Sydney Kinder 8 Ways lesson
Katie Harris
Ambarvale PS
Kindergarten 8 Ways Lesson
I chose the text, ‘Belonging’ by Jeannie Baker as it explores the theme of having a connection with the land, a feeling of belonging to a home. Aboriginal people have always believed that we belong to the land. If we keep it healthy, it will sustain the web of life on which we depend. This is the message that I wanted to convey to the students.
The text ‘Belonging’ by Jeannie Baker has no words and the students needed to look closely at the pictures to understand the author’s message being conveyed. This created a lot of student discussion.
Students brainstormed their understanding of the term ‘Belonging’ and they described it as feeling a connection to a place, a feeling of being at home.
Story Sharing
After listening to the Aboriginal poem, students placed their hands on the earth to connect with the land.
The messaged conveyed is that we belong to land and it is our responsibility to look after it for future generations.
Land Links
Students looked at how handprints and other symbols are used by Indigenous Australians in their art to express their sense of belonging. Kindergarten used paint to create their own symbols to represent their sense of belonging to their family or home.
Symbols and Images
Student Worksample
Learning Maps and Community Links
Students went on a tour of the school in search of native animals that lived there. Kindergarten created a map of the school marking in where different animals are found. Students brainstormed ways to improve the school for native animals and how we could protect their environment.