Introduction | Task | Process | Resources | Evaluation | Teacher Resources |
There has been much discussion lately on the news and in the newspapers about whether the Australian Government should make a formal apology to the Indigenous people of Australia for the Government policies of the past which have affected them.
The Prime Minister has requested a group be appointed to help advise himself and other central community representatives on how Australian people view saying "Sorry" to the Aboriginal People.
You have been appointed to that Advisors group, which consists of an historian, a reporter, a health worker, an anthropologist and a librarian. Together with your other team members, you are required to investigate the issue and then report back your findings.
The question to be answered by your team is:
Quick Overview
Strategy 1
Each member of the class will be given a role which looks at the issue from a certain perspective.........
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Each class member will then get together with the others of the same role (this will be called a role team) and together compile one report to present to the class....eg. all the historians will come together and present their perspective on the question to the class. Each team member will be required to be involved in the presentation.
While each role team presents their findings to the class, the class will fill in a listening sheet to focus on the key messages in the presentation.
When every role team has delivered their findings to the class, a new team of Advisors will be formed with at least one person from every role as a member. Therefore the Advisors will consist of an historian, a reporter, a health worker, an anthropologist and a librarian.
It is then the task of this team to bring together all the perspectives and come to an agreement which answers the question -
Each member of the team will then write a letter outlining the reasons for their choice.
Your task is to look at the history of the Aboriginal people and their relationship to the white settlers who arrived in Australia.
When did the Aboriginal people arrive in Australia?
When did the white settlers arrive in Australia and in Western Australia in particular?
Draw a timeline to show these events?
What changes have resulted from the white settlement?
What impact did the white settlement have on the Aboriginal People?
How did the white settlement affect their use of the land?
Having answered all the above questions, from an historian's perspective, should the Australian Government say "sorry" to the Aboriginal people? Why/Why not?
Useful Links :
Your task is to investigate current attitudes of Australian people to the Aboriginal people and culture.
Prepare a survey or surveys to find out how Aboriginal people are seen today's Australian society.
Brainstorm some questions that you might ask....
Use Inspiration software to help you.
Here are some starter questions. You might like to add more......
Find someone who may have "walked across the Bridge" for Reconciliation
Why did they do it?
How did they feel?
Find someone who chose not to walk across the Bridge for reconciliation? Why did they make this choice?
Ask people what they understand by "the Stolen Generation"
How do they think this affects the Aboriginal people?
How does it affect the average white Australian?
If the Government does say "Sorry", what is it saying Sorry for?
What do white Australians value about the Aboriginal culture?
Which Aboriginal people are seen as "Role Models" in today's society? Why?
Can you find out what Aboriginal people think about all these issues?
Perhaps invite a guest speaker?
Perhaps send an email to ask them?
Perhaps watch some videos which talk about these ideas.
Perhaps read the paper to find some articles on these issues.
Having answered all the above questions, from a reporter's perspective, should the Australian Government say "sorry" to the Aboriginal people? Why/Why not?
Useful links :
Your role is to look at health issues that affect the Aboriginal people.
What are the main illnesses that face Aboriginal people in particular?
What is the life expectancy of an Aboriginal person? Compare this with that of a white Australian. Draw a graph to illustrate.
What are the main things that cause Aboriginal people to die? Why do you think this is?
How do Aboriginal people's attitudes to health differ from white people's?
Having answered all the above questions, from a health worker's perspective, should the Australian Government say "sorry" to the Aboriginal people? Why/Why not?
Useful links :
Your task is to investigate the culture of the Aboriginal people and their relationship with the land
Consider the following topics
The Aboriginal People's relationship with the land.
How do the Aboriginal people of today relate to the land?
Is it different from people of the past?
Is it different for Aboriginal people living in the city?
How Aboriginal culture is expressed today.
What is special about Aboriginal Art?
Why is music important in the Aboriginal culture?
How does dance express Aboriginal Culture?
Who were the Stolen Generation, and what effect has that had on Aboriginal People?
What do we mean by the Stolen Generation?
Research one Aboriginal person who was affected by the Stolen generation.
How do you think Aboriginal people feel about this?
How Aboriginal people make a contribution to society today.
Think of some famous Aboriginal people today.
What makes them famous?
What good characteristics do you think of when you think of Aboriginal people?
Having answered all the above questions, from an anthropologist's perspective, should the Australian Government say "sorry" to the Aboriginal people? Why/Why not?
Useful Links :
Your task is to investigate the literature that describes the culture of the Aboriginal people and has meaning for them.
Read a selection of the following books then answer the questions below:
My Dreaming is the Christmas Bird
Fitzherbert,S. (1989). My Dreaming is the Christmas Bird. Gosford : Bookshelf Publishing
Oodgeroo Noonuccal
Grassby, Al.(1991). Oodgeroo Noonucal. South Melbourne : MacMillan Company of Australia.
Before the Whites
Dugan, Michael. (1992) Before the Whites. South Melbourne : MacMillan Company of Australia.
Do not go around the Edges
Uttemorrah, Daisy. (1990) Do not go around the Edges. Broome WA : Magabala Books Aboriginal Corporation
Through your reading, what are the common
features
What is distinctive about Aboriginal people?
How are they different from white Australians ? (apart from their skin colour)
How are they the same?
values
What sorts of things do Aboriginal people value in their lives?
How does this affect the way Aboriginal people live?
What values do we all Australians share?
beliefs
What beliefs do Aboriginal people have?
What is the Dreaming?
How does this affect their lives?
of the Aboriginal people?
Having answered all the above questions, from a librarian's perspective, should the Australian Government say "sorry" to the Aboriginal people? Why/Why not?
Useful links :
Aboriginal Studies Curriculum : A Teacher's Guide EDWA
Moorditj : Australian Indigenous Cultural expressions. (The Moorditj Consortium, 1998)
White Cockatoo Land
Nidja Noongar Boodjar Noonook Nyininy : CEOWA, Perth, Australia
Other Internet Resources
Videos available from CEOWA
Understanding the Dreaming
Expressing our Culture
Nature's Wealth
Old Country, new Country
The Stolen Generation (edited by Carmen Bird)
Strategy 2
Evaluation of Role Team report :
Each Role Team will be required to present an Oral Report that is assisted by a Powerpoint presentation.
Each member of the Role Team must be involved in both the preparation of the Powerpoint presentation, and also the oral delivery of the report.
The Powerpoint presentation must have at least six slides, including an introductory slide, and a concluding slide.
All sources used in the research must be acknowledged.
Self and Peer Assessment will be through use of the Oral Report rubric.
Teacher assessment could be conducted through use of a checklist for both individual and group scores and individual scores will be included in the student portfolio.
Strategy 3
Evaluation of the Advisor's team :
The Advisors
Each member of the Advisor's team will be required to present their findings in the form of a letter.
This will be sent to either :
The Prime Minister
The Council of Reconciliation
Your local Federal Member
This letter will consist of
an introductory paragraph describing who you are and the issue you are addressing
at least five paragraphs outlining the background information and reasons which support your decision. Make sure you are quite specific, and quote your sources.
a concluding paragraph to summarize your case and put everything into context.
Make sure you proof read your letter.
The final copy should be typed in Word, using the correct set out for formal letters.
This will be assessed according to the key ideas which reflect the English Learning Area Outcomes. See rubric
Once the letters have been completed and edited correctly they could be emailed to people who have an interest in this issue
Your local Federal Minister
Reflection
For further information about the strategies used and links to the Curriculum Framework contact Richard Korbosky or Marisa Perica
For contacts or queries about this website please contact mcurtain@iinet.net.au
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