Understanding Culture Music

Unit: Songs That Speak: Music for Social Change

Lesson 3 of 10: Understanding Culture through Music

Duration: 60 minutes
Class Size: 20 Year 9 students
Subject: Music
Aligned to: Western Australian Curriculum - The Arts: Music (Years 9 and 10)

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will:

• Investigate the significance of place and language in music, recognising how these elements connect to identity and culture (AC9AMU10E01).
• Analyse how Gina Williams and Guy Ghouse use music to express their cultural heritage and connection to Country (AC9AMU10E01_E6; AC9AMU4E02).
• Develop critical listening skills to identify musical and lyrical elements that communicate social and cultural messages (AC9AMU10E01_E1, AC9AMA10E01).
• Reflect on their own cultural identities in relation to music, fostering understanding of diverse perspectives and social change.

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Curriculum Links

• Western Australian Curriculum - Music Year 9 and 10:
  • AC9AMU10E01: Investigate composers’ and/or performers’ use of elements of music, compositional devices, and/or vocal/instrumental techniques in music from a range of cultures, times, places and/or other contexts.
  • AC9AMU4E02: Explore how First Nations Australians use music to communicate their connection to and responsibility for Country/Place.
  • AC9AMU10P01 (informal reflection and assessment through performance observation).
  • General capabilities: Intercultural understanding, Critical and Creative Thinking.

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Resources

• Audio and video recordings of Gina Williams and Guy Ghouse’s song performances (pre-selected excerpts highlighting language and place).
• Lyrics of the selected songs (print and projected).
• Whiteboard and markers or digital display for mind-mapping.
• Student worksheets for guided analysis and reflection.
• Sound playback equipment.
• Optional: Indigenous cultural protocols/resources if inviting community liaison or showing cultural sensitivity videos.

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Lesson Sequence

Time	Activity	Details	Curriculum Link
0-10 min	Introduction & Context Setting

• Begin with a warm welcome and brief review of previous lessons about music and social change.
• Introduce today’s focus on understanding culture through music by explaining the importance of place and language as key elements in Gina Williams and Guy Ghouse’s music.
• Share a brief background about Gina Williams and Guy Ghouse as contemporary Indigenous Australian musicians who sing in Noongar language.
• Outline learning objectives clearly. | AC9AMU10E01, AC9AMU4E02 | | 10-25 min | Active Listening & Observation |
• Play two short excerpts from Gina Williams & Guy Ghouse songs, ensuring students can hear the Noongar language and musical elements connected to place.
• Provide lyric sheets and guide students to notice and mark instances where language and references to place appear.
• Facilitate group discussion: How do the language and sounds help express cultural identity?
• Record key points on the board/mind map showing connection between music, culture, language, and place. | AC9AMU10E01_E1, AC9AMU4E02_E1, AC9AMU10E01_E6 | | 25-35 min | Group Task: Cultural Analysis |
• Students work in small groups (4-5 students) to analyse short extracts of lyrics and music.
• Prompt groups with questions:
  • What does this song tell us about the place it comes from?
  • How does the use of the Noongar language influence your understanding or feelings about the music?
  • Why might it be important for Gina Williams and Guy Ghouse to use their language and stories in their music?
• Groups prepare a short verbal or visual presentation (e.g., mind map, bullet points) to share with the class. | AC9AMU10E01, AC9L2F10C03_E11 | | 35-45 min | Group Presentations & Whole Class Discussion |
• Each group presents their insights on cultural connections in the music.
• Facilitate a whole class reflection connecting students’ findings to broader ideas about music as a vehicle for social change and cultural preservation.
• Encourage students to share personal connections or questions about culture, language, and identity in music. | AC9AMU10E01_E6, AC9AMU4E02_E3 | | 45-55 min | Reflective Individual Activity |
• Students complete a reflective worksheet that asks them to:
  • Describe how place and language shape cultural identity in music, using examples from Gina Williams and Guy Ghouse.
  • Reflect on the importance of preserving language through music.
  • Relate these ideas to their own cultural background or an unfamiliar culture they find interesting.
• Teacher circulates to support and provoke deeper thinking with guiding questions. | AC9AMU10E01, AC9L2F10C03_E11, General Capabilities: Intercultural Understanding | | 55-60 min | Plenary & Wrap-up |
• Invite a few students to share reflections.
• Summarise key messages learned about cultural identity, place, and language in music.
• Preview next lesson focus which will continue exploring music and social change from other perspectives.
• Set a short optional task: students to find a song from their own or another culture that speaks about place or language to share in Lesson 4. | AC9AMU10E01 |

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Assessment Strategies

• Formative Assessment:
  • Observation of student participation in group discussions and presentations.
  • Quality of responses in reflective worksheets showing understanding of key concepts.
• Teacher feedback:
  • Provide immediate verbal feedback during activities.
  • Written feedback on reflective worksheets.
• Optional extension:
  • Invite students to create a short musical or written piece inspired by their cultural identity and place, to be presented later in the unit.

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Differentiation and Inclusivity

• Provide printed lyrics with translations for students who might struggle with language or auditory processing.
• Allow varied presentation formats (verbal, visual, digital) for group tasks to cater to different strengths.
• Use culturally respectful language and protocols when discussing Indigenous culture and music.
• Encourage students from all backgrounds to connect with the theme by reflecting on their own experiences or other cultures.

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Teacher Notes

• Prior preparation includes securing access to high-quality recordings of Gina Williams and Guy Ghouse’s performances, especially songs highlighting Noongar language and place-based storytelling.
• Consider inviting a local Indigenous cultural educator (if possible) to enrich the experience or provide teacher professional development on cultural protocols.
• This lesson builds empathy and intercultural understanding, a key cross-curriculum priority in the WA Curriculum.
• Use the lesson as an opportunity to explicitly teach respectful listening and discussion skills to Year 9 students.

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This detailed, curriculum-aligned lesson plan leverages authentic Indigenous Australian music to deepen students’ understanding of the relationship between place, language, and culture in music, meeting the Western Australian Curriculum standards and fostering critical, intercultural perspectives for Year 9 music students .