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Lesson 10/10
EN5-5C A student thinks imaginatively, creatively, interpretively and critically about information and increasingly complex ideas
and arguments to respond to and compose texts in a range of contexts
EN5-7D understands and evaluates the diverse ways texts can represent personal and public worlds
Students learn to:
Engage personally with texts
- reflect on personal experience and broadening views of the world by responding to the ideas and arguments of others with
increasingly complex ideas and arguments of their own
5-10 Teacher – leading group The teacher will begin the circle
mins thought and discussion discussion by congratulating the
students on their excellent
Students – listening and growing skills. The teacher will
sharing thoughts place a mature Bottlebrush plant
in the centre of the circle and ask
the students to imagine this is
their plant in one years’ time.
The teacher invites students to
share some things they might like
to do with their plant given they
are mature and able to take
them home.
AISTL graduate standards and evidence that this lesson achieves this standard.
AITSL Standard Evidence within this lesson
1.4 Strategies for teaching Aboriginal and This lesson takes students on a journey through which they explore not only the loss
Torres Strait Islander students of relationships, experienced by those affected by the stolen generation policy, but
also the loss of culture. They will come to understand the importance of culture in
the creation of one’s identity. This is achieved through the reflective yearning circle
exercise.
2.4 Understand and respect Aboriginal The yearning circle and “sorry wall” exercise encourage students to not only
and Torres Strait Islander people to understand the policy of the stolen generation but also show empathy for those
promote reconciliation between affected by these policies.
Indigenous and non-Indigenous
Australians
WHS considerations
Consider the safe movement of furniture while students are arranging the classroom to create the yarning circle. Be sure students
are moving desks and chairs in a safe manner so as not to injure themselves or others.
Be sensitive to the fact that the stolen generation may be an emotional top for some students, especially those that have family
members affected by this policy.
Be sensitive to students that might also be separated from their Mother or Father due to a range of reasons including but not
limited to: adoption/ fostering, death, parent separation.
References
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (2014). Australian professional standards for teachers. Melbourne,
Australia: Author.
Board of Studies NSW. (2012). English K-10 syllabus. Sydney: Board of Studies NSW.
Board of Studies, NSW. (2008). Working with Aboriginal communities: A guide to community consultation and protocols (Rev
ed.). Sydney, Australia: Author.
8 ways: Aboriginal pedagogy from Western NSW. (2012). Dubbo, NSW: RAET, Dept. of Education and Communities.
Quality Teaching in NSW public schools, A classroom practice guide. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://mscplc.weebly.com/uploads/4/8/0/8/4808031/quality_teaching_guide.pdf
LESSON PLAN: Jasmine Pina 18513064 Page 8
The Stolen Generations. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.australianstogether.org.au/discover/australian-history/stolen-
generations
Script for yarning circle has been provided by absent teacher. Please feel free to add to the script depending on the reaction and
engagement of the students.
Bottlebrush plant has been left on absent teacher’s desk ready for lesson.
The following principals and protocols must be considered in the successful implementation of this lesson:
Teacher:
I would like to begin today’s lesson by I acknowledging the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we
are working today, and recognise their continuing connection to land, water and community. I pay respect
to Elders past, present and emerging.
I would like to acknowledge that this lesson is being held on the traditional lands of the Darug people (If
school is not in Penrith area change), I pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging.
The circle that you have all created today is called a yarning circle. Within this circle participants can share
ideas, knowledge, emotion, experiences, concerns and aspirations. No one will be forced to speak or share
if they don’t feel comfortable doing so, but everyone must listen to what their fellow classmates have to
share and be respectful of what each person has to say.
I would like to begin our discussion today by congratulating you all on the excellent way you have cared for
your seedlings.
You will see in the centre of the circle I have placed a mature Bottlebrush plant. I would like you to imagine
this is your plant in twelve months’ time. Share with me and the rest of the circle some things you might
like to do with their plant when you are able to it home.
Teacher: Now please open your workbooks, find a blank page and write three words that describe how you
are feeling after seeing your seeds successfully grow and mature into a plant. (Students given one minute to
write response).
What are some of the words that describe what you are feeling?
Teacher: I would not like to advise you all that I have decided that I will be taking your plants now they
have matured. I will be taking them away from you. These plants were never really yours. You wouldn’t
know what to do with the plants or how to care for them properly. It is only right that I take the plants and
look after them.
The teacher removes the bottlebrush plant from the centre of the circle and places it outside the classroom
door.
Please take one minute to write down three words in your workbooks that best describe how you are
feeling about what I just said. (Students given one minute to write response).
What are some of the words that describe what you are feeling?
Teacher reads out a series of stories and facts about the stolen generation to provoke emotion in the
students (See resource B).
Teacher: Clearly you all feel angry, sad and betrayed by what I just said and did. I took something that
clearly belongs to you, something you had looked after and nurtured. I made you feel powerless and
worthless.
I would like you all to take a minute to sit quietly reflect on the way they are feeling now, and how these
feelings would alter if it was someone you loved being taken away from you.
(After the one minute reflection time has concluded read following quote) I would like you all to take
another 30 seconds to sit quietly and think about the following quote from the The Bayala Nura: Yarning
Country exhibit at the Australian Museum- “Can we ever possibly imagine or understand the absolute
despair that Mothers must have felt when their children were taken away?”
Teacher: Now I would like you to have a look at this quote on the whiteboard. Can you identify any
language techniques that the author of this quote has used to provoke an emotive response from the
audience?
(As the students identify the language techniques, the teacher highlights these on the quote and clarifies
the effect for the students. Look for emotive language, rhetorical question, collective noun of “we”, etc.)
Teacher: I would like you to consider these techniques in your own work when attempting to provoke
emotion from your reader.
Reflection concludes
LESSON PLAN: Jasmine Pina 18513064 Page 11
Resource B:
The following stories and facts were retrieved from: The Australian Museum, Sydney: The Bayala Nura: Yarning Country exhibit.
The greatest assault on Indigenous cultural and family life was the ‘taking away’ of Indigenous children
from their families. This happened in every Australian state from the late 1800s until 1969, when the
practice was officially ended. During this time as many as, 100,000 children may have been taken from
their families.
They just came down and say, “we taking these kids’. They just take you out of your mother’s arms. That’s
what they done to me. I was still at my mother’s breast when they took me.
The following stories and facts were retrieved from: Australian Together,
https://www.australianstogether.org.au/discover/australian-history/stolen-generations
Ruth's story
When Ruth was 4 years old, she was separated from her mother on Cherbourng mission in Queensland.
Ruth was 6 months old when she first arrived at Cherbourg. Times were tough; it was during the
Depression, and Ruth’s mother had gone to Cherbourg seeking help for her ageing parents.
But once she arrived at the mission, Ruth's mum was prevented from leaving. What was intended as a
temporary visit became years of separation and control. “People would say it was for your own good, but
my own good was to stay with my mum,” says Ruth.
At first Ruth was allowed to stay with her mum in the women’s dormitory. But eventually every child was
removed to a separate dormitory. Ruth was 4 when she was taken from her Mum. “Once you were taken
from your parents, you had no more connection with them,” she explains.
For a short time, Ruth still saw her Mum from a distance. But when Ruth was 5, her mother was sent away
from Cherbourg and forced to leave her daughter behind.
Many of the Stolen Generations were psychologically, physically, and sexually abused while living in
state care or with their adoptive families.
Efforts to make stolen children reject their culture often caused them to feel ashamed of their
Indigenous heritage.
Many children were wrongly told that their parents had died or abandoned them, and many never
knew where they had been taken from or who their biological families were.
Living conditions in the institutions were highly controlled, and children were frequently punished
harshly, were cold and hungry and received minimal if any affection.
LESSON PLAN: Jasmine Pina 18513064 Page 12
The children generally received a very low level of education, as they were expected to work as manual
labourers and domestic servants (see Unfinished Business).
Medical experts have noted a high incidence of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress and suicide
among the Stolen Generations
Many parents never recovered from the grief of having their children removed.
Some parents could not go on living without their children, while others turned to alcohol as a coping
mechanism.
The removal of several generations of children severely disrupted Indigenous oral culture, and
consequently much cultural knowledge was lost.
Many of the Stolen Generations never experienced living in a healthy family situation, and never
learned parenting skills. In some instances, this has resulted in generations of children raised in
state care.