Land and Stories

Overview

In this lesson, students explore how First Nations peoples connect to Country/land through stories, language, and caring practices linked to specific places. Students learn that caring for land helps keep places healthy for everyone.

Learning intentions

• Students will identify that First Nations Australians have strong connections to specific places (Country).
• Students will describe how stories and observations help people care for land and water.
• Students will recognise that caring for Country can include respectful behaviour and traditional practices.
• Students will share ideas about how we can care for a place in our local community.

Success criteria

• I can explain that some First Nations peoples belong to Country and have a connection to specific places.
• I can name one way stories or practices help people care for land or water.
• I can show respectful learning behaviours when discussing First Nations peoples and Country.
• I can suggest a simple caring action for a special place at home or school.

Curriculum links

• Understand how people are connected to places through culture, stories, and practices.
• Recognise that different groups may have different ways of caring for the environment.
• Develop skills for gathering and communicating ideas about places and how they are cared for.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 2 min – Welcome and purpose The teacher explains that this is lesson 3 in a short unit about caring for special places, focusing on First Nations connections to land.

2. 6 min – Hook: “Place picture, place meaning” Show two simple images of local-looking land/water (e.g., a park, creek, beach, bush area). Students do a quick think-pair-share: “What might this place mean to someone?” Emphasise that places can have stories and special importance.

3. 10 min – Teacher story: Country, caring, and respect Read or narrate a child-friendly story from a local First Nations perspective (or a general First Nations Country connection story used in school resources). Pause to ask:

• “What does the story say about the place?”
• “How do people care for it?” Keep language respectful and avoid making children “repeat” cultural information they do not understand. Focus on values: connection, care, and respect.

4. 10 min – Map the connection (class activity) On a large sheet or board, draw a simple “place circle” (a land or water shape in the middle). Students help label with pictures/words:

• Country/place: what it looks like
• Story: what people say or learn
• Care: what people do to look after it The teacher models one example for each category, then invites student choices. For Year 1, keep responses to one idea each.

5. 8 min – Practice respectful learning Guide a short role-play on respectful behaviours when learning about First Nations peoples and Country:

• Listen carefully
• Ask questions respectfully
• Use the language “Country” and “respect”
• Share ideas without copying someone’s culture Students take turns being the “listener” and “speaker” while the teacher prompts.

6. 7 min – Exit ticket: “My caring action” Each student completes a simple sentence starter with a drawing:

• “I can care for this special place by __________.” Examples: pick up litter, water plants, keep to paths, report damage, plant native seeds with guidance, or turn off taps. Teacher circulates to confirm understanding.

Resources

• Child-friendly First Nations Country or caring story text (teacher selected, age appropriate)
• Picture cards/images of a local special place (land and water)
• Large paper or whiteboard for the “place circle”
• Colour pencils/crayons and markers
• Sentence starter cards: “I can care for this special place by…”
• Simple role-play prompts (listener/speaker cues)
• Sticky notes or small cards for student labels
• Optional: a short video clip from a reputable education resource (no sound-only lesson; teacher pauses for discussion)

Assessment

• Observation checklist: student can state one connection between people and place (Country) and one caring action.
• Exit ticket review: identify whether students can communicate a simple caring action linked to a place.
• Participation: respectful learning behaviours during role-play and discussion.

Differentiation

• Support: Provide visual sentence starters and choice-based responses (e.g., “care action” options with pictures).
• Support: Teacher prompts with one question at a time and allows students to point to picture cards instead of speaking full sentences.
• Extension: Invite students to add a second caring action or explain why it helps (e.g., “keeps water clean”).
• EAL/SEN: Use consistent language frames (“In this place…”, “People care by…”) and extra wait time; allow drawing-first then short verbal sharing.