Stories of Creation

Overview

Students explore the idea of creation through a respectful comparison of a familiar religious creation story and an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspective. The lesson emphasises that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have diverse Countries, Languages and cultural traditions, and that creation stories are connected to relationships with land, water, animals, people and responsibility.

This lesson is designed for 30 minutes. Use a local Aboriginal perspective wherever possible, following advice from the relevant Aboriginal community, school policy or local cultural authority.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• understand that creation stories explain how people, places, animals or natural features came to be.
• listen respectfully to religious and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives.
• identify a connection between a creation story and caring for Country.
• share an idea using respectful language and images.

Success criteria

• I can explain what a creation story is.
• I can name one idea or relationship shown in a story.
• I can listen without laughing at or dismissing another person’s beliefs.
• I can describe one way people can care for Country or the world.

Curriculum links

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures cross-curriculum priority: students recognise the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and the continuing importance of connection to Country.
• NSW Stage 1–2 learning across the curriculum: students develop respectful communication, ethical understanding and appreciation of diverse perspectives.
• Religious education or faith-learning program: students explore creation as a belief and meaning-making concept, without presenting one tradition as the only explanation.
• English speaking and listening: students listen, contribute relevant ideas and respond respectfully in a classroom discussion.

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–4 min · Wonder and welcome. Teacher displays the opening question in the creation inquiry deck: “How might people explain where the world, animals and people came from?” Establish the rule that stories about beliefs must be treated respectfully. Students quietly think, then share one idea with a partner.

2. 4–9 min · What is creation? Teacher explains that a creation story is a story or teaching about beginnings, relationships and responsibilities; clarify that different religions and cultures have different creation traditions. Show a simple image of land, sky, water, plants, animals and people from the creation inquiry deck. Students identify features that might appear in a creation story and listen for the words “connection”, “Country” and “care”.

3. 9–15 min · Aboriginal perspective. Teacher presents the Aboriginal perspective slide from the creation inquiry deck, using a locally appropriate, publicly shared example where available. Explain: “Aboriginal Peoples are many different Nations and language groups. There is no single Aboriginal creation story.” Emphasise that many Aboriginal knowledge systems describe continuing relationships between ancestral beings, people, animals, land, water and skies, and teach responsibilities for caring for Country. Students look closely at the image and answer: “What relationships or responsibilities can you notice?” Avoid asking students to imitate sacred designs, retell restricted knowledge or make claims about all Aboriginal Peoples.

4. 15–22 min · Partner response activity. Teacher distributes the creation connections worksheet and models completing one section: “The story connects ___ with ___.” Students work in pairs to draw or write one connection shown in the presented story and one respectful action that demonstrates care for Country, such as protecting water, caring for animals or looking after a special place. Students may respond with labelled drawings, oral explanations or short sentences.

5. 22–27 min · Share and compare. Teacher invites pairs to share their ideas and records common themes on the creation inquiry deck, such as belonging, responsibility, family, land, animals or respect. Students listen for one idea that is similar to theirs and one idea that is different. Reinforce that noticing a difference does not mean judging another belief as right or wrong.

6. 27–30 min · Plenary and check. Teacher asks students to complete the final prompt on the creation connections worksheet: “One thing I learned is…” and “One way I can care for Country is…”. Students share selected responses or submit the sheet as they leave.

Resources

• One classroom slide deck: the creation inquiry deck
• One-page worksheet: the creation connections worksheet
• Projector or interactive whiteboard
• Photograph or approved visual representing local Country
• Pencils, coloured pencils and erasers
• Teacher notes from a local Aboriginal community or approved cultural source
• A clear classroom map showing the local Aboriginal Nation or language group, if appropriate and approved

Assessment

• Listen during partner talk for students’ understanding that creation stories explain beginnings, relationships or responsibilities.
• Check worksheet drawings and sentences for a respectful connection between the story, Country and caring actions.
• Use the final prompts to identify misconceptions, including the belief that there is one story shared by all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

Differentiation

• Support students with oral rehearsal, picture prompts, sentence starters such as “The story shows…” and “I can care for Country by…”.
• Allow students to draw, dictate to an adult or record an oral response instead of writing full sentences.
• Pair students thoughtfully and pre-teach “creation”, “Country”, “connection”, “respect” and “responsibility”.
• For EAL/D and students requiring adjustments, use gestures, labelled visuals, repeated instructions and a scribe or speech-to-text option. Do not require Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander students to speak for their culture or share personal beliefs.