The Aborigines of Australia Explain they are also known as Aboriginal Australians. Adapted from tshepard's slideshow shared at http://www.slideshare.net/TShepard/the-aborigines-of-australia

Who are the aborigines? First Australians One of the oldest groups of people on the planet Hunter/gatherers They used throwing weapons such as spears, and boomerangs to hunt prey, and gathered wild plants as food. Make sure they understand what a boomerang is. Adapted from tshepard's slideshow shared at http://www.slideshare.net/TShepard/the-aborigines-of-australia

History and Culture They did not have a written language All their history and learning passed down by stories and art Most well-known art form is dot painting Point out example on slide. And mention this is the type of art used in Stories From the Billabong by James Vance Marshall and Francis Firebrace (The book we will be studying) Adapted from tshepard's slideshow shared at http://www.slideshare.net/TShepard/the-aborigines-of-australia

Spiritualism The beginning of time in Aboriginal beliefs is called “The Dreamtime” or “Dreaming” In Dreamtime, “Ancestors” came from below the earth to form various parts of nature, some became men, others animals, still others became rivers, plants, or the sky. Stories From the Billabong are aboriginal stories of the dreamtime. Adapted from tshepard's slideshow shared at http://www.slideshare.net/TShepard/the-aborigines-of-australia