English · Year 10

Active learning ideas

Language and Identity

Active learning works because students engage directly with Indigenous texts and language choices, building empathy while analyzing how words shape identity. Research shows that when students explore real language data and debate its impact, they move beyond abstract ideas to concrete understandings of cultural resistance and revitalization.

ACARA Content DescriptionsAC9E10LA01AC9E10LY01
30–50 minPairs → Whole Class4 activities

Activity 01

Jigsaw50 min · Small Groups

Jigsaw: Indigenous Terms

Divide class into expert groups, each assigned 3-5 key Indigenous terms from selected texts. Groups research meanings, cultural significance, and textual impact, then re-form into mixed jigsaw groups to teach peers. Conclude with whole-class sharing of how terms resist assimilation.

How does the strategic use of Indigenous language terms enrich the meaning of a text for a specific audience?

Facilitation TipDuring the Jigsaw Protocol, assign each group a different Indigenous language or dialect to research, then have them teach their terms to peers using real examples from literature.

What to look forPose the question: 'How might the inclusion of a specific Yolŋu Matha word in an English poem change its meaning for an Indigenous reader versus a non-Indigenous reader?' Facilitate a class discussion, prompting students to provide specific examples from texts studied and consider the intended audience.

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Activity 02

Think-Pair-Share30 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Power Dynamics

Pose the key question on language power in post-colonial literature. Students think individually for 2 minutes, pair to discuss examples from texts, then share with the class. Teacher charts responses to highlight patterns in language choice.

Analyze the power dynamics inherent in the choice of language in post-colonial literature.

Facilitation TipIn the Think-Pair-Share, provide a short excerpt with a bolded Indigenous term and ask students to annotate it individually before discussing power dynamics in pairs.

What to look forAsk students to write on an index card: 'One strategy Indigenous authors use to assert identity through language is ______. This strategy is important because ______.' Collect and review for understanding of key concepts.

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Activity 03

Gallery Walk45 min · Small Groups

Gallery Walk: Revitalization Maps

Students create posters mapping an Indigenous language's history, decline, and revival efforts using provided resources. Groups rotate through the gallery, adding sticky-note comments on cultural continuity. Debrief identifies common themes.

Justify the importance of preserving and revitalizing Indigenous languages for cultural continuity.

Facilitation TipFor the Gallery Walk, post maps showing language vitality and revitalization efforts around Australia, then have students rotate with sticky notes to add questions or connections to the texts studied.

What to look forPresent students with short excerpts from two different post-colonial texts. Ask them to identify one instance of language choice that reflects power dynamics and explain in one sentence what that choice communicates.

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Activity 04

Socratic Seminar40 min · Whole Class

Fishbowl Debate: Preservation Justifications

Inner circle of 6-8 students debates the importance of language revitalization, drawing on texts; outer circle observes and notes arguments. Switch roles midway, then whole class votes and reflects on strongest justifications.

How does the strategic use of Indigenous language terms enrich the meaning of a text for a specific audience?

Facilitation TipRun the Fishbowl Debate by assigning clear roles (e.g., language revitalization advocate, skeptic) and provide a timer to keep the exchange focused and equitable.

What to look forPose the question: 'How might the inclusion of a specific Yolŋu Matha word in an English poem change its meaning for an Indigenous reader versus a non-Indigenous reader?' Facilitate a class discussion, prompting students to provide specific examples from texts studied and consider the intended audience.

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Templates

Templates that pair with these English activities

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A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers approach this topic by centering Indigenous voices and texts, avoiding extractive practices that reduce language to a tool for analysis. Use a mix of whole-class discussion and small-group work to balance rigor with accessibility. Research suggests that pairing historical texts with contemporary revitalization efforts helps students see language as a living, evolving force rather than a relic of the past.

Successful learning looks like students confidently explaining how Indigenous terms assert identity, articulating power dynamics in language choices, and connecting historical texts to current revitalization efforts. You’ll see evidence of critical analysis in their discussions, maps, and debates, not just passive note-taking.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

  • During Jigsaw Protocol: Indigenous Terms, students may assume all Indigenous languages are extinct or identical.

    Use the jigsaw to map diversity: provide each group with a map of Australia highlighting distinct language families and current vitality status, then have them present their findings to correct oversimplifications.

  • During Think-Pair-Share: Power Dynamics, students may see Indigenous terms as decorative rather than meaningful.

    Provide paired excerpts where the same term appears in different contexts, then ask students to compare how the term shifts meaning and audience to reveal its strategic weight.

  • During Gallery Walk: Revitalization Maps, students may believe language assimilation ended after colonization.

    Post a timeline of key assimilation policies alongside current revitalization efforts, then have students use sticky notes to connect historical texts to present-day advocacy during the walk.

Methods used in this brief

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