We have been working together with a school that lives on the edge of the Derbyl Yerrigan Bilya. The Principal of the school is a proud Yamitje woman and she is keen for the students at the school to learn more about the traditional stories of the land and river surrounding the school community. We have been working together with several of the Junior school teachers and the Principal to create an inquiry for 2023 about the river. We are in the process of running this plan past a local Noongar elder to fill some of the gaps in our Wajella knowledge. We need to do this because we are talking with the students about the traditional stories of our country that we have not been privy to as young people growing up in Western Australia. The Principal of this school is a skilled artist and is very keen for the students to express their new learning about Derbyl Yerrigan Bilya through art and craft projects, throughout the year. She has ideas in abundance. This fits the Drawing to Learn philosophy well! So, 2023 will be an exciting year exploring this topic in depth.
What do we know about the Derbyl Yerrigan Bilya or the Swan River in Western Australia ?
An inquiry for Junior Primary: What do we know about Derbyl Yerrigan Bilya? This is the Noongar name for the Swan river where Perth is situated in Western Australia. What do we know about this mighty river?
This integrated art/ craft/ science and geography project will go over a year. The first project below is a folding book that shows the birds, fish, reptiles, mammals, trees, plants, and other creatures etc., that live in, on, under, beside or above the Bilya. It's a beginning. Try it and have some fun exploring !! Follow your student's interest. There is a creature for every one! I became completely intrigued about the bulrushes on the edge of the land in the middle of the long winding river... that's where my curiosity is taking me! So..off I go! Leith
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