Connection to Sea

Year Level

Year 4

Duration

45 minutes

Class Size

25 students

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Lesson Description

WALT: Investigate the relationship between First Nations peoples and the sea.
Success Criteria: Students can describe how the sea influenced the lifestyle and culture of First Nations peoples.

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Australian Curriculum Links

Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) - History

• AC9HS4S02: Locate, collect and record information and data from a range of sources, including maps and timelines about First Nations peoples.
• AC9HS4S03: Interpret information from different formats such as maps and images showing environmental characteristics and cultural connections.
• AC9HS4K06: Understand the custodial responsibility First Nations Australians have for Country/Place including sustainable use and management of resources (land, sea, waterways).

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Learning Objectives

• Students will understand the cultural and lifestyle connections between First Nations peoples and the sea.
• Students will investigate how the sea influenced food sources, tools, stories, and protection practices.
• Students will learn to collect information from images, stories, maps, and shared experiences.
• Students will recognise First Nations peoples’ custodial responsibility for marine environments.

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Lesson Outline

1. Introduction & Engage (10 minutes)

• Teacher Activity: Introduce the topic by showing a large map of the Australian coastline with First Nations groups’ locations identified, highlighting coastal and island communities.
• Teacher Explain: Explain that many First Nations peoples lived near the sea and that the sea was very important for food, culture, and stories.
• Interactive Questions: Ask students what they think the sea might have provided First Nations peoples (e.g., fish, shells, protection, stories).
• Curriculum Connection: Connect to AC9HS4S02 about collecting information from maps and sources.

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2. Story and Visual Resource (10 minutes)

• Teacher Reads or Plays: A short story or video about a coastal First Nations group’s relationship with the sea (for example, how they fish, travel, and care for the sea).
• Visuals: Show images of fishing tools, canoes, and sea country.
• Activity: Students note down or verbally share one or two important things they notice about how the sea impacts the people’s lifestyle.
• Curriculum Connection: Developing interpretation skills - AC9HS4S03 on interpreting information from images/media.

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3. Group Activity - Exploring Sea Relationships (15 minutes)

• Set up four stations around the room with pictures, artefacts, and short texts:
  1. Food sources from the sea - fish traps, shellfish gathering.
  2. Tools and Transport - canoes, fishing spears.
  3. Cultural Stories and Songs - how the sea features in important stories.
  4. Custodial Care - how First Nations peoples care for sea environments.
• Students rotate in groups, spending 3-4 minutes at each station. They fill out a simple template or worksheet:
  • What did you see?
  • How did the sea help people?
  • Why is looking after the sea important?
• This encourages inquiry and active learning aligned with AC9HS4S02, AC9HS4K06.

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4. Class Discussion & Reflection (8 minutes)

• Groups share their main observations from stations.
• Teacher scaffolds summarising key points: The sea provided food, tools, stories, and people had to look after it responsibly.
• Discussion on the importance of custodianship and sustainability.
• Reinforce connection to culture and lifestyle, highlighting “WALT” and the success criteria.

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5. Formative Assessment & Conclusion (2 minutes)

• Quick individual reflection: Students verbally or on paper complete the sentence
  "The sea influenced First Nations peoples by..."
• Teacher collects or listens to responses to assess understanding.
• Close with a summary restating learning intentions and success criteria.

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Resources Needed

• Large map of Australian First Nations groups and coastlines.
• Storybook or short video about First Nations coastal life.
• Pictures and simple artefacts or replicas (canoes, fish traps, tools).
• Station worksheets.
• Pens/pencils.

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Cross-Curricular Links (Optional)

• English: Listening to and interpreting stories, speaking during discussions.
• The Arts: Exploring cultural expressions such as songs or art related to the sea.
• Science: Brief mention of sustainable resource use and marine environments.

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Notes for Teachers

• Encourage respectful classroom language about First Nations peoples and their heritage.
• Incorporate local context if possible (e.g., invite a local Elder or use local sea country examples).
• Empower students by connecting their inquiry to caring for their nearby sea or water environments today.

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This lesson plan is aligned with the Australian Curriculum Humanities and Social Sciences Year 4 standards, specifically AC9HS4S02, AC9HS4S03, and AC9HS4K06 which focus on investigating sources, interpreting data, and understanding custodial responsibilities First Nations Australians have for Country and Place including the sea.