Back to homepage
VIC

Learning Area:

The Arts

Year levels:

Level 3, Level 4

Suggested timing:

One to two lessons.

Misery Island Coastline

Activity 1 – Tiddalik

This activity is a part of the Understanding and respecting cultural narratives resource.

Misery Island Coastline, Misery Island, palawa country. Tiffany Garvie. Source: Ngarrngga. © Tiffany Garvie 2023. Used under licence

Required resources  

Individual devices or projector for the films.

Step by Step guide 

Step 1: Introduce the key points of cultural narratives 

  • Handed down over tens of thousands of generations in a way that preserves the knowledge and key messages. Specific to each place or region, language and cultural group. 

  • Morals, group norms and values are an important feature. 

  • Animals and other beings are sometimes used to describe important historical events and natural rock formations, or natural springs can be connected to a story. 

Step 2: Facilitate a discussion

Discuss with students about the different modes of how narratives are told/shared. This could be presented as an anchor chart. 

Step 3: Watch the film 

https://museumsvictoria.com.au/bunjilaka/about-us/creation-stories/

Step 4: Have a discussion

These questions are related to the features of the film and the devices used: 

  • Who does this story belong to?   

  • What do you think are some of the themes we can learn from this film? Why do you think this? 

  • How did the filmmakers use sound and colour as techniques to appeal to a younger audience? 

  • How is this film different to a version of the story told orally within a family or community? How has technology changed the way cultural narratives are told? 

  • Why is it important that narratives are shared?  

  •  How does the film express Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ connection and responsibility for Country/Place?  

Related activities within this resources:

Misery Island Coastline

Activity 2 – Water

Teachers guide students to connect local cultural stories with their landscape, fostering a deeper understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander narratives.

Suggested timing:

One lesson/45 min.

Misery Island Coastline

Activity 3: Megafauna exploration

Within these two activities students will explore megafauna and how these animals relate to Australia's history.

Suggested timing:

2 lessons

Save this for later

Sign in or sign up to Ngarrngga to save this resource.