Together We Sing on Noongar Boodja 5-6
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples please be aware that these resources contain images, voices and references to deceased people.
Kaya! (Hello!)
Before commencing this course, we respectfully ask you to refer to the "Getting Started" section below. Here you will find information that pertains to our Deadly Arts courses, including statements from the First Nations artists and individuals featured in the videos as well as teaching tips to help you use the resources appropriately in your classroom.
What does singing mean to you? Have you ever composed your own music? Discover what it entails to write a School Acknowledgement song from Charley Caruso and listen to Della Rae Morrison and Merinda Hansen explain the importance and significance of singing in First Nations languages.
During these 6 x 60-minute lessons students develop their music skills, reflect on the role music has on communities and consider how they can encourage people to sing in First Nations languages. Learning about the Noongar six seasons from Rickeeta Walley provides inspiration for students to research, explore and compose their own seasonal songs for a younger audience.
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and pay our respects to Elders both past and present. We acknowledge the rich heritage of ceremony, singing, dancing and storytelling that powerfully embodies one of the oldest living cultures in human history. We recognise the valuable contribution Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists have made to the cultural expression of life on this land and deeply respect their creativity, knowledge and resilience.
Listen. Respect. Connect. Reflect.
1. Listen
These resources recognise First Nations peoples as true educators, passing wisdom and knowledge onto generations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and wider Australians. Every effort has been made in the design of videos, lesson plans and accompanying materials to amplify First Nations voices in the classroom.
Please read the relevant statements from the artists and individuals involved with this course before teaching the associated content. These statements provide information about each individual's identity and provide context to the people in the videos. The First Nations Teaching Artists share insights into their connections to Country/place and explain what Noongar culture means to them. These reflections provide students with direct insight into the diverse range of First Nations peoples across Australia.
Listen to the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait students and families in your community.
Consult with local Elders and listen to their advice and knowledge. Take the time to ask questions and learn from and with First Nations peoples.
2. Respect
As you read the resources you may notice we have used different spellings of Noongar as wehave tried, wherever possible, to use the preferred spellings of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people involved with the resources.
Noongar are made up of fourteen different language groups. There are many variations in the spelling of Noongar, e.g. Nyoongar, Nyungar, Noongah, Nyoongah or Nyungah, as it was traditionally an oral language.
We have respectfully chosen to use the spelling Noongar throughout the Deadly Arts collection as this is the spelling used by the WA Department of Education and the spelling used in the official native title claim.
The learning experiences developed from the videos are designed to cater for a wide range of school settings. We appreciate that every school is different and that the resources may need to be adapted to suit your context. Please take the time to read the local Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander educational protocols, associated with your State or Territory's education setting.
We encourage teachers and students to read and respect the advice included in the artists' statements and appreciate that their advice is related to the content discussed in the videos.
Respect the advice given by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples within your community and maintain relationships through ongoing consultation.
3. Connect
We encourage learning communities to connect with the First Nations people in their area and learn from the First Nations people within your community.
Communicate your intentions to families and invite them to share their cultural knowledge with your class. Building these relationships develops stronger communities, deepens cultural awareness and understandings.
If you are considering working with Aboriginal or Torres strait islander artists on a community school project please consult with the local Elders and Traditional Custodians in your community, to deepen relationships and to ensure your project is culturally appropriate for your context. We advise that you consult with your local educational authority and read the relevant cultural protocols related to your community.
The courses and the accompanying learning experiences could be revisited from different perspectives. We have provided ideas in each course to take the students' learning further so that the videos can be revisited and connect and embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures to other areas of the curriculum.
4. Reflect
We hope our courses encourage rich dialogue and spark curiosity within your class to learn more from First Nations peoples. As you embark on a journey of open and continuous dialogue with your community and learn together, we all make a positive step towards reconciliation.
The Song Room and ARTS:LIVE are always keen to improve and hear feedback from teachers who use our resources. Please share your experiences with us via this link or contact us directly here.
"Our First Nations cultures are so rich and we have so much to share, and it's fantastic when people want to learn... Lift up aboriginal voices, listen to Aboriginal people so we can all benefit from this old, cultural knowledge"
(Rickeeta Walley, Noongar Teaching Artist)
Teacher Packs
The Teacher Packs below contains all the lesson plans associated with this course.
All other activity sheets and course materials can be downloaded through the Lessons Tab.
The Curriculum Alignment document below maps this course against the Australian Curriculum.
This is a valuable Music resource for students from Year 5 -6. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Histories and Cultures Cross-Curriculum Priority is embedded throughout the course as are the General Capabilities of Critical and Creative Thinking Skills, Personal and Social and Intercultural and Ethical Understandings.
As both artist and audience member, students participate in individual and collaborative hands-on musical learning experiences. Students further their understanding of the elements of music throughout the course. The "Together We Sing on Noongar Boodja" video and accompanying resources provides students with the opportunity to respond to music and consider where and why people make music and how music and singing can provide joy and a sense of wellbeing to individuals and communities.
Embedded through the course are opportunities for students to reflect and discuss their thoughts and ideas with their peers. Della Rae Morrison's reflections on the significance of speaking and singing in Noongar provides students a personal insight into the connection between language and identity and the effects of The Stolen Generation continues to have today.
Responding to information provided by Rickeeta Walley from the "Six Seasons on Noongar Country" video students explore the sounds from their own environment. Students compose, source and arrange their own seasonal song to share with their community. Through the inclusion of the First Nation language from their community students are able to explore how music and singing can connect and heal communities.
Educators are encouraged to connect with the students' families to share music from their cultures with the class. Teachers are provided additional ideas should they wish to take the students' learning further or connect the students' learning to other areas of the curriculum.
It is highly recommended that educators invite local Elders and Traditional Owners to speak to students and staff about the histories and cultures of the area on which their school is situated to enhance the learning outcomes and their school's relationships with local community.
The Deadly Arts Collection was produced in partnership with The Song Room Teaching Artists:
Olman Walley, Rickeeta Walley, Yolande Yarran-Ward, Marcelle Riley, Charley Caruso, Tyrown Waigana, Della Rae Morrison and Olivia Samec.
Filming took place in the south-west of WA on Noongar boodja (Country).
Thank you to all the wonderful principals, teachers and school communities who collaborated with us throughout the project, including:
Brookman Primary School, Medina Primary School, Neerigen Brook Primary and Coolbellup Community School.
With special thanks to Rachel Riggs, Colin Watego for sharing his School Acknowledgement Song, Duncan Imberger from Deeper Richer, Merindah Hansen, Community Arts Network (CAN) WA, Madjitil Moorna and Irma Woods our Community Liaison Officer in WA.
Produced by The Song Room with the generous support of Lotterywest.
Have feedback to share about this resource? Take our quick survey to tell us about your experience or contact us directly here.
Learning Intentions:
To explore and participate in creating a rhythmic chant.
To appreciate that music can be analysed from different perspectives and communicate specific information.
Learning Intentions:
To identify and explore adding a chant to a rhythmic pattern.
To appreciate different perspectives and to explore the affect music has on individuals and communities.
Learning Intentions:
To appreciate how the elements of music can be used in spoken texts.
To analyse a song and explore how composers communicate their ideas.
Learning Intentions:
To identify a song using aural skills.
To create a verse of a song to match the rhythmic patterns of a known song or rhyme.
Learning Intentions:
To identify and explore singing patterns in different languages.
To write lyrics for a seasonal song that tells the audience a story about the place where it was composed.
Learning Intentions:
To compose and rehearse a seasonal song for younger students.
To reflect and provide feedback to peers on compositions.