Stories That Shape Us

Learning Areas

English | History | Visual Arts | Civics and Citizenship

In this unit

Students will watch several films which reveal both the harsh realities of exclusion and the resilience and joy found in family and community. Students will consider how these stories help us understand the impact of racism on identity and belonging, and why truth-telling is so important.
Through yarning circles and visual mapping activities, students examine these themes before researching and gathering their own local stories from family histories, community accounts or national movements such as the Freedom Rides. These stories are then transformed into creative works such as biographies, poems, portraits or collages, which are brought together as a class story collection that honours resilience, identity and community voice.

This unit includes:

Video

Unit

Cultural Protocols

Learning Areas

Civics and Citizenship Year 10

AC9HC10K04
How Australia’s international legal obligations shape Australian law and government policies, including those relating to First Nations Australians, and the issues related to the application of these obligations
AC9HC10K05
The challenges to and ways of sustaining a resilient democracy and a cohesive society in Australia and/or in our region or globally
AC9HC10S01
Develop and modify questions to investigate Australia’s political and legal systems, and contemporary civic issues
AC9HC10S02
Locate, select and compare information, data and ideas from a range of sources
AC9HC10S03
Analyse information, data and ideas about political, legal or civic issues to identify and evaluate differences in perspectives and interpretations
AC9HC10S05
Create descriptions, explanations and arguments using civics and citizenship knowledge, concepts and terms that incorporate evidence

History Year 10

AC9HH10K09
The causes of First Nations Australians' campaigns for rights and freedoms before 1965, such as discriminatory legislation and policies, the 1938 Day of Mourning and the Stolen Generations
AC9HH10K10
The contributions of significant individuals and groups in the campaign for the recognition of the rights of First Nations Australians and the extent to which they brought change to Australian society
AC9HH10K11
The significant events and methods in the movement for the civil rights of First Nations Australians and the extent to which they contributed to change
AC9HH10K12
The significant events, individuals and groups in the women’s movement in Australia, and how they have changed the role and status of women
AC9HH10K13
The continuing efforts to create change in the civil rights and freedoms in Australia, for First Nations Australians, migrants and women
AC9HH10K15
The origins and significance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, including Australia’s involvement in the development of the declaration
AC9HH10K18
Continuities and changes in perspectives, responses, beliefs and values that have influenced the Australian way of life
AC9HH10K19
The effects of global influences on Australia’s changing identity as a nation and its international relationships
AC9HH10S02
Locate, identify and compare primary and secondary sources to use in a historical inquiry

English Year 10

AC9E10LA01
Understand how language can have inclusive and exclusive social effects, and can empower or disempower people
AC9E10LA02
Understand that language used to evaluate, implicitly or explicitly reveals an individual's values
AC9E10LE01
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
AC9E10LE04
Evaluate the social, moral or ethical positions represented in literature
AC9E10LY06
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

Visual Art Year 10

AC9AVA10D01
Experiment with visual conventions, visual arts processes and materials to refine skills and develop personal expression
AC9AVA10D02
Reflect on the way they and other visual artists respond to influences to inspire, develop and resolve choices they make in their own visual arts practice
AC9AVA10P01
Evaluate art exhibits to inform the curation and exhibition of their own and/or others’ artworks and/or visual arts practice

Cross Curriculum Priorities

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures

Country/Place

A_TSICP1
First Nations communities of Australia maintain a deep connection to, and responsibility for, Country/Place and have holistic values and belief systems that are connected to the land, sea, sky and waterways.
A_TSICP2
The occupation and colonisation of Australia by the British, under the now overturned doctrine of terra nullius, were experienced by First Nations Australians as an invasion that denied their occupation of, and connection to, Country/Place.
A_TSICP3
The First Peoples of Australia are the Traditional Owners of Country/Place, protected in Australian Law by the Native Title Act 1993 which recognises pre-existing sovereignty, continuing systems of law and customs, and connection to Country/Place. This recognised legal right provides for economic sustainability and a voice into the development and management of Country/Place.

Culture

A_TSIC1
First Nations Australian societies are diverse and have distinct cultural expressions such as language, customs and beliefs. As First Nations Peoples of Australia, they have the right to maintain, control, protect and develop their cultural expressions, while also maintaining the right to control, protect and develop culture as First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property.
A_TSIC2
First Nations Australians’ ways of life reflect unique ways of being, knowing, thinking and doing.
A_TSIC3
The First Peoples of Australia (Aboriginal Peoples) belong to the world’s oldest continuous cultures. First Nations Australians demonstrate resilience in the maintenance, practice and revitalisation of culture despite the many historic and enduring impacts of colonisation, and continue to celebrate and share the past, present and future manifestations of their cultures.

People

A_TSIP2
First Nations Australians have sophisticated political, economic and social organisation systems, which include family and kinship structures, laws, traditions, customs, land tenure systems, and protocols for strong governance and authority.
A_TSIP3
The significant and ongoing contributions of First Nations Australians and their histories and cultures are acknowledged locally, nationally and globally.

The Meaning of Welcome

Year levels: 7-8 3 lessons

Students explore the meaning and contemporary significance of a ‘Welcome to Country’ and an ‘Acknowledgement of Country’.

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Bush Botanists

Year levels: 5-7 2 lessons

In this project-based unit, students will learn how First Nations peoples have maintained and passed down cultural knowledge about traditional foods, medicine and tools for successive generations. Students will then share their learning by creating plant posters, prints, or T-shirts, that brings bush tucker knowledge to life.

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Hidden Histories: Forced Adoptions and the Stolen Generations

Year levels: 9-10 2 lessons

Students investigate how harmful government policies shaped child removal, including forced adoptions and institutional care. They’ll learn how these decisions still impact families, community, culture and identity today. Students will watch survivor films, explore living-memory sources, yarn, take shared notes, and draft written responses.

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Unit Content

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Stories That Shape Us 3 Lessons

Focus Area Content

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Stories That Shape Us – Lesson 1

Stories That Shape Us – Lesson 2

Stories That Shape Us – Lesson 3

Learning Areas

In this unit

This unit includes:

Video

Video

Video

Video

Unit

Cultural Protocols

Learning Areas

Civics and Citizenship Year 10

History Year 10

English Year 10

Visual Art Year 10

Cross Curriculum Priorities

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures

Country/Place

Culture

People

Unit Content

Dunghutti Community

Year 10

English

History

Visual Arts

Civics and Citizenship

3 x 60 minutes

Unit Includes

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Stories That Shape Us

Learning Areas

In this unit

This unit includes:

Video

Video

Video

Video

Unit

Cultural Protocols

Learning Areas

Civics and Citizenship Year 10

History Year 10

English Year 10

Visual Art Year 10

Cross Curriculum Priorities

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures

Country/Place

Culture

People

Related Units

Unit Content

Dunghutti Community

Year 10

English

History

Visual Arts

Civics and Citizenship

3 x 60 minutes

Unit Includes

Explore

Login or Subscribe

Contact us