The Western Sydney University Students who created this website and the Teaching resources

contained on the site wish to acknowledge and pay respect to the Yarramundi people and the lands
on which the Shaw’s Creek site stands.

Music and Dance are an important part of Aboriginal culture. Shaw’s Creek is a place where
Aboriginal people gather to engage in cultural activities that preserve and enhance the Darug
people’s local traditions and stories. A visit to this site allows students to observe and engage in
activities that show an understanding for Cultural Identity and unique local customs.

Stage 4 Activity - Storytelling taught through Listening and Performing

Aboriginal culture, stories and customs are taught through a word of mouth process. Each story is
passed on from one generation to the next ensuring that the stories remain embedded in the lives of
the people.

Listening- The activity requires students to form a circle in which an audible rhythmic pattern is
either tapped or clapped by the teacher. This rhythm represents the essence of the story that is to
be passed from person to person in the same way that stories are passed from generation to
generation within Aboriginal culture. This simple rhythm is to be representative of a 4-beat pattern
that should be relevant to the theoretical understanding and performing ability of the students
within the group. In a fashion not dissimilar to Chinese whispers, the rhythm is listened to be each
individual in the group as they will be required to understand and copy the rhythm for the next
person. In this activity the students take on the role of a young Aboriginal person who is observing
the local cultural identifiers of their people as they prepare to take part in future storytelling
activities.

Performing – As the Rhythm is tapped or clapped by the teacher, it is then passed onto the first
student. This student is asked to mimic the rhythm and perform it for the student next to them to
listen to and perform again for the next student. As mistakes arise (if they do) the teacher is required
to correct the rhythm and explain that these mistakes lead to an alteration of the history of the story
being passed on. Through this activity students are responsible for the integrity of the story and
therefore the integrity of the culture being passed from generation to generation.

Stage 5 Activity - Storytelling taught through Listening, Composing and Performing

Listening- The activity requires students to form a circle in which an audible rhythmic pattern is
either tapped or clapped by the teacher. This rhythm represents the essence of the story that is to
be passed from person to person in the same way that stories are passed from generation to
generation within Aboriginal culture. This simple rhythm is to be representative of a 4-beat pattern
that should be relevant to the theoretical understanding and performing ability of the students
within the group. In a fashion not dissimilar to Chinese whispers, the rhythm is listened to be each
individual in the group as they will be required to understand and copy the rhythm for the next
person. In this activity the students take on the role of a young Aboriginal person who is observing
the local cultural identifiers of their people as they prepare to take part in future storytelling
activities.

Performing – As the Rhythm is tapped or clapped by the teacher, it is then passed onto the first
student. This student is asked to mimic the rhythm and perform it for the student next to them to
listen to and perform again for the next student. As mistakes arise (if they do) the teacher is required
to correct the rhythm and explain that these mistakes lead to an alteration of the history of the story
being passed on. Through this activity students are responsible for the integrity of the story and
therefore the integrity of the culture being passed from generation to generation.

Composing – At Stage 5 students are to then write their own story in the form of a short rhythmic
pattern that is to be shared in the group. Through this activity students of a variety of compositional
skill levels can observe how a simple rhythmic pattern that represents a simple story is passed on
with little or no mistakes, and as the rhythmic complexity of the stories grows so to does the need
for higher levels of attention during the activity. This activity describes the importance of cultural
identity for the stories to be passed on effectively and shows that Aboriginal people are active
participants in their own history as these are the records of the past for their people.

Stage 6 Activity – Using ICT to acquire and create Compositional work.

Traditionally Aboriginal people gather resources from their local environment to provide such things
as food, shelter instruments for playing music. This activity asks students to gather audio material
from the site so to be used in a computer-based composition in future lessons. These sounds are to
be gathered (recorded) at the site and transferred to the school’s computers for editing and
sequencing. If students do not have their own phone for recording audio at the site, a sample of
audio That I recorded at the site is available here- https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=bnW_H361mHk

Raw Audio can be downloaded here

https://soundcloud.com/roger-matthew-lee/sets/shaws-creek-field-recordings

Field Recording – Whilst at the site Students are asked to take their phone out and make a recording
of the sounds that they hear. This requires students to observe a 5-minute period of silence so that
the natural sounds can be recorded effectively. This activity shows students that inspiration for their
musical work can come from their environment in a way that is similar to how Aboriginal people
gather resources for their survival.

Sample editing and sequencing – This activity involves students loading their audio material onto a
school computer and using a free audio editing and sequencing program such as Audacity. Students
are then to edit and arrange their samples in a creative way and compose a 30 second – 1 minute
long composition that shows simple textures and layers that represents their experiences at the site.