HASS · Foundation

Active learning ideas

Caring for Country: First Nations Perspectives

Young learners build understanding through movement, touch, and talk. When they act out stories, make art with their hands, or step outside to notice plants and soil, they form personal connections to caring for Country. These active experiences make abstract ideas like ‘custodianship’ concrete and memorable.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9HASSFK05

• 20–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Stations Rotation
• 30 min · Whole Class

Circle Time: Country Stories

Gather the class in a circle and read a picture book on First Nations caring for Country. Invite each student to share one way they help care for home or school, such as watering plants. Record ideas on chart paper for a class display.

Explain the concept of 'Caring for Country' from a First Nations perspective.

Facilitation Tip

During Circle Time, sit on the floor so every child’s face is visible, using a shared cloth or mat to frame the story space and signal respect.

What to look for

Show students pictures of different environmental actions (e.g., planting a tree, picking up litter, using a fire stick, following a songline). Ask students to sort them into 'traditional' and 'contemporary' ways of caring for Country. Discuss their choices.

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

Activity 02

• Stations Rotation
• 25 min · Pairs

Art Station: Caring Hands

Give students paper hand templates. They draw or paint caring actions like picking up rubbish or treading softly on grass. Pairs share drawings before mounting on a 'Caring for Country' mural.

Analyze the responsibilities we all share in protecting the environment.

Facilitation Tip

At the Art Station, provide only earth-toned paper and natural tools like sticks, leaves, or sponges to guide gentle, sustainable creation.

What to look for

Provide students with a simple drawing of their local park or schoolyard. Ask them to draw or write one thing they can do to help care for this place, connecting it to the idea of being a custodian.

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

Activity 03

• Stations Rotation
• 40 min · Small Groups

Outdoor Walk: School Yard Custodians

Lead a short walk around school grounds to observe plants and litter. In small groups, students collect safe items and discuss gentle care rules. Reflect back in class with drawings of what they saw.

Compare traditional and contemporary ways of caring for the land.

Facilitation Tip

During the Outdoor Walk, give each student a small cloth bag to collect one item, modeling minimal and mindful harvesting.

What to look for

Ask students: 'What does it mean to have a special connection to a place?' Encourage them to share examples from their own lives and relate it to how First Nations peoples care for Country.

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

Activity 04

• Stations Rotation
• 20 min · Pairs

Role-Play: Traditional and Today

Model traditional caring like soft plant touching, then modern like recycling. Pairs practice both, switching roles. Groups perform for the class and name one shared idea.

Explain the concept of 'Caring for Country' from a First Nations perspective.

Facilitation Tip

In the Role-Play, assign parts using simple headbands or signs so every child can quickly step into a caring role.

What to look for

Show students pictures of different environmental actions (e.g., planting a tree, picking up litter, using a fire stick, following a songline). Ask students to sort them into 'traditional' and 'contemporary' ways of caring for Country. Discuss their choices.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with the body and the senses. Children learn best when they can see, touch, and move. Avoid long explanations that separate land from lived experience. Instead, use stories that include smell, sound, and touch. Research shows that when students physically act out roles, their understanding of responsibility grows stronger than with abstract talk alone.

Students will show they understand that everyone has a role in caring for places by naming actions they can take, drawing or acting out examples, and explaining why these actions matter to community well-being.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Circle Time Country Stories, watch for students who say only First Nations peoples should care for Country.

  Pause the story to ask: Who waters the plants at home? Who picks up litter at school? Use these examples to show everyone shares duties, then have students name one action they take to care for a place.

• During Art Station Caring Hands, watch for students who assume traditional ways stopped long ago.

  Display photos or real artifacts of modern tools like fire blankets or woven baskets alongside stories of continuing practices. Ask students to point to the part that shows the tradition is still alive and explain their choice.

• During Outdoor Walk School Yard Custodians, watch for students who avoid touching plants or soil, thinking care means never touching nature.

  Model gentle picking of a leaf or twig, then ask students to find one thing they can touch respectfully and describe how it helps the place. Use peer sharing to correct over-protection into balanced stewardship.

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Methods used in this brief

• Stations Rotation