Week 6 - Literacy

Hello parents and carers of Grade 4!

In the classroom currently, we are learning about Geography.  

As an introduction to the topic of the links between Literacy and Geography we read a book called Australia: Illustrated by Tania McCartney. This book helps to familiarise students with the many terms and concepts going into this unit. The book discusses the many different types of landscapes we have within Australia such as deserts, bush-land and beaches. As a class, we then went on to discuss further the different landscapes we have in Tasmania and then narrowing it down to our local area.

Adapted from "Mallee Bushland" by CSIRO, 1989. (https://www.scienceimage.csiro.au/tag/tree/i/5911/mallee-bushland). Copyright (1989) by Willem Van Aken.   

Students wrote a short reflective piece of their favourite landscape: this included why it was their favourite, if it had any special meaning to them and what made it important in relation to our ecosystem.

We then moved on to the importance of the different environments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. In the curriculum one of the elaborations is “investigating how knowledge and practices shared among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples are linked to sustainable use of resources and environments (ACHASSK089)” (ACARA, 2016). 

We spoke about how Aboriginal People use fire to clear vegetation and encourage new growth, signalling others and for spiritual reasons (Government of Western Australia: Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, 2013).

We also spoke about how locally, Aboriginal People in the past hunted and consumed mutton birds as a main component of their diet. Today mutton bird is still part of Aboriginal Peoples diet in a lesser amount.

Tomorrow an Aboriginal Elder from the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre will be coming in to talk to us and the other grade 4 class about how Aboriginal Peoples in the past and presently use natural resources in the environment to help the environment around them sustainably. 

 ‘Sustainability’ and ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures’ are both Cross Curriculum Priorities in the curriculum which means they are incorporated into the students everyday learning as much as possible.

Sustainability is important to be learnt through the curriculum because “students develop the knowledge, skills, values and world views necessary to contribute to more sustainable patterns of living” (ACARA, 2016).

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures are important in the curriculum because it not only incorporates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students but also gives children without that background and experience the opportunity to learn more about the different cultures as well as “students to engage in reconciliation, respect and recognition of the world’s oldest continuous living culture” (ACARA, 2016).

References:

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). (2016). HASS. Retrieved from https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/humanities-and-social-sciences/hass

CSIRO: Science Image. (1989). Mallee Bushland. Retrieved from https://www.scienceimage.csiro.au/tag/tree/i/5911/mallee-bushland/

Government of Western Australia: Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. (2013). Traditional Aboriginal Burning. https://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/management/fire/fire-and-the-environment/41-traditional-aboriginal-burning

Tasmanian Government. (2018). Aboriginal Heritage. Retrieved from https://www.aboriginalheritage.tas.gov.au/cultural-heritage/aboriginal-diet