Australian curriculum connections: Digital resources for language teachers
Resources for the virtual or physical classroom
2 July 2022 I Cristina Ojeda Ortega
#Context #AuthenticTexts #Australia
Celebrating indigenous stories, art adventures and wildlife warriors are just a few topics Cristina Ojeda Ortega discovered as she explored some of our favourite digital resources that connect to the Australian school curriculum.
When we prepare materials for language learners, authentic materials can really help us to set the context and provide a strong foundation for lessons.
“Whenever we use language, whether we are speaking, listening, reading or writing, we do it in some kind of context. Contextualising early on in a lesson, through the use of situations, topics, images and talking points, creates a frame of reference for students to refer to.” (Garcia, 2019)
I often rely on digital resources, such as images, audio, and video texts to set the context for my students and make the topic more meaningful. When working with international students and English language learners, it’s also a great way to connect to the culture of a place or country.
This post presents some of our favourite digital resources that connect to the Australian school curriculum.
Tip! At the end of the post, download a PDF list of all the resources and websites mentioned in italics below.
Let’s start by exploring the Australian Curriculum
Source: The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) website.
Interested in learning more about the Australian curriculum? I have the perfect guide for you! The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) provides the most up-to-date information on the national curriculum and assessment with the aim of inspiring and promoting improvements across Australian schools.
On the main page, you can find links to the Australian Curriculum website that features key learning areas for English, EALD, Maths, Science, Humanities, the Arts (Drama, Dance, Media Arts, Music, Visual Arts, etc.), which are divided by year level. Interestingly, it lists capability statements, key priorities, and key glossary items that students (and teachers!) need to know at each stage. ACARA also provides advice on assessments for each subject too (e.g. NAPLAN).
Accessing Arts Education
Source: The Queensland Art Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) integrates art in the Australian curriculum.
Art portrays history and stories from different people and places in Australia and around the world. It helps us to connect the past and present through images and colours! The Queensland Art Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) is a fantastic resource to connect the Australian curriculum to skills-based lessons in the language classroom.
QAGOMA not only hosts a wide variety of exhibitions from national and international artists but also promotes learning through art! You can take a virtual tour of the different parts of the gallery and their website offers resources carefully curated for each year level of the Australian curriculum.
For example, the activities designed for Year 9 and 10 are some of my favourites! These resources provide the perfect opportunity for students to read and explore texts on the topic of identity. These materials help students to “consider the role that art and visual culture can play in shaping contemporary understandings of identity” (QAGOMA, 2020). Students interact with language through the descriptions of the text and can share opinions about their own identity and sense of belonging.
Learning through art is appropriate at any age. For young learners and teenagers alike, it enhances creativity, promotes critical thinking skills and an appreciation of diversity.
QI course participants from Hong Kong meet QAGOMA Curriculum Program Officer, Ms. Rebecca Smith, June 2022.
Celebrating Indigenous Culture
Source: The Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) and SBS Learn provide valuable resources.
Reading opens doors around the world and The Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) is an expert on the topic! This organisation helps Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities across Australia to gain access to different books and literature resources.
Language and storytelling is a big part of all indigenous cultures. That’s why ILF encourages people living in remote communities in Australia to create and publish their own stories and translate them into their languages. For example, a wonderful reading to work on in class is No Way Yirrikipayi! by Alison Lester. The book tells the story of a hungry crocodile that goes searching for food on Melville Island. The text is perfect for all ages and highlights bilingual education as it features both Tiwi and English languages, and blends languages and indigenous culture beautifully.
Every July, we celebrate NAIDOC week in Australia. The festival is a celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture and achievements. SBS Learn has some wonderful resources including clips for classroom viewing, PDFs with activities and resources that link to the Australian curriculum from Early Childhood to Senior Secondary school. Some great ideas to help you plan your own lessons around cultural festivals in your teaching context.
Sharing an Australian story is one way to set the context for a lesson on indigenous culture in your classroom. At the last highschool I worked at in Chile, my colleague created the We Tripantu Festival in which she blended the English language and traditional indigenous celebrations. Students from year 10 and 11 created a fair in which they presented myths, legends, traditional food and music about the Mapuche people. All the information regarding our Chilean indigenous community was presented in English. It was a really inspiring event!
Supporting Aussie Wildlife
Source: The Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors not only protect local animals but also educate the community on protecting wildlife habitat.
Crikey! Australian conservationist, Steve Irwin, was not only known as Australia’s colloquial crocodile hunter - he was also known for his dream. He had a vision where humans and wildlife could live harmoniously on this planet. His family has continued his legacy of conservation through The Australia Zoo and Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors.
If you are looking for resources to enhance a unit of study on the environment or Animals around the world, why not set the context by linking the Australia Zoo and QAGOMA resources with Aussie wildlife! For example, the activities designed for Years 5 and 6 are perfect to connect receptive skills with Australian fauna and art. Students can observe the artwork, read short texts and create infographics comparing Aussie animals and animals at home.
These are a just a few of our favorite digital resources that connect to Australia.
We hope they have inspired you to explore authentic Aussie texts and materials to set the context for your next language lesson.
We know there are many more out there! What else should we add to the list?
Feel free to send us an email at: admin@thequeenslandinstitute.com
Download a list of all the resources in the article!
Click the ‘PDF Download’ button below.
About the Author
Cristina Ojeda Ortega
Junior Consultant
Cristina is a qualified secondary school teacher in Chile and has studied abroad in the United States and Australia. She completed her MA Applied Linguistics (TESOL) at the University of Queensland and now works for DXC Technology in Brisbane. She joined the QI consultancy team in December 2021 and supports our Global Educator Network (GenQI) events and blogs. She is passionate about languages, learning about different cultures, and Ed Tech in the language classroom.
Disclaimer: Images above from external sites are shared for educational purposes only. The Queensland Institute Pty Ltd is proud to support the Indigenous Literacy Foundation ‘Gift of Reading’ program and the QAGOMA Digital Foundation Digital Appeal through financial donations each year. Contributing editors: Peter Viteetarm and Fiona Wiebusch.
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