Aboriginal Education: EDUC 5429

Assignment 2: Resource Collection (30%)

Sarah Anne Dandridge 20501616

Word Count:

Unit Coordinator: Clint Bracknell

Monday, Apr 08 2013

5429: Assignment 2 Resource 1:

Little, Lorna. (2012).The Mark of the Wagarl (Revised ed.). Broome, Western Australia: Magabala Books.

The Mark of the Wagarl is based on a traditional bush story from the Noongar people of the south west of Western Australia. The Mark of the Wagarl is about a boy who questioned and doubted the wisdom of his elders. This picture book portrays Aboriginal peoples perspectives on not only the creation of the waterways and rivers, but also on effective teaching techniques. This book is very useful for improving the students speaking, reading and sound and letter knowledge. Within middle and upper primary this book could serve to help improve the students understandings of an authors perspective and text types. Additional classroom uses for this book include an introduction into local geography of the south west of Western Australia and the history of the Noongar land. The author of this book was Lorna Little who was an elder of the Bidjareb Noongar community. Lorna graduated with a Bachelor of Social Science in 1988, and went on to help set up the Aboriginal Bridging Course at Curtain University. Sadly Lorna passed away in 2011.

Sarah Dandridge

20501616

5429: Assignment 2 Resource 2: South West Abroiginal Land & Sea Council. (2010). Kaartdijin Noongar - Noongar Knowledge. Retrieved 1 April, 2013, from http://www.noongarculture.org.au/

This website depicts the people, culture and country of the Noongars found in the south west of Western Australia. Working in conjunction with the representatives from various Noongar regions and the Noongar South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council (SWALSC) steering committee, the Kaartdijin Project team designed this website for two main purposes. The website was designed for the general public to use as a gateway into the lives and perspectives of the Noongar peoples culture, knowledge and history. It was also designed for the members of the South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council to share and connect with their community. Having a resource that has such a strong Aboriginal voice allows the teachers to feel confident that the students will feel connected to these anecdotal stories, thus providing the teacher with the assurance that their students will want to learn more about this cross curriculum priority. This resource could be used as a platform for investigations whereby the students would increase their skills in ICT and literacy. This resource could also be used as a geography and history tool, for locating and discovering the history and locations of regions in south west of Western Australia.

Sarah Dandridge

20501616

5429: Assignment 2 Resource 3: Morgan, Sally. (2013). The Last Dance. Surry Hills Australia: Little Hare.

The Last Dance is a story about ten endangered Australian animals. This book explains the impacts humans have had on these animals through poems and Aboriginal art illustrations, making this picture book suitable for all primary school ages. This books main purpose would be to help introduce the topic of sustainability through an Aboriginal perspective. The Last Dance could be used in lower primary for reading activities and comprehension and speaking. Within all years of primary it would be useful for teaching general art as well as aboriginal art techniques. Within the upper primary levels this picture book would be useful for teaching author perspectives. Finally the Last Dance could be useful as an introduction into Australian Geography. The Author of this picture book is Sally Morgan. She was born in Perth as the eldest of five children. At the age of fifteen Sally discovered her Aboriginal decent and connection to the Palku people. Currently Sally is the Director of the Center for Indigenous History and Arts at The University of Western Australia.

Sarah Dandridge

20501616

5429: Assignment 2 Resource 4: Kickett-Tucker, Cheryl. (2010). Barlay! Fremantle, Australia: Fremantle Press.

Barlay is an Australian bush legend designed for both Aboriginal and non Aboriginal primary school students. Barlay starts with three children listening to their Nans story about the woordatj. The story then moves to their families trip to the Rocky Pool, which is the very place that the woordatj lives. The story ends well with the children having learnt their lessons. Barlay is apart the Waarda series, which is Noongar for talking and sharing stories and information. This exciting Aboriginal childrens series, edited by Sally Morgan, is designed to support the literacy needs of Aboriginal children in primary school. At the same time this series also aims to teach Non-Aboriginal students about the richness and depth of Aboriginal Storytelling. The author, Cheryl Kickett-Tucker, has won a few awards including the National NAIDOC scholar of the year in 2001. Cheryl belongs to three areas of the Noongar people; Wadjuk, Balladong and Yued. This book would be useful within middle and upper primary as a leveled reading text. It could also be used to improve the students literacy and literature. Lastly this book could be used in Geography as a trigger in into the Noongar regions and landmarks.

Sarah Dandridge

20501616

5429: Assignment 2 Resource 5:

South West Aboriginal Land & Sea Council (2012), Noongar plants [poster] retrieved from http://www.noongarculture.org.au/language/?searched=yes

This Aboriginal poster created by the South West Aboriginal Land & Sea Council (SWALSC), is designed to be additional resource within the classroom. This poster is within a series all created by the SWALSC. These posters aim to teach the Noongar language as part of the cross curriculum priority. The South West Aboriginal Land & Sea Council is a title representative body, which works in the interests of the Noongar people. Their aim for producing resources such as these is to help strengthen Noongar culture, heritage and society. These posters can be used throughout all years of primary school as a reference point because they can be placed around the classroom for the students and teachers to refer too. This Noongar plants poster could be used within Science for improving science understandings. It could also be used to teach the Noongar language as part of the cross curriculum priority. Lastly this poster could act as a base for developing students inquiry skills.

Sarah Dandridge

20501616