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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures
Illustrations of practice
Expressing culture and learning through narrative

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures Illustrations of practice

Expressing culture and learning through narrative

Introduction

Worawa Aboriginal College is an independent middle-years boarding school for Aboriginal girls. It is located in the town of Healesville 52km north-east of Melbourne on the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri People. The school has an enrolment of 69 students.

This illustration of practice demonstrates how students express different Aboriginal ways of knowing and thinking through a range of creative forms and learning areas.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures CCP Organising Ideas

OI5: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ ways of life are uniquely expressed through ways of being, knowing, thinking and doing.

General Capabilities

Literacy (Level 6)

Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating | Compose spoken, written and multimodal learning area texts | compose and edit longer and more complex learning area texts

Critical and Creative Thinking (Level 6)

Generating ideas, possibilities and actions | Consider alternatives | speculate on creative options to modify ideas when circumstances change

Personal and Social Capability (Level 6)

Self-management | Work independently and show initiative | establish personal priorities, manage resources effectively and demonstrate initiative to achieve personal goals and learning outcomes

Intercultural Understanding (Level 6)

Interacting and emphasising with others | Communicate across cultures | analyse the complex relationship between language, thought and context to understand and enhance communication

Learning Area Content Descriptions

English (Year 9)

Language | Text structure and organisation

Understand that authors innovate with text structures and language for specific purposes and effects (ACELA1553)

Literature | Literature and context

Interpret and compare how representations of people and culture in literary texts are drawn from different historical, social and cultural contexts (ACELT1633)

Literature | Responding to Literature

Reflect on, discuss and explore notions of literary value and how and why such notions vary according to context (ACELT1634)
Explore and reflect on personal understanding of the world and significant human experience gained from interpreting various representations of life matters in texts (ACELT1635)

The Arts (Years 9-10)

Visual Arts

Conceptualise and develop representations of themes, concepts or subject matter to experiment with their developing personal style, reflecting on the styles of artists, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists (ACAVAM125)

Dance

Improvise to find new movement possibilities and explore personal style by combining elements of dance (ACADAM020)

Questions for teachers

In what ways are teachers ensuring that Worawa students will have futures in "both worlds"?

How is this illustration of practice connecting traditional with contemporary forms of expression and storytelling eg traditional dancing with hip-hop?

Students are supported in their learning through telling stories and connecting with Country through art and dance. In what ways are connections being made to the Australian Curriculum?