Interactive Discovery Maps – Tools and Technology
If information is power, then learning and education is the solution to disprove misinformation and reject reinforced stereotypes.
The Discovery Map featured on Jajoo Warrngara supports students to engage in self-directed learning in new ways. The interactive map allows students to explore community and Country through media, stories and perspectives from custodians Australia-wide.
This month we are introducing our educational Tools and Technology Discovery Maps, a unique resource available exclusively on Jajoo Warrngara. Our interactive Discovery Maps offer students an opportunity to explore the diversity of cultural knowledges across First Nations communities, each starting with a Welcome to Country.
As students embark on this journey, they explore the wisdom of the Ḻiya Dhälinymirr, Mungo, Wamba Wamba, and Bangerang communities, discovering knowledge about tools, artefacts, weapons and technologies. They can navigate the maps using the ‘compass worksheets” which include inquiry questions, comprehension tasks, and extension activities.
Each of the maps comes with a set of unit plans. In the “Natural Fibres” unit, students learn about the Rawu rope song, which trees are used for creating rope, and create a design for their own sustainable products. The “Rock Cycles” unit delves into the formation of rocks and their various uses. In “The Boomerang Principle” unit, students explore aerodynamics, with a focus on how First Nations perspectives influence scientific knowledge, with a close look at David Unaipin’s inventions.
These resources offer a unique educational journey, mapped to the Australian Curriculum. Supporting teachers and connecting students with rich cultural heritage while expanding their knowledge of the Cross Curriculum Priority Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures.
