Lesson Plan - Recognising different viewpoints in Indigenous Poetry

Date: 08/09/2014 Lesson Duration: 60 minutes

Unit: English Year Level: 7

Year 7 Level Description
The English curriculum is built around the three interrelated strands of Language, Literature and
Literacy. Teaching and learning programs should balance and integrate all three strands. Together
the strands focus on developing students knowledge, understanding and skills in listening, reading,
viewing, speaking, writing and creating. Learning in English builds on concepts, skills and processes
developed in earlier years, and teachers will revisit and strengthen these as needed.
In Years 7 and 8, students communicate with peers, teachers, individuals, groups and community
members in a range of face-to-face and online/virtual environments. They experience learning in
both familiar and unfamiliar contexts that relate to the school curriculum, local community, regional
and global contexts.
Students engage with a variety of texts for enjoyment. They listen to, read, view, interpret, evaluate
and perform a range of spoken, written and multimodal texts in which the primary purpose is
aesthetic, as well as texts designed to inform and persuade. These include various types of media
texts including newspapers, magazines and digital texts, early adolescent novels, non-fiction, poetry
and dramatic performances. Students develop their understanding of how texts, including media
texts, are influenced by context, purpose and audience.
The range of literary texts for Foundation to Year 10 comprises Australian literature, including the
oral narrative traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, as well as the contemporary
literature of these two cultural groups, and classic and contemporary world literature, including
texts from and about Asia.
Literary texts that support and extend students in Years 7 and 8 as independent readers are drawn
from a range of realistic, fantasy, speculative fiction and historical genres and involve some
challenging and unpredictable plot sequences and a range of non-stereotypical characters. These
texts explore themes of interpersonal relationships and ethical dilemmas within real-world and
fictional settings and represent a variety of perspectives. Informative texts present technical and
content information from various sources about specialised topics. Text structures are more
complex including chapters, headings and subheadings, tables of contents, indexes and glossaries.
Language features include successive complex sentences with embedded clauses, unfamiliar
technical vocabulary, figurative and rhetorical language, and information supported by various types
of graphics presented in visual form.
Students create a range of imaginative, informative and persuasive types of texts, for example
narratives, procedures, performances, reports and discussions, and are beginning to create literary
analyses and transformations of texts

CURRICULUM: Content Descriptions
English Literature
Identify and explore ideas and viewpoints about events, issues and characters represented in
texts drawn from different historical, social and cultural contexts (ACELT1619)
Understand, interpret and discuss how language is compressed to produce a dramatic effect
in film or drama, and to create layers of meaning in poetry, for example haiku, tankas,
couplets, free verse and verse novels (ACELT1623)
English Literacy
Identify and discuss main ideas, concepts and points of view in spoken texts to evaluate
qualities, for example the strength of an argument or the lyrical power of a poetic rendition
(ACELY1719)
History
The importance of conserving the remains of the ancient past, including the heritage of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. (ACDSEH148)

Cross Curriculum Priorities
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Histories and Cultures

General Capabilities
Literacy
Critical and creative thinking
Personal and social capability
Intercultural understanding

LESSON OBJECTIVES
By the end of this lesson, students will have an opportunity to demonstrate their ability to:
Compare and contrast the viewpoints expressed by two Indigenous poets
Create a word cloud which describes key themes, issues and viewpoints as expressed in the
poems
Demonstrate understanding of the poets viewpoint by writing a statement

STUDENTS PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
Students are currently engaged in a unit of work which is exploring poetry. The students have an
understanding of the different poetic devices such as similes, alliteration, metaphors and
personification.

MATERIALS
Kidnappers by Iris Clayton
Bibliography of Iris Clayton
A letter to my mother by Eva Johnson
Bibliography of Eva Johnson
iPads with Word Salad app
Paper

TEACHING AND LEARNING SEQUENCE
Time Lesson Structure Teaching Approaches &
Resources
3 mins Orientation Phase iPad
1. Engage students by telling them briefly what they
will be doing in the lesson - "Today we will be
looking at two different poems about Indigenous
Australia. We are going to look at the different
viewpoints from two poets have spoken about in
their poems about the Stolen Generations and how
they are the same or different.
2. Ask students to sit in groups of 4 with each group
having an iPad.
2 poems and 2
bibliographies

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Content
1. Ask students to select one person in the group to
read out the poem Kidnappers. Read the poem
again, this time highlighting key themes, issues and
viewpoints.
2. Ask students to open up Word Salad on the iPad.
Then ask all students to contribute and write these
key themes, issues and viewpoints in the word
cloud.
3. Discuss each groups word cloud by seeing what
words are the same or different.
4. Ask students to select one person in the group to
read out the poet's bibliography. Read the
bibliography again, this time highlighting key
themes, issues and viewpoints. Ask students to
open up Word Salad on the iPad. Then ask all
students to contribute and write these key themes,
issues and viewpoints in the word cloud.
5. Discuss each groups word cloud by seeing what
words are the same or different.
6. Ask students to select one person in the group to
read out the poem A Letter to My Mother. Read
the poem again, this time highlighting key themes,
issues and viewpoints.
7. Ask students to open up Word Salad on the iPad.
Then ask all students to contribute and write these
key themes, issues and viewpoints in the word
cloud.
8. Discuss each groups word cloud by seeing what
words are the same or different.
9. Ask students to select one person in the group to
read out the poet's bibliography. Read the
bibliography again, this time highlighting key
themes, issues and viewpoints. Ask students to
open up Word Salad on the iPad. Then ask all
students to contribute and write these key themes,
issues and viewpoints in the word cloud.
10. Discuss each groups word cloud by seeing what
words are the same or different.
11. Ask students to move back to their seats and fill in
the following statement for each poem - "The
poet's view on the Stolen Generations is ____
iPad
2 poems and 2
bibliographies
Paper and pencils


because _____."
2 min Conclusion
1. Congratulate the students on their hard work
throughout the lesson.
2. Stick these statements as well as the word clouds
around an enlarged version of the poem on the
wall.


ASSESSMENT
Assessment for learning
Teacher monitors and listens to the groups as they discuss the different ideas in the poems.
From hearing these ideas, the teacher may ask students questions to further develop their
understandings and thinking of the topic.

Assessment as learning
Students ask teachers or peers questions about the key themes, issues and viewpoints in the poems
to further develop or confirm their understandings.

Assessment of learning
Teacher's evaluate the student's understandings of the different viewpoints discussed by the poets
by evaluating the word clouds and statements.
Iris Clayton Biography
Iris Clayton of the Wiradjuri tribe was born at Leeton in the Riverina district of New South Wales. Iris
grew up on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River, the south-west border of Wiradjuri country, in
1945.
Her Grandmother had a lot to do with her upbringing, helping to develop Irisinterest in creative art
and oral history. There were nine children in the Clayton family. The Aboriginal Board Welfare
took the eldest six children away from the mother as was the common practice then to de-stabilise
and assimilate Aboriginal children became the stolen generation. Welfare had our children
adopted or put them in wardship which in real terms meant slavery, being paid a shilling and
sometimes two shillings and sixpence a week wages while working as cooks, housemaids,
gardeners, stockman, and quite often being sexually abused and used as concubines.
Iris and her sisters went to Cootamundra Aboriginal Girls Home where the training began. Her two
brothers were sent on to Kinchela boys home. As Iris says: We werent allowed to see our parents.
We were really cut right off. They tried to wipe us out in one hit, our whole family background. We
were brought up with white outlooks. Never taught Black history or anything and if we used
Wiradjuri (Aboriginal) words at the hoe we were dreadfully punished. Its a sad story really. A lot of
the girls died from schlerosis of the liver, through alcoholism, after they left the home. Some turned
to prostitution, lots of them committed suicide. They just couldnt cope with the brutal system and
being Black, knowing Black, and not being allowed to be Black. A lot of those who were put into
service were sexually abused, and when they fell pregnant, were sent to Parramatta Girls Home
as uncontrollable.
Iris has six children and, after studying Aboriginal History began work with the Australian Institute of
Aboriginal Studies in Canberra. Her main interests are painting (oils), poetry, writing and letting the
world know about the injustice, racism, slavery and abuse that still happens in this country today.
From Gilbert, K. (1988). Inside black Australia: An anthology of Aboriginal poetry. Ringwood, AUS:
Penguin Books Australia.

Kidnappers by Iris Clayton
There were nine little blackfellas
having fun and running free
along came the welfare
said this just cannot be
he grabbed the little blackfellas
sent them all to the homes
to train them all as servants
to slave in gubbars homes
and when the little blackfellas
grew up to be eighteen
some of them were shy and timid
and some of them plain mean
now some of them have children
of their very own
and they dont want
to see them sent
to the bloody training homes
they all hate the whiteman
with his racist laws
and they all keep the whiteman out
when he knocks up on their doors.


Eva Johnson Biography
Eva Johnson was born at Daly River, Northern Territory. Eva was forcibly taken away from her
mother by white authorities when she was three years old, and brought up on Croker Island Mission.
She moved to Adelaide in 1957, went through her school years and became interested in theatre in
1979, joining Black Theatre for their first performance at the Union Hall, Adelaide, in When I Die,
Youll all Stop Laughing. Since then she has acted in Troupes production of Samizdat, the TV series
Women of the Sun, Black Theatres Onward to Glory. She wrote and co-directed the play Tjindarella.
She gained wide acclaim at the Aboriginal playwrights Conference in Canberra, 1987 for her play
Murras, the story of a mothers spiritual power.
Eva is currently a full-time student studying for a Bachelor of Arts Degree, majoring in Drama, as well
as writing her book, a biographical history, In Search of My Mothers Dreaming.
Eva draws upon her experience of life and knowledge of the Black community. She wrote to a friend,
I write about some of the special people whom I love, people who are important to us, and who are
victims of an inhumane environment.
From Gilbert, K. (1988). Inside black Australia: An anthology of Aboriginal poetry. Ringwood, AUS:
Penguin Books Australia.

A Letter to My Mother by Eva Johnson
I not see you long time now, I not see you long time now
White fulla bin take me from you, I dont know why
Give me to Missionary to be Gods child.
Give me new language, give me new name
All time I cry, they say that shame
I go to city down south, real cold
I forget all them stories, my Mother you told
Gone is my spirit, my dreaming, my name
Gone to these people, our country to claim
They gave me white mother, she give me new name
All time I cry, she say that shame
I not see you long time now, I not see you long time now.

I grow as Woman now, not Piccaninny no more
I need you to teach me your wisdom, your lore
I am your Spirit, Ill stay alive
But in white fulla way, you wont survive
Ill fight for Your land, for your Sacred sites
To sing and to dance with the Brolga in flight
To continue to live in your own tradition
A culture for me was replaced by a mission
I not see you long time now, I not see you long time now.

One day your dancing, your dreaming, your song
Will take me your Spirit back where I belong
My Mother, the earth, the land I demand
Protection from aliens who rule, who command
For they do not know where our dreaming began
Our destiny lies in the laws of White Man
Two Women we stand, our story untold
But now as our spiritual bondage unfold
We will silence this Burden, this longing, this pain
When I hear you my Mother give me my Name
I not see you long time now, I not see you long time now.