Songlines, Year 4 English, HASS and Arts

UNIT COMING SOON

Authors/illustrators: Margo Neale, Lynne Kelly and Blak Douglas

Publisher: Thames and Hudson Australia

Synopsis: “All Australians need to know about the Songlines. They are the world’s oldest ideas and they are unique to Australia, like our plants and animals.” 
 So what are Songlines? Why are they so important to First Nations peoples?

Themes: Indigenous Knowledges, Songlines, Country, connection

Cross-curriculum links: Arts and HASS (History, Geography and Civics and Citizenship)

Cross-curriculum priorities: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures

Why PETAA chose this book for a curriculum unit: Songlines is a rich and informative introduction to the Indigenous traditional Knowledges and the way that they are shared through art, music and storytelling. The authors have tailored the language in the book to connect with young readers, asking them to make personal connections with the way that that they use directions to get places, to understand how to act and to share their own and their family’s stories.

In the classroom the book will guide students and teachers to consider the importance of cultural knowledge and the ways that it is shared. It will create a deeper appreciation of the role of art, music, dance and storytelling in Indigenous cultures and invoke a respect for the significance of the land, especially sacred sites, for First Nations peoples across Australia.