Counting bracelets

CONTENTS

CURRICULUM INFORMATION

TOPIC INFORMATION

PHASE OF DEVELOPMENT

Purpose....................................................................................2

Early childhood

Student outcomes...................................................................2

Middle childhood

Key background points...........................................................2

Cultural and protocol considerations.....................................2

Early adolescence

Resources................................................................................2

Late adolescence

TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGIES

Lesson outline ........................................................................3

MAJOR LEARNING AREAS

The Arts
English
Health & Physical Education

Languages

Mathematics
Science
Society & Environment
Technology & Enterprise

VALUES
Pursuit of knowledge achievement of potential

Self acceptance and respect of self

Respect and concern for others and their rights

Social and civic responsibility

Environmental responsibility

Produced by DUIT Multimedia for the Aboriginal Perspectives across the Curriculum program.
APAC252 | Counting bracelets
Department of Education WA 2010
Revised September 2011

Licensed for
NEALS

TOPIC INFORMATION
PURPOSE

To introduce principles of counting one to one

correspondence for numbers.

To introduce language related to counting in both

English and the local Aboriginal language.

Students can also explore variations to this counting as

well, for example 10 could be 3 + 3 + 3 + 1. Students may
explore counting principles of 10.
It is best to take this lesson in spring when gum nuts, and
other nuts and seeds, are readily available.
Please note there are many different spellings of Aboriginal
names, due to the oral nature of their languages. The one
used in this lesson is Wangkatha.

STUDENT OUTCOMES

Working Mathematically Level 1:

CULTURAL & PROTOCOL CONSIDERATIONS

1. Counting objects

Refer to AIEOs regarding breaking down terms, and using

and pronouncing the terminology of the local language
group. (eg Instead of more/less, use big mob/nini bit.)

2. Numbers in order

Number Comparison of groups of objects and use of

appropriate terminology to describe them.

(Curriculum Framework, Mathematics learning area

outcomes: Number, 6.)

KEY BACKGROUND POINTS

When introducing principles of counting one to one
correspondence for numbers 110, both in the western
system and for Wangkatha people, draw attention to
similarities and differences. For instance Wangkatha
peoples system for counting is: 1, 2, 3, 2 x 2, 2 + 3, 2 x 3, 2
x 3 + 1, 2 x 3 + 2, 3 x 3, 3 x 3 + 1 as there are no words for
four to ten in Wangkatha, so, for 4 the number 2 is repeated
2 times: 2 x 2; and for 5: 2 + 3 and so on is how you
count in Wangkatha to 10.
We suggest that you introduce language related to
counting in both English and the local Aboriginal language.
Wangkatha words are:
1. kutju
2. kutjarra
3. marnkurrpa
4. kutjarra, kutjarra (2 + 2)
5. kutjarra, marnkurrpa (2 + 3)
6. marnkurrpa, marnkurrpa (2 x 3)
7. marnkurrpa, marnkurrpa, kutju (2 x 3 + 1)
8. marnkurrpa, marnkurrpa, kutjarra (2 x 3 + 2)
9. marnkurrpa, marnkurrpa, marnkurrpa (3 x 3)
10. kutjarra, marnkurrpa, kutjarra, marnkurrpa (3 x 3 + 1)

RESOURCES
Medium
book

CD-ROM

Author, producer,
developer etc

Title

Wangkanyi Ngurra Tjurta

Aboriginal corporation

1,2,3, many:

DUIT Multimedia, The

University of Western
Australia

Moorditj

APAC252 | Counting bracelets

Department of Education WA 2010
Revised September 2011

Source
Language centre library

a Wangkatha
counting book
distributed to all schools; http://moorditj.net.au

Licensed for
NEALS

TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGIES

TEACHING RESOURCES

seed collecting licence

local seeds and nuts

fishing line or fine elastic to make bracelet

traditional Aboriginal jewellery (pictures will do if no

jewellery is available)

pre-made jewellery made from different materials

Direct students to continue threading and to collect

their own materials from the surroundings.

Reinforce counting words/principles as teacher, AIEO,

and/or community members move around groups.

Assist students to tie their fishing line/elastic as

they finish their bracelets (Some may make them big
enough to be a necklace!).

Ask children to count seeds and nuts on their

bracelets and to compare with others. Who has the
most seeds? Least? Same number? Who has used
different seeds? How many of each seed have you
used? If you add the amounts of different seeds
together, is it the same as when you counted all the
seeds? AIEO and/or community members introduce
and use Indigenous terms/principles.

Preparation

Contact DEC to purchase a seed collecting licence at

a low cost.

Collect seeds and nuts from local area and prepare

materials.

Ask AEIO to borrow traditional jewellery from people

in the community, and if none is available pictures and
photos will do.

Extension activities

Making patterns using different nuts.

Cut lengths of fishing line to make bracelets.

Counting collage charts using nuts.

Decide whether you will make holes in the seeds and

nuts prior to the lesson, or whether you have enough
assistants to make them for the children during the
lesson.

Graph to show number of nuts on childrens bracelets.

Combining and separating eg how many more does

John need to make his as many as Gina?

Make or collect contemporary jewellery made from a

range of materials.

ASSESSMENT

Invite AEIO and members of the local community to

join in the lesson. They are wonderful sources of words
and pronunciation of the local language.

Implementation
This lesson is planned for outside in the local/school
environment.

Use First Steps diagnostic tasks for counting

principles.

Draw up a checklist to identify those children who

can/cannot count with one-to-one correspondence,
touching each object once as they count?

Use your checklist to also show if children understand

the principle of addition.

Whole class

Ask AIEO, and/or community members, to talk about

seasons, trees to get nuts from, and background
information about how these were used in traditional
Aboriginal communities.

Discuss traditional jewellery making and its uses

(eg ceremonial) and show and discuss any jewellery
collected and/or pictures of it, see Moorditj CD ROM).

Show and discuss examples of contemporary

jewellery from different materials.

Explain that students are going to make jewellery out

of local nuts and seeds like traditional Aboriginal
people.

Give students a handful of nuts to start threading.

Teacher models counting 1 to 1 correspondance as
they thread their own bracelets.

Ask AIEO, and/or community members, to introduce

Wangkatha words for counting.

APAC252 | Counting bracelets

Department of Education WA 2010
Revised September 2011

Licensed for
NEALS