Junior School

Year 1 Cross Curricular Learning – First Nation Roles and Responsibilities Incursion 

Article by Andria Manoli, Year 1 Level Leader 

This term, Year 1 students explored how the roles and responsibilities of families have changed over time through the Central Idea: Family life changes over time. Students conducted inquiries into how and why family structures and roles have changed overtime and how responsibilities affected people’s daily lives in the past.  

To further support this learning, students began to make connections with the rich traditions, family structures and daily lives of First Nations Australians through an engaging learning experience led by Dr Maria Karidakis from The University of Melbourne.  

Students investigated how First Nations families have lived, learned and cared for one another both in the past and today. Through discussions, images, games and role-play activities, students developed an understanding of the important roles and responsibilities within First Nations communities. They explored how Elders guide younger generations by sharing knowledge, culture, Dreamtime stories, and practical skills such as cooking, weaving, hunting, and caring for Country.  

Students learned about the different environments where First Nations peoples lived, including rivers, deserts and coastal areas. They discussed how families adapted to their surroundings by gathering food, travelling and working together as communities.  

A highlight of the learning was role playing the different things the Elders were teaching the children about their culture, such as fishing, games, lighting a fire and throwing a spear. This sparked curiosity and thoughtful discussion about how family life is different for First Nation Australians and how they respect their culture and traditions.  

To conclude the unit, students reflected on the similarities and differences between First Nations family roles and responsibilities in the past and present. They made connections between the similarities and differences and discussed how these differ from their own family.  Throughout this unit, students developed an understanding of how family life has changed over time, understanding how families work and how families have changed being the two driving questions of  the inquiry.