 Anyone who knows me, knows that I love a yarn and this week I have had so many interesting yarns with teachers about how they are approaching the Challenge. I love the diversity of approaches and the thought that has gone into the plans that are being rolled out across the country. For some teachers this is the end of week 2 – can you believe how fast it is going? Astronomy was popular this week – lots of kids getting to learn about the amazing skies above us! We have two different astronomy lessons complete with video and other resources to support you on the Wingaru Kids platform. If you haven’t already come check them out! NAIDOC is coming up and this year’s theme ‘Always was, always will be’ is a great theme to build your planner around. There are so many ways you can explore the theme. You might like to:
I have spoken to a few teachers who are using NAIDOC as inspiration for the Challenge so make sure you are sharing and following so you can see all the great ideas that are being shared! To give you some ideas on what you might do for a NAIDOC approach I have attached a sample planner below. No matter how far in you are I would encourage you to check out some of the inspiration being shared under #PlanningWithWingaruAndMrJChallenge. Stage 2 NAIDOC Sample Planner - Download from link below  
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 This week we announced the #PlanningWithWingaruandMrJ Challenge – an initiative to get teachers thinking and talking about including more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content in their classrooms. The response has been amazing! I am so excited at the number of teachers who have said they are going to take part! I can’t wait to see what everyone does. If you missed the initial posts about the Challenge, check out the previous blog, which has more information and the planner template: www.wingaru.com.au/blog/planner-challenge. You should also head on over to Mr J’s Learning Space to follow his journey. In the words of Mr J “the #planningwithwingaruandmrj challenge is all about taking that first step and deciding to think more intentionally about what we do and how we can naturally incorporate First Nations content into our teaching and share the journey together to inspire and support other educators as they try to do the same”. To give you some ideas on what you might do to bring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content in each week for term 4, we have created 3 sample planners that I have attached here. These planners, one for each stage, illustrate just some of the different approaches you could take in including a weekly First Nations perspective. Local Focus - Use term 4 to explore your local community. You could explore: Country – how did the local mob use a river? or get to know the clans of the language group; Language – what is the local language? Can you find examples of it? Is there a local speaker you could invite in? Land management - what bush tucker grows in the area? What tools would likely have been made given the material available in the local environment? What sustainability practices were likely practised? Perhaps you could look at how the local people are represented today. The possibilities are endless. Build lessons around a single resource – this example shows how you can build experiences around one topic or resource. Consider the elements of your focus topic and build additional experiences to explore the elements. In our example we look at turtles but the same approach could be taken with many other subjects. Think about the key learning areas and how they may be present in your chosen resource. Focus on a single topic/unit – this example shows the possibilities of choosing a topic you are learning about in your class and exploring it from many angles which supports students to develop a strong understanding of the related issues. This works well for topics where students should consider different opinions and perspectives on an issue as they develop their own thoughts on it. You could apply any of these approaches to any stage with some tweaking or apply the approach to any topic that suits what is in your plan for term 4. Don’t be afraid to mix it up! The possibilities are endless – don’t forget to share your ideas by tagging @wingaru_education and @mr.j.learning.space Stage 1 Sample Planner - Download from link below 
Stage 2 Sample Planner - Download from link below 
Stage 3 Sample Planner - Download from link below 
 One question that teachers regularly ask me is how often they should include Aboriginal content or perspectives in their classrooms. There is no one answer that is going to work for every classroom and I always suggest that teachers start with what they are comfortable with. The most important thing is that you give it a go and build from there. That said, I would love to see teachers including Aboriginal and Torres Strait content once a week. I think this is attainable and planning can support you to reach this target. One teacher who has taken up this challenge is Mr J of Mr J’s Learning Space who you can follow on insta here www.instagram.com/mr.j.learning.space/. Mr J is one of those teachers we all want our kids to have. His energy is amazing and I love that he is so inclusive with both his classroom content and his approach to school leadership. So, when he responded to a post about including perspectives weekly (saying that he was aiming to do just that) I reached out to offer him a planner that would support him to include content each week for a term. The planner is designed to help identify and organise the inclusion of First Nations content in all key learning areas for a term. I have included the planner below and I encourage you to take up the challenge of including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content each week of term 4, 2020. Mr J will be including Aboriginal content in his classroom each week of term 4 and sharing it with you on his insta so make sure you follow along for inspiration and follow his tips to make this challenge achievable. Follow him here www.instagram.com/mr.j.learning.space/. If you are reading this and thinking that I have lost touch with reality and there is no way you can include more in your already busy program, bear with me. I know including Aboriginal content or perspectives is daunting for many teachers. We will be sharing ideas and tips over the term to support you in the challenge, including examples of different approaches using the planner. Make sure you are following us on social media so you don’t miss these. There are so many ways you can bring Aboriginal content or perspectives into your classroom. At Wingaru, we aim to support teachers by providing complete lessons that align with curriculum so that teachers can, if they choose, add an Aboriginal perspective to the content they are already teaching in the classroom. This approach means that even just 30 to 60 minutes can bring a new layer to student learning and increase the amount of Aboriginal content they are exposed to over the year. But if this approach isn’t for you that is ok. There are so many other ways you can approach bringing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content in. You could:
Share your ideas with us online and borrow from other teachers’ ideas. If one inclusion a week feels out of reach, don’t worry. Start where you are comfortable and increase at a pace that works for you. The Wingaru Planner is flexible and will work for you no matter how you approach the challenge or how many weeks you plan to include Aboriginal content. Just give it a go! Finally, share your experiences with us. We want to see how you are including Aboriginal perspectives and would love to hear your ideas for meeting the challenge. Use the hashtag #PlanningWithWingaruAndMrJ. Download the planner and social media templates and join us in term 4 for the #PlanningWithWingaruAndMrJ Challenge. A4 Aboriginal Perspectives Teacher Planner - Download from link below 
Challenge Social Media Templates - Download from links below 
 Tip 1: Participate in a simultaneous learning experience with “All Together Now for Reconciliation”.
Across Australia children in early learning centres, primary and high schools, can simultaneously join the reconciliation movement and learn from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices via an exciting online platform we have developed in partnership with Reconciliation NSW. “All Together Now for Reconciliation” is a simultaneous classroom experience specially created to provide easy and accessible cultural content and is a great way to engage kids in activities for National Reconciliation Week. Students will learn about the theme of Reconciliation through age-appropriate activities and discussions:
To participate join us online at www.togethernow.com.au. Tip 2: Learn more about this year’s theme. Visit the Reconciliation Australia website to learn more about the 2020 theme “In this together”. While you’re there download this year’s poster to display in your classroom. Tip 3: Have an open discussion in your classroom. What does reconciliation mean to your students? Encourage your students to explores the five dimensions of reconciliation as identified by the State of Reconciliation in Australian 2016 Report – historical acceptance, race relations, equality and equity, institutional integrity and unity. Tip 4: Learn more about the significance of the dates at the beginning and end of National Reconciliation Week. National Reconciliation Week is held on the same dates every year – 27 May to 3 June. Both these dates mark two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey— the successful 1967 referendum, which gave the Australian Government the power to make laws for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and to include them in the Census; and the High Court Mabo decision, which saw the concept of terra nullius overturned. Our Wingaru Kids platform provides informative and engaging lessons on both these important dates with our “1967 Referendum” and “Mabo” lessons. Each lesson includes a lesson plan, curriculum outcomes, video, digital activities and printable resources. Tip 5: Check out one of the Reconciliation activities National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. Visit the Reconciliation Australia website check out this year’s National Reconciliation Week events.  Ya (hi) everyone, my name is Alana Gall and I am an Indigenous health researcher at Menzies School of Health Research. I come from a large Pakana/Tasmanian Aboriginal family. Our Ancestors connect us back to the North East coast of lutruwita/Tasmania, and more recently to the Bass Strait Islands of Cape Barren and Flinders Island. One of my family’s ancestors, a woman named Pularilpana, was abducted by European sealers in the early 1800s and taken to the Bass Strait Islands. A number of Pakana/Tasmanian Aboriginal families ended up on the many islands in north east Bass Strait (or the Furneaux Islands) but were eventually forced to live at the Aboriginal Reserve on Cape Barren Island. ningimpi-mana (My Nanna), was born on Flinders Island and grew up there and on Cape Barren Island. I currently work on Turrbal and Jagara Country in Brisbane. I have always been exposed to natural medicines and cultural ways of life. My Dad, Andrew Gall (kurina), always hunted for food when I was young. He would catch snakes, go spear fishing and also hunt for kangaroos. My Mum, who is of English descent, was a keen gardener (as was her father) and growing food “organically” was just a normal part of our lives. So we tended to use both bush medicines that were traditionally used by my ancestors in Tasmania, as well as natural remedies passed down in my Mum’s family. Growing up I didn’t know this was different to other people and I always liked the idea of using the things placed on earth to heal. It wasn’t until my daughter was 5 years old though that I really understood just how powerful these natural medicines could be. She had suffered with pustular tonsillitis no less than 5 times in one year. The sixth bout was very stubborn, and I ended up having to go to the doctor for a third lot of antibiotics as it just wasn’t clearing up. This upset me as I hated seeing my daughter in so much pain and the doctor was saying she’d need to get her tonsils removed. I am of the belief that where possible we should keep everything in our bodies, as otherwise why would it be there? So I didn’t like that option either. I decided to jump on the internet and try to find an alternative so looked into natural medicines for tonsillitis on there. I ended up giving her Schuessler Tissue salts and echinacea tincture. Her pustular tonsillitis healed up and now she is 18 years old and hasn’t suffered with it since! This solidified in my mind just how powerful these medicines are and that I wanted to know more. Since that time my passion for natural medicines has seen me complete courses in Flower Essence therapy and Iridology, a degree in Nutritional medicine, and a Masters by research that focussed on traditional and complementary medicine use by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cancer patients. Through this work I have been able to see just how important these medicines are to the people who use them. In one study I highlight the need for the health sector to open up communication about traditional and complementary medicines in the health care setting, and ensure they are not allowing their own biases about medicine to interfere with providing culturally safe care. As teachers and parents, it is equally important that we understand about these medicines so we can speak confidently about them, and also teach the young ones. This is especially true for the traditional medicines of my people, and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders around Australia. These medicines have been shown to provide them with physical, emotional and spiritual benefits, which is congruent with their differing views on health, being that of a holistic model of health. As teachers, it is especially important that you also provide a culturally safe space for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children to learn. Through putting your bias aside (assuming you adhere to the reductionist model of health care that is the politically dominant one in Australia) you allow these children to feel accepted in the school setting. By teaching about bush medicine in the classroom, not only is this an interesting and engaging subject for all your students, you foster an environment of inclusion which in turn may reduce racism in the future generations. I am happy to share what I know, so please contact the team at Wingaru if you have any particular bush medicine topics you’d like to know more about and they can work with me to develop the resources you need to teach your children with confidence about this topic. nayri nina-tu (thank you) Alana Pakana woman, Alana Gall, is an Indigenous health researcher at Menzies School of Health Research. You can follow Alana’s work on: alana.gall@menzies.edu.au TWITTER @LarnzLarnz LINKEDIN https://au.linkedin.com/in/alana-gall-36535152
Like most school parents, making sure my child gets a healthy lunch box and a breakfast that is capable of seeing him through a busy morning of learning is a challenge that I face daily. I worry about how much Mr 7 eats and also the quality of the things he is willing to eat. Hot dogs and happy meals just won’t cut it, despite what he tells me! I am really lucky to have an amazing support network to draw on and when Mr 7 stopped eating breakfast I shared my frustration with the amazing Jenny Kahn, a Ngiyampaa Wailwan woman and the owner of the delicious breakfast cereal company: The Unexpected Guest. This is an Aboriginal owned company that produces the most amazing muesli and health bars. In her usual low-key way, Jenny told me about her kids, who are all grown up, and the things she did to get them through this same stage. And as has always been the way with Aboriginal People, her stories taught me some new approaches to breakfast and our mornings are much less stressful. I mentioned the advice from Jenny (which I have shared below) to some of the mums at school pick up and they agreed that Jenny is a wise woman! And because I really do know the most amazing women, I wasn’t surprised when another mum, Tracey Pattison, a very respected cookbook author, offered her muesli slice recipe which we have been making a lot using the Unexpected Guest Gluten Freestyle Muesli, which is a staple in our house. I have attached Tracey’s recipe so you can share the goodness. We eat it for breakfast as we can’t send nuts to school but I plan to make a nut-free version for the lunch box any day now – I just really love the Unexpected Guest range so it’s what I always have in the house. Healthy Breakfast for Busy Lives - Jenny Kahn Getting organised for the school day is hard for most people (kids, teachers, mums and dads) which means fuelling your body with the best foods to get you alert for the day may be the last thing on your list. Most people will tell you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Back when my daughter was in school she didn’t like to eat early so breakfast was not a factor for her. Back then I was determined she should have something healthy in her tummy before school. Our schedule was hectic and I had to drop her at Before School Care by 7.30am otherwise I would miss my train to work. Every morning I would give her a banana or carrot and we would walk into the Before School Care Centre with her happily chewing on either one and me feeling relaxed in my mind that at least her lunch box was full of goodness plus a banana or carrot for brekky, everyone happy! My daughter is 25 now and we are both busier than ever. The variety of breakfast goodies has changed too and we have so many different options available like cereals, smoothies, protein shakes, eggs on toast (if time permits). The one thing you do not want to indulge is foods covered with refined sugars that will affect your focus and therefore your work performance. Our Freestyle Granuesli at The Unexpected Guest is 99.9% Australian Certified Organic and includes the most beautiful Australian Bush Honey from Queensland which is organic. Honey is our second ingredient and was a very popular food source and sweetener in Aboriginal/ First Nations communities before colonisation as well as nuts and seeds. The Aboriginal/ First Nations diet was simple but rich in every food group (meat, fish, fruits, vegetable and nuts). In Aboriginal life we only take what we need to ensure vital balance in ourselves and the environment, therefore we believe the serving portions in our mueslis ensure you maintain balance in your food intake. Even if you are time poor in the morning, pour a portion into a reusable snap lock bag or go plastic free with a paper bag and eat it like a trail mix: no need for milk. Another option is our Organic Oats & Nuts Bar which is a perfect grab-and-go food that has no refined sugars and includes the Australian Bush Honey. Enjoy the school and work morning routine without the stress of missing breakfast! You can follow Jenny and the Unexpected Guest at: Website: https://www.theunexpectedguest.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_unexpected_guest Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theunexpectedguest You can follow Tracy Pattison at: Website: https://www.traceypattison.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tracey.pattison/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TraceyPattisonCommunity/ 
 Every time I hear someone say that racism is not a problem in Australia I am surprised because racism is an everyday factor in the lives of Aboriginal people. Regardless of our age, skin colour and social status we are disadvantaged every day due to attitudes and actions based on our Aboriginality. And I am genuinely surprised that people cannot see it. How do they miss it? |
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| closing_the_gap_activity.pdf |
A Guest Post by Carolyn Newall from We Teach Well
For those of us who are dedicated teachers of English and literature, literacy has always meant more than the ability to read words on a page. Literacy is the ability to make meaning from those words. To read them, evaluate them, use them, create content with them, understand and make meaning from them.
Literacy is a current buzzword in Education, nowhere more so than when it is attached to words like media and digital. Media literacy and digital literacy are not exactly the same as normal literacy, but neither are they completely unconnected.
Just as normal literacy concerned itself with making meaning out of written texts, media and digital literacy concern themselves with making meaning out of media and digital texts. As such, English teachers can not afford to be elitists and ignore them.
English teachers do not have a specific body of content to impart. They have a never ending wealth of content with which to teach a variety of skills and abilities. The most advanced being the ability to understand and make meaning from the world we live in. And make no mistake, for our students it is a digital world and we need to get ahead of it.
I have been particularly concerned for some time with the importance of cultural signifiers in reading comprehension. That is to say, are there cultural references in the text that make it inaccessible for a student who does not know that cultural context. Indigenous educators across the world have done really important work in this area and created more equitable contexts for their students.
Just as we need to be aware of cultural content we need to be aware of cultural modes of transmission. To create the best outcomes for our students we need to allow them access to modes that they are familiar with. Modes that allow them to display their understandings in new and different ways.
For my own son who suffered from dyslexia but had a visual memory that still astounds me, this would have been a game changer. Despite A grades for all spoken and media presentations, his written work was always poor and consequently his overall score for English was not good. Had he been allowed to make movies, record a podcast, create a social media profile, he could have demonstrated his understanding and analytical prowess far more successfully.
Teaching English is about teaching students to make meaning and communicate it to their audience. Writing essays can not be the only way we judge their prowess. The digital world is not going anywhere and we need to keep up.
On a side note, digital modes are opening up ways for teachers to have far greater impact and to earn extra income as well. But that is a topic for another day.
For now I have provided a complimentary copy, only for readers of the Wingaru Education Blog, of our presentation Teaching Film as Text.
Also If anyone is interested you will find some of our resources, including our free ebook, So You Want Them To Read, for teaching film at our TES store. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/WeTeachWell
Carolyn Newall
We Teach Well
Over the last week we have been honouring Black Diggers for their service. I am overwhelmed by the response! Every single person who has served for this country deserves the highest respect and I have seen that this week. The pride the Aboriginal community has for our soldiers is heartwarming. It is great to see Black Diggers getting the recognition they deserve.
I have learnt a lot and been privileged to hear the stories of great people. I hope schools start to include Aboriginal soldiers in their ANZAC lessons and am proud of the resources we offer to support this.
I am fortunate enough to call Uncle Ken Canning a friend and am excited to share, with his blessing, one of his poems. You can download a printable version at the bottom of this post.
You will find more of Uncle Ken's work at https://vagabondpress.net/products/ken-canning-burraga-gutya-yimbama.
BLACK DIGGERS
Author Burraga Gutya (Ken Canning)
Hail!! You brave men.
You gave your all,
to fight.
Not for King or Queen
but for country.
Your land,
your soil,
entrenched
in your heart.
All wars all battles,
the strong Black Diggers
stood tall proud
and gave honour
to all Peoples
of this land.
Fires of war
burned out,
some came home
to be shunned
once more.
The country
your fought for,
turned its
cowardly back
on you,
the brave Black Digger,
as brave as those
who fought,
in our frontier wars.
You once more
were cast out by
a callous country.
Not even
allowed to speak
to those you fought
so valiantly beside.
Proud strong,
humble Black Digger,
we your Peoples,
give thanks
and glory
to your
sacrifice.
From those
long passed
to you
still amongst us,
stand tall in honour.
For at the going down
of every sun,
we shall always
remember you,
BRAVE BLACK DIGGERS.
I have learnt a lot and been privileged to hear the stories of great people. I hope schools start to include Aboriginal soldiers in their ANZAC lessons and am proud of the resources we offer to support this.
I am fortunate enough to call Uncle Ken Canning a friend and am excited to share, with his blessing, one of his poems. You can download a printable version at the bottom of this post.
You will find more of Uncle Ken's work at https://vagabondpress.net/products/ken-canning-burraga-gutya-yimbama.
BLACK DIGGERS
Author Burraga Gutya (Ken Canning)
Hail!! You brave men.
You gave your all,
to fight.
Not for King or Queen
but for country.
Your land,
your soil,
entrenched
in your heart.
All wars all battles,
the strong Black Diggers
stood tall proud
and gave honour
to all Peoples
of this land.
Fires of war
burned out,
some came home
to be shunned
once more.
The country
your fought for,
turned its
cowardly back
on you,
the brave Black Digger,
as brave as those
who fought,
in our frontier wars.
You once more
were cast out by
a callous country.
Not even
allowed to speak
to those you fought
so valiantly beside.
Proud strong,
humble Black Digger,
we your Peoples,
give thanks
and glory
to your
sacrifice.
From those
long passed
to you
still amongst us,
stand tall in honour.
For at the going down
of every sun,
we shall always
remember you,
BRAVE BLACK DIGGERS.
Burraga Gutya (Ken Canning)
| black_digger_poem.pdf |
One of the visions I have for Wingaru is that we are able support people to consider Aboriginal perspectives in a new way. By making information more accessible and providing complete packages of resources that support a range of learning outcomes, Aboriginal perspectives can easily be included regularly and not just limited to the designated ‘Aboriginal unit’ or ‘Aboriginal week’ that a lot of schools have delivered in the past.
I feel very strongly that we need this change. Many kids are still leaving school with little education about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, culture or history. They are going unprepared into a world that now requires them to have an understanding of these issues. As a society we are stuck in conversations that should be over. But this progression can’t happen without the development of a shared knowledge base and for this to develop we need to make a concerted effort to include Aboriginal perspectives in the classroom regularly.
I love it when teachers tell me that they are including more Aboriginal content in their classrooms and not just being limited to standard designated topics. An easy example is including a lesson on how Aboriginal People used astronomy in a unit about planets or including information about Aboriginal Diggers in lessons about ANZAC day or looking at traditional Aboriginal toys as part of a STEAM activity. The possibilities are endless and Wingaru Kids is here to make this easier.
Easter activities are underway in many classrooms around the country and this is a great opportunity to take a different approach and include an Aboriginal perspective. While Aboriginal People did not celebrate Easter, eggs were an important part of customary life – diet, art and ceremony - and all this talk of eggs is a great time to look at how Aboriginal people used eggs. Here are some free resources to help get you started.
I feel very strongly that we need this change. Many kids are still leaving school with little education about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, culture or history. They are going unprepared into a world that now requires them to have an understanding of these issues. As a society we are stuck in conversations that should be over. But this progression can’t happen without the development of a shared knowledge base and for this to develop we need to make a concerted effort to include Aboriginal perspectives in the classroom regularly.
I love it when teachers tell me that they are including more Aboriginal content in their classrooms and not just being limited to standard designated topics. An easy example is including a lesson on how Aboriginal People used astronomy in a unit about planets or including information about Aboriginal Diggers in lessons about ANZAC day or looking at traditional Aboriginal toys as part of a STEAM activity. The possibilities are endless and Wingaru Kids is here to make this easier.
Easter activities are underway in many classrooms around the country and this is a great opportunity to take a different approach and include an Aboriginal perspective. While Aboriginal People did not celebrate Easter, eggs were an important part of customary life – diet, art and ceremony - and all this talk of eggs is a great time to look at how Aboriginal people used eggs. Here are some free resources to help get you started.
| bush_tucker_foods_-_eggs.pdf |
| easter_colouring_sheet.pdf |
| wingaru_easter_egg_puzzle.pdf |
Author
Wingaru Education believes that all children should have access to quality education about Aboriginal people and culture.
We believe that including Aboriginal perspectives in everyday learning promotes reconciliation and drives real change for Aboriginal people.
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