Custodians of Country (previously Sharing Stories)

Take a step back to the ‘cold time’, the Nyitting, and explore the creation of everything. 

Learn about the creation and care of Nyoongar Boodja through deep knowledge derived from oral histories. Developed in consultation with Traditional Owners, students will be immersed through story, language , movement and access to real objects and artifacts.  

Student experience

Students will

• Explore the Nyitting (Dreaming)
• Use Nyoongar language to describe animals and some elements of the nighttime skies
• Put their language skills to the test with a game of SNAP!
• Recognise the diversity among Aboriginal cultures and creation stories within Western Australia

Program feedback

Lots of interaction with the children which was great. Also the sensory breaks were great. Activities were age appropriate. Highlights-artefacts shown, learning Aboriginal words was great.

Excellent.The museum staff offered a really interesting program and the children enjoyed the hands on experience. Listening the story told by the indigenous elder was ahighlight.

Great curriculum links, knowledgeable staff, interactive and very enjoyable for students. (Year 1/2 teacher) 

Great for students to be exposed in greater detail to traditional stories and being able to learn new words.

Skills development

This program links to the following strands of the Western Australian Curriculum:

Pre-Primary

Science

• Earth and space sciences: Daily and seasonal changes in our environment affect everyday life (ACSSU004).

Humanities and Social Sciences

• Geography: The reasons some places are special to people and how they can be looked after, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' places of significance (ACHASSK017) (ACHASSK016).

Year 1

Science

• Earth and space sciences: Observable changes occur in the sky and landscape (ACSSU019)
• Use and influence of science: People use science in their daily lives, including when caring for their environment and living things (ACSHE022)

English

• Texts in context: Respond to texts drawn from a range of cultures and experiences (ACELY1655)

Year 2

Science

• Earth and space sciences: Earth’s resources are used in a variety of ways (ACSSU032)
• Use and influence of science: People use science in their daily lives, including when caring for their environment and living things (ACSHE035)\

Humanities and Social Sciences

• Geography: The ways in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples maintain connections to their Country/Place (ACHASSK049).

Year 3

Humanities and Social Sciences

• Geography: Language groups of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples divides their Country/Place and differs from the surveyed boundaries of Australian states and territories (ACHASSK066)

English

• Language variation and change: Understand that languages have different written and visual communication systems, different oral traditions and different ways of constructing meaning (ACELA1475)

Facilitated Workshops

Our highly regarded facilitated workshops continue to set the mark by being well researched, engaging and highly inclusive. They are the best way to experience the Museum with your class, no matter what year level you teach.

All facilitated workshops are led by the Museum’s experienced Learning and Engagement team and have been curated using the Museum’s unique resources to provide a deeper learning experience in our specialist subject areas.

Your booking for a facilitated workshop will include all materials and activities for the duration of the program with no prior preparation required.

As part of all facilitated workshop bookings, you are welcome to explore the rest of the Museum free of charge pre or post workshop and do not need to make any additional bookings to do so.  WA Museum Boola Bardip is open daily from 9.30am to 5pm, with last entry at 4pm.