Teaching Aboriginal Perspectives through an

integrated inquiry approach

Catherine Henbest

Catholic Education Office

14th August 2009

Why inquiry?

• Not just about filling them up with information or facts…

• Enabling students to grapple with big ideas, ask questions, constructing and challenging their views about the world in which they live.

Big ideas

• Identity; personal, cultural, Australian identity• Time, continuity and change; understanding their

place in the world• The earth; sustainability and conservation• Justice, inclusion and equity• Tolerance; living together with respect and

harmony

First FindingStudents come to the classroom with

preconceptions about how the world works. If their initial understanding is not engaged, they may fail to grasp the new concepts and information they are being taught, or they may learn them for purposes of a test but revert to their preconceptions outside the classroom.

A starting point…

• Gathering prior knowledge

What do they already know…• About the topic• About Aboriginal perspectives• What attitudes and beliefs• What are their misconceptions

Common misconceptions• Aboriginal people lived in the past- they are not

around today• Physical stereotyping• Aboriginal culture was/is simple and basic• The only reason the Aboriginal population declined

drastically after European settlement is due to introduced diseases

• Negative views promoted by the media• All Aborigines play the didjeridoo and do dot painting• Collective idea that there is one Aboriginal nation

and one culture.

Second Finding

To develop competence in an area of inquiry, students must: (a) have a deep foundation of factual knowledge, (b) understand facts and ideas in the context of a conceptual framework, and (c) organize knowledge in ways that facilitate retrieval and application.

Sample Understandings

• There are many cultures that make up the Australian nation. (1/2)

• Koorie people still have links to the local areas. (1/2)• Understanding of the beliefs, values and symbols of

different groups can lead to respect and tolerance. (3/4)• Aboriginal people have lived in Australia for more than

40,000 years and their culture is strongly connected to the land. (3/4)

• Aboriginal people saw themselves as part of the environment; they believed Mother Nature provided for them and they had a responsibility to care for her. (5/6)

• European settlement caused conflict and violence and Indigenous people did not give up their land passively or easily. (5/6)

A process for inquiry

BUILDING

INVESTIGATINGPERSONALISING

1

2

3

BuildingImmersing students in the topic

Finding out prior knowledge

Engaging students

Introducing shared vocabulary and concepts

Sharing common experiences

Building knowledge, understandings and skills that are essential for building deeper understanding

More teacher directed

Building

What is culture?

What makes up our local community?

Who is an Australian?

What is a celebration?

Why did the British come?

What was life like in Australia prior to 1770?

How did the Aboriginal people care for the earth?

What are some of the issues around sustainability affecting our world now?

InvestigatingGenerating bigger questions- now you know that what are you wondering about?

Deeper investigation of an aspect of the topic students feel strongly about.

Investigation becomes more independent and more student directed.

Investigating

What was our local community like in the past; what has changed and what has stayed the same?

What’s my cultural story?

How have people from different backgrounds helped to make a difference?

Why and how do different people celebrate?

How did European settlement impact on the lives of people?

Why do we need to be sustainable?

PersonalisingReflecting on the learning

What do I know now that I didn’t know before?

What do I know about myself as a learner?

How has my thinking changed?

Applying new ideas and understandings into real life contexts

Transferring understandings to everyday lives

Taking action on their learning.

Now that you know this how will it make a difference?

Personalising Demonstrating understandings

Personal reflections

Evaluating the learning journey (pre and post)

Celebrating ideas and learning

Participating in projects and events

Developing action plans

Sharing their learning

Third Finding

A “metacognitive” approach to instruction can help students learn to take control of their own learning by defining learning goals and monitoring their progress in achieving them.

Celebrating Culture

Wurundjeri Wandering

Signs of Celebration

We Are One

Sacred Land

Changing Lives Changing Ways

Melbourne Dreaming

Closing The Gap

Celebrating Culture (1/2)

Rich Question • How do we celebrate our culture?

Indigenous Perspectives• How Aboriginals express their beliefs and values

through art, music, dance and story.• Explore similarities and differences between

cultures• Investigation of Aboriginal myths and legends

Wurundjeri Wandering (1/2)Rich Question • How has life changed for the people in our local

community?Indigenous PerspectivesExplore what the community looked like long ago (when it

was first settled by Europeans and long, long ago (before European settlement.) education, food, family, transport, shelter, traditions

Learning about local Aboriginal people in Gisborne (Gunung Willam Ballack)

Year 1/2s Walking With the Wurundjeri

Signs of Celebration (3/4)

Rich Question • How do symbols and celebrations reveal what

people value?Indigenous Perspectives• The importance of celebrations in all communities• Identifying Aboriginal symbols and their significance

in Aboriginal culture• Compare different celebrations such as Eucharist,

Aboriginal smoking celebrations and Anzac Day

We Are One (3/4)Rich Question • What inspires ordinary Australians to do

extraordinary things?Indigenous Perspectives• ‘Who are Australians?’ recognising that Aboriginal

people have lived in Australia for more than 40,000 years

• Very strong focus on identity in relation to multiculturalism.

• Study the contribution made by a variety of individuals, including Aboriginals

Melbourne Dreaming (3/4)

Rich Question• How have changes in Melbourne affected the lives

of people?Indigenous Perspectives• Investigate the people who make up the Kulin

Nation and their role as traditional owners• The importance of preserving stories and artefacts

from the past• Gaining an understanding of what Melbourne

looked like prior to white settlement

Sacred Land (5/6)

Rich Question • Will continuing the practices of the Aboriginal people

allow us to have a sustainable future?

Indigenous Perspectives• How Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders cared for the land and

their spiritual connection between the people and their land• Make links about what they have learned between the sustainable

practices and conservation practised by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders with current environmental issues

Changing lives, changing ways (5/6)

Rich Question • How does an accurate knowledge of events in

Australia’s past help us to understand Australia today?Indigenous Perspectives• The arrival of the First Fleet and its impact on the Aboriginal

people• The changes to their lives as a result of this event• View a range of sources with a critical lens questioning the

perspectives of the authors

Closing the GapRich Question

How can we work to a more ‘equitable’ world?’

Indigenous Perspectives• Comparison of the living conditions and health

related issues round the world, including Aboriginal people

• Close examination of ‘Close the Gap’ campaign in addressing these inequities.

Ancient Civilisations Year 7

During the unit the students learn about Ancient Aboriginal society, and how it is the world’s oldest surviving culture. They will also investigate other Ancient civilisations: Sumer, Egypt, Rome, Greece and China. They analyse change and continuity over time and compare key aspects of these past societies. Students also make links to today and examine the influences of ancient societies on contemporary societies.

Ancient Civilisations

Essential UnderstandingsThe organisation and lifestyle of ancient

Australian Aboriginal communities, the world’s oldest enduring culture.

Essential Questions Why has the Aboriginal culture endured

when many other ancient cultures didn’t?

Environment & Sustainability Year 8

During this unit students investigate ways of maintaining a sustainable planet for the future. They examine the cause and effect of people’s use of the earth’s resources and human impact on the environment. They explore the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander philosophy and connection to the land, and question how their sustainable practices can be used to contribute to a healthier sustainable environment for all Australians.

Environment & Sustainability Year 8Essential understandings• How Aboriginal people have always assumed stewardship of the

earth. Aboriginal people saw themselves as part of the environment; they believed Mother Nature provided for them and they had a responsibility to care for her.

• Aboriginal people’s beliefs about and approaches to sustainable land management, which can continue to contribute to a healthier sustainable environment for all Australians.

Essential Questions• Can Aboriginal beliefs and practices in particular, enable us to have

a sustainable future?

Questions/concerns of teachers

• Not being an expert

• Resources

• Language/terminology

• Political correctness

• Family/parent attitudes

• Coverage of VELS

Key learnings

• Imperative to find out prior knowledge• It is essential to incorporate authentic

experiences• Use understandings to keep you focussed• Need to dig below the surface when finding

information• Be critical when selecting resources -Some

of the older resources are still good

Key Learnings

• Make links to today and students’ lives• Flexible planning• Perspectives can sometimes be subtle and at

other times be very explicit• Passion• Teacher as learner• Build partnerships within the local and wider

communityVictorian Aboriginal Education Association

Incorporatedwww.vaeai.org.au/