Abstract

Aboriginal cultural knowledge in science classrooms can be used to engage Aboriginal students and inform all students about Aboriginal Australia. The worldview of Aboriginal people can inform all students about their understandings and knowledge systems that Aboriginal people use and value. These knowledge systems highlight aspects of Aboriginal culture, a unique culture of difference in Australian society to inform all students of aspects of the oldest living culture globally. These understandings will also present the richness of their local environment and landscapes from an Aboriginal perspective. This paper will highlight the use of Aboriginal narration and its use of storytelling to inform and teach from a different viewpoint of western society. Many Aboriginal Dreaming stories present natural phenomena and landscapes from a point of difference and can allow students to make some critical comparisons and understandings from various cultural understandings about landscapes and their importance. The paper will also examine the scientific observations that are intimately linked to Aboriginal cultural practices and Aboriginal societies maintenance of their environments and long term survival.