UNIT PLANNER INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE MEASUREMENT AND SCALE

Tayla Corrigan, Breanna Moore, Elizabeth Blackwell, Melanie Gallagher and Hannah van Beek.
UNIT PLANNER INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE MEASUREMENT AND SCALE IN OUR WORLD
Science Overarching Idea:
Year Level:
Sessions:
Date:
Indigenous Knowledge Measurement and Scale
3-4
3
Overall Aims of the Unit:
Teaching Approach Assigned and Short Description:
By the end of this unit, students will:
Despite the time constraints, we hope that students can
construct their own ideas and views about traditional
have a greater understanding that different cultures
knowledge and the benefits of it.
are relevant, whilst maintaining cultural sensitivity
and respect
Through an inquiry approach, students
recognise the importance of maintaining aspects of
3.3 This
will
learn
the
value
of
different
traditional culture and study the similarities and
demonstrate
cultures methods and beliefs in
differences among those cultures
s the use of
relation
to
their
every
day
life.
effective
learn that we can use traditional methods in our
teaching
every day life
Through
teamwork
and
jigsaw
strategies
have a greater understanding of how the Earth has
strategies, students will encompass the
been formed
traditional methods of oral language to
have a greater understanding of how time is
learn from their peers.
acknowledged in different cultures
have a greater understanding of different cultures
Via a Learning Journal, students will be assessed on their
measure
formative and summative learning.
Key Vocabulary:
Culture
Different
Time
Measurement/Measure
Growth
Developed
Indigenous
Timeline
Creation
World
Formed
Land/Mountains/Valleys

Evidence
Seasons/Seasonal
Calendar
Clock
Date
Circular
Saint Days
Star/Zodiac Signs
Czech
Indigenous Australian
Birthdays
Native American

Key Equipment/Resources:
Learning Journal
Timeline
Creation Story Pictures
Blank Paper
Pencil Cases
Blu-Tack
Indigenous Australian Pictures
Vietnamese Story Pictures
Paper Plates
Czech Clock Handouts
Indigenous Australian Handouts
Lucky Dip Box/Bag

UNIT PLANNER INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE MEASUREMENT AND SCALE

Tayla Corrigan, Breanna Moore, Elizabeth Blackwell, Melanie Gallagher and Hannah van Beek.
Waters/Sea/Rivers
Egyptian
Everyday items to measure with
Sky/Sun/Moon
Hands
Popsicle Sticks
Story
Method
Science Content Descriptions Relevant to this Unit of AusVELS Standards Science Curriculum Levels 4 &
Work:
5:
Earths surface changes over time as a result of natural
processes and human activity (ACSSU075)
Science involves making predictions and describing
patterns and relationships (ACSHE061)
With guidance, identify questions in familiar contexts that
can be investigated scientifically and predict what might
happen based on prior knowledge (ACSIS064)
Important contributions to the advancement of science
have been made by people from a range of cultures
(ACSHE082)

They describe structural features common to living things

and describe relationships that assist the survival of living
things.
They describe situations where science understanding can
influence their own and others actions.
Students suggest explanations for observations and
compare their findings with their predictions.
They explain how natural events cause rapid change to
Earths surface.

Scientific understandings, discoveries and inventions are

used to solve problems that directly affect peoples lives
(ACSHE100)

Students explain how scientific knowledge develops from

many peoples contributions and how scientific
understandings, discoveries and inventions affect peoples
lives.

Scientific knowledge is used to inform personal and

community decisions (ACSHE220)

They organise data into tables and graphs to identify and

analyse patterns and relationships.

Represent and communicate ideas and findings in a variety

of ways such as diagrams, physical representations and
simple reports (ACSIS071)

They suggest where improvements to their experimental

methods or research could improve the quality of their
data.

Safely use appropriate materials, tools or equipment to

They have an understanding of historical and cultural

UNIT PLANNER INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE MEASUREMENT AND SCALE

Tayla Corrigan, Breanna Moore, Elizabeth Blackwell, Melanie Gallagher and Hannah van Beek.
make and record observations, using formal measurements contributions to science.
(ACSIS066)
SESSION 1: MEASURING THE GROWTH OF THE EARTH
Learning Outcome: By the end of this lesson, students will have a greater understanding
of cultural perspectives of how the earth has been formed.
Before the session begins have an empty timeline on the wall.
Ask students how do you think the Earth was formed? (Prior Knowledge).
ASSESSMENT LEARNING JOURNAL: Page 1. Have students answer: how many stories of
creation they know.
(It is expected that at least one student will suggest the Catholic story of Creation. If
not, they will be prompted. If a child mentions another story, listen and draw the steps
as they explain it).
Ask students to explain the catholic creation story to the rest of the group, as they
explain it, a pre-service teacher will place the corresponding picture on the blank
timeline. Explain this process (and what a timeline is) as you go.

3.2/3.6 Through the

use of learning
journals, it
demonstrates my
understanding of a
strategy that is used to
evaluate my teaching
program for
improvement and
lesson sequencing

Ask students: do you think that everyone in the world agrees with this timeline? Why?
Why not?
Discuss that this is just one cultures opinion; one cultures version. It doesnt make it right or wrong it is just what they
believe.
Separate the group into three smaller groups; one focusing on the formation of land/mountains/valleys/etc; one focusing
on how the waters/rivers/seas were formed; and one focusing on how the sky/sun/moon came to be. Students are asked
to work individually, to create and draw a way in which each component is formed.

UNIT PLANNER INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE MEASUREMENT AND SCALE

Tayla Corrigan, Breanna Moore, Elizabeth Blackwell, Melanie3.5
Gallagher
and Hannah van
Beek.
This demonstrates
the
use of verbal and non
Once their individual drawings are complete, take one
verbal communication strategies to support
student from each group and form a mini-culture. With a
student engagement.
pre-service teacher, have students turn their pictures
into a chronological timeline of creation. Ask students to justify their decisions (e.g. fish cant live without water, so that
had to come first).
When the timelines are in order, blu-tack them to the wall with the earlier Catholic timeline and as a class, let each group
explain their timeline and discuss how each culture is different but still valid. Add to the wall an Indigenous Perspective
and the Vietnamese Timeline and continue to discuss similarities and how there is no right or wrong way.
ASSESSMENT LEARNING JOURNAL: How many stories about the creation of the world do we know now? What have we
learnt about OUR views of different cultures? (Sneaky prompts: were all these timelines the same? Are any of them right
or wrong?)
SESSION TWO: MEASURING TIME IN DIFFERENT CULTURES
Learning Outcome: By the end of this lesson, students will have a greater understanding
of how different cultures have observed and interpreted time.
Ask students How can you prove to me what time of the year we are currently in without bringing me a calendar.
Ask students to go outside and get any object from the school grounds (e.g. leaves/jackets) to prove to the pre-service
teacher what time of the year it is.
3.1 This demonstrates
my understanding of
Students have 5 minutes to find their objects and bring them back. Have a class
providing students
discussion and come to a conclusion that it is Autumn which means it must be either
with challenging
March, April or May.
activities that cater for
a range of abilities
Ask students to mark on their calendar where today might be. They can label their
through open-ended
calendar to assist them. (Ask why there are four sections).
questioning.
Also ask students to mark their birthday on the calendar; ask them what seasonal
changes/natural occurrences happen around their birthday?
Whats the weather like on your birthday?
Heres another calendar with the seasons and give students print outs of the Czech Astronomical Clock from Prague.
Explain that this clock was made in 1410 and it tells ancient Czech time; therefore it is from the Ancient Czech culture.

UNIT PLANNER INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE MEASUREMENT AND SCALE

Tayla Corrigan, Breanna Moore, Elizabeth Blackwell, Melanie Gallagher and Hannah van Beek.
Observe and discuss the different features of the clock/calendar. SEE ATTACHMENTS FOR IMAGES
The Astronomical Clock tells us:
Monthly Illustration Descriptions:
- When the sun will rise
January: the celebration of a birth of a child as the New
- When the sun will set
Year
- Ancient Czech time
February: a farmer warms his legs by the fire and his wife
- Present-day time
brings firewood (Winter)
- The movements of the sun, moon and stars
March: the farmer ploughs the field
- The current zodiac sign
April: the farmer fastens up the trees
- Sun dial
May: a young man decorates his hat and a maiden collects
- The day
flowers (Spring)
- The months
June: the farmer cuts the grass
- The Saint Day
July: the farmer mows the wheat
August: the farmer flails the crops
September: the farmer is sowing the seeds (planting)
October: the farmer reaps the grapes
November: cuts down an oak tree
December: farmer kills a pig (big meal? Christmas?)
For the purpose of this activity, just focus on the bottom clock.
Figure out the different elements and where today is; Ask students where they think today would be on their clock. Ask
what else is happening today based on the Astronomical clock and the same for their birthday.Have students write their
answers in their learning journal.
(A discussion about European Seasons and Australian seasons may be necessary (as we dont generally need fires to
keep us warm in February). )
If time permits: Present students with the Indigenous Calendar and ask them how many seasons they think there are.
Pre-service teacher leads a discussion about this calendar and students again figure out where today might be and their
birthdays and see what else they can learn. SEE ATTACHMENT FOR IMAGE
Key Questions:
Apart from the date, what else can we learn from these calendars? How do these calendars compare to our
calendars?
ASSESSMENT LEARNING JOURNAL: Make sure students names are on all their calendars and then pre-service teachers

UNIT PLANNER INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE MEASUREMENT AND SCALE

Tayla Corrigan, Breanna Moore, Elizabeth Blackwell, Melanie Gallagher and Hannah van Beek.
will attach them to their Learning Journal for evidence (To be returned to students next week).
SESSION THREE: MEASURING OBJECTS IN DIFFERENT CULTURES
Learning Outcome: By the end of this lesson, students will have a greater understanding
of the various
3.1/3.3/3.5 This
measuring methods from different culture.
demonstrates a
In a lucky dip box have lots of every day objects (rubbers, pens, rulers, drink bottle, books,
etc). Each child selects an item from the box and uses that as a measuring tool to measure
a table, chair and door. Students record their answers on a handout.
As a group discuss who found this easy/difficult and why? Ask if some tools were better
than others, why, why not?
Ask students what else they could use to measure things? (Brainstorm ideas).

lesson that involves

verbal and non
verbal
communication,
student engagement
through hands on
activities and
challenging ideas.

Split the group in half, give one group a popsicle stick each and the other group nothing.
Say that both groups need to measure the doorway/tree. Pre-service teachers will be with each groups and observe how
they do it. Once they have figured out a method, the pre-service teachers will introduce a new method (e.g. The Native
American method for the group with popsicle sticks and the Egyptian Method for the group without sticks). Students
then re-measure the tree/door way and complete the maths with their pre-service teacher.
Students then come together and compare their answers. (Hopefully they are similar!)
Then, using the cultural tradition of oral language (aka jigsaw teaching strategy), have students share their method with
a partner. If time allows, have students try the new method that they have just learnt from their peer.
ASSESSMENT LEARNING JOURNAL: Refer to the Session Three Page in the Learning Journal. Students should briefly
reflect on their learning.
Final Conclusion: Discussion (record in learning journals) about what students have learnt over the past three sessions
about different cultures.

UNIT PLANNER INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE MEASUREMENT AND SCALE

Tayla Corrigan, Breanna Moore, Elizabeth Blackwell, Melanie Gallagher and Hannah van Beek.
Session 1: How was the world made?

My Learning Journal
Name: ________________________

1) How many stories of creation do you

know?
None

One

More than one

2) How many stories of creation do you think

there are now?
3) What have you learnt about your views
about different cultures?

How do different cultures help me measure my

world?

UNIT PLANNER INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE MEASUREMENT AND SCALE

Tayla Corrigan, Breanna Moore, Elizabeth Blackwell, Melanie Gallagher and Hannah van Beek.

Session 2: How does the world tell the time?

What have I learnt about today?

My Calendar:

What have I learnt about my birthday?

UNIT PLANNER INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE MEASUREMENT AND SCALE

Tayla Corrigan, Breanna Moore, Elizabeth Blackwell, Melanie Gallagher and Hannah van Beek.

Session 3: How can we measure?

My object:
.
chair
table
doorway
tree
The new method I learnt was from the
____________________culture.
The method I was taught was from the:
___________________culture.
I think these methods were:

What have I learnt?

What have I learnt about different cultures?

What do I think/feel about other cultures,

their beliefs and methods of measuring?
Interesting

Silly

Different

Valuable

Weird

Good

Useful

Uncomfort
able
Accepting

Comfortabl
e
Confused
Positive

Are there any other thoughts youd like to

mention?

UNIT PLANNER INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE MEASUREMENT AND SCALE

Tayla Corrigan, Breanna Moore, Elizabeth Blackwell, Melanie Gallagher and
Hannah van Beek.
SESSION ONE IMAGES
Illustrations:
Catholic
Creation
Story

Illustrations:
Indigenous
Australian
Creation
Story

Illustrations:
Vietnamese
Creation
Story

UNIT PLANNER INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE MEASUREMENT AND SCALE

Tayla Corrigan, Breanna Moore, Elizabeth Blackwell, Melanie Gallagher and
Hannah van Beek.
SESSION TWO - IMAGES