Listening to Country

CRP Learning Activity: [Include a descriptive title for your activity here] Years: Materials: Runtime:

Activity purpose: [In this section, describe the purpose of this activity as it relates to First Nations Peoples, Knowledges and Culturally Responsive Teaching]. Description: [In this section, provide a brief statement describing the learning activity overall]. Steps: [In this section, clearly mark out the steps involved in delivering the learning activity. Incorporate imagery if you wish. If you’ve developed a learning activity from another source, name the source]. Justification, links to the academic literature, and links to CRP: [In this section, briefly explain why your learning activity is important, how it relates to 3 or 4 of the readings in your learning log and possibly, to the resources listed on page 2 of this template as well. Explain how it links to a key characteristic of CRP. Aim for about a paragraph, 300-500 words. This is where we want to see you make links between theory (i.e., your readings), and teaching practice].

Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST): [In this section, demonstrate how your learning activity links to one of three main focus areas: 1.3, 1.4 or 2.4].

Possible Extension: [Consider how the activity could be extended to add depth or be used in specific subject areas].

Overview

In this 15-minute activity, students interpret a short multimodal text about Country/Place and then respond appropriately by identifying key information, ideas and opinions. The task supports respectful engagement with First Nations knowledge and focuses on purpose and audience.

Learning intentions

Students will:

interpret key information from a short spoken/written/multimodal text
identify main ideas and supporting details (who/what/where/why)
respond appropriately to the text by stating a personal response and one culturally respectful question
consider how context, purpose and audience shape meaning

Success criteria

Students can:

summarise the main idea using 1–2 sentences
list 3 key words/phrases from the text (including one about land, waters, sky, people, plants or animals)
explain one message or opinion from the text
write one respectful question that shows understanding of purpose and audience

Curriculum links

Framework for Aboriginal Languages and Torres Strait Islander Languages: interpret information, ideas and opinions in spoken, written and multimodal texts and respond appropriately to cultural context, purpose and audience
Framework elaboration focus: recording key vocabulary/expressions and identifying main ideas and sequences of events
Language communication goal: develop appropriate responses linked to audience and purpose

Lesson structure (15 minutes)

0–3 min · CRP Learning Activity launch. Teacher displays a short multimodal text (1 minute max video or audio + 1 image) about Country/Place (land, waters, sky, animals or plants) and states the viewing purpose: “We’re listening for the main message and respectful questions.”
3–7 min · First viewing: catch key ideas. Teacher plays the text once; students listen silently and jot 2 key words/phrases they notice (no full sentences yet).
7–10 min · Second viewing: extract information and opinions. Teacher replays or re-shows selected moments; students complete a quick template: “The main idea is…” and “One message/opinion is…” Teachers pause briefly to support understanding of context and audience.
10–13 min · Response task: interpret and respond. Students write a short response: 1–2 sentences summarising the main idea, then add (a) one respectful question and (b) one word that links to Country/Place (land, waters, sky, people, plants, animals).
13–15 min · Share-out and teacher feedback. Students share in pairs: main idea + question. Teacher circulates, selects two examples (one strong summary, one respectful question) and gives quick feedback aligned to success criteria.

Suggested Activities for Year 8

Group Discussions: Students discuss in small groups their personal connections to the concept of 'Country' and share stories or experiences related to land, waters, sky, plants, or animals.
Creative Art Projects: Encourage students to create artwork (drawing, painting, collage) inspired by their interpretation of 'Country' and its significance.
Reflective Journaling: Students write journal entries reflecting on what 'Country' means to them and how it influences their identity or community.
Outdoor Exploration: Organize a short outdoor activity where students observe natural elements around the school grounds, noting connections to the theme of 'Country'.

These activities aim to deepen students' engagement and foster a personal connection with the lesson's theme.

Resources

Short multimodal text (teacher-curated, age-appropriate) about Country/Place with clear visual cues
Student response worksheet or one-page printable with:
Key words box
“Main idea” sentence frame
“Message/opinion” frame
“Respectful question” box
Audio speaker or device for playback
Timer visible to teacher and students
Optional: printed image card from the text for slower processing support

Assessment

Formative checks during task completion: teacher scans key words and sentence frames for understanding of main idea and message/opinion
Teacher feedback on at least one “main idea” and one “respectful question” in pair-share
Quick exit review: students submit their worksheet (or hold up to show teacher) at the end of the 15 minutes

Differentiation

Support: provide sentence starters for each box (“The main idea is…”, “I think the message is…”, “A respectful question is…”)
Support: allow students to underline key words/phrases in the image if the multimodal text is audio-heavy
Extension: challenge students to identify the intended audience or purpose (“This seems meant for… because…”)
EAL/SEN considerations: accept alternative wording for “main idea” (e.g., single-sentence or picture-based explanation), and use extra wait time

CRP Learning Activity: Interpreting a Country Message

Years: 7–8 (Year 8 focus)

Materials: short multimodal text; student response worksheet; audio/device; timer

Runtime: 15 minutes

Activity purpose:

To help students interpret information, ideas and opinions from a multimodal text about Country/Place and respond with cultural respect. The activity builds awareness that First Nations knowledges are shared through purposeful communication and that responses should consider context, audience and meaning. Students practice identifying key vocabulary/phrases linked to land, waters, sky and living things, and they generate respectful questions that demonstrate listening and cultural responsiveness.

Description:

Students view a short multimodal text about Country/Place, record key vocabulary, identify the main idea and one message/opinion, then write a respectful question and brief response using structured sentence frames.

Steps:

Teacher introduces the purpose: listen for main message and make respectful questions.
Students view/listen once and record two key words/phrases.
Students view/listen again and complete “main idea” and “message/opinion” frames.
Students write a short response: 1–2 sentences plus one Country/Place word and one respectful question.
Students pair-share and teacher gives brief feedback against success criteria.

Justification, links to the academic literature, and links to CRP:

This activity is important because interpreting multimodal texts helps students move beyond surface details to understand ideas and opinions, which is essential for culturally responsive engagement. In culturally responsive practice, students benefit when learning tasks are purposeful, structured and grounded in respectful listening. The design supports students to record key vocabulary/expressions, then identify main ideas, which aligns with practice commonly recommended for helping learners comprehend short, information-dense texts. The requirement to respond to cultural context, purpose and audience encourages students to make meaning responsibly rather than treating First Nations knowledge as general “content.” This also supports CRP principles that stress building relational understanding, where students show respect through questions and careful responses, not just answers. The activity’s focus on Country/Place links to the ways land, waters, sky, people, plants and animals are expressed through knowledge systems and communication. Finally, the sentence frames scaffold appropriate responses, reducing language load while still demanding interpretation. In my learning log, readings on culturally responsive pedagogy and multimodal comprehension emphasise: (1) structured engagement with texts, (2) attention to audience and purpose, and (3) student responses that demonstrate respectful participation. This lesson applies those principles in a short, teachable format with clear success criteria and formative feedback.

Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST):

Focus area 1.4: Strategies to support student learning, including using language scaffolds and multimodal supports to help students interpret texts and produce responses.
Focus area 2.4: Understand and respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and languages, including guiding students to respond appropriately to cultural context, purpose and audience.

Possible Extension:

Students create a “purpose and audience” statement using the sentence frame: “This text seems made for… because…” and add one additional respectful question that shows deeper interpretation (e.g., about relationships between people and Country, or why a message matters).

Teaching Instructions