RIC-0667 Aboriginal Cult 5-6

Indicator:
The Natural Environment
Teachers Notes
Recognises the importance of the natural environment.
This section will discuss the importance of the natural environment to everyone
and the necessity of looking after it. Things such as putting litter in the bins and
not leaving rubbish on beaches are simple ways in which we can help look after the
environment.
Traditional Aboriginal people lived in harmony with their natural environment,
and made very few changes to it. They had a use for most things—living and nonliving—within
the environment.
Although there were dramatic climatic changes, traditional Aboriginal people
managed to survive by adapting to the changes. These changes are told through
the Dreamtime stories.
The environment is always changing. When winds blow strongly they can
sometimes damage or even uproot trees. Heavy rains also change the environment
by washing away soil and causing erosion. Beaches also change as the waves wash
onto the shore, moving sand or piling it up.
Traditional Aboriginal people used natural resources from their environment to
meet their needs of shelter, food, water and spiritual wellbeing. They possessed
highly-developed survival skills. Traditional Aboriginal people were careful not to
overindulge in their resources, always thinking of the following seasons. When
non-Aboriginal people arrived in Australia, the natural environment changed
drastically. They cleared large amounts of the land, cutting down trees and natural
bush for farming and grazing. They also brought with them new animals and
plants.
It is important for everyone to take care, and to be aware, of their natural
environment. Small things like picking up rubbish from the beaches can prevent it
polluting the water and killing fish. Mining companies are becoming more aware
of the environment and are replanting trees on land that has been cleared. It is
essential to make students aware that the environment is important to everyone
for many different reasons.
• Show the class pictures of the natural environment.
• Ask students to use words that describe the pictures, such as ‘quiet’, ‘beautiful’
etc. Write their responses on strips of paper with their name. At a later date,
students could paint their own pictures of a natural environment and use
their descriptive sentence to go with the picture.
• Discuss the importance of looking after the environment and what we can
do to look after it.
• Discuss pictures students could draw (page 80).
• Recycled tins (soup, tinned vegetables or fruit etc.) can be collected by the
class to make the rubbish bin on page 81.
Doing the Right
Thing
Make a Rubbish Bin
©R.I.C. Publications
Low Resolution Images
Display Copy
(pages 80 – 81)
Using the Environment
www.ricgroup.com.au R.I.C. Publications 79Australian Aboriginal Culture 79
ISBN 978-1-86311-807-1