Traditional Food Sources

Lesson Overview

• Year Level: 4
• Duration: 45 minutes
• Class Size: 25 students
• Unit: Exploring First Nations Heritage (Lesson 8 of 14)
• Lesson Title: Traditional Food Sources
• Learning Area: Australian History / Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS)
• Curriculum Alignment: Australian Curriculum v9 – Humanities and Social Sciences (History), with connections to Technologies (Design and Technologies) and cross-curriculum priorities (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures)

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WALT (We Are Learning To)

Learn about traditional foods used by First Nations Australians and understand the gathering methods.

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Success Criteria

• I can list traditional foods eaten by First Nations Australians.
• I can describe how these foods were sourced using traditional gathering methods.
• I can explain the cultural importance of these food sources.

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Australian Curriculum Links

Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS)

• ACHASSK086: Describe and explain how the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples changed over time and how they maintain culture and traditions today, including food gathering and land management.
• ACHASSI079: Locate, collect and organise information and data from different sources into a structured format, such as columns or tables.
• ACHASSI080: Interpret and compare information from sources, including oral histories, images, maps, and texts.

Technologies (Design and Technologies)

• ACTDEK014 (Yr 3-4): Investigate how plants and animals are grown and harvested in managed environments.
• ACHASSK092 (Cross-link with HASS) - Investigate traditional First Nations food production techniques such as burning, harvesting, and fishing.

Cross-curriculum priority: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures

• Recognise the connection to Country/Place and the sustainable use of resources through traditional knowledge.

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Learning Resources

• Pictures and artefacts showing traditional foods (bush tucker like witchetty grubs, yams, bush tomatoes, fish traps).
• A short, engaging video or story from an Aboriginal Elder or community member describing gathering practices.
• Large map of Australia with First Nations language group areas marked.
• Printed worksheets featuring pictures and names of traditional foods to fill in descriptions.
• Chart paper and markers for group activity.

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Lesson Structure

Time	Activity	Description	Resources
5 min	Introduction & WALT	Explain the focus: traditional foods and how they were gathered. Activate prior knowledge by asking students what foods they know First Nations people eat or collect.	Whiteboard, markers
10 min	Story/Video Listening	Play a short video or listen to a recorded story from an Aboriginal Elder describing traditional food sources and gathering methods (e.g., trapping fish, gathering bush fruits and nuts). Pause to discuss key points and clarify vocabulary.	Video device, projector, headphones
10 min	Group Sorting Activity	Students work in small groups. Each group receives pictures or cards of different traditional foods. Together, they identify and list how each food was obtained (hunting, gathering, fishing). Groups place food items under correct headings and note cultural significance.	Picture cards, chart paper
10 min	Mapping Traditional Foods	Using the large map, groups place pictures or write names of traditional foods typical from different regions/language groups. Discuss how environment influences food sources.	Large map, stickers or post-its
7 min	Class Discussion and Reflection	Groups share their findings. Teacher facilitates discussion on how First Nations people’s knowledge of the land influences sustainable food gathering. Emphasise respect for this knowledge and connection to Country.	Whole class discussion
3 min	Success Criteria Check and Recap	Students self-assess their learning against the success criteria using thumbs up/down or a quick quiz. Summarise key points of the lesson.	Quick quiz sheet or oral Q&A

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Assessment

• Formative: Observation of group discussions and classification activity during the sorting and map tasks.
• Summative: Completion of worksheet with listing traditional foods and descriptions of gathering methods.
• Self-assessment: Using success criteria at lesson end.

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Differentiation

• Provide additional visual supports for EAL/D students.
• Oral explanations and allow drawing responses for students needing fine motor support.
• Extension: Encourage curious students to research a particular traditional food or method to share in next lesson.

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Teacher’s Notes

• Emphasise cultural sensitivity and the importance of recognising First Nations’ custodianship of Country.
• Connect lesson content to local First Nations groups where possible.
• Provide a respectful classroom environment where students appreciate different cultural practices.
• Use questioning to prompt deeper thinking about sustainability and environmental respect embedded in traditional food gathering.

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This lesson is designed to meet Year 4 Australian Curriculum standards in Humanities and Social Sciences and Technologies, embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures through interactive, age-appropriate learning activities that connect students to the heritage of Australia's First Nations peoples regarding food sources and gathering methods .