HASS · Year 4

Active learning ideas

First Nations: Land and Culture

Active learning works for this topic because it transforms abstract concepts like cultural burning and trade networks into tangible, student-centered experiences. When students simulate trade routes or model land management, they move beyond reading about sophisticated systems to practicing them, which builds deeper respect and understanding.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9HASS4K01

• 20–60 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Simulation Game
• 45 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: The Trade Network

Assign different groups a specific resource found in a region of Australia, such as bunya nuts, ochre, or greenstone. Students must negotiate with 'neighbouring' groups to trade their surplus for items they need, following established protocols and verbal agreements.

Analyze the sophisticated land management practices of First Nations peoples.

Facilitation Tip

During The Trade Network, assign clear roles like 'trader,' 'cultural keeper,' and 'resource manager' to ensure every student contributes to the simulation.

What to look for

Present students with images or brief descriptions of different landscapes across Australia. Ask them to write one sentence explaining how a specific First Nations land management practice, like cultural burning or water management, might have been used in that environment.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Inquiry Circle
• 60 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Engineering the Land

Groups research a specific First Nations engineering feat, such as the Budj Bim eel traps or Brewarrina fish traps. They use recycled materials to build a small-scale model that demonstrates how the technology worked with natural water cycles.

Compare the diverse cultural practices across different Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups.

Facilitation Tip

When running Engineering the Land, provide only natural materials such as sticks, stones, and leaves to emphasize Indigenous methods and limit modern tools.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'How is the concept of 'Country' more than just land?' Facilitate a class discussion where students share examples of how Country connects to identity, spirituality, law, and belonging for First Nations peoples, referencing specific cultural practices.

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

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Seasonal Calendars

Students examine a local First Nations seasonal calendar which may have six or seven seasons based on flowering plants and animal behavior. They compare this to the European four-season model and discuss which one more accurately describes their local environment.

Explain the significance of Country to First Nations identity and spirituality.

Facilitation Tip

For Seasonal Calendars, display local Indigenous seasonal knowledge posters around the room so students can cross-reference their group findings with authentic sources.

What to look for

Students draw a simple map showing two hypothetical First Nations groups connected by a trade route. They label the types of resources or knowledge that might have been exchanged along this route and write one sentence explaining why these exchanges were important.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Approach this topic with humility and readiness to learn from Indigenous voices. Invite local Elders or knowledge keepers to share stories when possible, and always foreground Indigenous perspectives over settler narratives. Avoid romanticizing or oversimplifying complex systems; instead, focus on evidence-based practices like aquaculture and fire management.

Successful learning looks like students confidently explaining how First Nations peoples managed Country with purpose and skill. You will see them using accurate terminology, collaborating to solve problems, and connecting cultural practices to environmental outcomes in their discussions and products.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During The Trade Network, students may assume trade was random or disorganized.

  Pause the simulation to highlight that trade routes followed songlines and kinship ties, which students can annotate on their maps as they discuss.

• During Engineering the Land, students may refer to the pre-1788 landscape as 'empty' or 'wild'.

  Ask groups to present their land models and explain how cultural burning or aquaculture increased biodiversity, using evidence from their materials.

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Methods used in this brief

• Simulation Game
• Inquiry Circle
• Think-Pair-Share