Home/Curriculum resources/Communicating traditional Indigenous Knowledge/Activity 1 – Different uses of fire
Learning Area:
English
Year level:
Level 6
Suggested timing:
One lesson divided into two 20 minute blocks, with 10 minutes for whole class report back
Required resources:
Electronic or print version of the Ngadju kala document
Activity 1 – Different uses of fire
This activity is a part of the Communicating traditional Indigenous Knowledge resource.
Uluru from Above. Photographer: NASA/JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth. Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY 2.0
In this activity, students will compare their own experiences with fire usage to that of the Ngadju people as documented in the Ngadju kala publication, fostering a cross-cultural understanding of fire's diverse roles. They'll brainstorm, document, and explore specific examples, enhancing their appreciation of the multifaceted nature of fire in different cultures.
Step by Step guide
Step 1: Brainstorm
Students will compare their own experiences of utilising fire with Ngadju uses of fire as documented in the Ngadju kala publication. In pairs or small groups, students will brainstorm and document (using words and images) all the ways that fire is used in their culture/s and life experiences.
Step 2: Traditional Fire uses
Students will then examine the Ngadju kala document (p. 11-15) to locate and list specific examples of how Ngadju use fire.
Extension:
Students can list all the words they know for fire, elements of fire, or that describe its effects. Then they can compare this list with the list of Ngadju words collected on p6 of the Ngadju kala document (also listed in the glossary on p. 54).
Related activities within this resources:
Inquiry-based learning questions
These inquiry-based questions are provided for flexible classroom use, allowing teachers to tailor discussion and reflections specific to their classroom needs.
Activity 2 – The story of how Ngadju got fire
In this activity, students will engage with the Ngadju kala document by reading and discussing the story of how fire was given to the Ngadju people, focusing on its unique language and cultural significance.
Suggested timing:
30 minutes, including whole class discussion
Required resources:
Electronic or print version of the Ngadju kala document
Activity 3 – Communicating traditional knowledge with images and diagrams
In this activity, students will explore the multifaceted uses of fire in Ngadju culture, as portrayed in the Ngadju kala document.
Required resources:
Electronic or printed version of the Ngadju kala document, optional extension activity requires using the Ngadju seasonal calendar document