Home/Curriculum resources/Understanding and respecting cultural narratives /Activity 3: Megafauna exploration
Learning Area:
The Arts
Year levels:
Level 3, Level 4
Suggested timing:
2 lessons
Activity 3: Megafauna exploration
This activity is a part of the Understanding and respecting cultural narratives resource.
Misery Island Coastline, Misery Island, palawa country. Tiffany Garvie. Source: Ngarrngga. © Tiffany Garvie 2023. Used under licence
Begin the lesson with an exploration of the concept of megafauna, showing the videos below to introduce the concept to students.
Pre-viewing
https://www.abc.net.au/education/human-evolution-megafauna-murder-mystery/13944616
Pre-viewing
https://www.abc.net.au/btn/classroom/megafauna-fossil-footprints/10522690
Assign students one of the following megafauna:
Diprotodon
Megalania
Thylacoleo carnifex
Palorchestesazael
Genyornis
Zygomaturus
Genyornisnewtoni
Zygomaturus trilobus
Students are to research their own animals then share with the class, to begin a discussion of extinction and possible causes for why there are no megafauna alive any longer.
Then get students to research an example of megafauna using the task sheet below (or similar).
Related activities within this resources:
Activity 1 – Tiddalik
Teachers guide students to explore cultural narratives through a film that highlights the rich traditions, morals, and storytelling techniques of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People.
Suggested timing:
One to two lessons.
Activity 2 – Water
Teachers guide students to connect local cultural stories with their landscape, fostering a deeper understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander narratives.
Suggested timing:
One lesson/45 min.