Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures
K’Gari
“K’gari tells the story of one of the first alleged ‘fake news’ stories to be circulated across Australia, the ‘capture’ of British woman Eliza Fraser by Aboriginal people on Fraser Island (K’gari) in 1836…The story of Eliza Fraser’s ‘capture’ has been reinterpreted by many Australian writers and artists; however the Indigenous perspective remains largely unheard. The counterpoints to Eliza’s version reveal a complex example of cross-cultural miscommunication and conflict” (SBS, 2017).
Teaching Resources
Dreamy
Dreamy is a collection of oral sleep stories created by First Nations storytellers.
These contemporary stories bring an 80,000-year-old oral tradition into the digital space, helping people of all walks of life to quiet their minds, drift into dream, and disconnect from their devices by connecting to Country.
12 Canoes
A rich and varied resource that includes stories, art work and artists sharing the ancestral past and beliefs of the Yolngu people of north-east Arnhem Land. A series of barkpainting imeages on a changing backdrop of the land connect to past and current stories about kinship, living with the land, animal lfie and contact with others. This resource is available through Scootle for further curriculum links. Recommended for Years 7 – 10.
Dust Echoes
Dust Echoes is a series of twelve beautifully animated Dreamtime stories from Central Arnhem Land, telling stories of love, loyalty, duty to country and Aboriginal custom and law. Previously availabe as an interactive online reading experience, the ABC has converted to a digibook format with the video stories embedded.
Recommended Years 7-10. However, some content may be suitable for upper primary if previewed and selected in advance.
My Grandmother’s Lingo (SBS Learn)
An interactive animation that invites the viewer to participate by learning and repeating some words in the Marra language. The language learning is told through a first person told as a first person narrative with the purpose of highlighting the importance of language preservation.
SharingStories Foundation (collection)
SharingStories Foundation is a non-profit organisation that works with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to protect, maintain and grow language, stories and cultural heritage through digital technologies and vibrant artistic art forms for the benefit of all children today and future generations tomorrow.
Dreamtime Stories – Biladurang the Platypus
Dreamtime Story Animation “Biladurang The Platypus” for the Marambul Yuganha Exhibition at the Griffith campus of TAFE NSW Riverina Institute 2011.
Also:
Dreamtime Stories – Tiddalick the Frog – Support document for Tiddalick the FrogWaatji Pulyeri (The Blue Wren) – Support document for Waatji Pulyeri
The Buyungurra who didn’t listen
This is a traditional story told by Bianca McNeair that her mother told her when she was growing up. Bianca uses words from the Malgana language, which is spoken in the area around Shark Bay in Western Australia.
Acknowledgements: Illustrations drawn by Bianca’s daughter Nykita McNeair. Animated and compiled by Chris Lewis. In collaboration with the Irra Wangga Language Centre. Special thanks to Rosie Sitorus.
An ABC Splash resource that includes the transcript, teachers notes and curriculum connections.
Dhiiyaan – Elaine Russell
A vivid recount by the author, Dhiiyaan (Family) provides a comparison between Russell’s early life and that of her grandson.
Indigenous Stories about Family
This collection of digitised stories on the Culture Victoria website provide a window into past and present indigenous culture in Victorian communities with a focus on the importance of family.
Indigenous Stories about Family
Righting Wrongs in the 1967 Referendum – ABC Splash
This information resource includes digitised primary sources relating to this significant step towards Indigenous rights in Australia. Chapter 3 includes a powerful personal story told by Faith Bandler, a civil rights activist in the 1960s.
Righting Wrongs in the 1967 Referendum
Sustainability
If the World Were a Village
Informed by the book published by CitizenKid in 2010, this clip presents comparative statistics in a story format. The world’s population of 6.9 billion shrinks down to a village of 100. In doing so, the startling realities of the global village become instantly visible. By exploring the lives of the 100 villagers, children will discover that life in other parts of the world is often very different from their own. Teachers notes are available.
An interesting comparative text on the same theme but without a story component, GOOD Data present more recent statistics in an infographic format. Preview as this version includes advertising at the start.
If the World were 100 People
The Animals Saved the Planet
A series of short, engaging clips that feature animals in their natural habitats demonstrating how our actions can make a difference on a range of environmental issues. Highly suitable for early childhood students to reflect on the messages and to start making individual choices for sustainable practice. Older students could use this format as inspiration for producing their own environmental messages.
WilderQuest
This interactive game immerses players into an exploration of traditional land and culture with strong links to sustainability. The WilderQuest program includes a website, an iPad App and links to Ranger tours and activities in national parks across NSW. It provides opportunities for families to experience nature and Aboriginal culture, online, in classrooms, at events and in National Parks. It has been most recently updated to include a Teacher portal: ‘WilderQuest Learning’ with support from the Environmental Trust and partners.
Bear 71
An example of Intelligent Activism. A wonderful example of multiplatform storytelling intended to educate and inspire action, that engages the reader at an emotional lever by viewing events through the eyes and understandings of the bear. Bear 71 explores the ways people, nature and technology interact, using an interactive social narrative and a variety of platforms that allow the viewer to engage with a female grizzly bear (that was watched throughout her life via trail cameras in Banff National park) through a series of webcams, social media channels, a microsite, augmented reality and more.
Suitable for a secondary audience. Requires Flash.
The Garbage Barge by Jonah Winter
Inspired by a true event, this picture book recounts and embellishes the story of a garbage barge, hauling 32 tons of garbage, that left the town of Islip on Long Island, New York in 1987 because the town could no longer cope with and manage the garbage that was being generated as burying it was polluting the groundwater. Their solution was to ship it off to dump somewhere else, however, no one else wanted it.
Excellent animations, supporting sound affects and an engaging reading to explore ethical and responsible management of waste products, with illustrations made from waste.
The Tantrum that Saved the World – Megan Herbert & Michael E. Mann.
An environmental picture book about finding your voice, taking collective action, and saving the planet for kids ages 5 – 9. Sophia hears the stories of misplaced animals that turn up on her doorstep, she learns that this is her fight, too…and discovers the power of collective action, the strength of her own voice, and how all of us are stronger together. The second part of the book provides information on climate change and positive action.
Asia & Intercultural Understanding
Timun Mas – The Golden Cucumber
Indonesian Folktales for ESL
This Indonesian folktale employs computer graphics, music, sound effects and voice to effectively retell this traditional story of a women who makes a deal with a monster to have the joy of a child. However, the debt she must pay is too high and she seeks a solution which comes in the form of three magic cucumber seeds. Not for the very young!
The Boat – Nam Le
Written by Nam Le, adapted by Matt Huynh
. An interactive graphic novel about escape after the Vietnam War. Based on the story by Nam Le, adapted by Matt Huynh. Find out more about:
Matt Huynh’s work.
Teacher’s notes
Curriculum connections:
Humanities and Social Sciences– Y10 & SSC – Vietnam War
English – Listening, reading and viewing, Language features; Visual features and text structures
CCP: Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia
GC: Intercultural Understanding, Ethical Understanding Exploring values, rights and responsibilities
Refugee Republic
This interactive digital story presents the daily life of the inhabitants in the Domiz refugee camp in northern Iraq. A hand drawn map provides four routes to navigate the camp to explore different stories and outcomes. Each route has black and white pen drawings as a backdrop interspersed with photos, video, text, sounds and personal stories. This contemporary exploration of a current global crisis through story telling garners both an emotional and intellectual response in the viewer.
Clouds Over Sidra
The Zaatari Refugee Camp is home to 130,000 Syrians fleeing violence and war. Children make up half the camp’s population. This is the story of Sidra, a 12-year old girl who has spent the last 18 months in Zaatari. This personal story immerses the reader into Sidra’s world, building empathy for the plight of displaced children and the aftermath of war.
For viewing VR: There are 4 basic options for viewing virtual reality (VR) content today: An immersive VR headset; a simple VR viewer that uses a mobile phone; a mobile phone on its own; or a web video player. This virtual reality (VR) site requires a robust internet connection.
Blue – Pat Grant
Blue is a superbly illustrated tale depicting the racism and gang hatreds that can fester in our own backyard. Stimulated by the Cronulla riots in 2005, author Pat Grant presents the violence and underpinning social issues that fermented and then erupted on that day in a graphic novel format to be read in either print or online. The content targets a mature student audience.
Excellent support for Blue can be sourced from the SBS documentary Cronulla Riots: The Day the Shocked the Nation and the accompanying teacher notes.
Madaya Mom: The Story of one Mother’s Unimaginable Struggle for Survival
A multimodal online graphic novel targeting older readers pressented as a graphci journal starting in 2016 to represent real events in the Syrian town of Madaya, as it is under siege. A collaboration between ABC News and Marvel.
Seeking Refuge – Rachel’s Story
A short film based on one child’s real-life experience in seeking asylum. Seeking Refuge recounts the physical journey but also to the emotional journey. The films deal with issues such as insecurity, isolation, terror, imprisonment and powerlessness.
You may need to allow to buffer before viewing.
Seeking Refuge – Julianne’s Story
Seeking Refuge is an animated short about a young girl, Julianne, and how she reunited with her mother after a difficult migrant journey from Zimbabwe to the UK.
Flight Paths
Flight Paths presents a series of stories about Yacub, a young man trying to leave Pakistan to find work as a laborer to support his family. Each scenario is told visually with minimal text as he travels to Dubai and then tries to stowaway on a plane to London.
Target audience is older secondary.
Supporting discussion.
Malak and the Boat
Aboard a light boat, 7 year old Malak explains her journey as she crosses the Mediterranean. This short story, with English subtitles, is part of UNICEF’s global campaign on the Syrian refugee crisis, aimed at bringing attention to the stories of the youngest victims of the Syrian conflict as they flee war.
Ali and the Long Journey to Australia
A stop motion animation film, written and illustrated by a group of students from a refugee background as a collaboration between Noble Park Primary School and Monash University.
Sea Prayer: a 360 illustrated film by award-winning novelist Khaled Hosseini
Based on the Syrian crisis, this illustrated poem tells a story about a helpless father who wants to save his most precious son. It shows how the peaceful life of a city can be torn apart in few days and the resulting displacement and urgency to seek a new home.
Ethics, Decision Making & Thinking
See also: resources on the main @WWW page listed under
English: Postmodern stories.
Of particular note: The Three Little Pigs – News Report.
The Dream Peddler – Irena Kobald
This story of a boy grows up and leaves home to follow his dreams has many layers, mature readers may well pick up on the allusions to drug taking when the boy meets a peddler of dreams – that progressively spiral downward, coming at a cost, as the boy loses all he holds dear. Only the redeeming emotion of regret can heal him, because, if the door is unlocked and the light still burning there is always hope. Kobald talks about her own experiences dealing with her sons drug addition.
One Small Step – Taiko Studios
A beautifully presented short film about chasing your dreams, perseverance and hope, with the unsung but steadfast support of a loving father. Watch Luna as she reaches for stars, inspired but eh beautiful moon boots made by her shoemaker father when she was a child. Wordless but beautifully choreographed to support the animations. A wonderful story ti initiated conversations on relationships, ambition, resilience, growth mindset, setting and working towards goals and dealing with adversity
Quandary
A role playing game presented as a story in a comic book style to introduce Braxos, a planet settled in the future. Because it’s a branching narrative, students can replay the same scenario in Quandary, but choose differently to achieve different outcomes. Each chapter presents a problem between settlers (player cards) and the way they interact with the environment and each other. The captain has the task of collecting the facts to help in a fair and impartial adjudication to resolve the issue. A range of views from settlers are provided via the cards (text and audio), to be sorted into facts, opinions and solutions. These are considered in regard to their impact on the community and decisions are made. A login is available to save progress. Ideally suited for game play in the secondary classroom but accessible to senior primary students with problem solving experience and independent literacy skills.
There are currently four episodes dealing with different dilemmas. Relevance addresses Australian Curriculum content:
* Critical and creative thinking
* Personal and Social Capability
* Ethical Understanding
* Sustainability
+ relevance to English, Digital literacy and Digital Citizenship
Soar
A young girl helps a tiny boy to fly home before it’s too late! A delightful animated film on resilience, determination and risk taking and embracing STEAM problem solving.
Teaching ideas
Ferdinand the Bull – Munro Leaf
This Walt Disney 1938 retelling of Ferdinand delightfully captures the pacifist nature of this friendly bull and how he stays true to his beliefs when forced into the bull ring. Bull fighting at the time was accepted practice so there is scope here for older students to consider changing perspectives and the ethical use of animals for sport. With the release of Ferdinand by 20th Century Fox, and combined with the picture book, this provides an excellent comparative media study between text and contemporary and original interpretations of the picture book.
What do you do with an Idea? – Kobi Yamada & Mae Besom
This is the story of one brilliant idea and the child who helps to bring it into the world. As the child’s confidence grows, so does the idea itself. And then, one day, something amazing happens. This visual retelling of the story is for anyone, at any age, who’s ever had an idea that seemed a little too big, too odd, too difficult.
Conker and Nudge – Andria Meserve
A story about two brothers who generally get along. Nudge adores his older brother and wants to be just like Conker, but sometimes Conker wants time with his friends and not with his little brother. When the friends set off disaster strikes – guess who saves the day!
Personal and Social Capability
I Go Quiet by David Oumiet
An introspective story told in the first person of girl who is struggling to find her place in a noisy world. She struggles to make herself heard, believing she is too insignificant and misunderstood to communicate with the people in her life. However, through the power of books, creativity and imagination, she begins to see possibilities for positive future where her voice will finally be heard.
The video is created by the author and includes a range of embellishments to depth to the retelling.
Jennie Bales 