Explore the stories, histories, and healing knowledge held by Country and community.
This activity invites students to explore and pass on the deep knowledge held in stories, history, and healing, strengthening their connection to Country and community through poetry.
Listen
Country holds stories, histories, and healing knowledge passed down through generations. These stories carry wisdom about how to live, connect, and care for each other and the land.
- Find a quiet place to listen to stories from your community — through family, elders, books, or recordings.
- Notice how stories and histories shape your understanding of your place.
- Listen for lessons about healing, resilience, and connection.
Reflect
Think about the knowledge carried by stories, history, and medicine in your Country:
The Things Stories Know
- What stories do people tell about your place?
- What wisdom or warnings do these stories carry?
- How do they celebrate your community or teach important lessons?
History in the Land
- What events or people have shaped your local area?
- Where can you find this history — in the land, buildings, archives, or memories?
- Who can you ask to learn more about your place’s past?
Medicine & Healing Knowledge
- What healing traditions or practices are important in your community?
- How is knowledge about healing passed on?
- What does healing teach us about listening, resilience, and connection?
Create
Choose one or more prompts to write a poem that carries the wisdom of stories, history, or healing:
The Things Stories Know
Write a poem that passes on a story from your place.
- Focus on what the story teaches, warns, or celebrates.
- Use vivid language to bring the story to life for your reader.
History in the Land
Research a local history or interview an elder or community member.
- Write a poem that captures the people, events, or memories shaping your place.
- Think about how history lives in the land and community.
Medicine & Healing Knowledge
Write a poem exploring healing knowledge in your community.
- Describe traditional medicines, bush remedies, or modern healing practices.
- Reflect on how healing connects body, mind, spirit, and Country.
Share
- Share your poem with family, friends, or classmates.
- Listen deeply to others’ poems and the stories they carry.
- Reflect together on the wisdom and connection shared through these poems.
- Use Cycle Thinking: Share, listen, reflect — then create again!
Tips for Teachers and Families
- Encourage students to engage with local stories and histories through interviews, library visits, or online research.
- Support respectful listening and questioning when learning from elders or community members.
- Help students connect poetry with real-world knowledge and cultural respect.
- For younger learners, focus on simple storytelling and feelings about healing and history.
- Use Cycle Thinking to deepen understanding: encourage sharing, listening, reflecting, and re-creating.
- Link the activity to Indigenous cultural protocols and respect for knowledge sharing.