Background Information

Content information:

The activities in this unit will help you to explore key aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures. Exploring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives with your children will benefit both First Nations and non-Indigenous children.

For any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in your centre, exploring their culture plays a key role in their development, identity and self-esteem, and contributes to the overall well-being of the child.

For non-Indigenous children, embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in their early education experiences is fundamental in creating inclusive and accepting attitudes, and positive race relations. These perspectives are also about celebrating different cultures and the uniqueness of individuals. It is enriching for children to experience the different perspectives and diverse human experiences other cultures can bring to the melting pot.

For more information about why you should aim to embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives at your centre - including terms of reference and cultural protocols - visit Caring for Country – Learning for Educators.
To access more activities to support you in exploring and embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories in your centre and activities, click here.

Before beginning this activity, it is strongly recommended that you complete the Tuning In Introductory Lessons. These activities will guide you to find out more about the Traditional Owners of your area. Having this information will support you in authentically embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in your room and centre as well as guiding you to build genuine relationships with the Traditional Owners of your area.

Part A: Discussion

Step 1.

Begin by inviting children to lie on the floor and close their eyes. As they lie there, invite them to imagine they are looking at the stars, for example:

Keeping your eyes closed, imagine you are looking up at the sky at night. The sky is black but there are many many stars. The stars are everywhere, in every direction. Some stars are brighter than others. Some stars are bunched together to make little clusters. Some stars seem to be twinkling and flickering. In some places, the way the stars are spread out means you can see pictures in the sky. If you’re really lucky, you might even see a shooting star fly across the sky. There is also the moon - is it a full round moon or just a slither?

Step 2.

You may also want to have a discussion with children about their own experiences of observing the night sky:

I wonder what you saw?
I wonder how late you had to stay up to see the stars?
I wonder where the best place to see the stars is?

To find out more about how these types of questions help with oral language development, click here.

Part B: Activity

Step 1.

Explain to children that for many traditional cultures the night sky has an important role in how these cultures interact with the world around them and with each other. For the Meriam people in the Torres Strait (share your map with children), twinkling stars mean the seasons are changing. For other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, observing the changes in the sky at night can help with knowing when is the best time to collect certain plants and animals, either for food or for making objects such as baskets or fish and eel traps.

Step 2.

Share the following clip with children, explaining that the narrator is from Kamilaroi Country (share this map with children so they know where Kamilaroi Country is). In this clip, we hear the story of the emu in the sky. As children will see, this story shares important information about the land and animals in Kamilaroi Country; it is not just a story for entertaining but a way of sharing knowledge and knowing Country:

Through Our Eyes - Dhinawan 'Emu' In The Sky with Ben Flick (youtu.be/LzFYFutiwoA)

Once complete, take some time to recap the main elements of the story with children, for example:

the emu appears in the Milky Way each year in around April/May (grab a calendar to show children what time of the year that is)
it appears just underneath the Southern Cross (find your own picture of the Southern Cross to share with children or use this one)
when the emu appears in the sky, it's time to collect emu eggs
make sure to leave some eggs for next year
after early June the eggs start getting chicks in them so no more collecting eggs after early June.

Step 3.

You could invite children to create an artwork that describes the emu in the sky story. This could be a picture of an emu sitting on her eggs, someone collecting eggs, or an emu in the sky made of stars. Display these artworks for your families to see and include a description of what these artworks represent (for more detailed information, see here).

Part C: Possible Lines of Development

Children may have their own ideas about how to extend this activity, or you could consider the following:

Birds are one type of animal that lays eggs - what other animals might lay eggs? Work with children to create a poster of some of the animals that lay eggs! (e.g. see here)
Children could participate in a role play where they act out the baby emus hatching from their eggs and taking their first steps, looking for their siblings and finding food
Explore other Caring for Country Themed Activities.

Evaluation

Complete an analysis of learning, listing evidence about:

Belonging	Finding something of interest
Communication	Expressing an idea or feeling
Exploration	Engaging with challenge and persisting when difficulty arises
Wellbeing	Being involved

Caring for Country: Space Connections

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Summary

Activity Guides and Printables

Activity Details

Curriculum Mapping

Resources Required

Additional Info

In this activity