Dimboona and the Wail Rock
Overview
In this unit, students explore narrative through the Wail Rock Creation story. They understand that language and images are used to create plot, character and setting. They unpack the elements of a narrative and recognise that stories have a beginning, a middle and an end.
Acknowledgement
At the heart of Jajoo Warrngara are the communities that lead the work on Country. We would like to acknowledge the storytellers Uncle Joshua Walker and Uncle Raymond Walker, who have shared their cultural knowledge, and pay our respects to the Elders past and present.
Uncle Raymond Walker (Dege – meaning white hair) and Uncle Joshua Walker (Gilan – meaning grey hair) are proud Noonuccal Elders who hold strong and historical connections to Country and the community of Stradbroke Island. They both acknowledge their Grandmother Oodgeroo Noonuccal, and her generosity in sharing with others to enhance the appreciation of Aboriginal Culture. They continue to pass these stories down to their families, through yarning, dancing and creative expression.
Protocols
These tailored classroom protocols have been developed by Tribal Custodians and Elders Uncle Joshua and Uncle Raymond. This guide directly relates to the Quandamooka Community’s knowledge and stories which have been generously shared with SharingStories Foundation. The related teaching resources have been developed in collaboration with the Quandamooka Community. Quandamooka Protocols
Essential Questions
- What is a Creation story?
- Why is the story of Wail Rock significant for Quandamooka people?
- Where was the Creation story set?
- Who were the characters in the story?
- What is the sequence of a story?
Links to Resources
Teacher Resources
Dimboona and the Wail Rock Lesson 1
- Watch the Quandamooka Welcome from the Quandamooka Elder Uncle Joshua Walker in the media section of the Jajoo Warrngara portal.
- Watch the Quandamooka Wail Rock Creation Story.
- Using the Map of Indigenous Australia | AIATSIS identify where Quandamooka Country is and in which Country your school community is located.
Task
- Form a yarning circle to discuss the film. Some questions to support the discussion are as follows:
- What did you think or feel when you saw the film?
How did you know this was a First Nations Creation story?
Have you ever read or heard other First Nations Creation stories?
What about Creation stories from other cultures?
What happened in the story?
- In the centre of the circle, lay out some butcher's paper and coloured pens. Unpack the story with the students, using the 8 Ways Learning Map pedagogy. Write the headings 'Setting', 'Character', 'Problem' and 'Language'.
- Some questions to support the process of unpacking the story are as follows:
- What images stood out for you? List them.
Who were the characters in this story?
Where does this story take place?
What was the problem that the two hunters faced?
How did they fix this problem?
What happened in the middle of the story?
What happened at the end of the story?
The Language spoken on Stradbroke Island and Moreton Islands is the Jandai Language. Can you remember what the Jandai Language words in the story were? What was the English meaning of those words?
- Write the students' ideas and thoughts onto the Learning Map.
Reflection
- Once complete, engage with the Learning Map. Students to practise saying the Language words and reflect on the following:
Do you know any local Language words?
How can these be found?
Who might you talk to or what resources might you use to find out?
Dimboona and the Wail Rock Lesson 2
- Following on from the last lesson, revisit the Quandamooka Wail Rock Creation Story in the media section of the Jajoo Warrngara portal.
- Discuss the importance of structuring stories with a clear 'Beginning, Middle and an End'. Explain to the students that a plot has to be interesting for people to enjoy reading a story.
- Introduce the concept of a Plot Mountain on the board to the class.
- Hand out the Plot Mountain template for students to follow along.
Beginning - this is the introduction, where character and setting is established.
Build-up - this is an incident or problem that sets the story into action. Visually, it is here where the story begins rising or building tension. Tension makes stories interesting!
Problem - this is the peak of tension in a story. Usually here, the main character is forced to make a decision to overcome an issue or conflict. It should be at the point where the reader is unsure where your story is going to go next. A great climax will have the reader really wanting to know what will happen next.
Wind-down - this is when we start to see the issue or conflict resolving. Where we start to fix the problem.
Ending - is the end of the story.
Task
- In pairs, students discuss the Wail Rock Story.
- Using the Plot Mountain provided, students mark out the features of the Quandamooka Wail Rock Creation Story with the correct plot points.
Reflection
- Share your ideas with the class.
How could you tell there was a build up before the problem? What was it?
Was the problem ever truly resolved?
What can we learn from this story?
Dimboona and the Wail Rock Lesson 3
- Following on from the last lesson, form a yarning circle and recap the story Quandamooka Wail Rock Creation Story.
- Ask the students to think of the main characters in the story. What did they notice about the characters? How would they describe them? What did they do? Why did they do it?
Task
- Students find their own space in the room, shut their eyes and imagine a character that may live in or around the land, seas and skies of Minjerribah. It could be a garumun (kangaroo) a buangan (dolphin) (buangan) a miriginba (sea eagle) (language word) ... let the imagination run wild!
- Allow students to stay in their own space. On the Character Profile template provided students are to draw the character they imagined. They write six things about the character in the space provided. For example:
Loves to sleep under trees.
Can talk under water.
Has great eyesight.
Reflection
- Reflect upon what you liked most about the character you created. Share your creations with the class or display them on the classroom walls.
Dimboona and the Wail Rock Lesson 4
- Following on from the last lesson, explore other Creation stories. Remember SharingStories Foundation's community-led Multi-touch Books and other resources can be accessed in the Media Section of the Jajoo Warrngara portal.
- Yarn with students about the images that stood out for them in the Quandamooka stories, or any other stories they explore.
Task
- Students are to create an artwork inspired by an element in Creation stories, using various media, such as drawing, painting, or collage.
- Students write one or two sentences explaining their artwork and what inspired it.
Reflection
- Display art in an exhibit and have students yarn with each other about their creations. Where possible, invite local Elders to attend the exhibition.
