Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

15 minutes – Part A: History - What Do We Know?
20 minutes – Part B: Perspectives on History
20 minutes – Part C: Perspectives in the Classroom
10 minutes – Reflection

Part A: History - What Do We Know?

In this part, students undertake a quick exercise to establish their background knowledge about Australia’s diverse histories and perspectives, including those of European and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritages.

Note: If the technology is available, students could use Google Docs or some other collaborative platform instead of their workbooks.

Step 1.

Ask students to get into groups of 2-4. Set a five minute time limit, and instruct students to use that time to write down as much as they can about the history of Europeans in Australia.

Step 2.

Once the five minutes is up, set another five minute limit. Instruct students to use this time to write down as much as they can about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories.

Note: Depending on each individual student’s exposure to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and perspectives, their knowledge may be limited to pre-colonial history. This is okay, as it may be all they have been taught, but it might be worth noting this with the students and considering why this might be the case.

Note: It might be a little presumptuous to assume that your Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students know the answers to these questions just because they have Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander heritage. Similarly, nobody needs to be embarrassed or ashamed for not knowing these details. This exercise is just an opportunity to establish existing knowledge.

Step 3.

Ask students to compare the amounts they wrote for each activity. You might like to engage them in a discussion using these prompts:

What do they know more about?
How is their knowledge weighted?
Is it more towards one historical lens or the other?
What are some of the factors that might result in students knowing more about one type of history than another?
What might be some steps to rectify any imbalance?

Part B: Perspectives on History

If you have completed the previous lesson in this series, In My Blood It Runs - Identity - English - Years 9 & 10, you may not need to re-introduce In My Blood It Runs in as much depth. Otherwise, complete Step 1 below to introduce the film to students.

Note: Throughout this section, students might tend to speak of ‘the’ European perspective, or ‘the’ Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander perspective. It’s sometimes hard for adults to avoid doing this too. Where appropriate, it’s worth emphasising that there is no single ‘European’ perspective, nor a single ‘Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander’ perspective. This is a concept they may have explored in their history class, as there are many versions of history represented by various sources and it is widely understood that there is no single definitive version of history.

Step 1 (optional).

Introduce students to the In My Blood It Runs film. Although you won’t be watching the whole thing at this stage, it’s worth introducing and contextualising it before watching the upcoming clip.

You may want to begin by showing students the trailer for the film (https://vimeo.com/358942768), or by providing them with this initial description:

“In My Blood It Runs is an intimate and compassionate observational documentary from the perspective of 10-year-old Dujuan Hoosan in Mparntwe (Alice Springs), Australia, struggling to balance his Arrernte/Garrwa upbringing with state education.

When Dujuan cannot run nor fight alone, he faces the history that runs straight into him and realises that not only has he inherited the trauma and dispossession of his land, but also the resilience and resistance of many generations of his people.

Dujuan is a child-healer, a good hunter and speaks three languages. As he shares his wisdom of history and the complex world around him we see his spark and intelligence. Yet Dujuan is ‘failing’ in school and facing increasing scrutiny from welfare and the police. As he travels perilously close to incarceration, his family fight to give him a strong Arrernte education alongside his western education lest he becomes another statistic. We walk with him as he grapples with these pressures, shares his truths and somewhere in-between finds space to dream, imagine and hope for his future self.”

Step 2.

Inform students that they will now watch two short clips from In My Blood It Runs. Students should compare how the teachers in each clip treat different perspectives on history. You might like them to use a table like this to take notes:

Show the first clip, below, in full. Allow students to watch the whole clip uninterrupted, and then return to the start. They will then have an opportunity to break the clip down into chunks and consider it in more detail.

In My Blood it Runs (documentary) - 'That was for white people, not Aboriginals' (clip 04) (https://vimeo.com/437699203/20ac3d9b6a) Closer Productions, 2019.

Step 3.

Start the clip again and pause at 0:31, on the close-up picture of The Australia Book. There are two separate shots here - the wider shot of the book, and then the close-up image of Cook’s landing. Stop at the second of the two images.

Invite students to discuss the book used in the clip and the perspectives it demonstrates. You might like to use these prompts to guide the discussion:

What does this book present as the first event in Australian history? What do we know? What can we assume from this image in the film?
Suggested answer: The close-up image of The Australia Book suggests that it treats Cook’s landing as the first event in Australian history.
During what timeframe does the book locate the start of Australian history?
Suggested answer: 1788, or when England discovered and colonised Australia.
Did Australia have a history before this time?
Suggested answer: There is scientific evidence that humans have been living on the continent of Australia for up to (or over) 65,000 years.
What is the book suggesting about the history of Australia by starting where it starts? What perspective is it privileging?
Suggested answer: The book indicates that the only historical perspective that matters is the Anglo-European one.
Whose perspective is ignored by the authors of the book?
Suggested answer: The perspective of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is being ignored, as well as any other visitors to the continent, such as the continent’s close neighbours in Indonesia or the Dutch explorers.

Encourage students to think critically about the perspectives on history that are being presented in this book.

Step 4.

Continue watching the clip, and pause again at 1:04, after Dujuan raises his hand. For students that might have missed the teacher’s words, reiterate this quote:

“On an island off Cape York he [Cook] raised the English flag, and he claimed for the English country the whole of this new land.”

Invite students to respond to these questions:

Why is Dujuan raising his hand?
What might his perspective be about Australia being ‘new’ land?
Possible answer: Australia is not a ‘new’ land to Dujuan because as he sees it, his ancestors have been living here for up to 65,000 years (or possibly even more).

Again, emphasise the idea of different perspectives on history. It’s easy to think about Australia as new if you only arrived there a couple of hundred years ago.

Step 5.

Finish playing the rest of the clip.

Explain to students that at the end of this clip, Dujuan speaks in voiceover, giving his perspective directly to the viewers.

Quote: "The history that we're told at home is in language and it's about the Aborigines. But the ones back at school, that was for white people, not for Aboriginals."

Invite students to discuss this final question:

What is the film suggesting about Dujuan’s perspective by having it in voiceover rather than showing him speak in the classroom?
Suggested answer: The film positions Dujuan’s voice in voiceover, instead of in the classroom, to metaphorically suggest that there isn’t room for his voice in the classroom. There is also a broader suggestion that mainstream education, more generally, doesn’t make adequate room for First Peoples’ voices and perspectives in the classroom.

Step 6 (optional).

As a point of extension, you might ask students to consider how the film is positioning itself between the two (or more) perspectives represented in the clip (the one demonstrated by the book, and Dujuan’s perspective).

Does it emphasise one perspective over the other? What does it say about the relationship between the two perspectives?
Suggested answer: The film shows how European perspectives sometimes cause Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander perspectives to be marginalised or pushed to the side. It shows one perspective being privileged over another in the classroom and then tries to redress that imbalance by giving Dujuan a chance to speak directly to the viewer. The film is his chance to put forward his perspective in a way that he couldn’t in the class.

Part C: Perspectives in the Classroom

In this part, students watch a second clip from In My Blood It Runs.

Step 1.

As before, allow students to watch the full clip through without pausing.

In My Blood It Runs (documentary) - 'Spirit is real' (clip 07) (https://vimeo.com/437698807/f74f23d6d3) Closer Productions, 2019.

Step 2.

Invite students to share their initial impressions with each other. You might like to use these prompts:

Do they see any similarities between this clip and the last clip?
Does one clip build on or challenge the messages from the other clip in any ways?

Guide student thinking with the following additional questions:

What perspectives are being taught in this classroom?
How are those perspectives portrayed by the teacher?
How does the portrayal of those perspectives compare with the previous clip? Is the teaching different in any way?

Step 3.

As with the previous clip, run students through it a second time with the intention of stopping and starting. Invite students to offer their own contributions as well - perhaps by putting their hands up if they notice anything they would like to comment on.

You might like to encourage them to use this table to collect three examples and use them as a basis for discussion:

Evidence from the film that shows a perspective (quote, image, camera angle, voiceover etc.)	What perspective is being put forward in this piece of evidence?	What are my thoughts about this?
Possible answer: “For a long time there was nothing. Then, in the mind of the Spirit of Life, a Dreaming began. In the empty darkness, there was a dreaming of fire. And a colour of fire burned brightly in the mind of the Great Spirit.”	This shows an Aboriginal perspective that is being shared through the book.	This sounds similar to the start of history that First Nations peoples experienced - similar to the story of creation in the Bible. It also sounds a little like the big bang.
Possible answer: “Can you understand that? I’m glad you can because I find it a bit confusing about the Spirit and Dreaming.”	The teacher’s worldview does not include ‘Spirit and Dreaming’ as being real. She presents this perspective as something others in the class might also have, but acknowledges it belongs to her.	I feel the teacher could have asked the students more about their understanding of ‘Spirit and Dreaming’ if it was a concept she struggled with. The way she asked the question and put it forward didn’t seem like she was interested in another perspective.
Possible answer: “I’m not exactly sure how they do it.”	By using the word ‘they’, the teacher puts herself apart from Aboriginal perspectives.	The teacher doesn’t seem to have noticed that there are many Aboriginal in kids in her class. It sounds like she’s only talking to the non-Aboriginal students.
Possible answer: “Spirit is real ae.”	Dujuan is sharing his perspective.	Dujuan agrees with the book, probably because his family is Aboriginal and they have shared similar stories with him. I think it’s cool he challenged the teacher - it took courage.

We have provided a transcript of the dialogue below for your convenience:

“For a long time there was nothing. Then, in the mind of the Spirit of Life, a Dreaming began. In the empty darkness, there was a dreaming of fire. And a colour of fire burned brightly in the mind of the great spirit. So they’re actually saying there’s a spirit - I’m not exactly sure how they do it, but there’s a spirit somewhere - and in that spirit, there’s a spirit of fire.”
“Spirit is real ae.”
“Okay, let’s see what happens next.”

Reflection

Invite students to reflect on the following questions:

What are some factors that contribute to your perspective on topics? E.g. do your family members or friends influence you? Does your religion or cultural background influence you?
Do you think there is value in considering diverse perspectives? What can be gained?
Reflect on your answers to the European and First Nations histories activity. How much do you know about different Australian histories and what could you do to change or expand your point of view?

Differentiated Learning

Extension -

If students identified that they could know more about First Nations histories, they could use the AIATSIS site and spend some time learning about different key events relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories and cultures. They could create posters about the events that they research and put them on a timeline around the room to visibly demonstrate respect for parts of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories that are often not taught in mainstream classrooms.

Provisions for Learning Support -

In Part B, Step 2 students could work in pairs to support students with lower literacy - ensure to pair them up with someone more confident.
In Part C, Step 3, you could provide students with Column 1 filled out and they could focus on completing the other 2 columns.

Teacher Reflection

Take this opportunity to reflect on your own teaching:

What did you learn about your teaching practice today?
What worked well?
What didn't work so well?
What would you share?
Where to next?
How are you going to get there?

In My Blood It Runs - Diverse Perspectives

Go to

Summary

Learning intentions:

Students understand...

Success criteria:

Students can...

Lesson Guides and Printables

Lesson Details

Skills

Curriculum Mapping

Resources Required

Additional Info

In this lesson