Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes

Tune In: Overcoming barriers to participation

20 minutes

Find Out: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heroes

25 minutes

Take Action: Create a digital presentation

5 minutes

Reflection

Learning intentions

Students will:

research Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commonwealth Games athletes.

Success criteria

Students can:

discuss factors that influenced these Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander athletes
identify challenges this athlete encountered and strategies or actions they implemented.

Tune In: Overcoming barriers to participation

Step 1

In the previous lesson (Social Barriers to Participation), students explored barriers to sports participation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander athletes. In this lesson, students will investigate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander athletes who have overcome these barriers to create history and become Commonwealth Games champions.

Step 2

Using a whiteboard, create a class brainstorm on how barriers, such as those identified in the last lesson, can be overcome. Suggested responses include:

allow flexible training schedules to accommodate cultural needs and responsibilities
collaborate with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led organisations
connect aspiring athletes with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander role models
develop and fund sports facilities in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
educate coaches, administrators and sporting organisations on cultural awareness
engage and support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to participate in a safe and supportive environment
provide funding and scholarships
secure corporate and local sponsorships.

Find Out: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heroes

Step 1

Students will explore Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander athletes who have overcome barriers throughout history to represent Australia at the Commonwealth Games.

Provide each student with a copy of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Athletes Factsheet. Read through the factsheet as a class. You may like to lead the reading or ask student volunteers to take turns reading.

Step 2

Lead a class discussion with your students using the following prompts:

What did you find interesting?
What information surprised you?
How has your understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander athletes improved?

Step 3

Your students’ task is to choose 1 Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander athlete to research from the list provided on the Factsheet. They will need to explore the chosen athlete's journey, research specific barriers or challenges they have encountered, and examine how the athlete has been represented in the media.

Each student will need access to a device to conduct their research online and respond to the research questions on the Student Worksheet.

Take Action: Create a digital presentation

Step 1

Once your students have researched their chosen athlete, their task is to create a digital presentation that shares the story of their athlete.

The presentation should include:

information students researched and recorded on the Student Worksheet
impact of the athlete’s journey for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across the continent
images and visual elements.

Students can create their digital presentations on Canva, PowerPoint, Google Slides or Slido. To elevate their presentations, encourage students to use visual elements such as engaging fonts, images, and design.

Step 2

Place students into pairs and invite them to share their presentations with each other. Direct students to provide constructive and positive feedback to their partner.

Students can integrate their feedback into their presentation before submitting it to you for feedback and review.

Literacy extension: In an additional class, invite each student to present their presentation to the class. Students can write cue cards summarising the information to accompany their presentation.

Reflection

Ask students the following discussion questions:

After considering the participation barriers we have explored in this lesson, where do you think these barriers are present in your own community?
How have the stories of resilience and perseverance displayed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander athletes inspired you?

Example student answers

Who are they? Write a short paragraph describing this athlete.

For example: Catherine Freeman is a proud Kuku Yalanju and Magarr-Magarr Warra woman. She is an Olympic champion, winning 5 medals at the Commonwealth Games, 4 of them gold. Catherine was born in Mackay in 1973, and from a young age she hoped that her success as an athlete would inspire all Aboriginal children.

Describe their journey to becoming a Commonwealth Games athlete.

For example: Catherine was coached by her stepfather at a young age and trained by running laps barefoot on grass. In 1989, she won a scholarship to a Brisbane school and received professional coaching. Catherine won her first race at 8 years old, and by the time she was 16 years old, she had won her first gold medal at the 1990 Commonwealth Games.

What are some of their achievements?

For example: In 1990, she became the first Aboriginal woman to win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Auckland as a 4 x 100 metre relay team member. Catherine is known for being Australia’s greatest athlete at the start of the 1990s and 2000s. At the height of her career, she won the women’s 400-metre sprint at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Her career includes 2 world champion titles, 3 Commonwealth Games gold medals, a silver medal and 14 national titles for the 3 sprint distances (100, 200 and 400 metres). Catherine announced her retirement from athletics in 2003.

Did this athlete face any specific challenges?

For example: Catherine highlights the ongoing discrimination she experienced as an Aboriginal athlete from a very young age. Catherine kept winning races, but unlike her non-Indigenous competitors, she was never awarded a physical trophy despite watching those who came after her receive the glory. After debuting as a Commonwealth champion, Catherine had a public profile and began to receive racist hate mail.

What strategies or actions did they or their community use to overcome these barriers?

For example: Catherine received support from her parents and her community, where her experiences of racism were a roadblock that she continually rose above, even when the racism came from within her own team. Catherine and her training partner, Gija, Yawuru and Iwatja athlete Nova Peris, supported each other during these difficult times as 2 of Australia’s elite Aboriginal athletes.

How has this been portrayed in the media?

For example: Catherine was largely celebrated during the height of her career, with media reporting her as a pioneering figure for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander athletes. However, there were instances of negative media coverage during her career. Specifically, there were occasions when coverage was tinged with racial insensitivity, reflecting broader societal issues rather than focusing solely on her athletic achievements.

Representing Country at the Commonwealth Games

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Summary

Lesson Guides and Printables

In this lesson

Representing Country at the Commonwealth Games

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Summary

Lesson Guides and Printables

In this lesson