AT3b Cultural Awareness Proforma for Lesson Sequence

Name/ Theme of
Learning About Aboriginal Music and Dance with Final
lesson sequence
Performance
Which presentation
topic/s have you drawn
on for the sequence:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Music and Dance: Relevance

for Teaching.

What major benefit will

this presentation topic
be to the students (2
sentences)

Through undertaking this lesson sequence students will understand

and gain knowledge of the diverse culture, importance of dance and
music and contexts of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
peoples through utilising cross curricular priorities. The students
will develop their intercultural understanding by increasing respect,
understanding of other times and places and developing an
understanding of cultural identity.
1. Perform dances using expressive skills to communicate
ideas, including telling cultural or community
stories (ACADAM007)
2. Respond to dance and consider where and why people
dance, starting with dances from Australia including dances
of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Peoples (ACADAR004)
3. Respond to music and consider where and why people make
music, starting with Australian music, including music of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Peoples (ACAMUR083)

3 overall learning
outcomes for
sequence/curriculum
objectives taken from
the Australian
Curriculum: The Arts
(2014).

Lesson 1:
45 mins

Topic/Theme:
This is an introductory and investigative lesson where students
compare and contrast different cultures reasons for music and dance
via a class brainstorm.
Teacher focuses in on the Indigenous aspect and children learn
about the purpose and importance of music and dance in the
Aboriginal culture and the historical aspects surrounding them.
Show a short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=c5Sou45vT1s
Deep Questions:
- Is music important to you in the same way that it is
important to Aboriginal people? Why/Why not?
- Are there any similarities between why we might dance and
why Indigenous people dance? What are they?
Learning Outcomes:
- Students can remember and describe the purpose held for
indigenous people in relation to music and dance. Ie:
dancing/singing to tell a story, for celebration, for ceremony

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Lesson 2:
45 mins

etc.
Students can respond and differentiate between different
music and dance (traditional vs. modern day) and recognise
that all types of music and dance deserve respect and
appreciation.

Topic/Theme:
Students investigate Indigenous musical instruments and explore
how/why/in what situation these are used. They have the
opportunity to try certain instruments. Short videos of aboriginal
musical performances are shown or a live performance if possible.
Students learn why learning about different cultures music is
important. They are exposed to different types of indigenous music
used for different purposes such as: ceremony, sad, happy, fast, slow
etc.
Students learn about the Digeridu, clapsticks, rattles, skin drums,
hand clapping, voice and other body percussion.
Deep Questions:
- Why do you think music is so important to Aboriginal
people?
- Is it important that we learn about different cultures music?
Why/Why not?

Lesson 3:
25 mins

20 mins

Learning Outcomes:
- Students can list at least 4 different traditional instruments
used by Indigenous people.
- Students can explain the purposes of music to Indigenous
people and respond to and recognise the value of learning
about the subject matter.
Topic/Theme:
Students explore Indigenous dance its purpose and techniques.
Students are shown a video of a traditional storytelling dance. They
learn that there are certain dances/musical instruments that they
cannot perform/use and the reasons why (cultural protocol).
Students practice a simple story telling dance to traditional
indigenous music (check for a performance piece is appropriate to
be performed by the class to aviod breaching cultural protocols).
Some students may play certain traditional instruments (cultural
protocol may need exploring here).
Deep Questions:
- How/why do Indigenous people use dance to express a
story?
- Can we choose any type of Indigenous dance or song we
like to perform ourselves? Why/Why not?
Learning Outcomes:
- Students can respond to traditional Indigenous dance and list

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Lesson 4:
30 mins

15 mins

some reasons dance is used by Indigenous people

Students recognise that some Indigenous
dances/songs/instruments are sacred and can explain in their
own terms why they cannot be performed in the classroom.

Topic/Theme:
Students learn about cultural protocols and the importance of
respect for Indigenous culture. They learn about the introduction
Acknowledgement of Country and its purposes. They learn about
the difference between an Acknowledgement of Country and a
Welcome to Country. They write their own Acknowledgement of
Country to precede their performance (heed cultural protocols).
Students continue to practice their story telling dance to music for
final performance.
Deep Questions:
- Why do you think it is important that we recognise
Indigenous people with an Acknowledgement of Country?
- Do you think it would be appropriate to use an
Acknowledgement of Country at any other time? If so when
and Why?

Lesson 5:
30 mins practice
15 mins performance
including
Acknowledgement of
Country

Learning Outcomes:
- Students can identify why an Acknowledgement of Country
is used.
- Students can identify how the elements of dance and
production elements express the ideas intended in the dance
are performing.
Topic/Theme:
Final practice and performance of Indigenous story telling music
and dance piece. The Acknowledgment of Country written by the
class is used at the commencement of the performance. Perhaps
invite some Indigenous elders/individuals to view the performance.
Students take part in a post-performance/unit self-evaluation
provided by the teacher and have the opportunity explain what they
did and did not like about the unit for teacher reflection.
Deep Questions:
- Do you think it is important for others to see this type of
music/dance? Why/Why not
- Do you think it is important for you to learn about different
types of music and dance such as Indigenous? Why/why
not?
Learning Outcomes:
- Students can, through performance expression, communicate
ideas and tell a cultural story
- Students can explain why their experience in the unit of
work has been valuable and list several things they have

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learnt throughout.

Examples of
assessment tasks

Assessment:
This learning sequence gives the teacher an opportunity to use
integration to assess different subject matter such as English,
History and The Arts at the same time. The teacher would use
formative assessment such as questioning, collection of work
samples and discussion throughout the lesson sequence to monitor
the students progress, attitude and growing knowledge.
The final assessment includes a rubric for each child to be used
throughout the sequence and an assessment of the final presentation.
The assessment at the very least should cover music and dance
strands of the Australian Curriculum with cross-curricular priorities
pertaining to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives. The
self-evaluation gives the teacher another avenue to assess learning
but also to reflect on their lesson sequence and via student feedback
they can improve for similar sequences in the future.

Theoretical Rationale:
All students in Australian Schools will benefit from gaining a deeper
understanding of people, cultural expression and history (Troy, 2012) by engaging
with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cross-curricular priorities across many
subject areas. The lesson sequence provided above is tailored to introduce students to
the initial concept and only after uncovering and building on their prior knowledge to
they begin to learn new concepts and produce a performance. According to
McPherson (2006) cross-curricular project/performance based learning is key to
enhancing young students understanding and enthusiasm. The AITSL Standard 2.4
states that at a proficient level teachers must provide students with opportunities to
develop understanding and respect for Indigenous histories and cultures. Through
this sequence of lesson students are exposed to Indigenous culture through music and
movement they have the opportunity to try various forms of Indigenous expression
and are educated on the ethical and cultural importance of the subject matter.
According to Williams (2014) dance is a vehicle from which to develop young

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peoples interest in and respect for other cultures. Mackinlay (2001) elucidates that
participation in music-culture has the potential to actively engage students with their
own and others political, ethical and cultural experiences. Mackinlay (2001) also
explains that music and movement education is a valuable social and pedagogical
experience as it moves students beyond familiar boundaries and encourages them to
engage with multiple texts to build their understanding.

AITSL (2014) Standard 1.4 mandates that at a proficient level teachers must:
Design and implement effective teaching strategies that are responsive to the local
community and cultural settingof Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students.
This sequence has been designed as such to allow for different levels of prior
knowledge and it promotes collaboration and social development across cultures.
The purpose of this sequence leading to an intercultural performance is to engage
students in doing. This type of inquiry approach promotes more success than other
options of simply watching or listening (Mackinlay, 2001). This sequence had been
designed with emphasis on the importance of using and teaching accurate, respectful
and culturally appropriate materials and information. By including this learning
sequence into the year teachers are not only educating all children in the richness of
Aboriginal culture but also reinforcing the personal identity, cultural heritage and
histories of any Aboriginal children in their class (Ricney, 2011).

Ethical Position:
This unit has opened my eyes to a whole new world of cultural inclusion and
incorporation. When beginning this unit I had a very narrow, undefined and
somewhat racialised view on how and why to include Indigenous perspectives into
the curriculum. More than that if I reflect on my previous perspective rather than my

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now developing one, I am ashamed to say that I expected to teach a sequence about
Aborigines rather than incorporate and integrate their rich cultural perspectives into
various other subject areas. This unit along with the AITSL standards have helped me
to realise that cultural competency is vitally important not only to teach Aboriginal
perspectives but also to include and foster engagement of Aboriginal students and the
Aboriginal community. According to Buckskin (2012) every child deserves a teacher
who will gain knowledge of their students cultures better and apply their
understandings and skills throughout the childs education. This in turn not only
builds effective relationships with students but also helps them to assume personal
identity and gives them means to interact in cross-cultural situations. I am continuing
to develop my understanding but am happy to say that I have come a long way over
the course of this unit. I understand the importance of developing my cultural
awareness in order to have the ability to teach Indigenous students but also know the
content and how to teach it in a respectful and culturally appropriate way to all
students in my class.

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References

ACARA. (2014). The Australian Curriculum: The Arts. Retrieved from

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/thearts/music/curriculum/f10?layout
=1

AITSL, Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (2014). Australian
Professional Standards for Teachers. Retrieved from http://www.aitsl.ed
u.au/australian-professional-standards-for-teachers/standards/list

Buckskin, P. (2012). Chapter 11: Engaging Indigenous students: The important

relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and their
teachers. In Price, K (Ed.), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education
(pp. 164-180). Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.

McPherson, E. (2006). Teaching Across the Curriculum Explorations in Teaching

World Studies Through Dance and Other Disciplines. Journal Of Dance
Education, 6(2), 57-59 retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy
.utas.edu.au/eds/pdfview er/pdfviewer?sid=391b545c-05e5-4514b9189f063c0e0d92%40s essionmgr198&vid=16&hid=104

Mackinlay, E. (2001). Performative Pedagogy in Teaching and Learning Indigenous

Women's Music and Dance. Australian Journal of Indigenous Education,
29(1), 12-21 retrived from <http://search.informit.com.au/document
Summary;dn=249030642 479863;res=IELIND> ISSN: 1326-0111

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Ricney, L. (2011). Including Aboriginal perspectives in the Australian Curriculum:

Advice to teachers. Primary & Middle Years Educator, 9(1), 14-18.

Troy, J. (2012). Chapter 9: Languages and literacy. In Price, K (Ed.), Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander Education (pp. 131-150). Cambridge, MA: Cambridge
University Press.

Williams, J. (2014) Introducing Torres Strait Island dance to the Australian high
school physical education curriculum: Asia Pacific Journal of Education,
34(3), 305-318, DOI: 10.1080/02188791.2013.823380

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