Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes

Tune In: Primary and secondary sources

20 minutes

Find Out: How have First Nations peoples adapted to environmental changes?

25 minutes

Take Action: Responding to today’s climate changes

5 minutes

Reflection: Newspaper headline of the future

Learning intentions

Students will:

explore how First Nations peoples respond to environmental changes over time.

Success criteria

Students can:

outline how environmental changes impacted First Nations peoples throughout history
analyse contemporary practices by Traditional Custodians in response to the effects of climate change.

Tune In: Primary vs secondary sources

Step 1

Hand out a stack of sticky notes to students. Ask students to take one sticky note and pass it on. Once every student has a sticky note, ask students to write down how they think historians keep records of important events and changes throughout history. Suggested answers could be:

Archaeological findings
Artifacts and monuments
Books and academic research
Census and population data
Diaries and journals
Digital archives
Documentaries and films
Interviews and oral histories
Letters and correspondence
Maps and charts
Museum exhibits
Newspapers and magazines
Official documents
Photographs and paintings
Speeches

Step 2

After students have written their responses, collect some sticky notes and read them aloud. Use this as a springboard to discuss primary and secondary sources with students. Explain to students that primary sources show first-hand experiences as they existed or were created at the time that a historical event occurred. In contrast, secondary sources describe or explain events after they have happened and are usually created based on primary sources.

Step 3

Watch the following video with students, explaining primary and secondary sources further.

Historical Sources - How to History - (youtube.com/watch?v=ihwHXNLjzaA)

Step 4

Ask students to close their eyes. Without giving away whether they are examples of primary or secondary sources, read out the following terms and their definitions randomly and ask students to put their hands on their heads (for primary sources) and arms crossed in front of their chests (for secondary sources).

Primary sources	Secondary sources
Diaries and journals - Personal accounts of experiences.	Documentaries - Films that interpret historical events or subjects.
Photographs - Original images capturing specific moments.	Encyclopedias - Generalised information compiled from various sources.
Artifacts - Objects from a particular time period, like tools or clothing.	Biographies - Accounts of someone's life written by someone else.
Interviews - Firsthand accounts from individuals about their experiences or perspectives.	Textbooks - Summarised information about topics, often used for educational purposes.

Step 5

Ask students to discuss the following questions:

What do they tell us?
What is the value of primary sources in comparison to secondary sources?

Select a small group of students who sit in a circle (the fishbowl) and discuss the questions while the rest of the class observes. After a set time, observers can join the discussion, providing fresh perspectives.

Find Out: How have First Nations people adapted to environmental changes?

Step 1

Read the following statement to students:

Murujuga, located in Western Australia, is home to the Mardudhunera, Ngarluma, Wong-Goo-Tt-Oo, Yaburara, and Yindjibarndi people. It is a significant cultural and archaeological site known for its extensive collection of rock art, representing one of the world's largest and oldest open-air galleries. It holds deep cultural importance for the local First Nations people. Nearby in the mid-2010s, researchers uncovered ancient Aboriginal archaeological sites preserved on the seabed off the coast of Western Australia. This groundbreaking discovery provided new insights into the history of human habitation in Australia.

Step 2

Split the class into two groups. Provide one group with page one of the Environmental Changes of Murujuga Factsheet to read and the other with page two. Ask students to read it once, then a second time and highlight or underline sentences that refer to one of the following:

Examples of primary sources
Archaeological methods
Examples of climate and environmental change
Evidence of First Nations peoples' adaption to these changes

Learning support: Consider having some copies with sentences already underlined so students who require extra support only have to identify which of the above they are. For example, examples of primary sources, archaeological methods, etc.

Step 3

Pair students up with someone in the other group and ask them to take turns summarising the factsheet they have just read orally. Then, share the sentences they underlined and explain what it tells them.

Step 4

Invite some pairs to share their summaries with the class.

Learning extension: Using this article as a starting point, students research the World Heritage Register and argue why Murujuga should be included.

Take Action: Responding to today’s climate changes

Step 1

Explain to students that as they now understand how First Nations people have historically responded to environmental changes, they will learn how the Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation, a First Nations group situated on Minjerribah/Stradbroke Island, respond to today’s climate changes.

Step 2

Provide each student with a copy of the Student Worksheet. Your students’ task is to view the video and complete the comprehension questions on the Student Worksheet.

Video: Responding to Today's Climate Changes - (https://vimeo.com/1038824335?share=copy

Case study: Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee peoples

“The Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation (QYAC) is investigating ways to manage and protect ecological and cultural assets on Quandamooka country. An example is managing and protecting the Swamp Daisy (Olearia hygrophila), an endemic species on the island of which only a small number exist. QYAC is developing a recovery plan for the species. Climate change is a threat with potential sea level rise.

QYAC will look at the species' propagation and new areas where the species can be planted to protect the species. The island's other threats are the issue of island erosion and the shifting of sands in and out of Quandamooka country.

Another issue is acidification, which will impact shellfish, coral and other species which are important food sources for Quandamooka people”.

Quote by Dan Carter, Environmentalist for QYAC.

Suggested answers:

What is threatening the Swamp Daisy, and how is QYAC trying to protect it?	The Swamp Daisy is threatened by climate change, rising sea levels, and limited numbers of the plants in Quandamooka Country. QYAC is creating a recovery plan to protect the species, focusing on propagating the plant and finding new areas to plant it.
How could climate change, like rising sea levels, affect Quandamooka Country?	Rising sea levels could damage habitats and increase erosion, making protecting plants like the Swamp Daisy and other ecological and cultural assets harder.
What is QYAC planning to do to help the Swamp Daisy grow in new places?	QYAC plans to propagate the Swamp Daisy (grow new plants) and find safe areas to plant it in to protect it from threats like rising sea levels.
How do problems like risk of acidification and erosion affect the environment and food for the Quandamooka people?	Acidification can harm shellfish, coral, and other marine species that are important food sources. Erosion can change the landscape, making it harder to maintain habitats for plants and animals. Both issues threaten the cultural and environmental health of Quandamooka Country.

Step 3 (optional)

Using their responses to the comprehension questions, students are to work in their groups to create an interactive multiple-choice quiz to test the knowledge of the other group. Students can create their own quizzes using websites such as Quizziz, Blooket, Kahoot, or Quizlet.

Once groups have created their quiz, invite groups to facilitate each quiz for the class.

Reflection

Step 1

Write the question on the whiteboard, ‘How can we use First Nations practices to respond to our changing climate?’. Ask students to think of a newspaper headline that answers the question above.

Provide the following example: 'Fighting Fire with Fire': cultural burning reduces wildfire risks and protects forests and biodiversity.

Step 2

Invite students to write their newspaper headlines. Once completed, encourage students to share their headlines with the students next to them before encouraging students to share with the class.

Step 3

Briefly discuss with students how the record of Australia’s changing climate over time and First Nations peoples' adaptations to these changes might be different if we had fewer primary sources to analyse.

This Changing Continent

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Summary

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