Welcome to Whadjuk Country 3-4
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples please be aware that these resources may contain images, voices and references to deceased people.
Kaya and Wanjoo! (Hello and Welcome!)
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.
In the Deadly Arts Welcome to Whadjuk Country, hear Olman Walley - a traditional custodian of the land - sing a traditional Noongar song and be introduced to some of the exciting Deadly Arts programs which you can explore further in our Deadly Arts collection on ARTS:LIVE.
In the following 3 x 60-minute lessons, develop with your students a curiosity to learn more about the First Nations people and land where you are located, connect with Country through visual art experiences and create a collaborative welcome sign that acknowledges the First Nations languages and people in your community.
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 resource for students in Years 3-4. The Arts learning experiences draw strongly on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Histories and Cultures Cross-Curriculum Priority. Students' knowledge of the key concepts of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures - Country, Culture and People - are explored initially through the lens of a Noongar artist in the accompanying, Welcome to Whadjuk Country video. Students are then invited to reflect on their own identities and cultures within their class, school and wider community.
Through the areas of Music and the Visual Arts students are afforded opportunities to engage as artist and audience participant. Students develop an appreciation of the importance of music in Noongarculture and reflect on the significance of music in their lives, they share information about their own cultures and create a collaborative welcome sign that reflects the languages and people in their community.
Discussions and activities are also aligned to the English (Literacy and Language) curriculum and General Capabilities. Developing a culturally safe space where students respect each other's views and feel valued contributes towards a sense of belonging and connectedness.
The learning experiences in this course encourage students to authentically engage with their community and strengthen students? Intercultural Understandings, Personal and Social Capabilities and Critical and Creative Thinking skills.
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 their Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander 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 Intention
To connect to my Country and develop an appreciation of Noongar music through viewing a Welcome video from Whadjuk Country.
Learning Intentions:
To understand that language is part of a person's identity.
To share and display information about my culture.
Learning Intention:
To create a welcome sign that respects the different languages in my community.