Connection to Country in LiteratureActivities & Teaching Strategies
Active learning works because this topic demands students move beyond abstract ideas to feel how Country shapes identity. Activities like drama and mapping ground analysis in concrete experiences, helping students see how literature mirrors lived relationships with land.
Learning Objectives
- 1Analyze how specific literary devices, such as personification and metaphor, are used by Indigenous authors to represent Country as a sentient entity.
- 2Explain how the concept of 'Country' in Indigenous literature encompasses spiritual connection, ancestral knowledge, and cultural identity, extending beyond physical location.
- 3Compare and contrast the thematic representation of nature and landscape in selected Indigenous texts with examples from Western literary traditions.
- 4Evaluate the impact of Indigenous authors' language choices on the reader's understanding of the deep connection between people and Country.
- 5Synthesize textual evidence to demonstrate how Indigenous narratives establish a sense of belonging and identity through the concept of Country.
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Jigsaw: Country Excerpts
Assign small groups different excerpts from Indigenous authors like Alexis Wright or Melissa Lucashenko. Groups note language linking people to Country, then regroup to share findings in expert-home jigsaw format. Synthesize class insights on a shared chart.
Prepare & details
Analyze how the landscape functions as a character or spiritual entity in Indigenous narratives.
Facilitation Tip: During Jigsaw Reading, assign each group a short excerpt to annotate for personification before sharing with the class.
Setup: Flexible seating for regrouping
Materials: Expert group reading packets, Note-taking template, Summary graphic organizer
Personification Drama: Land Voices
In pairs, select passages where Country speaks through description. Script and perform short scenes giving voice to land elements. Class votes on most evocative and discusses emotional impact.
Prepare & details
Explain how the concept of 'Country' extends beyond physical geography to encompass identity and belonging.
Facilitation Tip: In Personification Drama, give students 10 minutes to rehearse before performing, ensuring they focus on how language choices bring the land to life.
Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter
Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback
Gallery Walk: Tradition Comparisons
Small groups create posters contrasting Country in Indigenous texts with nature in Western works like Wordsworth. Display for walk; peers add evidence sticky notes. Debrief contrasts.
Prepare & details
Compare the portrayal of nature in Indigenous texts with Western literary traditions.
Facilitation Tip: For the Gallery Walk, post two anchor texts—one Indigenous, one Western—side by side so students can annotate differences in their roles immediately.
Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter
Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback
Sensory Mapping: Text to Place
Individually, students map Country from a text using colors for senses and symbols for spiritual ties. Pair share to combine maps, then whole class builds composite.
Prepare & details
Analyze how the landscape functions as a character or spiritual entity in Indigenous narratives.
Facilitation Tip: During Sensory Mapping, have students use different colored pencils to layer physical and cultural details on the same map to visualize holism.
Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter
Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback
Teaching This Topic
Teachers should start with excerpts that clearly show Country as an active force, using drama to make abstract language tangible. Avoid rushing to definitions of ‘Country’; instead, let students discover its layers through close reading and creative response. Research suggests Indigenous texts are best taught in partnership with Elders or community members when possible, but even without that, centering students’ lived experiences with land can bridge cultural gaps.
What to Expect
Successful learning looks like students confidently identifying Country as a dynamic character in texts, not just a setting. They should articulate how language choices create spiritual and cultural depth, and compare traditions through evidence-based discussion.
These activities are a starting point. A full mission is the experience.
- Complete facilitation script with teacher dialogue
- Printable student materials, ready for class
- Differentiation strategies for every learner
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Common MisconceptionDuring Sensory Mapping, watch for students treating Country as only physical land or environment.
What to Teach Instead
Prompt students to add spiritual or cultural details to their maps, such as ancestral connections or sacred sites, and discuss these additions in small groups.
Common MisconceptionDuring Personification Drama, watch for students portraying Country as unchanging and ideal.
What to Teach Instead
Have students include moments of tension or conflict in their performances, such as dispossession or environmental damage, and debrief how these reflect real-world experiences.
Common MisconceptionDuring Gallery Walk, watch for students assuming Western literature portrays nature like Indigenous Country.
What to Teach Instead
Guide students to annotate texts with evidence of objectification, such as descriptions of nature as resource or backdrop, and compare these to Indigenous texts during debrief.
Assessment Ideas
After Jigsaw Reading, pose the question: 'How does the landscape in your excerpt act more like a character than a setting?' Ask students to provide at least two specific examples from the text, citing descriptive language or actions attributed to the land.
During Sensory Mapping, provide students with a short passage from an Indigenous text. Ask them to highlight words or phrases that suggest Country is a living entity and then write one sentence explaining their choice.
After Gallery Walk, students write a paragraph comparing the portrayal of nature in an Indigenous text with a Western text studied previously. Partners read each other's paragraphs and use a checklist: Does the comparison focus on the role of nature? Are specific textual examples used for both texts? Partners provide one suggestion for improvement.
Extensions & Scaffolding
- Challenge: Ask students to write a short poem or short story from the perspective of Country in a disrupted landscape (e.g., after mining or colonization).
- Scaffolding: Provide sentence stems for comparisons, such as 'In [Indigenous text], Country _____, while in [Western text], nature _____ because...'.
- Deeper exploration: Invite a local Indigenous speaker or knowledge keeper to discuss how Country is described in their community’s stories and laws.
Key Vocabulary
| Country | In Indigenous Australian contexts, 'Country' refers to a complex spiritual, cultural, and physical relationship with land, sea, and sky, encompassing ancestral connections and responsibilities. |
| Dreaming/Dreamtime | The foundational spiritual belief system of many Indigenous Australian peoples, describing the creation of the world and the ongoing spiritual connection to Country. |
| Kinship | A complex system of relationships that defines an individual's connection not only to other people but also to Country, animals, and the spiritual world. |
| Belonging | The feeling of being part of a place or community, deeply intertwined with identity and connection to Country in Indigenous Australian cultures. |
| Custodianship | The responsibility held by Indigenous peoples to care for and protect their Country, including its land, waters, and cultural heritage, as passed down through generations. |
Suggested Methodologies
Planning templates for English
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