Nedingar: Year 3 English and HPE 

All curriculum links in this unit use the latest national and state curriculums. Use this guide to compare codes across AC versions.   

Author: Isobel Bevis  Illustrator: Leanne Zilm

Publisher: Fremantle Press

Unit writer: Isobel Bevis

Synopsis: A young child wants to meet their Ancestors. They want to know them, learn from them, and follow their ways. The child’s mother gently explains that they have met their Ancestors, yesterday, today, and tomorrow, and that they are everywhere in Country, walking beside them every day. Isobel Bevis uses a simple dialogue between mother and child, paired with soft and meaningful illustrations by Leanne Zilm, to describe an interconnected and timeless spiritual relationship between all living and non-living things which wraps around the child in every aspect of their life.

Rationale: Nedingar features stand-alone dialogue that uses high frequency words and present tense to position the audience, which may be wider than first imagined, as a silent observer, a learner who is privileged to be overhearing an intimate conversation between mother and child. From this viewpoint, students develop connections and empathy with characters in different contexts and observe character interaction, helping them to appreciate issues of intercultural meaning and sensitivity. Nedingar supports students to explore diverse perspectives and how these shape different interpretations and responses. Through discussion, reflection and collaboration they can articulate their ideas, personal experiences and preferences. Students build on their knowledge of verbs and tense and deepen their understanding of the impact of illustrations on mood and context. The text features dual languages with Noongar presented before Standard Australian English which presents opportunities for discussion around why language is important to the message and purpose, and to the maintenance of identity. Nedingar facilitates opportunities for students to engage with and respond to literature about the histories, cultures, and perspectives of First Nations Australians. Students can use the text to recognise literal and inferred meaning and explore and appreciate contemporary literature and illustrations by First Nations Australians. Students communicate their strengthened knowledge by applying it to their writing and by creating multimodal texts and Visual Art.

English concepts: Context; Literary Value; Narrative; Perspective; Point of View; Representation; Engaging Critically.

Curriculum links: Year 3; English; The Arts (Visual Arts); Health and Physical Education; Personal and Social capability; Intercultural Understanding; Critical and Creative Thinking; Digital Literacy; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures.

Overarching questions: 

1. What is the purpose of the text? 
2. Who is the audience and how are they influenced?
3. How do illustrations support the text purpose?

Rich assessment task: Students participate in discussion and reflection to deepen their understanding of the text. They create a range of multimodal texts and Visual Art pieces to demonstrate their learning.

Learning intention: To analyse the front cover of the text

Exploration

As a whole class look at the front cover and invite students to identify key images e.g. Willy Wagtail, human footprints, animal footprints. Discuss the title of the book and the significance of the dual wording.

Key questions:
• Who do you think are the main characters?
• What do you think their relationship is?
• Which direction are the footprints going?
• Are they walking together or all over the place?
• What do you think “Nedingar means”?
• How can you tell?
• What language is this?
• Why is language important to people?
• Why do you think “Nedingar” is written in larger font than the word “Ancestors”?
• What does the word “Ancestor” mean to you?
• Are the Ancestors shown here in human form?

Evidence of learning

Students:
• recreate the cover of the text using the words, “Nedingar” and “Ancestors”.
• will show two characters that could be animals or human and state their relationship.
• will show their own Ancestors.  They may be, but are not limited to being, in the form of spirits, photographs, elderly people, animals, plants, water bodies, footprints.
• will know that language is important for communication and to identity. 

Learning intention: To describe the purpose of the text

Exploration

The teacher reads the text to the whole class, pausing to notice the dual languages and illustrations of the natural environment.

Key questions:
• What type of text is this?
• How can you tell?
• Why does the author use both Noongar and Standard Australian English?
• What does the dual language tell the audience about what is important to First Nations Australians?
• What do you notice about the illustrations?
• What does the illustrations tell the audience about what is important to First Nations Australians?
• Why did the author and illustrator create this text?

Response

Students create a comic strip of the text.

Guiding questions:
• What happened in the beginning?
• What was the conflict?
• How was the conflict resolved?
• What should be in the illustrations?

Evidence of learning

Students:
• identify the text as a narrative
• identify the setting, conflict, resolution
• may describe the purpose of the text as, to tell a story, to remember Ancestors, to communicate the importance of language and connection to Country, to make someone feel safe and loved
• create a comic strip about the text

Learning intention: To identify location and language for First Nations peoples

Exploration

Teacher shows students video of author reading the book in Noongar language. Explain to students the location of Noongar Boodja (Country) using the AIATSIS Map of Indigenous Australia. Discuss with students the location of their school for local First Nations people identifying the location on AIATSIS Map of Indigenous Australia. 

Key questions:
• What Country is our school located on?
• What is the language of First Nations people that our school is located on?
• Are there similarities or differences between Noongar language words in the text and local First Nations language?

Response

Students to research their local First Nations language and create an Aboriginal languages wall chart using the Noongar words from the text into their local Aboriginal language.

Guiding questions:
• What similarities and differences are there between Noongar language words in the text and your local First Nations language?
• Are any of the words similar to English words? Why might this be?
• Where might you, or where have you, seen your local Aboriginal language used in your local area?

Evidence of learning

Students:

• can name the local First Nations language
• can identify the location of their school on Aboriginal Country
• create Aboriginal languages wall chart with local First Nations language

Learning intention: To identify the audience of the text and ways to broaden or change that audience

The full version of this unit is available to PETAA members only. To gain access to the complete unit, either login to your member account or sign up for membership today.

Sign up for membership                 Existing member login