Back on Country
Back on Country
Couldn't load pickup availability
Lucy and David travel with family to Country, where cousins and Elders share places, language and stories that strengthen connection and belonging.
Creator: Adam Goodes and Ellie Laing; illustrated by David Hardy
📘 For teachers: classroom and curriculum guide
Suggested level: Foundation-Year 5
Learning areas: English; Humanities and Social Sciences; Health and Physical Education
Cross-curriculum priorities: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures, with connections to Country/Place, Culture and People through family, kinship, language, Elders and returning to Country. Sustainability, through relationships with Country, interdependence and responsibilities to maintain healthy places.
🧠Suggested Australian Curriculum V9 content descriptions:
AC9E3LE01: discuss characters, events and settings in different contexts in literature by First Nations Australian and other authors and illustrators
AC9HS3K04: the ways First Nations Australians in different parts of Australia are interconnected with Country/Place
These are suggested starting points. Teachers should confirm the selected year-level content descriptions against their local program and student needs.
Learning focus: Country, family, language, belonging and intergenerational learning.
Practical lesson sequence
- Before: Introduce the learning focus and essential vocabulary. Invite prior knowledge without requiring students to disclose personal or family experiences.
- During and after: Map who helps the children learn and what is learned through place, story and relationship. Students then create a respectful ‘people, place and learning’ map for a familiar setting without imitating cultural practices.
- Evidence of learning: A relationship map and explanation of how place can hold knowledge.
Curriculum reference: Use the suggested connections to select the most appropriate content descriptions for your year level and local program. See the Australian Curriculum Version 9.0 and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures cross-curriculum priority.
🌱 For early years educators: Early Years Learning Framework V2.0
Suggested EYLF V2.0 outcome elements:
1.3: Build knowledgeable and confident self-identities and a sense of personal worth
2.1: Develop connectedness to groups and community, with reciprocal rights and responsibilities for active community participation
5.2: Engage in and extend literacy practices in personally meaningful ways
View ACECQA's EYLF V2.0 to Australian Curriculum mapping.
Respectful teaching
Preview the text for your learners and local context. Present Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, cultures and knowledges as living and diverse. Do not expect Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander students to speak for others. Where local knowledge is involved, seek guidance from local rights holders and approved Community sources.
Share
