Hearing First Nations Voices

Overview

This is lesson 9 of 25 in Justice or Just Us? Students examine why First Nations voices and perspectives matter when issues are represented in media and education. Building on previous learning about justice, representation and perspective, students compare how a topic can change when First Nations people speak for themselves.

Learning intentions

• WALT explore First Nations voices in media and education.
• Students will identify whose perspective is present, missing or privileged in a text.
• Students will analyse how language represents First Nations people, communities and Country/Place.
• Students will explain why authentic First Nations perspectives matter.

Success criteria

• I can identify the perspective and purpose of a media or education text.
• I can use specific words, phrases or details as evidence.
• I can explain how including or excluding First Nations voices affects representation.
• I can articulate why First Nations perspectives matter.

Curriculum links

• Literature — analyse representations of people and places in texts from historical, social and cultural contexts, including texts by First Nations Australian authors.
• Language — recognise how language empowers relationships and roles, including relationships with Country/Place.
• Literacy — analyse how representations reflect context.
• Literacy — analyse and evaluate how language features represent a perspective of an issue, event, individual or group.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Provocation. Open with the opening question and contrasting media images and ask: “Who has the authority to tell a story about a community?” Students complete a silent quick-write, then share one idea with a partner. Establish that “First Nations voices” means perspectives expressed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, communities and authors—not assumptions made about them.

2. 5–12 min · Explicit teaching. Use the key concepts and model analysis to define perspective, representation, voice, context and authenticity. Explain that a text may represent a group without including that group’s own voice. Model a short analysis of a teacher-selected, age-appropriate media excerpt by identifying the speaker, audience, purpose, word choices and whose knowledge is treated as authoritative. Emphasise that First Nations communities are diverse, and no single text or person represents all First Nations peoples.

3. 12–25 min · Paired text investigation. Distribute the First Nations perspective analysis worksheet and provide pairs with two short, appropriately sourced excerpts: one mainstream account of an issue and one account featuring a First Nations author, spokesperson or community voice. Students annotate who is speaking, what is foregrounded or omitted, language that positions people or Country/Place, and evidence of context. Students should not be asked to judge or role-play a cultural perspective.

4. 25–34 min · Compare and discuss. Display the comparison prompts. Pairs compare findings with another pair, responding to: “What changes when the people affected by an issue speak?” and “What responsibilities do media and educators have when representing First Nations peoples?” Students must support one claim with a word, phrase or detail from one of the excerpts. Invite groups to share differing interpretations and remind students to critique representations rather than individual classmates’ identities.

5. 34–41 min · Individual response. Students complete the final section of the written response and evidence organiser: “First Nations perspectives matter because…” They write a paragraph that identifies one consequence of excluding or including these perspectives and explains how the texts create that representation. Encourage the structure: claim, evidence, explanation, significance.

6. 41–45 min · Plenary and exit check. Return to the plenary question and success criteria. Students reread their opening response, add or revise one idea, then submit a one-sentence exit response: “One reason education or media should include First Nations voices is…” Collect responses to identify misconceptions and plan the next lesson.

Resources

• the complete introduction, teaching and plenary slide deck
• the First Nations perspective analysis worksheet
• Two brief, teacher-selected media or education excerpts by or featuring First Nations voices
• Projector or interactive display
• Highlighters or annotation tools
• Board and markers
• Headphones or text-to-speech access for students who need audio support

Assessment

• Listen for students distinguishing a First Nations voice from an outsider’s representation during pair discussion.
• Check annotations for identification of speaker, audience, purpose, language choices, context and omissions.
• Use the written paragraph and exit response to assess whether students can explain why First Nations perspectives matter with relevant evidence.

Differentiation

• Provide a dyslexia-friendly worksheet and excerpts: clear sans-serif font, 14–16-point size, generous spacing, short paragraphs, strong contrast and optional text-to-speech or teacher-recorded audio. Allow students to annotate digitally or respond orally before writing.
• Support students with a word bank, colour-coded model, sentence starters such as “The text represents…”, “The word ___ suggests…” and “This perspective matters because…”. Pair students strategically and read instructions aloud.
• Offer excerpts at two reading levels while keeping the central ideas equivalent. Permit a scribe, speech-to-text, reduced written response or oral conference where appropriate.
• Extend advanced learners by asking them to evaluate which source appears most authoritative, how publication context shapes the representation, and what further First Nations source or viewpoint should be consulted.

Extension

• Students locate, with teacher guidance, a First Nations-authored text about a related issue and write a comparison explaining how its perspective differs from the class excerpts.
• Students draft two recommendations for making a school resource or news report more respectful, accurate and inclusive of First Nations voices.