Humanities and social sciences / Year 4 / Knowledge and Understanding / Geography

Curriculum content descriptions

The custodial responsibility Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have for Country/Place, and how this influences views about sustainability (ACHASSK089)

Elaborations
  • recognising that the distribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples before colonisation was across Australia, but concentrated in sustainable areas such as in the coastal and riverine areas of Australia
  • investigating how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples ways of living were adapted to the resources of their Country/Place (for example, the alpine country of the Ngarigo People; the rainforests, beaches and dunes of the KuKu Yalanji People; the desert country of the Arrernte People; the savannah country of the Jawoyn People; the riverine plains of the Wiradjuri People; and the local Country/Place)
  • investigating how knowledge and practices shared among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples are linked to sustainable use of resources and environments (such as rotational use and harvesting of resources, mutton-bird harvesting in Tasmania, the use of fire, and the collection of bush food from semi-arid rangelands)
General capabilities
  • Numeracy Numeracy
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
  • Intercultural understanding Intercultural understanding
  • Personal and social capability Personal and social capability
Cross-curriculum priorities
ScOT terms

Attitudes,  Environmental management,  Land custodianship,  Conservation (Environment),  Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

Interactive

Biodiversity – sustainability action process (Years 3–6)

This biodiversity learning resource guides students through an extended school based investigation. Students develop and implement a chosen sustainability action and then evaluate and reflect on their success and their learning.

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Whose Country: exploring First Nations peoples languages map (7-13yrs)

Learning about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages can help children build their understanding of land, water and people. This activity helps to assist the identification of the language group/s on which the school, youth group or home is situated. To understand local perspectives and support these activities, ...

Video

Birds and totems

Yuin, Bunurong and Tasmanian man Bruce Pascoe shares his delight in encountering birds on Country. Bruce explains the significance of Umburra, or black duck, and his obligation to care for the species. Bruce explains that his brothers and sisters look after other animals, such as kangaroos, bream, wallabies, flathead and ...

Video

Walking on Aboriginal land

Benjamin Church works for the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Watch as Ben welcomes visitors through the Welcome to Country ceremony. Why do people place leaves in the fire? What does that signify? As Ben takes his visitors through the Royal Botanic Gardens, he explains the importance of land to Aboriginal people.

Video

Through our eyes: series 1

This series of 18 short videos provides insights into the land management practices and social, spiritual and cultural knowledge of the Ngemba, Kamilaroi and Euahlayi Aboriginal language groups in north-western NSW. The videos are presented by the Aboriginal Elders and knowledge-holders and cover a range of topics including ...

Interactive

World heritage: Kakadu information display

Look at descriptions of Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory. Help a park ranger to sort facts and pictures for an information display. Use a model structure, sample text and images to build a description for visitors. Include sections on the park's location, wildlife and cultural importance.

Video

War on Waste: Season 3

We all know recycling is a great way to reduce waste going into landfills, but there can be other benefits too. This digibook resource explores various video clips from the War on Waste series season 3 including microplastics, food waste and fast fashion. Each topic has a series of discussion questions for students.

Interactive

Old Bernie's Pond

In this interactive, students work to clean up an unhealthy pond. They learn how it has become polluted and invaded by introduced species and restore the pond by choosing actions such as planting native species and removing sources of pollution. Students earn points to get a printable certificate.

Downloadable

Construct a catchment - teacher resource kit

This activity kit encourages students to investigate dams and reservoirs in their local areas, and create their own model. Activities are guided by the design thinking process, and scaffold students to work in teams to investigate their local catchment, the habitats, landforms and people that would be impacted by damming ...

Downloadable

School water use audit (Year 4)

In this activity, students identify the water use areas in the school and the water use items found in those areas. On the ‘Water walk’, students also identify any leaking water use items. They assess how water savings can be made in each of these areas.

Downloadable

Story of a river

In this activity, students use a story of a fictional river to explore the impacts of various land uses on the ecological health of a river. This demonstration can be used to introduce science or geography concepts related to your local catchment e.g. land uses, water cycle, human impacts and contaminants or waste in river ...

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Recycle: How do visual and theatre arts convey issues about the environment?

In this lesson students will explore the concepts behind the “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” slogan. They will examine the process of recycling and perform a commercial with a backdrop made of recycled materials.

Video

War on Waste: Season 1

We all know recycling is a great way to reduce waste going into landfills, but there can be other benefits too. This digibook resource explores various video clips from the War on Waste series season 1 including plastic bags, plastic in the oceans, coffee cups and recycling clothing. Each topic has a series of discussion ...

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Civics in Pictures

This site lists picture books that can be used as a springboard for discussion and activities about topics such as sustainable living, more effective learning spaces, media literacy, and positive action towards inclusion. The site hosts teaching suggestions and activity sheets for each picture book.

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Rivers and creeks: caring for living places

This lesson introduces rivers, creeks and other waterways as living places that support plants, animals, and people. The lesson includes a downloadable lesson plan, links to supporting websites, videos, and an assessment rubric.

Downloadable

Sustainability and Sydney Metro – Stage 2

This inquiry-based unit of work was created, trialled and peer reviewed as part of a professional learning program in inquiry-based learning for school teachers. The professional learning courses were part of a pilot partnership between the NSW Government’s Sydney Metro transport agency and Western Sydney University.

Interactive

Botany of Kamay

This resource explores the plants of Kamay Botany Bay – their significance to the Aboriginal people of Kamay, and to the botanists on the Endeavour in 1770. This resource is one part of the 'Endeavour – eight days in Kamay' resource.

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'Sergeants Freehold Quartz Gold Mining Company's claim, Redan, Ballarat', 1881

This is a pen, ink and watercolour drawing, measuring 43.5 cm x 55 cm, of Sergeants Freehold Quartz Gold Mining Company's claim at Redan, Ballarat. It was drawn in 1881 by T G Moyle, a gold fields artist working in the 1880s and 1890s. Extensive mine buildings are spread over a wide area, but dwarfed by a huge pile of quartz. ...

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'Panorama of Challicum, No. VI', c1850

This is a watercolour measuring 17.2 cm x 26.2 cm showing the twin peaks of Mount Langi Ghiran rising behind the smaller tip of Conical Hill. Two distant mountains on the right are Ben Nevis and Mount Buangor. A camp of Indigenous Djapwurrong people, consisting of two bark and wood dwellings, is situated on the edge of ...

Video

Torres Strait Light Infantry Battalion, c1942 - item 1 of 2

This clip from a silent black-and-white home movie shows Torres Strait Islander servicemen undertaking army training drills on Thursday Island (Weiban) during the Second World War. It opens with a long shot of barefoot uniformed men marching in formation, and passing behind a squad of stationary men. It then cuts to shots ...