Integrating science and culture
Watch a teacher work with the cultural co-ordinators to deliver a unit on light and sound that combines modern scientific knowledge with traditional activities.
Resource information
This teacher works with the cultural co-ordinators to deliver a unit on light and sound that combines modern scientific knowledge with traditional activities. The cultural co-ordinators plan the unit with the Principal and the school staff to integrate cultural knowledge with the curriculum. The clip shows a number of hands-on activities to deliver this outcome, such as using a didgeridoo, fire and torches.
MacFarlane Primary School is one of five primary schools located within Katherine, and one of six schools that form part of a wider system, based on geographical groupings, known as the Rivers Cluster. Cluster schools work collaboratively to establish local educational priorities relevant to their communities. The school has resident cultural coordinators who work with teachers to run a whole school program to educate students about Indigenous culture, community and history.
Discussion questions:
- What strategies enable students to make connections with their sense of identity and prior knowledge as well as raising expectations leading to higher-order thinking?
- How can the role of a cultural co-ordinator in a school, or a member of the community, enable students to make connections with their sense of identity and prior knowledge?
