ACTF

Deep Time Teacher Guide: Bunda & Barangaroo

Teaching Deep Time with respect, cultural Integrity and empathy in My Place Episode 25: 'Before Time: Bunda' and Episode 26: 'Before Time: Barangaroo.'

Purpose of this guide

Episodes 25 and 26 take students far beyond the invasion‑era history of 1788 and into the deep time histories of First Nations Peoples; stories grounded in tens of thousands of years of connection to Country, kinship, law and knowledge systems.

This guide supports teachers to approach these episodes with:

  • Truth‑telling
  • Cultural safety
  • Historical accuracy
  • Respect for First Nations sovereignty
  • Deep listening to Country and community
  • Age‑appropriate clarity for primary students

These episodes are not ‘prehistory.’ They are living histories, carried through story, ceremony, kinship and Country.

Context overview: Deep time and cultural continuity

Episodes 25: Bunda and 26: Barangaroo shift the focus from invasion-era narratives to the enduring histories of First Nations Peoples. Students are supported to understand First Nations histories as continuous and sophisticated systems of knowledge, law and kinship, developed over tens of thousands of years of connection to Country.

This overview helps teachers engage with these episodes respectfully and with cultural integrity, guided by the FIRST Framework and the Australian Curriculum Version 9.0 deep time history sub-strand. Teachers are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the following resources before continuing with this guide:

Understanding Country and time

First Nations Peoples understand time as relational and ongoing, grounded in Country. Deep time includes creation stories, ancestral beings and the formation of landscapes, waterways and skies. These are systems of law and knowledge that explain identity, responsibility and ways of caring for Country.

Kinship systems organise relationships, roles and decision-making. Seasonal calendars, often with six or more seasons, reflect detailed ecological knowledge built over thousands of generations.

Key ideas for students

  • Time is cyclical and relational
  • Country is a living entity with spirit, law and story
  • Creation stories explain identity and responsibility
  • Kinship shapes social organisation

Life on Country

Life on Country is based on responsibility to land, family and community. Children learn through observation, listening and participation. Knowledge is shared at the right time and by the right people, guided by kinship systems.

Ecological knowledge informs how people gather food, use water, manage fire, build shelter and move through Country. Practices are sustainable, adaptive and responsive to seasons and place.

Key ideas for students

  • Learning happens through doing, watching and listening
  • Roles are shared across kinship networks
  • Ecological knowledge guides daily life
  • Life on Country is sustainable and adaptive

Knowledge systems and technologies

First Nations knowledge systems are place-based and intergenerational. They include fire practices, water management, food systems, navigation, astronomy and material technologies.

These practices show deep scientific knowledge of ecology, engineering and sustainability. Technologies are carefully designed for local environments and purposes.

Key ideas for students

  • Knowledge systems are scientific, ecological and relational
  • Technologies are adapted to place and purpose
  • Songlines and astronomy guide movement and knowledge
  • Fire and water management support long-term care of Country

Cultural continuity and change

First Nations cultures are the oldest continuing cultures in the world. Knowledge is sustained through story, ceremony, art, song, dance and connection to Country.

Communities have adapted to major environmental changes over time while maintaining cultural identity, law and responsibility. Continuity reflects strength and resilience.

Key ideas for students

  • Culture continues through story and practice
  • Knowledge is passed across generations
  • Communities adapt while maintaining identity
  • Continuity reflects resilience and sovereignty

Respecting First Nations voices (FIRST Framework)

Teaching deep time history requires respectful engagement with First Nations communities and knowledge holders.

Teachers should:

  • Find out what local stories and knowledge can be shared
  • Include Indigenous voices through endorsed resources
  • Respect partnerships by seeking permission and guidance
  • Support student learning with culturally safe practices
  • Take time to build relationships and deepen understanding

This approach ensures that teaching is culturally safe, accurate and grounded in community authority.

Why deep time requires a different approach

Deep time history cannot be understood through the same lens as recent history because it spans more than 65,000 years of continuous culture, knowledge and custodianship. For some, history is often framed as beginning at colonisation, yet for many others and First Nations Peoples it begins with ancestral beings, creation stories, the formation of Country, and systems of kinship, law and intergenerational knowledge. These perspectives invite students to recognise that Australia’s history did not start in 1788, that First Nations cultures are the world’s oldest continuing cultures, and that knowledge is carried through story, practice and responsibility. Central to this understanding is the idea that Country is a living entity with its own spirit, law and memory. Deep time is not simply the distant past, it is present and ongoing, as Country continues to teach, guide and hold story.

Principals for ethical, culturally safe teaching

Truth-telling with care and clarity

Teaching deep time requires language that is accurate, respectful and grounded in First Nations perspectives. This means recognising sovereignty and using phrasing that reflects the depth and continuity of culture, such as acknowledging that First Nations Peoples have lived on this continent for tens of thousands of years and that knowledge is passed down through story, ceremony, kinship and Country. It also means making clear that stories are held and cared for by the communities to whom they belong. Terms such as ‘prehistoric’, ‘primitive tools’, ‘myths and legends’ and ‘nomadic’ should be avoided as they diminish cultural complexity and authority.

Country as teacher

Students need to understand Country as a living presence rather than a backdrop. Country is alive, relational and storied, and it holds law, identity and belonging. Teaching should invite students to notice and respond to the world around them, including wind, sound, movement, animals, seasons, sky and water. In this way, learning is grounded in attentiveness and respect for Country as a source of knowledge.

Kinship and responsibility

Deep time stories show that children learn through observation, participation, storytelling and responsibility to family and Country. Knowledge is not given freely at any time, it is shared by the right people in the right way and at the right time. This reinforces that learning is connected to relationships and accountability, rather than individual acquisition.

Cultural continuity, not a frozen past

Deep time should not be presented as something that has ended. Teaching should emphasise continuity, adaptation and resilience, showing that First Nations cultures remain strong and active. Cultural practices continue and knowledge systems remain living and relevant, connecting past, present and future.

Dual perspectives and multiple truths

Even when engaging with Before Time narratives, students can explore how different communities understand and relate to Country. This includes recognising that knowledge is held and shared in different ways and that stories carry meanings about identity, belonging and responsibility. Learning invites students to hold more than one perspective with respect and curiosity.

Respecting cultural authority (FIRST Framework)

Ethical teaching is grounded in community authority. Teachers should seek to understand what local stories can be shared, include Indigenous voices through endorsed resources and respect partnerships with local custodians. This approach also involves supporting cultural safety for students and taking time to build genuine relationships. In doing so, teaching is shaped by respect and connection rather than assumption.

Preparing students to engage with 1788 episodes 25 & 26

Before viewing, explain that these stories take place long before 1788, in a time when First Nations cultures were thriving, adapting and caring for Country. Emphasise that these are living cultures, not distant or disconnected from the present. Prepare students to notice relationships, responsibilities, ecological knowledge, and how children learn from Country.

During viewing, encourage students to observe how Bunda and Barangaroo interact with Country and how knowledge is shared. Prompt attention to tools, movement, sound and story as guides for daily life, and support noticing how kinship shapes decisions and how Country communicates.

After viewing, use inquiry questions to deepen thinking and reflection. Ask what Country teaches Bunda or Barangaroo, how they learn from family, community and story, and what knowledge helps them live well with Country. Explore how these stories show continuity across thousands of generations, and invite students to consider what can be learned from these knowledge systems today.

Australian Curriculum Version 9.0

This curriculum matrix brings together learning across Years 4–6, aligning Episodes 25 and 26 with the Australian Curriculum Version 9.0 and creating age appropriate entry points into the Deep Time History sub-strand. It supports teachers to connect learning areas with key content descriptors and capabilities while helping students build an understanding of First Nations histories as continuous, sophisticated systems of knowledge shaped by Country, kinship, ecological expertise, cultural protocols and responsibility over tens of thousands of years.

 

Episodes 25 and 26 align with the intent of the Australian Curriculum Version 9.0 Deep Time History sub-strand (Year 7) by introducing key concepts to Years 4 to 6 through age appropriate entry points. These include learning about Country, kinship, ecological knowledge, cultural protocols, leadership and responsibility. Students are supported to understand First Nations histories as continuous and sophisticated systems of knowledge developed over tens of thousands of years.

The episodes create strong links to the Australian Curriculum Version 9.0 Cross-Curriculum Priority: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures. Learning is grounded in Country or Place, Culture, People and Knowledge Systems, positioning First Nations perspectives as central rather than supplementary. Students engage with living knowledge systems that continue to shape identity, belonging and responsibility today.

Connections extend across learning areas within the Australian Curriculum Version 9.0. In Science, students explore First Nations ecological knowledge, seasonal indicators and sustainable practices. In The Arts, they engage with storytelling, movement and visual representation. In Technologies, they investigate tools, materials and systems informed by deep time knowledge. Across all areas, students build capability in the Australian Curriculum Version 9.0 General Capability: Intercultural Understanding through engagement with cultural protocols and perspectives, and develop the Australian Curriculum Version 9.0 General Capability: Ethical Understanding as they reflect on responsibility, cooperation, fairness and care for Country and community.

Year level Key focus areas How the episodes support learning
Year 4 Diversity of First Nations Peoples, social organisation, connection to Country, sustainable resource use Kinship roles in Bunda and Barangaroo’s world highlight responsibility, belonging and cultural protocols. Ecological knowledge is shown through water gathering, fishing and yabbies, reinforcing continuous connection to Country.
Year 5 Causes and effects of change, perspectives, significance of cultural practices Leadership and decision making are explored through Barangaroo’s role. Students engage with learning from Elders and recognise continuity of cultural practices across generations.
Year 6 Interactions between people and environments, custodianship, continuity Seasonal knowledge and reading Country demonstrate sustainable practices and deep time continuity. The episodes highlight responsibility to care for others and for place.

 

Year level Key focus areas How the episodes support learning
Years 4–5 Character motivation, cultural and historical context, interpreting multimodal texts Students interpret Bunda and Barangaroo’s actions through gesture, silence and movement. Retelling from First Nations perspectives supports understanding of viewpoint and context.
Years 5–6 Analysing relationships and ideas, creating multimodal texts, ethical storytelling Students create digital stories that reflect kinship, cooperation and leadership. Reflection tasks support respectful representation of First Nations knowledge and values.

 

Year level Key focus areas How the episodes support learning
Year 4 Living things depend on environments, sustainable practices Fishing, water collection and harvesting yabbies demonstrate relationships within ecosystems and sustainable use of resources.
Year 5 Adaptations, survival strategies, environmental interactions Bunda and Barangaroo apply knowledge of animals, water and seasonal change to find food and stay safe, showing observation and adaptation.
Year 6 Science from different cultures, First Nations ecological knowledge Knowledge of fire, water, seasons and animal behaviour is shown as cumulative, observational and passed through generations.

 

Arts area Key focus areas How the episodes support learning
Drama Role play, improvisation, character relationships The dance off and interactions between characters support exploration of kinship, cooperation and conflict through performance.
Dance Movement to communicate ideas and stories Ceremonial movement communicates meaning, decision making and leadership, emphasising cultural expression.
Visual Arts Symbolism, representation, cultural meaning Students represent tools, water carriers, yabbies and maps of Country to explore visual storytelling grounded in place.
Media Arts Multimodal storytelling, point of view Students create digital stories from Bunda or Barangaroo’s perspective, highlighting viewpoint and narrative choice.

 

Year level Key focus areas How the episodes support learning
Years 4–5 Properties of materials, designing for purpose Students explore water carrying methods, fishing tools and shelters, recognising everyday technologies developed over deep time.
Years 5–6 Systems thinking, evaluating solutions Comparing approaches to problem solving supports understanding of tools, systems and sustainable practices in context.

 

Capability Key focus areas How the episodes support learning
Intercultural Understanding Cultural perspectives, protocols, respectful communication Students engage respectfully with First Nations perspectives, learning cultural protocols and interpreting communication through movement, gesture and silence.
Ethical Understanding Fairness, responsibility, care, decision making The episodes highlight cooperation, responsibility and fairness. Students consider leadership, care for others and decision making that respects Country.

 

Additional resources for deep time

Teacher reflection: Examining practice and perspective

Teaching about deep time invites ongoing reflection on the perspectives we bring into the classroom. Consider how your own understanding of time, shaped by schooling and cultural context, may differ from First Nations perspectives where deep time is living, continuous and inseparable from Country. Reflect on how this difference might influence what you emphasise, question or leave unexplored, and how you can broaden your approach to include ways of knowing that recognise deep time as present and active.

Think carefully about the resources you draw on and whether they are culturally endorsed, created with or approved by First Nations peoples, and grounded in local knowledge where possible. How are First Nations perspectives positioned in your teaching of deep time? Are they central to the learning, or included as an addition? Consider how you can avoid presenting deep time as distant or ‘ancient’ history, and instead highlight its ongoing significance in shaping identity, culture and relationships with Country.

It is also important to reflect on how you centre Country as a teacher in your practice. How can you support students to learn from place, to recognise the knowledge held in land, story and community, and to understand their own relationship to Country? Finally, consider the opportunities for students to connect deep-time knowledge to contemporary issues such as sustainability and identity, supporting them to respond with respect, care and informed awareness in their own lives.