HASS · Year 2

Active learning ideas

Traditional First Nations Tools

Active learning lets students experience the ingenuity behind traditional tools through hands-on exploration, making abstract concepts about function and design concrete. By testing replicas and discussing materials, students connect cultural knowledge to real-world problem-solving, building respect and curiosity.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9HASS2K02
• AC9HASS2K03

• 25–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Stations Rotation
• 45 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Tool Function Stations

Prepare four stations with safe replicas or images of boomerangs, spears, digging sticks, and woomeras. At each, students observe features, test throws or grips under supervision, and record purpose and materials on worksheets. Groups rotate every 10 minutes and share findings.

How did Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples design their tools to work well for specific purposes?

Facilitation Tip

During Tool Function Stations, model how to hold and throw a boomerang replica safely before letting students test it in pairs.

What to look for

Provide students with images of two tools: one traditional First Nations tool (e.g., a digging stick) and one modern tool (e.g., a shovel). Ask them to write one sentence comparing how they are made and one sentence comparing what they are used for.

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

Activity 02

• Stations Rotation
• 25 min · Pairs

Pairs: Traditional vs Modern Sort

Provide cards showing traditional and modern tools like digging sticks and shovels. Pairs match pairs, discuss similarities in purpose and differences in materials, then present one comparison to the class. Extend by voting on most effective designs.

How are the materials and making of traditional First Nations tools similar to or different from tools we use today?

What to look for

During a class discussion, ask students to hold up a finger for 'similar' or two fingers for 'different' when you state a characteristic. For example, 'Traditional spears and modern fishing rods are both used to catch food.' or 'Boomerangs and frisbees are both thrown.'

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

Activity 03

• Stations Rotation
• 35 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Design Challenge

Groups identify a need like gathering food, then sketch a tool using listed natural materials. They build simple models from craft sticks and string, test them, and explain environmental adaptations. Class gallery walk follows.

What knowledge of the environment helped First Nations peoples create and use their tools so effectively?

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you need to find food in a forest. What kind of tool would you design, and what natural materials would you use based on what you know about First Nations tools?' Encourage students to explain their choices, referencing specific tool functions and material properties.

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

Activity 04

• Stations Rotation
• 30 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Story and Demo

Read a picture book on First Nations tool use, then demonstrate safe boomerang throw outside. Students predict functions beforehand and reflect in a shared chart on how environment shaped designs.

How did Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples design their tools to work well for specific purposes?

What to look for

Provide students with images of two tools: one traditional First Nations tool (e.g., a digging stick) and one modern tool (e.g., a shovel). Ask them to write one sentence comparing how they are made and one sentence comparing what they are used for.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Begin with a whole-class story to set the context, then move to small-group work so students can test ideas and revise their thinking. Avoid talking too much about historical details without first grounding the topic in practical exploration, as this helps students see the relevance of the tools to daily life. Research shows that experiential learning increases retention when students connect purpose to design.

Students will confidently explain how tool shape and materials suit specific tasks, and they will compare traditional and modern solutions with curiosity. Discussions should include accurate details about function and materials, showing growing appreciation for First Nations expertise.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Station Rotation: Tool Function Stations, watch for students assuming boomerangs are simple sticks that don’t really fly back.

  Set up a clear testing zone and ask pairs to record how many times out of ten throws the boomerang returns, then discuss how its curved shape and balance make this possible.

• During Pairs: Traditional vs Modern Sort, listen for students saying all First Nations tools were made of stone.

  Include samples of mulga wood, plant resins, and shells in the sorting trays so students physically handle and categorize diverse materials.

• During Small Groups: Design Challenge, expect comments that tools were made quickly without thought.

  Ask groups to sketch their first idea, then revise it after testing a simple prototype, explicitly naming the steps they took to improve their design.

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Methods used in this brief

• Stations Rotation