Student worksheet

What tool is that?

Use Google Images to find out about the following photos and answer the questions below. Use search words such as ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tools and technology'.

a) What are the tools?

b) What are they used for?

c) What are they made from?

Detective story

1. This is a special place called Lake Mungo in NSW. Use Google Maps to find out where Lake Mungo is and use the satellite image to find out what it looks like.

2. From this evidence, what do you think this area was like in the past?

All over the area are old fireplaces. Using radiocarbon dating, these fire places range in age from 20,000 to at least 45,000 years old.

3. Why is dating important?

This is what the people researching the area think the area looked like.

Seasonal supermarket

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples obtained nearly all their needs from their local environment. They had a much better understanding of the seasons than we do. Their understanding of the seasons was linked to the availability of food. They would move their camp so they were as close as they could get to the best source of food. The Miriwoong people and their country are around the Northern Territory and Western Australia border and includes Kununurra. They have made a seasonal calendar that can be found here.

Their calendar is designed in a circle and has three main seasons. By clicking on the plants and the animals for each of the seasons, you can find out what the plants and animals are doing. You can use this information to find out which plants and animals are availed to the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to eat.

Nyinggiyi-mageny is the wet season, Barndenyirriny is the hot season, Warnka-mageny is the cold season.

Select one of the seasons to explore.

Season:

i. What months of the year does the session occupy?

ii. What plants and animals can be eaten?

iii. Recommend a plant or animal that shouldn't be eaten during this season and explain why.

Aboriginal and Torres Islander peoples footprints - a historical perspective

Despite Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples having lived in Australia for at least 50,000 years, there is little evidence of an environmental footprint, other than where they managed country using fire. They had only a few belongings mostly consisting of tools, items of cultural importance, some clothing depending on how cold it was and woven bags and baskets. They owned few things that couldn’t be carried and consisted of items made from rocks, wood and from plant and animal materials. While they had few belongings they did have an extremely rich culture that had blossomed over the tens of thousands of years.

Think about the way we currently live compared with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples prior to colonisation.

Energy

How do we currently generate energy for things like heating and cooking?

2. Are you aware of any impacts of the ways that we currently generate energy?

3. How might this compare to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples prior to colonisation?

Waste

What types of waste do we create in our daily lives?

2. What might be some of the impacts of this waste? TIP: Think about the materials our waste is made from (e.g. plastic, metal or glass).

3. How might this compare to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples prior to colonisation?

Water

Where do we get our water from?

2. How do we currently carry our water around? What waste can this create?

3. How might this compare to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples prior to colonisation?

Reflection

Complete the thinking routine below.

Upper Primary School Students Managing Waste - Video 4 from Cool.org on Vimeo.

Watch the video on students operating their school waste system. What are some of the key points of contrast with this life and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures?

Traditional Culture Had Nothing To Waste

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