5 easy ways to include a First Nations’ perspectives in your classroom today

Small steps to take now and get you started on your journey to embedding First Nations’ perspectives and culture in your classroom

1. Read a book by a First Nations Australian

There are so many wonderful books which can be used in almost any setting. I am a big advocate of using quality picture stories at all year levels within the school. Check out Riley Callie Resources for some ideas to get you started.

Books by First Nation's authors and illustrators

2. Create or share an Acknowledgement of Country

Giving an Acknowledgement of Country is an important way to share with children the importance of recognising the traditional custodians of the land they are playing and learning on. Check out my post on this topic for ideas on how you can go about this and some examples you can use.

Acknowledgement of Country in the classroom

3. Listen to a song by a First Nations Australian

Most children love singing, dancing, and making music! There are some truly wonderful resources available, and we are big fans of Uncle Noel Butler and his album Look, Learn, Sing, Dance is a great place to start. Each song is accompanied by a sharing of cultural knowledge and the songs are fun and catchy. Check out Goombawa (Koala) as an example.

You can use this in many ways, from just a listening exercise, to a chance for children to collect data for an information report about Koalas, an opportunity for a movement break, or more! The song Stomp by Sharron Bell from her album Ngama is another great song for a movement break, her album also includes versions of the song in language.

4. View and respond to artwork by First Nations Australian artists

There are some truly inspiring artworks available which can serve as provocations for learning or creating in your classroom. Try including them in your space and seeing how students respond. They may attempt to copy the artwork, they may ask questions about it, they may create their own artwork using similar techniques. Artworks can also be used as provocations for writing.

Although many artworks can be found online, consider the ethical lessons you are teaching the children in your room. If you are going to display the image on a screen, a download may be fine, but if you intend to print or laminate the image, consider purchasing it from the artist. This can be anything from full sized prints to smaller, more affordable items such as postcards, gift cards and postcards.

Sea turtles, by Garry Purchase

5. Add an Australian languages map to your classroom

As well as teaching children the English name of the area where they live, a language map shows them the name of the traditional custodians of the land. This is another way to share with children the importance of Acknowledging the culture and history of the land where they play and learn.

You can purchase copies of the map, or if you have a smart screen you can visit the AIATSIS website and display a digital copy of the map.

There is also a wonderful video which covers all of these languages! This would be great to play during pack up or transition to familiarise children with the names of the many First Nations’ language groups around Australia.

AIATSIS Map of Indigenous Australia

Have you implemented any of these ideas? Let me know how your children responded! Remember to let me know if you are happy for me to share your post on the blog.