First Footprints © ATOM 2013 A STUDY GUIDE BY CHERYL JAKAB http://www.metromagazine.com.au ISBN: 978-1-74295-327-4 http://www.theeducationshop.com.au CONTENTS 2 Series overview 3 The series at a glance 3 Credits 3 Series curriculum and education suitability 5 Before viewing VIEWING QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION STARTERS: 6 Ep 1: ‘Super Nomads’ This is a landmark series that every Australian must see. 7 Ep 2: ‘The Great Drought’ The evidence for the very ancient roots of people in 8 Ep 3: ‘The Great Flood’ Australia is presented in a compelling narrative by the , voice of Ernie Dingo. Over 50,000 years of Australia s 9 Ep 4: ‘The Biggest Estate’ ancient past is brought to life in this four-part series , through the world s oldest oral stories, new archaeological 10 Activities discoveries, stunning art, cinematic CGI and never-before- 13 Resources seen archival film. 15 Worksheets and information Suitability: This guide is designed Australia is home to the oldest living specifically for Year 7. This series cultures in the world. Over fifty thou- is destined to become the key sand years ago, well before modern regular monsoon across the north led resource for National Curriculum people reached America or domi- to cultural explosions and astound- Year 7 History Unit 1. nated Europe, people journeyed to the ing art. The flooding of coastal plains Also suitable for: Primary: Years 3, planet’s harshest habitable continent created conflict over land and even 4 & 6, History & Science; Junior and thrived. That’s a continuous culture pitched battles. Tasmania and New Secondary Earth Science, English stretching back ten times the antiquity Guinea were separated from the main- & Media; Senior Secondary: of ancient Egypt. land and diverse cultures developed Ancient History and Earth and all around the coast. environmental science Across Australia there are millions of Warning: Images of Aboriginal and prehistoric paintings, engravings and In the centuries leading up to Torres Strait people appear in this archaeological sites. The continent is European contact, over 200 nations film. one giant canvas telling an epic story and cultures covered the continent. All of endurance in the face of terrifying were managing the land to sustainably SERIES OVERVIEW megafauna, catastrophic droughts and provide for their future. rising sea levels. First Footprints is the untold story of It was the biggest estate on earth. humankind’s original pioneers. New As the series travels through time, we At all of the key sites, a strong bond DNA evidence shows Aboriginal learn of the adaptations that enabled has developed between Aboriginal Australians were the first modern survival of the last ice age, which start- Elders and archaeologists who share people out of Africa. To get to Australia ed 30,000 years ago. The knowledge knowledge about the ancient past. For from the shores of Asia they made the of water sources, part of the spiritual the first time on television, the world’s first open ocean crossing in history. and cultural knowledge enshrined in oldest oral stories, new archaeologi- 2013 © ATOM SCREEN EDUCATION Here they conducted the world’s earli- The Law, meant that people were able cal discoveries, stunning rock art, a est burials with grave goods, etched to live through the ice age even in the wealth of never-before-seen archival the earliest depiction of the human driest and harshest environments. footage and cinematic CGI reveal the face, engraved the world’s first maps, epic migrations, struggles to survive made the earliest paintings of ceremo- As sea levels rose from 15,000 years and technological breakthroughs ny and invented unique technologies ago, a quarter of the continent was made between 50,000 years ago and such as the returning boomerang. flooded, but the weather improved. A the arrival of Europeans in 1788. 2 Cinematographer Julie Nimmo – Indigenous Consultant Wayne Denning – Multimedia and Online Content Producer Professor Peter Veth – Archaeology consultant Editor – Tania Nehme Episodes 1, 3 & 4; Peter O’Donoghue Episode 2 THE SERIES AT A GLANCE While much of the world embraced CURRICULUM AND agriculture, the First Australians reject- EDUCATION SUITABILITY This series consists of four 58-minute ed it. They chose instead ingenious episodes: land management systems like fire Ideal as central resource for Unit 1 stick farming to transform the harsh- Year 7 National Curriculum Episode 1: ‘Super Nomads’ (50,000 est habitable continent into a land of to 30,000 years ago) bounty. Major Learning Area: History Over 50,000 years ago, people made CREDITS the first open sea voyage in human Historical Knowledge and history to discover Australia: an island The characters Understanding: continent full of deadly megafauna and strange plants that had been A full list of the people seen in the four Year 3 Community and evolving in isolation for 65 million episodes is included as a handout at remembrance years. the end of this guide. The importance of Country and Place to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Episode 2: ‘The Great Drought’ The Crew Islander peoples who belong to a (30,000 to 15,000 years ago) local area. (This is intended to be a Martin Butler – Director/Producer/ local area study with a focus on one When the last ice age hit Australia Sound Language group; however, if infor- 30,000 years ago, sea levels dropped Bentley Dean – Director/Producer/ mation or sources are not readily to 130 meters below today’s level. Deserts devoured ninety per cent of the continent. The greatest drought in human history lasted 10,000 years, yet people thrived. Episode 3: ‘The Great Flood’ (18,000 to 5,000 years ago) From 18,000 years ago, melting polar ice caps began drowning 25 per cent 2013 © ATOM SCREEN EDUCATION of Greater Australia. New Guinea and Tasmania became islands. This was a time of war, ingenious inventions, spectacular art and new nations. Episode 4: ‘The Biggest Estate’ (9,000 years ago to 1788AD) 3 and some scientific discoveries have significantly changed people’s under- standing of the world (ACSHE119) Science Inquiry Skills: Questioning and Predicting Identify questions and problems that can be investigated scientifically and make predictions based on scientific knowledge (ACSIS124) Geography Geographical Knowledge and Understanding Unit 1: Water in available, another representative area the world may be studied) (ACHHK060) English Literacy: Interacting with Year 4 First contacts others; Plan, rehearse and deliver The diversity and longevity of presentations, selecting and sequenc- Australia’s first peoples and the ways ing appropriate content and multi- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander modal elements to promote a point peoples are connected to Country and of view or enable a new way of Place (land, sea, waterways and skies) seeing (ACELY1720) and the implications for their daily lives. (ACHHK077) Reference: ACARA <http://www.aus- traliancurriculum.edu.au> Year 6 Australia as a nation understanding will enrich their ability The contribution of individuals and to participate positively in the ongoing History groups, including Aboriginal people development of Australia. and/or Torres Strait Islanders and Specific achievement standards: migrants, to the development of The Australian Curriculum: history Unit 1. Investigating the ancient Australian society, for example in ar- values Aboriginal and Torres Strait past eas such as the economy, education, Islander histories and cultures. It science, the arts, sport. (ACHHK116) celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait How historians and archaeologists in- Islander histories as part of the shared vestigate history, including excavation Year 7: The Ancient World history belonging to all Australians. and archival research (ACDSEH001) A study of history from the time of the earliest human communities to Students will examine historical The range of sources that can be the end of the ancient period, ap- perspectives from an Aboriginal and used in an historical investigation, proximately 60,000 BC (BCE) – c.650 Torres Strait Islander viewpoint. including archaeological and written AD (CE). It was a period defined by sources (ACDSEH029) the development of cultural practices Reference: <http://www.australian- and organised societies. The study of curriculum.edu.au/History/Cross- The methods and sources used to the ancient world includes the discov- Curriculum-Priorities#Aboriginal-and- investigate at least ONE historical eries (the remains of the past and what Torres-Strait-Islander-histories-and- controversy or mystery that has chal- we know) and the mysteries (what we cultures> lenged historians or archaeologists, do not know) about this period of his- such as in the analysis of unidentified tory, in a range of societies including Other Year 7 Learning Areas ad- human remains (ACDSEH030) Australia. dressed in the series: The nature of the sources for an- Cross-curriculum priority Science cient Australia and what they reveal about Australia’s past in the an- Aboriginal and Torres Strait General Understandings: Living cient period, such as the use of Islander histories and cultures things and their environment; Earth’s resources(ACDSEH031) 2013 © ATOM SCREEN EDUCATION resources and their uses; Change over The Aboriginal and Torres Strait time The importance of conserving the Islander priority provides opportuni- remains of the ancient past, including ties for all learners to deepen their Science as a Human Endeavour: the heritage of Aboriginal and Torres knowledge of Australia by engaging Nature and development of science; Strait Islander Peoples. (ACDSEH148) with the world’s oldest continuous Scientific knowledge changes as living cultures. This knowledge and new evidence becomes available, Historical Skills: Chronology, terms 4 B. Share with students how they will be noting any information that is important and/or find new/interesting and/or wonder about while they view the episodes. A list of ‘before viewing’ ideas and links to worksheets are presented for each episode below. VIEWING QUESTIONS AND and concepts; Historical questions and explanations.