Analysing Characters in Like My Brother

This lesson is designed to build students’ competencies in the following skills:

• critical thinking
• cultural understanding
• curiosity
• digital literacy
• empathy
• intercultural understanding
• reflection

Australian Curriculum (v9.0) content description:

Year 9 English

Students learn to 

• analyse the representations of people and places in literary texts, drawn from historical, social and cultural contexts, by First Nations Australian, and wide-ranging Australian and world authors. (AC9E9LE01)
• analyse how representations of people, places, events and concepts reflect contexts. (AC9E9LY01) 
• plan, create, edit and publish written and multimodal texts, organising, expanding and developing ideas, and selecting text structures, language features, literary devices and multimodal features for purposes and audiences in ways that may be imaginative, reflective, informative, persuasive, analytical and/or critical. (AC9E9LY06)

Year 10 English

Students learn to 

• analyse representations of individuals, groups and places and evaluate how they reflect their context in literary texts by First Nations Australian, and wide-ranging Australian and world authors. (AC9E10LE01)
• analyse and evaluate how people, places, events and concepts are represented in texts and reflect contexts. (AC9E10LY01)
• plan, create, edit and publish written and multimodal texts, organising, expanding and developing ideas through experimenting with text structures, language features, literary devices and multimodal features for specific purposes and audiences in ways that may be imaginative, reflective, informative, persuasive, analytical and/or critical. (AC9E10LY06)

Relevant parts of Year 9 and 10 achievement standards: 

Year 9 English

Students evaluate and integrate ideas and information from texts to form their own interpretations. They select evidence from texts to analyse and explain how language choices and conventions are used to influence an audience. Students create texts that respond to issues, interpreting and integrating ideas from other texts.

Year 10 English

Students develop and justify their own interpretations of texts. They evaluate other interpretations, analysing the evidence used to support them. Students create a wide range of texts to articulate complex ideas. They make presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, building on others' ideas, solving problems, justifying opinions and developing and expanding arguments.

NSW Syllabus outcomes

EN5-RVL-01: uses a range of personal, creative and critical strategies to interpret complex texts.

EN5-URA-01: analyses how meaning is created through the use and interpretation of increasingly complex language forms, features and structures. 

EN5-URB-01: evaluates how texts represent ideas and experiences, and how they can affirm or challenge values and attitudes. 

EN5-ECB-01: uses processes of planning, monitoring, revising and reflecting to purposefully develop and refine composition of texts.

General capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking, Digital Literacy, Intercultural Understanding, Literacy

Cross-curriculum priority: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures

Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium - The teacher needs to be able to explain some cultural concepts to students and facilitate class discussions.

UN SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

• Target 5.c: Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels.

• Coolagram template
• Student Worksheet

Like My Brother is a Film by Sal Balharrie under her production company, Naked Emperor in partnership with Tiwi Co-Producers Tictac (Dianne) Moore, and Tammy Abala and Shane Tipuamantamerri (of Mamanta Consulting).

The Tiwi Islands are located North of Darwin, with a rich history of traditional culture and an unparalleled love of Australian Rules football. 

On 3 February 2017, Sal took her son and his friends to see the very first AFLW game - Carlton versus Collingwood. The stadium at Ikon Oval was packed and the vibe was incredible; this was fresh and wonderful - a brand new opportunity for young women to play professional Aussie Rules Football! But as the crowd cheered, what Sal saw out on the field was also very, very white. Where was the spark of Indigenous play? Where was the Tiwi magic? And how would young Tiwi women make it to Melbourne? What would it take for Tiwi girls to experience ‘success’ just like their brothers?

And from this spark of an idea began a seven year project of a collaborative, creative team asking these very questions. Co-directed by Sal Balharrie and Danielle MacLean, Like My Brother takes us inside small moments of human experience to ask big questions. With a light touch, the film invites us to walk in the shoes of another; to take a moment to think about and challenge the ways in which we see the world. Using layers of filmmaking - moving images, dialogue, character, theme and, importantly, music, the film sets out to explore: what does it take to dare to dream, what are the costs, and ultimately, who defines ‘success’?

Teachers should watch Like My Brother (the trailer is here) to familiarise themselves with the narrative, themes, characters and content. School bookings to view the film can be made through:

• Event Cinemas: privatehire@evt.com 
• Hoyts Cinemas: schools@hoyts.com.au 
• Palace Cinemas: magenta.mchalick@palacecinemas.com.au 
• Reading Cinemas: info@readingcinemas.com.au 
• Village Cinemas: functions@village-cinemas.com

Beginning to Include First Nations Peoples' Perspectives in Your Classroom 

Quick Summary: This course aims to inform and upskill educators in incorporating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives. The course emphasises the importance of connecting with personal motivations, overcoming biases, and incorporating diverse perspectives while being inclusive of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages and cultures. Additionally, it provides guidance on terms of reference, protocols, and strategies for inclusivity, fostering an inclusive and accepting educational environment and curriculum design.