For tens of thousands of years, Australia’s First Peoples had no access to shops so everything they needed was acquired from their environment, from food to tools and clothing. A great deal of time was taken gathering indigenous plants and preparing food and tools for their use. Learning to use resources sustainably was imperative for their survival.

No prior knowledge is required.

This can be a pre-visit, post-visit or a stand-alone activity.

How did Australia’s First Peoples use items found in their environment to live and survive?

In this program students will:

• Compare everyday items that we use to those used by indigenous people
• Understand that everything needed by Australia’s First Peoples was provided for them by the environment in which they lived

Students will:

• Match items we use every day with those collected from the environment by Australia’s First Peoples for the same use
• Grind wattle seeds to make flour
• Use poa grass to make string

Science – Science as a human endeavour

• Scientific knowledge, skills and data can be used by people to explain how they will meet a need or solve a problem (VC2S4H02)

Science – Science understanding

• The properties of natural and made materials, including fibres, metals, glass and plastics, influence their use and re-use (VC2S4U05)

Science – Science inquiry

• Observations can be used as a basis for posing questions to identify patterns and relationships, and to predict the outcomes of investigations (VC2S4I01)

Design and technologies – Technologies & society

• The role of people in design and technologies occupations and factors including sustainability that impact on the design of solutions to meet community needs (VC2TDE4S01)

Design and technologies – Technologies & society

• Describe the ways of producing food and fibre (VC2TDE4C02)

Geography – Geographical knowledge & understanding

• The functions of vegetation in the environment and the characteristics, spatial distribution and location of the main types of vegetation in Australia and the world, such as forest, woodland, savannah, grassland and desert, including the uses of vegetation by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (VC2HG4K04)