This lesson plan has been adapted from the Water Corporation’s ‘Water in Aboriginal Culture’ learning resources.

Gnamma Holes

About the lesson: Students examine an informative text about gnamma holes (rock water holes) and their importance to Aboriginal people.

Year Level: 5-6

Learning objectives

Students will:

• Identify features of informative texts.
• Practise scan reading, note taking, summarising and referencing.
• Understand the importance of gnamma holes to the survival of traditional Aboriginal people (and the role of gnamma holes in an ecosystem).

Read with students the Derdibin Gnamma Storybook and consider the following questions:

1. Show students the front cover of the Derdibin Gnamma Storybook publication
2. Ask: Who and what is shown in the image? What are the people doing?
3. Explain what a gnamma is (water rock hole), and introduce students to the Derdibin Gnamma Storybook. Discuss the quote on the front cover, and what this suggests about the importance of gnammas to traditional Aboriginal people.
4. Examine the images on page 2 of the text, and discuss the location of Derdibin Rock in relation to your school. Discuss other features of the text: e.g. contents, illustrations, headings, acknowledgments. How is this text different to other ‘storybooks’ you might have read?
5. Give students a few minutes to scan the text and do a think-pair-share: what questions about gnammas will this text answer?

If possible, invite an Aboriginal person from your local community to talk to your class about significant water places in your area, how people obtained water in the past and how Aboriginal people today contribute to looking after these water places.