OD+ Year 3-4 First Nations Connections - Example Lesson Plan

ATYP

ON DEMAND PLUS

Lesson 4 Welcome to Country or Acknowledgement of Country?

© ATYP 2021

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ATYP

LESSON 4

Lesson focus In this lesson students will use improvisation to explore the difference between an Acknowledgement of Country and a Welcome to Country. Working in groups, they will create a short improvised scene about going over to a friend’s house, which will frame a discussion about the differences between a Welcome to Country and an Acknowledgement of Country.

Students will • Use appropriate language to describe the relationship First Nations People have with their traditional lands.

• Discuss when an Acknowledgement of Country or Welcome to Country should be used to pay respect to traditional custodians.

ON DEMAND PLUS

Vocabulary First Nations & Torres Strait Islander People Acknowledgement of Country Ceremony Country Nations Place Traditional Custodians Traditional Lands Welcome to Country

Literacy & Drama concepts: • Improvisation Resources Video 6: Welcome To Country Or Acknowledgement Of Country?

A clear space large enough for students to work in pairs.

A whiteboard or butchers’ paper.

© ATYP 2021

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ATYP

LESSON 4

ON DEMAND PLUS

Activity: Welcome to Country or Acknowledgement of Country?

Watch Video 6: Welcome To Country Or Acknowledgement Of Country? for a demonstration of this activity.

1. Ask students where they may have seen an Acknowledgement of Country or a Welcome to Country before, and what the occasion was.

Explain that there are differences between the two which they will be exploring using improvisation.

2. Divide students into pairs. Explain that they will be improvising a short scene between a visitor and a host.

Encourage the visitors to think about the sorts of things they do or bring when they visit a friend, and likewise encourage the hosts to consider what their expectations are when they welcome guests into their home.

Each scene will begin with the visitor knocking on the host’s door. The host will then open the door to greet the visitor and the scene will continue. Allow each scene to run for thirty seconds or so before calling a stop.

4. As a class, discuss things that the visitors did to show respect towards the hosts. For example: did they bring offerings or make an effort to learn the host’s rules? Then discuss things the hosts did to make the visitors comfortable and familiar with their expectations. For example: did they offer food or drink or make any requests, such as removing shoes? Keep a list of students’ observations on a whiteboard under the headings “Visitors” and “Hosts”.

5. Explain to students that the visitors’ actions are analogous to an Acknowledgement of Country: an Acknowledgement is given by someone who is visiting another’s Country and shows respect for the local peoples’ customs. The hosts’ actions are analogous to a Welcome To Country: a Welcome may only be performed by an Elder of the Country a gathering is held on and is a promise that visitors will be looked after.

3. If you have enough time and a small enough group, allow the rest of the class to watch as each pair improvises their scene. If you are short of time you may prefer to let all groups improvise their scenes at once. In this case, select specific pairs to repeat their scene during the next step.

© ATYP 2021

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