Biological Sciences and Cross Curriculum Priority Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures.

Australian Curriculum/ Year 6/ Biological Sciences and Cross Curriculum Priority Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures.

Yesterday I travelled to the beautiful Riverland where I worked with teachers in the Berri partnership. Our day started off with Kirralee Baldock sharing stories about places to learn and she described the significance of the ‘ring trees’ at Lake Bonney. Lake Bonney is also known as Nookama by Aboriginal people. While listening to Kirralee it got me thinking scientifically, and many questions were coming to mind… using the Science Bringing it to Life tool questions for year 6 biological sciences - the growth and survival of living things are affected by physical conditions of their environment, together with the Cross Curriculum Priority: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures key ideas to helped my thinking about this.

What type of tree is it in the photo?
What do you notice? Where is the tree growing? How big is the tree? What kind of Australian trees can live in rivers? How can trees live in water? What special features do these trees have that enable them to survive when the lake is full?
If you look at the trees along the western side of ‘Lake Bonney’ / ‘Nookama’, what do you notice? What does it make you think?
How did the scars get there? Why are some of them called ring trees? How many rings can a tree have? How are the rings made?

These scarred trees are evidence of bark and wood being removed. What do you think the Aboriginal people might have removed the wood or bark for? What clues might a ring tree hold about the past?
What can trees tell us about us the ways Aboriginal people lived before the arrival of Europeans?
Why do you think this area was so significant to Aboriginal people?
What is the special connection to Country/Place by Aboriginal people that is unique to their belief system that connects them physically and spiritually to this place?
Can you explain why the trees were not killed through the removal of bark and wood? What can we learn about the lives of Aboriginal people before the arrival of Europeans by looking and thinking about the environment?

By asking students to start with observations of their local environment to think deeply about connections to other cultures, the past and investigate form and function of trees adapting to their changing environment, we are challenging them to achieve high standards with appropriate support. (TfEL 2.4)
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