English · Year 10

Active learning ideas

Storytelling and Oral Traditions

Active learning works for this topic because oral traditions are fundamentally communal and experiential. Students need to hear stories, see their structure in action, and practice using language creatively to grasp how Indigenous narratives maintain cultural continuity and challenge Western norms.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9E10LT04
• AC9E10LA01

• 30–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Role Play
• 30 min · Whole Class

Yarning Circle: Narrative Cycles

Arrange the class in a circle to practice oral storytelling. Students take turns adding to a story, but must use a cyclical structure where the ending must reconnect to the very first sentence spoken.

How do cyclical narrative structures differ from Western linear storytelling?

Facilitation Tip

During Yarning Circle, arrange seating in a circle to physically reinforce the communal and cyclical nature of storytelling.

What to look for

Facilitate a class discussion using the prompt: 'How does the concept of 'Connection to Country' in Indigenous storytelling differ from how characters might express connection to place in a Western novel? Provide specific examples from texts studied.'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Inquiry Circle
• 45 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Language as Resistance

Groups analyze a contemporary Indigenous text to find words in local language or Aboriginal English. They research the meaning and discuss why the author chose not to provide a glossary for the reader.

In what ways does the inclusion of local language terms challenge the dominance of Standard English?

Facilitation Tip

In Collaborative Investigation, provide guided questions to help students compare Aboriginal English with Standard English in texts they examine.

What to look for

Provide students with a short excerpt from an Indigenous Australian text. Ask them to identify and list: 1) one example of metaphorical language related to Country, and 2) any instances where local language terms or Aboriginal English are used, explaining their potential effect.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Stations Rotation
• 50 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Country and Metaphor

Set up stations with different poems or stories that describe 'Country'. Students move between stations to identify how the landscape is personified or treated as a living relative rather than just a setting.

How is the connection to Country articulated through metaphorical language?

Facilitation Tip

At Station Rotation, include audio clips or videos of oral storytelling to ground the metaphorical language stations in real examples.

What to look for

Students write a brief response to the question: 'Describe one way a cyclical narrative structure might convey a different meaning or feeling compared to a linear story.' They should refer to concepts discussed in class.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers approach this topic by modeling respectful listening and storytelling themselves, using texts that bridge traditional and contemporary forms. Avoid treating Indigenous stories as historical artifacts; instead, emphasize their ongoing evolution in modern media. Research shows students grasp these concepts better when they engage with multiple formats—spoken, written, and visual—simultaneously.

Successful learning looks like students recognizing the difference between cyclical and linear narratives, identifying how language and metaphor connect to Country, and articulating the role of oral traditions in contemporary literature. They should confidently discuss why these traditions are living systems, not relics.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Yarning Circle, watch for students dismissing oral traditions as outdated or simplistic. Listen for phrases like 'That's just a story from long ago.'

  Use the circle to highlight how modern Indigenous novels, such as those by Tara June Winch or Alexis Wright, adapt these traditions. Ask students to find a contemporary work that echoes the cyclical structure they heard in the Yarning Circle.

• During Collaborative Investigation, watch for students labeling Aboriginal English as 'slang' or 'broken English.'

  Direct students to compare sentence structures and word use in Aboriginal English with Standard English excerpts. Have them note how each dialect serves a different cultural or emotional purpose in storytelling.

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Methods used in this brief

• Role Play
• Inquiry Circle
• Stations Rotation