HASS · Year 2

Active learning ideas

Understanding Connection to Country

Active learning helps students move beyond abstract ideas to tangible understanding. By mapping personal connections, role-playing responsibilities, and listening to stories, students transform the concept of ‘Connection to Country’ from a classroom idea into a lived experience that shapes identity and care.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9HASS2K03
• AC9HASS2K04

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

Activity 01

• Inside-Outside Circle
• 40 min · Whole Class

Circle Time: Elders' Stories

Gather students in a circle to listen to a recorded story or guest Elder sharing Connection to Country. Prompt reflections with questions like 'What makes this place special?' Have each student share one word or drawing about their special place. Close with a group commitment to care for places.

What does 'Connection to Country' mean for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples?

Facilitation Tip

For Circle Time: Elders' Stories, sit in a circle with no desks to encourage eye contact and shared focus on the speaker.

What to look for

Provide students with a card asking: 'Name one way Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples show their connection to Country.' Then, ask them to draw a simple symbol that represents this connection and write one sentence explaining their symbol.

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

Activity 02

• Inside-Outside Circle
• 30 min · Pairs

Pairs: My Special Place Map

Provide paper and art supplies for pairs to draw maps of a meaningful place in their lives, labeling sights, sounds, and feelings. Partners share maps and discuss similarities to First Nations Country. Display maps for a class gallery walk.

How does the connection to Country influence the way First Nations peoples live and care for the land?

Facilitation Tip

For Pairs: My Special Place Map, provide colored pencils and large paper to support spatial reasoning and creative expression.

What to look for

Facilitate a class discussion using the prompt: 'How is the idea of Country for First Nations peoples different from how someone might think about their backyard or a park?' Encourage students to use examples from the lesson to explain the spiritual and cultural aspects.

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

Activity 03

• Inside-Outside Circle
• 35 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Caring Role-Play

Assign roles like custodian, storyteller, or gatherer in groups of four. Groups act out caring for Country through sustainable actions, such as cleaning a waterway model. Debrief with what they learned about responsibilities.

In what ways is the relationship Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have with Country different from how most Australians think about land?

Facilitation Tip

For Small Groups: Caring Role-Play, assign clear roles with scripts or prompts to ensure all students participate meaningfully.

What to look for

Present students with two short scenarios: one describing a person caring for a garden, and another describing an Indigenous ranger protecting a sacred site. Ask students to identify which scenario better reflects the concept of 'Connection to Country' and explain why, focusing on the depth of relationship described.

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

Activity 04

• Inside-Outside Circle
• 20 min · Individual

Individual: Connection Promise

Students reflect individually on one way to care for their school grounds as 'Country.' Write or draw a promise card. Collect and share select ones in a class promise tree display.

What does 'Connection to Country' mean for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples?

Facilitation Tip

For Individual: Connection Promise, model a personal promise first so students see how to articulate a commitment in their own words.

What to look for

Provide students with a card asking: 'Name one way Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples show their connection to Country.' Then, ask them to draw a simple symbol that represents this connection and write one sentence explaining their symbol.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach this topic by centering First Nations voices and perspectives. Avoid framing Country as a backdrop to other lessons. Instead, position it as the foundation of identity, law, and daily care. Research shows that when students engage with Indigenous knowledge holders and authentic materials, their understanding deepens and becomes more respectful and accurate.

Students will show they understand Connection to Country when they describe it as a living relationship with responsibilities, not ownership. They will identify specific places meaningful to themselves or others and explain how people care for Country through seasonal practices and ceremonies.

---

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Circle Time: Elders' Stories, watch for students who describe Country as a place you can buy or sell like a house. Redirect by asking, 'How did the Elder say people care for Country? What responsibilities did they mention?'

  During Pairs: My Special Place Map, students often say 'I own this park.' Ask them to add labels for plants, animals, or memories tied to the place, shifting focus from ownership to relationships.

• During Pairs: My Special Place Map, watch for students who describe Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander connections to Country as only from the past. Ask, 'What examples of caring for Country did you include in your map?' to highlight ongoing practices.

  During Small Groups: Caring Role-Play, if students say 'We protect sacred sites like a park ranger,' ask, 'What stories or laws guide how they protect these places?' to uncover spiritual and cultural dimensions.

• During Small Groups: Caring Role-Play, listen for students who say 'All Aboriginal people live in the desert.' Ask each group to share the name of the Country they are representing to emphasize diversity.

  During Individual: Connection Promise, if students write only about a physical location, prompt them to include a memory, a responsibility, or a story connected to that place.

---

Methods used in this brief

• Inside-Outside Circle