Aboriginal Landscape Knowledge

Overview

Lesson 10 of 16 explores how Aboriginal Peoples understand and manage Country, linking Indigenous knowledge to landscape and environmental management. Students investigate examples of caring for Country and practise using geographical thinking to propose practical management actions.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• identify ways Aboriginal Peoples care for and manage Country
• explain custodianship connections to landscapes and landforms
• analyse how Indigenous land management supports environmental change and protection
• propose a realistic management action for a local landscape scenario

Success criteria

Students can:

• describe at least two ways Aboriginal Peoples manage Country using appropriate geographic language
• explain how custodianship responsibilities influence management decisions
• use evidence from a provided case study to link management actions to environmental outcomes
• present a management proposal that is clear, respectful, and feasible

Curriculum links

• GELS-APC-02 — Students identify ways in which Aboriginal Peoples care for and manage Country
• GE4-APC-01 — Students explain Aboriginal Peoples’ Custodianship, care and management of Country (applied to landscapes and landforms)
• GELS-MAN-01 — Students demonstrate ways to manage and protect a place or environment
• Thinking and working geographically (using evidence, cause-effect reasoning, and structured responses)

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Welcome and purpose. Teacher writes the question: “How does Aboriginal knowledge help manage landscapes?” and shares lesson steps on the board. Students silently record one prediction in their books (one sentence).

2. 5–15 min · Hook: “Look closer” image prompt. Teacher displays an image set of a landscape (e.g., coastal dune system/riverbank/eucalypt woodland) and asks: “What signs of care might you notice?” Students do a quick think-write: identify 2 observable features and 1 possible human-environment relationship (no assumptions about Aboriginal practices yet).

3. 15–25 min · Short teaching: custodianship and management. Teacher explicitly explains that Aboriginal Peoples have ongoing responsibilities for Country (custodianship) and use knowledge to maintain healthy environments. Teacher introduces three management lenses students will use later: managing biodiversity, managing water/soil, and managing fire and regeneration (choose examples relevant to your region). Students complete a guided note: “Custodianship means… / Management aims to…”.

4. 25–40 min · Case study investigation (groups). Teacher provides a brief, teacher-prepared case study handout (one paragraph plus 3–5 key facts) about an Aboriginal landscape management practice (e.g., cultural burning practices; seasonal harvesting; caring for waterways/riverbanks; managing coastal environments). Students in groups complete a “Cause → Action → Outcome” organizer:

• Cause: what problem or seasonal condition exists?
• Action: what management practice was used?
• Outcome: what improved or protected condition was reported? Teacher circulates, prompting students to link actions to environmental change and management.

5. 40–53 min · Apply: propose a landscape management action. Teacher gives a scenario card for a local/regionally plausible landscape (e.g., “foot traffic erosion on a path near creek,” “declining plant regeneration after long dry,” “weeds spreading after disturbance”). Students individually draft a “Management Proposal” using sentence starters:

• “A likely Country concern is…”
• “An approach inspired by Aboriginal land management could be…”
• “This could help because… (link to an outcome from our case study)”
• “We should consider… (respectful practice, seasonal timing, long-term care)” Students then pair-share to refine clarity and evidence use.

6. 53–60 min · Exit ticket and closure. Teacher returns to the lesson question and asks for one final connection: “What is one way Aboriginal custodianship changes how we manage landscapes?” Students complete a 4-question exit ticket:

• One way Aboriginal Peoples care for Country (from learning)
• One example action (from case study)
• One environmental outcome linked to that action
• One “I can” statement for what they improved today

Resources

• Teacher-prepared image set of local/regional landscapes
• Printed or digital case study handout (teacher-created, age-appropriate)
• “Cause → Action → Outcome” organizer (one per student or group)
• Scenario cards for the management proposal
• Individual “Management Proposal” worksheet with sentence starters
• Exit ticket slips or LMS form
• Coloured pencils/highlighters for annotating images

Assessment

• Formative: observation during group investigation using the Cause → Action → Outcome organizer (check for evidence-based links)
• Formative: teacher questioning while circulating (students’ ability to explain aims and outcomes)
• Summative-in-mini: exit ticket responses demonstrating identification and explanation of Aboriginal care/management and a feasible management proposal

Differentiation

• Provide sentence starters and word banks (e.g., “custodianship,” “seasonal,” “regeneration,” “soil/water health,” “protect biodiversity”)
• Offer a “tiered case study” option: same topic, different reading load (short facts set vs. slightly extended version)
• For students needing support: allow a partner scribe for the organizer, then require the student to complete the “Outcome” and exit ticket independently
• Extension: ask students to add a second management action and justify trade-offs (short-term vs long-term outcomes)
• EAL support: include visuals for each management lens and model one complete Cause → Action → Outcome before group work
• SEN support: keep tasks chunked with clear time checkpoints and use a simple checklist for the proposal structure

Notes for the teacher (use with integrity)

• Ensure examples are presented respectfully, and avoid presenting Indigenous knowledge as “generic” or interchangeable across Nations.
• If possible, use locally relevant information and language from community resources; otherwise, select one well-known, clearly described example for students to examine closely.