First Nations Dreaming Stories

Preparation

Students are expected to:

• Be familiar with viewing AR content in CoSpaces.
• Have an understanding of what ‘character’ and ‘setting’ mean.

Teachers should make sure that:

• All hardware has been charged and sanitised.
• Student Devices have the most recent updated version of CoSpaces installed.
• Year 2 First Nations Dreaming Stories Teaching Deck has been checked and the teacher has accessibility.
• They have chosen two Dreaming story videos or picture books they would like to show students.
• Students have been divided into pairs or groups and names are written on Slide 7.

Learning Sequence

Introduction

• Ask students if they have heard any Dreaming stories in the past.
• Using slide 2 of the Year 2 First Nations Dreaming Stories Teaching Deck, talk about Dreaming stories and what they are, discuss what their significance is e.g. they are stories that First Nations people use to explain how the land was formed, how animals came to be).
• View two of the short Dreaming stories videos from slides 3-6 of the Year 2 First Nations Dreaming Stories Teaching Deck or read two Dreaming story picture books (see a list of suggested books in the Resources section of this lesson plan). 

• As students watch the videos, or as you are reading the Dreaming stories, write down words that are used to describe the landscape or characters (adjectives) of the stories. Explain to students that these words might help them later in the lesson.

Development

• Explain to students that the class will be split into two groups. Display the groups they will be in using slide 7 of the Year 2 First Nations Dreaming Stories Teaching Deck and make sure students know which activity they will be doing first. They will swap activities halfway through the session.
• Talk through the two activities using slide 8 of the Year 2 First Nations Dreaming Stories Teaching Deck. Remind students that the words written on the board earlier will help them with their tasks. 

• Merge Cube Group (with teacher)
  Students view a Merge Cube in AR; they can choose between the Australian Landscapes Merge Cube and the Australian Animals Merge Cube. Students write a description of one of the animals / landscapes they view on the Australian Landscapes and Animals Description Template

• Artwork Group
• Students create a drawing of an animal and a landscape from a description they are given using the Australian Landscapes and Animals Description Template
• Distribute a copy of the Adjectives Word Wall Cards to students, or have the words displayed in the classroom, to assist them with their tasks,

• Spend 15 minutes on the first activity, then swap students over.
  

Conclusion

• Ask two or three students to share their Australian landscape/animal description with the class. Make sure to choose two students who have described the same landscape / animal.
   
• Compare their descriptions and talk about how there are various different ways authors can describe their characters and settings in their stories.
   
• Encourage students to discuss the different adjectives that they used, and the impact they had on their description.