Year 2 History & Geography - Connectedness

Why do Indigenous communities have connections to certain

landmarks/animals? Why are they important?

Going Further: 7
Overview
In this lesson students will investigate the inquiry question: Why do indigenous communities have
connections to certain landmarks/animals? Why are they important? Through discussion and
literature, Indigenous totems and their significance will be explored. Students will further explore
values, objects, places and people that are significant to them. Students will then create a totem
that reflects their values and compare this to Indigenous totems.

Explanation
In previous lessons students have explored community values and landmarks and their
significance within the community throughout the Finding Out stage of the Integrating Socially
Inquiry Model. Students have a basic understanding on Indigenous spirituality and have explored
their values in past lessons. This knowledge will scaffold students in order to understand the
information explored within this lesson.

Learning Intentions
Students Will:
Discuss, describing and record the connections of the local Aboriginal or Torres Strait
Islander Peoples with the land, sea and animals of their place(ACHGK011)
Examine and deconstruct their connections to various places (ACHGK012)
Create a mind map recording there connections to a significant place/object (ACHGK012)
Compare individual connections to Indigenous totems (ACHGK012)

General Capabilities
Literacy
Students will use literacy to comprehend texts through listening, reading and viewing as
well as engage in topical discussions and construct visual texts (totems). They will also use
comparative language when writing a sentence to summarise the similarities and
differences between Indigenous totems and their self-created ones
ICT
ICT will be used to present information to the class during a picture-book walk through and
discussion
Intercultural Understanding
Students recognise and respect the cultural beliefs of Indigenous Australians by exploring
aspects of their spirituality
Personal and Social Capability
Students extend their communication skills by engaging in and contributing to class
discussion as well as participating in pair work

Assessment
Assessment For Learning: Students will be assessed on their understanding of totems through
their mind-maps and totems developed.

Resources

Online Aboriginal Totems Book (See Appendix 1)

Paper/pens
Mind map proformas (See Appendix 2)

Student Orientated Instruction

1. Students will recap topics of interest from the guest speaker from the previous lesson
2. Students will be asked if they know what a totem is. An Aboriginal Totems book will be
read to the class with multiple opportunities to question and discuss the text available

throughout the reading

3. Students will then create a mind-map noting important/significant objects, beliefs, people
and/or locations to them. During this process students will be given the opportunity to
Think, Pair, Share
4. Using their mind-maps students will draw (digitally or by hand) their own totem. Students
will accompany this picture with a comparative sentence on their self-created totems and
Indigenous totems

Modification for students with varying degrees of ability

Support
Allow a teacher aide/ parent helper to assist in classroom activities
Provide extensive examples of totems
Provide mind map templates as guides
Extension
Research an Indigenous groups (possibly local) totem and its significance

Appendix A
E-Book Link: http://www.envirostories.com.au/portfolio/2014-book74/

Appendix B

http://www.mastermindmapper.com/

http://www.seomraranga.com/2011/01/mind-map-01/