NSW DET Stage 1 English Unit Using Welcome to Country and I'm Australian Too

This comprehensive resource supports NSW DET Stage 1 teachers in guiding students through the concept of context, defined as “a culturally or socially situated circumstance that may give rise to a particular register” (NESA Glossary).

Using Welcome to Country by Aunty Joy Murphy and I'm Australian Too by Mem Fox, students explore how different groups and cultures are represented in texts, building a foundation of cultural awareness and empathy.

Unit Overview and Focus
While context is the core concept, this unit seamlessly integrates narrative as a supporting concept. Through Welcome to Country, students delve into storytelling, enhancing their understanding of cultural protocols around a Welcome to Country and an Acknowledgment of Country.

Learning Intentions and Success Criteria
The unit’s thoughtfully designed learning intentions empower students to:

• Apply their understanding of context to create a meaningful Acknowledgment of Country.
• Use their comprehension of context to write personal stories that reflect their unique perspectives.

Students Will Learn to:

• Recognise and appreciate cultural representations in texts.
• Distinguish between a Welcome to Country and an Acknowledgment of Country.
• Use context to explore word meanings and create descriptive narratives.
• Make inferences using background knowledge, organize ideas effectively, and craft both simple and compound sentences.

Resource Highlights

• Editable Google Slides and PowerPoint: These ready-to-use, flexible slides cover Component B of the new English units, allowing for seamless integration into your lessons.
• Rich Writing Activities: Students will plan, draft, and edit their work, building skills in punctuation, sentence structure, and narrative composition.
• Multimodal Creation: Encourage students to apply their contextual understanding by creating a multimodal or digital text that authentically represents their personal story.

For guidance on acknowledging Country and the protocols around Welcome to Country, refer to the department’s Reconciliation Action Plan included in this resource.

Make a lasting impact in your classroom by providing students with a respectful, insightful journey into context and culture, using materials crafted for high engagement and deep learning.

This unit contains 90+ pages

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