HIST106

Assignment 3 Site Visit Analysis

Learning Activity & Mini Essay

The activity and mini essay have been informed by my visit to the Bunjilaka
Aboriginal Centre at Melbourne Museum.

Learning Activity
My learning activity is aimed at a class of 24 year 3 and 4 students after a visit to
the Bunjilaka Aboriginal Centre at Melbourne Museum (Bunjilaka).

Lesson Focus: Events & culture of people in

Date: 1/06/2014
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories

The Bunjilaka exhibition was designed with the schools Year levels: 3-4
audience at mind. The histories of the Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islanders address the content of the Lesson duration: 2 hours
AusVELS History curriculum (P-10). The learning
(10 minute introduction, 30
activity assists in facilitating a meaningful experience
minutes for each activity,
for students upon their visit. Students are encouraged
plus 20 minute
to look, listen and feel the stories of the first people to
presentation at the end)
facilitate a meaningful experience.
Learning Outcome: By the end of this lesson, students will have utilised the
information they collected and drawn upon their personal thought of their visit to
the Bunjilaka museum. The various activities will greatly assist in developing their
understanding and appreciation of culture and the events and people in Aboriginal
history. Through the variety of activities children will remain engaged and
enthused and will be engaging with much of what they saw at the museum rather
than focus on one aspect. Group presentations of the products of their work not
only allow students to reflect upon what they got from the visit but also appreciate
and take on board the thoughts and perspectives of others. The activity allows
strong reflection upon their trip to Bunjilaka and the stories told of Indigenous
Australians, their history, lifestyle and communities.

Background to the Learning:

Students, as a class, have participated in an excursion to Bunjilaka
During their visit students were asked to explore the entire area exhibit but were
also given a sheet which gave them specific things to visit to help them to find and
collect information (either written or oral). Students were required to visit and take
note of the following:
Bunjils nest/wings
Treaty and Tanderrum
Our story cultures & identities of Australians
Additionally students were asked to record anything they found interesting
or a favourite part of the exhibit
Lesson Resources:
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Assignment 3 Site Visit Analysis

Activity 1: Bunjil
Pencils, textas, crayons
Rulers, glue, scissors
Feathers, pipe cleaners, ribbons
Cardboard, cellophane, tissue paper, polyester balls

Activity 2: Treaty & Tanderrum

Computers (3+) students can work in pairs

Paper
Pencils, textas, crayons

Activity 3: Stories + Cultures Poster

Poster paper
Rulers, glue, scissors,
Pencils, textas, crayons
Lesson Content:
Introduction:
10 mins
Students are all seating on the floor with the activity sheets they were
provided with during their visit to Bunjilaka.
The teacher then begins to instruct students on how they will utilise the
information they have gathered from their museum to complete 3 separate
activities in allocated groups
Teacher will demonstrate her own final products she has created for activity
1 and 3 (as described below)
There will be 3 working stations set up around the classroom which students
will alternate throughout the class period at the end of their allocated time to
complete the activity
As a classroom of 24 students, the teacher will randomly place 8 students in
each group

Activity 1: Bunjil
30 mins

In this activity students will have the opportunity to create their own Bunjil
the eagle using the various materials provided (listed above)
Students will do this keeping in mind the artistic and captivating Bunjil wings
from the Bunjilaka visit
Additionally students will be asked to write who Bunjil is and his significance
in the Aboriginal community
This encourages students to reflect on not only what they saw but what they
heard from the voice of a Koorie Elder telling the story of Bunjil who through
song created the country, law and Kulin people
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Assignment 3 Site Visit Analysis

Students will refer to the notes they were required to take on Bunjil
Students also have to option to create a limerick or poem about Bunjil
Activity 2: Treaty & Tanderrum
30 mins

During this activity students will be given access to a set of computers

where they will further research this aspect of the exhibition
Students will have to answer what tanderrum is and also research John
Batmans Treaty
In addition to this students can add a drawing or description of their
favourite part of the museum or what they found most interesting
Activity 3: Stories + Cultures
30 mins
Students are required to create an A3 sized poster which reflects upon their
own cultures
Each student will have their own section of the poster to contribute pictures
or something verbally written about their cultures and lifestyles
They may draw or write about anything they celebrate or practice as part of
their tradition such as Christmas, Chinese New Year, Communion, Ramadan,
going to Church
The idea of this task is that it represents many nations joining together
which was a main feature of the museum as it told the diverse histories and
cultures of Victorias people before and after the arrival of Europeans
This activity allows students to reflect on how culture influences their
identity and illustrates that there are many different people in the world but
also many similarities which they share
This section, like the exhibit celebrates cultures in history and modern times
Conclusion:

Each group will have 5 minutes to present their Bunjil creations as well as
their posters
Afterwards the students work will pinned up in the classroom for display
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Assignment 3 Site Visit Analysis

Mini Essay
Upon visit to Bunjilaka, students are expected to have gained much insight and
knowledge of Aboriginal and Torre Strait Islander peoples history. The activities
set within the lesson aim to reinforce what students saw and heard and
encourage them to reflect upon the Aboriginal community as the first peoples
and their histories. In addition, one of the main focuses of the lesson plan,
specifically in activity 1 and 3 is that students are encouraged to gain an
understanding and appreciation for the diversity of people and the cultures to
which they belong. Prior to their visit students were given a worksheet which
instructed them which specific sites in the exhibition to pay extra attention to
and record anything they thought was important or interesting. Back in the
classroom, 3 activities had been set up and explained by the teacher which
related to some of the key people and events in Aboriginal history which were
feature at the Bunjilaka museum. The 3 activities chosen were based on Bunjil
the eagle, Batmans Treaty and Tanderrum and the final more broadly, on the
different stories and cultures of Victorias first people. This mini essay aims
assist teachers running this activity to gain an understanding of the connection
of these activities to the site visit as well as support student groups as they
complete the set activities.
I thought it would be a great idea to divide children into groups and have them
complete a variety of different activities for a number of reasons. Firstly, children
are able to engage and focus on a greater range of aspects from Bunjilaka,
allowing them more time to develop a more in-depth understanding of specific
things they saw at the exhibition. In addition, children are not required to focus
for a long period on one activity alone and therefore are less likely to become
distracted and tired of the activity as they will eventually move on to the next
one. For these reasons I have chosen to break up the lesson activity into three 30
minute activities which will be later discussion by the class upon their
completion.
The activity based on the Bunjils nest creation at Bunjilaka invited students to
learn about creation in other cultures and be creative. The story of Bunjil the
eagle was told from the voice of a Koorie Elder as well as a woman who spoke of
him singing people, law and land into creation. Bunjil was once a man who lived
amongst the Aboriginal people but he is now regarded as the ancestral spirit who
created the Kulin nation (HIST106 Lecture Week 1: Aboriginal & Torres Strait
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Assignment 3 Site Visit Analysis

Islander Perspectives). There are several different ideas about how Bunjil
brought forth life, some stories speak of Bunjil shaping beings from bark and
breathing life into them (Broome, 2010, pp. 5), similarly others say the great
ancestral spirit sculpted human form from clay and breathed life into them (video
from HIST106 Lecture Week 1: Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Perspectives).
Despite there being different stories about how Bunjil created life it is not
integral to have one answer for this activity. It is just a method for students to
reflect upon what they saw and express their thoughts and ideas about the eagle
who travels the skies protecting his land and people. This activity is of great
importance because it teachers children about other cultures and their beliefs
about creation which may be different from their own. The story of Bunjil helps
children appreciate not only other creation stories but the core set of beliefs and
values in the Aboriginal culture such as land, mythology, animals and spirit
beings (HIST Lecture Week 1: Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Perspectives)
Upon British invasion in Sydney, Australia in 1788 there were many battles over
the land between the Indigenous Population and the white settlers. During the
time of colonisation the Europeans made many attempts to take the land from
the Aboriginal peoples and seize in as theirs. Encounters between the two sides
were often violent as the Indigenous people believed their spirits were connected
to the land which was under their protection, whereas the intruders saw it as a
commodity to be exploited (Broome, 2010, pp. 37) Many Aboriginal Nations
across the continent fought battles of resistance against the British and
unfortunately suffered great losses (Bunjilaka). Governor George Arthur ordered
the colonists to punish the savage natives who stood in the way of the British
occupation (HIST106 Lecture Week 4: Myth of Peaceful Settlement). As a result of
the Aboriginal peoples resistance of invasion they were labelled as enemies and
the policy of peace and kindness was changed to declaring martial war against
the Tasmanian Aboriginal people (Broom, 2010, pp.43 & 51; Bunjilaka). This was
known as the Black War which occurred between 1828 1832 resulting in the
deaths of many Aboriginal people and settlers (HIST106 Lecture Week 5:
Protections, Missions & Reserves; Bunjilaka) Additionally John Batmans treaty
was another attempt to control and take the land from the Aboriginal peoples.
The treaty offered in 1835 was a method to buy land belonging to the Indigenous
population through peaceful negotiations (HIST106 Lecture Week 4: Myth of
Peaceful Settlement; Bunjilaka). Further research is necessary for students to
complete this task, hence computers are provided in order for them to gain a
greater understanding about tanderrum, the treaty and the black war, all horrific
and of major significance in learning and telling Aboriginal history.
Cultural traditions, connection to their land and identity are at the core of the
stories of Aboriginal histories, as these are significant within their culture. There
are many stories told today about their past which explain Aboriginal genesis
and the British invaders attempts to eradicate their identities. Aboriginals have a
strong connection with the land and attach great amount of importance, love and
respect to their kinsfolk (HIST Lecture Week 2: Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander
Perspectives, Broome, 2010, p. 9-10). Kinship and land were the social cement of
Aboriginal society and it is both saddening but important that we learn about the
attempts during European colonisation and the many years which followed to be
rid of the Aboriginal identity. The purpose of having students create a poster on
their own cultural traditions is so that are able to see how their cultures shape
much of who they are. Upon reflection of their own lifestyles it allows them to
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Assignment 3 Site Visit Analysis

greater appreciate the value of their own culture and freedom to express their
beliefs when Aboriginal peoples were subject to great discrimination and
oppression. The Dying Race theory was held by invaders in the belief that
Aboriginal people would simply die out when in fact Aboriginal Population was
growing (HIST106 Lecture Week 6: Aboriginal Assimilation). Aboriginal people
suffered major loss of culture as a result of child removal where children were
forcibly removed from their families and communities. In 1915 the powers of the
Aboriginal Protection Board were increased as they could now remove children
of mixed descent from their homes without answering to anyone (Broome, 2010,
p.96). An estimated 5000-6000 children were separated from their families and
sent to foster or training home and later to work. These children grew up never
knowing their families and spent years without love and care, forbidden to speak
their traditional language and often subject to physical maltreatment (Broome,
2010, p. 96; HIST107 Lecture Week 7: Child Removal). Governments nation-wide
became obsessed with determining who was Aboriginal and who wasnt. They
carried the very mistaken belief that the less conventionally Aboriginal people
look, the less Aboriginal they were and these people were merged into white
society, with the hopes that their Aboriginal heritage would be forgotten or at
least hidden (HIST106 Week 6 Lecture: Aboriginal Assimilation) These attempts
for assimilation ultimately failed as did the Europeans attempt at forcing
Aboriginals to adopt their way or life. Through this activity students have better
understood the ways in which culture shapes our identity, our experiences and
our choices. Students also come to understand the value of all our differing
individual backgrounds. After many long years of being controlled by the
Aboriginal protection Board who aimed to eradicate the Aboriginal population,
Aboriginal political movement around the country were coming close to ending
discrimination and gaining equal rights for Aboroginal people. It wasnt until the
late 1960s that the fight for civil rights for Aboroginal people was won (Broome,
2010, p195, HIST106 Lecture Week 9: Civil Rights Part 2) and they were free to
express their true identities and no longer deemed Aboriginal based on their skin
colour (Broome, 210, pp. 172)
Conclusion
Upon completion of the final activities students are to gather as a class and listen
to each group present their final works. Teachers should invite students to
explain their works and explain how they reflect upon their experiences at the
exhibit. Once the lesson is concluded posters created by each group are
displayed around the classroom. Upon completion of the lesson students will
have a much better understanding of some of the significant events within
Aboriginals histories. The lesson also aims to encourage student to celebrate the
Aboriginal culture and all other cultures including their own.

1349 words (not including in-text citations)

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Assignment 3 Site Visit Analysis

References
Bunjilaka Aboriginal Centre at Melbourne Museum, Carlton, May 20, 2014.
Broome, R. (2010) Aboriginal Australians: A History Since 1788 (4 th
ed.).Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin
HIST106 Lecture Week 4: The Myth of Peaceful Settlement
HIST106 Lecture Week 2: Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Perspectives
HIST106 Lecture Week: 6: Aboriginal Assimilation
HIST106 Lecture Week 7: Child Removal
HIST106 Lecture Week 9: Civil Rights Part 2