by conducting research using a digital display.

Step 4

Group students according to their infographic topics and get them to sit together around a table. Pose the questions:

How have the practices you focused on changed since colonisation?
How are they still applied today?
How could they be applied in the future?

Students share ideas and build on each other's thoughts. Finally, the group nominates one person to share a summary of their discussion with the rest of the class.

Learning extension: Invite students to research and write a letter to the government before land management practices were introduced, arguing against them by explaining their adverse effects on the natural environment.

Reflection

Guide students to reflect on the following questions:

How can we learn from First Nations peoples how to protect our changing landscape?
What is an example you’ve learnt in this lesson?

Shaping the Landscape

Go to

Summary

Lesson guides and printables

In this lesson