Stage 3 NSW DET Unit: Connotation, Symbol, and Imagery Using Mentor Texts – Ngaawily Nop, Noorn & Come Together (275+ pages)

Engage your students in an enriching 5-week journey through the powerful textual concepts of connotation, symbol, and imagery using three culturally significant mentor texts: Ngaawily Nop: An old story retold by Kim Scott, Joyce Cockles, and Roma Winmar; Noorn: An old story retold by Kim Scott and Ryan Brown, both part of the Wirlomin Noongar Language and Stories Project; and Come Together: Things Every Aussie Kid Should Know About the First Peoples by Isaiah Firebrace.

This comprehensive 275+ page unit is designed for NSW DET Stage 3 teachers and offers in-depth exploration of Dreaming Stories, Songlines, and the cultural significance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander symbols and languages.

Students will learn to:

• Understand and describe the difference between Dreaming Stories and Songlines.
• Analyse and use imagery and symbols in Aboriginal English.
• Identify and explain cultural connotations, figurative language, and their impact on meaning in texts.
• Explore the use of symbols and gestures in communication and representation.
• Create multi-paragraph texts that describe and explain Dreaming Stories, Songlines, and their purpose.
• Research, plan, and produce an informative podcast about Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander cultures, traditions, and the importance of language preservation.

This resource provides clear success criteria and learning intentions, helping students develop essential literacy skills while deepening their cultural understanding. The unit culminates in the creation of a student-led podcast, reinforcing learning through research and multimodal presentations.

What’s Included:

• 275+ pages of engaging content
• Editable PowerPoint and Google Slides version for flexibility
• Printable PDF for ease of use
• Teaching notes for clear guidance
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this resource may contain images, voices, or names of deceased persons in photographs, film, audio recordings, or printed material.

Bring the beauty of Indigenous cultures into your classroom with this thoughtfully designed resource, perfect for teaching connotation, symbol, and imagery in a meaningful and respectful way.

Troubleshooting

Fonts in your PowerPoint not working? I have used the free GOOGLE downloads fonts which can be found here. Install these onto your computer, close the PowerPoint and restart, and the PowerPoint will open with the correctly embedded fonts in place

Please see the thumbnails, preview and video preview for more information. Be sure that you read the product description so that you are aware of exactly what is included in this unit of work.

Attribution is given to: © State of New South Wales (Department of Education), 2023.