Rationale

This resource can be used to embed understanding of the “Yugambeh language people who are the traditional custodians of the land located in south-east Queensland and north-east New South Wales”, whose ancestors all spoke one or more of the Yugambeh Languages (“Learn the Language — Yugambeh Museum”, n.d.). The dreamtime story is about how Burleigh was created. Using the dreamtime story I have created a drawing book for the children. Once the children have listened to the story discuss with the children what drawings they think would go with the story. The children then draw their own pictures to go with the story which will make this dreamtime story more meaningful to the children as the they share with the rest of the class and their families what they have created. This resource can be linked to the Aboriginal 8 ways of learning pedagogy. “This Aboriginal pedagogy framework is expressed as eight interconnected pedagogies involving narrative-driven learning, visualised learning processes, hands-on/reflective techniques, use of symbols/metaphors, land-based learning, indirect/synergistic logic, modelled/scaffolded genre mastery, and connectedness to community.” (“8 Ways”, n.d.)

“Educators recognise that diversity contributes to the richness of our society and provides a valid evidence base about ways of knowing. For Australia, it also includes promoting greater understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing and being.” (DEEWR, 2009). “The element of “Story Sharing” is now understood by more practitioners in terms of Aboriginal yarning modalities, narrative as pedagogy, narrative as process, narrative as ethics/values, storied experience, cultural meaning-making, place-based significance, and as dynamic frameworks for memory and cognition” (“8 Ways”, n.d.).