Tastes of Country

Overview

Unit: Food Culture and Belonging
Lesson Number: 4 of 6
Duration: 60 minutes
Subject: Languages – Year 9 (Australian Curriculum)
Cross-curriculum Priorities: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures; Sustainability
General Capabilities: Literacy, Numeracy, Critical and Creative Thinking, Intercultural Understanding

Australian Curriculum Links:
Languages – Intercultural Understanding (Years 9–10):

• Understand and reflect on the role of language and culture in the explanation of the world and in the inscription of identity.
• Develop awareness of cultural expressions, flavours, and food practices from local Indigenous communities.

Food Technology (Design and Technologies – Years 9–10):

• Investigate and make judgments on the ethical and sustainable production and marketing of food.
• Analyse how food and fibre are produced when designing managed environments (ACTDEK040).

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WALT (We Are Learning To)

• Understand the traditional practices Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples used to source, cultivate, and prepare food.
• Describe the impact that European colonisation had on Indigenous diets and long-term health outcomes.
• Collect information from oral storytelling and incorporate it into our investigation into food culture.
• Reflect on how Aboriginal knowledge of land management can support sustainable eating today.

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Success Criteria

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Retell at least two ways local Aboriginal people sourced or cultivated food sustainably before colonisation.
• Identify at least one impact of European settlement on Indigenous diet and health.
• Participate respectfully in a yarning circle and incorporate key ideas into a food journal.
• Use numeracy skills to interpret a simple graph in a historical context (dietary intake pre- and post-colonisation).
• Prepare for the upcoming Cultural Food Festival by identifying a traditional food they could explore.

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Resources Required

• Guest local Aboriginal Elder (organised in consultation with school’s Aboriginal Education Officer)
• Yarning Mat (set up in the outdoor learning space or classroom circle)
• 'Bush Foods of the South-East' cards (laminated, dyslexia-friendly font – OpenDyslexic)
• Copies of two diet comparison charts (visuals displaying nutritional intake before/after European settlement)
• A3 "Food Culture Reflection Journal" pages
• Clipboards and coloured pencils
• Short film: Tukka Time – Aboriginal Bush Food Stories (approx. 5 min, preloaded and viewed beforehand by teacher)
• Bush tucker spice samples (e.g., wattleseed, lemon myrtle)
• Optional extension reading: “Dark Emu” student excerpt (literary condensation by Bruce Pascoe)

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Welcome and Context (10 minutes)

Mode: Whole class discussion

• Recap previous lesson: “What was one thing you learnt about culture and identity through food?”
• Discuss WALT aloud with students, together unpack vocabulary (e.g. colonisation, sustainability, bushfoods).
• Introduce today's focus: The land as a food library: before and after colonisation.

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2. Elder-Led Yarning Circle (20 minutes)

Mode: Small group (5 students per circle, rotating) – Outdoor classroom or Learning Garden

Activity: A local Aboriginal Elder shares stories of bush food knowledge and the changes witnessed or passed down following European settlement. Info includes foraging, totemic foods, seasonal eating, and songlines.

Student Task:

• Listen respectfully.
• Note one bush food discussed and its origin.
• Record a question they would like to ask (or that arose for them) about the Elder's story.

Differentiation Strategies:

• Provide a scribe option for students with dyslexia or language difficulties.
• Visual cards include illustrations next to words for EALD learners.
• Stories are told orally – includes auditory scaffolding.

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3. Data Dive: Diet Then and Now (15 minutes)

Mode: Partner Work

Activity: Interpret two charts that compare average daily intake of Aboriginal people pre- and post-settlement.

Numeracy Focus:

• Graph comparison: fibre, calories, salt, sugar, and protein
• Use ratio to discuss changes (e.g. “Protein reduced by half”; “Salt intake increased five-fold”)
• Infer health consequences (e.g., links to chronic disease)

Discussion Questions:

• What changes do you notice?
• What do these graphs tell us about diet and health?
• How does colonisation continue to affect health today?

Differentiation:

• Use colour overlays and dyslexia-friendly printouts.
• Pair visually strong learners with numerically stronger partners.
• Offer sentence stems: “I notice that...” and “This might mean...”

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4. Bushfood Tasting and Sensory Reflection (10 minutes)

Mode: Whole class

Students are introduced to traditional spice samples: Wattleseed, Lemon Myrtle, or Pepperberry
Task: Students smell and describe in their journal:

• What the smell reminds them of
• How they might use it in a modern dish
• Which foods could be highlighted at the Cultural Food Festival

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5. Close the Circle: Reflection and Festival Prep (5 minutes)

Mode: Individual

• Each student writes a short reflective response:
  “One thing I learnt about food and belonging today...”
• Brainstorm a dish or ingredient to bring or research further for the Cultural Food Festival in Week 4.

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Differentiation and Inclusive Practice

For diverse learners:

• Oral instructions accompanied by visual signs and hand signals.
• Word wall includes key terms in a dyslexia-friendly format and colour-coded themes.
• Elders’ stories presented with sound recordings and visual storyboards.
• Students can respond to reflection questions via voice note, drawing, or written text.

EALD support:

• Provide a bilingual glossary or pre-teach essential vocabulary using language buddy scaffolding.

Extension for advanced learners:

• Extended written task: Write a short article on “Indigenous Food Sovereignty in Australia Today”
• Create a multi-modal slide using images, quote from the Elder, and data chart to showcase cultural food loss and recovery.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Formative assessment via reflection journal entries
• Peer discussion quality during partner tasks
• Accurate identification and interpretation of data
• Respectful engagement with Elder and cultural content

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Take-Home Task (Optional)

Ask a parent or guardian:
“What foods did your grandparents eat regularly? What do those foods tell us about your family’s history?”

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Teacher Notes

• Consult with the local Aboriginal Education Officer or liaison about appropriate protocols and Elder’s participation (with thanks or donation).
• Ensure bush tucker ingredients are ethically sourced and allergen-safe.
• Be sensitive and supportive in discussions that highlight colonial impacts.
• Consider developing laminated vocab cards in both local Aboriginal languages and English for next lesson.

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Reminder: This lesson builds towards week 4’s Cultural Food Festival, where students will present a dish or performance that reflects a cultural food tie — either personal, Aboriginal, or global. Encourage documentation and planning.