The dust echoes (also known as dreamtime stories) are a very valuable resource when teaching young children about Indigenous culture. Dreamtime stories are used to express stories and beliefs of the wide variety of Australian Indigenous groups. It is important to remember that different Indigenous groups have different dreamtime stories based on their beliefs. The Mermaid Story (ABC Education 13 August 2021)is from the Wugularr Community in Arnhem Land which is in the Northern Territory (The Education Shop n.d.). The story has a main theme of friendship but there is also the theme of country throughout the story. The theme of country comes through because during the story when he is underwater with the mermaids, the man realises he is loved and needed so he goes back. He goes back because he feels the pull of family and country which is what motivates him to go up to the surface to be with them again (Games ABC 13 August 2021). 

This resource fits into the curriculum under grade 5-6 in both history and english, It connects to the curriculum elaborations: history: The diversity and longevity of Australia’s first peoples and the significant ways Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are connected to Country and Place (land, sea, waterways and skies) and the effects on their daily lives (VCHHK078) and english: Recognise that ideas in literary texts can be conveyed from different viewpoints, which can lead to different kinds of interpretations and responses (VCELT315) (VCAA n.d.). Since this resource is about feeling a pull from the land, it shows a part of the connection that indigenous people feel towards the land they live on. In Uncle Bob’s (Global Oneness Project, 2009) video he mentions “living on the land as people of the land,” this conveys that, for Indigenous people, land isn’t just something they live on but also something they nurture. For the English part of the curriculum, this resource is an example of a story being told from a certain viewpoint and if it came from someone or something else then it may be different. This resource was easy to find curriculum elaborations for as it is a text that can be used across multiple different discipline areas in the curriculum.

This resource fits into the AITSL Standard 2.4: Understand and respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to promote reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians (AITSL 2017). It fits into all four levels of the standard which is useful for teachers as it can be used by many different teachers that are at different stages of their teaching careers. The point of this standard is to develop an understanding of Indigenous history, culture and language and since this resource is an older story and was traditionally written in an Indigenous language, it suits this standard as it can be accessed by students online.

The content description: The significance of Country and Place to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who belong to a local area (VCHHK072) (VCAA n.d.) under the history section of the curriculum suits this resource as both the resource and the content descriptor focus on country and it significance to Indigenous people to belong to that area. This content descriptor sits under the grade 4 section of the curriculum, which is the year level listed on the lesson plan where I found the videos. Even though this resource matches the content descriptor, some of the images displayed in the videos may be a little bit confronting for the year level chosen as they show Indigenous people before colonisation before they had clothes, this is something that may cause a disruption in the classroom as students would be amused by seeing someone with no clothes.

This fits into AITSL standard 2.4 (AITSL 2017) on all four levels as it covers the history and culture of Indigenous people. Using this video provides a way to provide important information and allow the development of an understanding of some of the most important parts of Indigenous culture.

Overall, this resource is good to use in the classroom but some parts may need to be skipped as they contain images that would cause a very disruptive distraction.

The art curriculum for grade 3 - 4 mentions Indigenous art in the content descriptor: Identify and discuss how ideas are expressed in artworks from a range of places, times and cultures, including artworks by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (VCAVAR028) (VCAA n.d.). This piece reflects this content descriptor as it is an example of older, Indigenous art that used symbols and dots to express ideas. It can also be linked into the history section of the curriculum in the content descriptor: Describe perspectives of people from the past (VCHHC068). This art connects to this resource because it is about the different ways that people see things, and while the Indigenous are a group of people, this curriculum point can still connect to this resource.

AITSL standard 1.4 can connect to this resource as this standard focuses on strategies for teaching Indigenous students (AITSL 2017). This art is a direct view into part of their history that shows them their connection to so many important parts of their culture. This resource could be used for any of the four levels under the standards which means that teachers at any stage of their career could use it in different ways in their classrooms.

Overall, this resource would be a good one to use to teach Indigenous history, art and culture in the classroom. It came from a lesson plan which shows how it can be used and what the students can learn from it.

This resource can be applied to many year levels but the content descriptor I found in the curriculum that relates to it well was: Apply basic rules and scoring systems, and demonstrate fair play when participating (VCHPEM104) (VCAA n.d.) which is in the grade four section under the discipline area ‘Health and Physical Education.’ This content descriptor works for this resource as it is a game that relies on teamwork and scoring to play effectively (Australian Sports Commission n.d.). While the content descriptor doesn’t specifically mention the word ‘Indigenous,’ it still applies to the basics rules of the game and can be connected to the social support that comes from the feeling of identity in Indigenous culture. 

AITSL Standard 1.4 (AITSL 2017) relates to this resource because this resource focuses on an activity from Indigenous culture that can be used to teach both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students about Indigenous togetherness in a more simplified way. Since this resource requires teamwork, and in the past the Indigenous would work together to hunt, raise their children and protect each other, it could be used as a way to introduce students to the theme of identity in Indigenous culture.

Overall, this resource would be good to use in the classroom when teaching about Indigenous identity and togetherness.

AITSL (2017) We’re here for teaching. AITSL, accessed 6 October 2022.

Arty Factory (n.d.) Aboriginal Art Lesson - Hand Stencil Painting. artyfactory, accessed 6 October 2022.

Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (n.d.) Contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art. ACCA, accessed 6 October 2022.

Australian Sports Commission (n.d.) Boogalah. sportaus, accessed 6 October 2022.

Australian Sports Commission (n.d.) Yulunga Traditional Indigenous Games. sportaus, accessed 6 October 2022.

Australian Screen (2008) First Australians - Episode 1, They Have Come to Stay. aso, accessed 6 October 2022.

australianstogether (n.d.) Curriculum Resources. australianstogether, accessed 6 October 2022

australianstogether (n.d.) First Contact. australianstogether, accessed 6 October 2022.

BioMedCentral (24 July 2017) The impact of indigenous cultural identity and cultural engagement on violent offending. BMC, accessed 6 October 2022

Games ABC (13 August 2021) Dust Echoes Mermaid Story. ABC, accessed 6 October 2022.

Global Oneness Project (27 February 2009) The Land Owns Us [video]. Youtube, accessed 6 October 2022.

The Education Shop (n.d.) Dust Echoes: Mermaid Song (ATOM Study Guide). theeducationshop, accessed 6 October 2022.

VCAA (n.d.) The Victorian Curriculum F-10. Victorian Curriculum, accessed 6 October 2022.