Create a Student-Led Acknowledgment of Country

Having an Acknowledgement of Country in your classroom is incredibly important. What’s even more important is ensuring your students understand the importance and meaning behind it! 

NAIDOC Week Classroom Activity

In celebration of NAIDOC Week, this activity helps your students understand how each part of an Acknowledgement of Country pays respects to the traditional owners of the land on which you learn. 

As a class, you’ll be able to:

• brainstorm what an Acknowledgement of Country is.
• explore the land and water features of your local Country.
• research the traditional owners of your land.
• pay your respects to your local Elders for their role in taking care of Country.   

Students then have the optional activity of creating their own Acknowledgement of Country to pay their respects.

Tips for Differentiation + Scaffolding 

A team of dedicated, experienced educators created this resource to help you embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives into your lessons. 

If you have a mixture of above and below-level learners, check out these suggestions for keeping students on track with the concepts: 

🆘 Support Struggling Students

The fill-in-the-blank template that comes as part of this activity allows students to see how their new-found knowledge fits into a traditional Acknowledgement of Country. 

➕ Challenge Fast Finishers

Students who are confident with this activity can demonstrate their knowledge in writing their very own Acknowledgment of Country.

🧑‍🏫 Group Lesson (or Other Activity)

Alternatively, complete this lesson as a whole class to come up with your very own Acknowledgement of Country for your classroom. 

Easily Prepare This Resource for Your Students

Use the dropdown icon on the Download button to choose between the PDF or Google Slides version of this resource. 

Print on cardboard for added durability and longevity. Place all pieces in a folder or large envelope for easy access. 

Sustainability Tip: Print a few recording sheets on cardboard and slip them into write-and-wipe sleeves. Students can record their answers with a whiteboard marker, then erase and reuse them.

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NEXT: Read our blog How to Write an Acknowledgement of Country with Kids.

Don’t stop there! We’ve got more activities and resources that cut down on lesson planning time:  

teaching resource Adaptable Acknowledgement of Country Poster An Acknowledgement of Country poster that can be adapted to your local area. teaching resource Acknowledgement of Country Hello Poster A bright and colourful illustrated Acknowledgement of Country Hello poster to display in your classroom. teaching resource Editable Acknowledgement of Country Poster A poster to recognise the traditional custodians of the land on which you teach.