Presentazione Lives è un testo di civiltà che intende stimolare la curiosità verso culture, popolazioni, abitudini e stili diversi dalla nostra per favorire la reciproca comprensione. I brani fanno riferimento ai principali paesi parlanti la lingua inglese, quali: Gran Bretagna, Irlanda, Stati Uniti, Australia e Sud Africa. Ciascuna Unità presenta testi originali, informativi ed accattivanti suddivisi per argomenti: Cities & Landmarks Geography Culture, Art & Literature History Customs & Traditions Music & Sport Environment & Technology People, TV & Cinema rivolto agli studenti della secondaria di primo grado ed è un ideale compagno del testo di lingua dalla classe prima alla classe terza, essendo diviso in tre sezioni corrispondenti ai livelli linguistici delle tre classi, da A1, attraverso A1+, fino ad A2. Ogni brano, che si sviluppa su due pagine, include: diversi esercizi di comprensione, per consolidare l apprendimento e stimolare l analisi un attività di warm-up che introduce il tema del brano CULTURE, ART & LITERATURE A2 Aboriginal Australian Culture Dividetevi in quattro gruppi. Ogni gruppo cerca su internet una delle seguenti informazioni sulla popolazione aborigena dell Australia. Scrivete le informazioni alla lavagna. WRITING GROUP WORK 38 The Aboriginal flag and its meaning Aboriginal tribes and languages Origin of the name Aboriginals Where Australian Aboriginals live today 60,000 years of Aboriginal culture Aboriginal culture dates back to between 60,000 to 80,000 years ago, when Aboriginals first settled in Australia. They have no written language so, in order to pass on their cultural stories through the generations, they use symbols in their artwork . Their art is therefore centred on storytelling, which tells about the land, events and beliefs of the Aboriginal people. Aboriginal dreamtime and dreaming un ampio glossario, per offrire una lettura agevole e scorrevole Dreamtime is a term used to describe the very existence of the Aboriginals and is the foundation of Aboriginal religion and culture. It was a time at the very beginning of the universe during which the natural world animals, trees, hills, rivers, human beings was created by spirits. Dreaming explains how things were created: why a rock is in a certain place or has a particular shape, why the moon returns full every month, how kangaroos got their tails . Dreaming also states the rules of Aboriginal culture and how one must behave in certain circumstances. These beliefs are explained in the Dreaming stories, which, for example, teach not to hurt animals, how to welcome strangers, or how to use and protect the land. GLOSSARY 80 artwork: opera d arte to behave: comportarsi belief: credo bush: foresta dot: punto flow: flusso to hurt: ferire, fare male to settle: stabilirsi source: fonte, risorsa to sustain: sostenere tail: coda treasure: tesoro very: stessa waterhole: pozza INVALSI READING Indica se le frasi sono vere, false o non date (NG). Correggi le false. T F NG 1. Aboriginals started to use symbols as soon as they settled in Australia. 2. Storytelling is the centre of Aboriginal art. 3. Dreamtime is a term which refers to the birth of Aboriginal art. 4. Dreaming is a term which refers to the life of animals. WARM-UP 1. 2. 3. 4. 1 2 Symbolism in Aboriginal art The symbolism of Aboriginals has a long tradition. One of its most fascinating aspects is the use of dot painting: dots symbolise stars and light, but they are also used to hide sacred meanings from white men. The fundamental symbols are: the flow of water: since Australia s outback is dry, running water is a treasure for several communities. The lines represent a storm that brings precious water to the dry lands; the Goanna: this ancient reptile is a frequent subject because it is an important source of food for indigenous communities; the snake: it is a major character in many Aboriginal art stories, as the symbol of strength and the serpent of creation; the waterhole : it is so fundamental in desert survival that it is considered a sacred place and very often represented in artworks; the Mimih spirits: they were the original spirits who taught Aboriginal people many of the skills they needed to survive in the bush and also ceremonies, dances and songs. The Mimihs are rarely seen by humans, but their presence is felt in rocks, trees and caves. VIDEO T F NG 5. In Aboriginal art, dots also symbolise raindrops. 6. The Goanna symbol represents a snake. 7. The snake also represents the strength of human beings. 8. Mimih spirits are not visible but are present in nature. Guarda il video e scegli l opzione corretta. The Rainbow Serpent posted by Rainbow Serpent & the blue bird 1. The story is a traditional Dreaming / Dreamtime story. 2. One day the rainbow serpent woke up and came out of the ground / a tree. 3. With her movement, the rainbow serpent formed the mountains and riverbeds / lakes. 4. The frogs keep the water in their mouths / stomachs. 5. After the water filled rivers and lakes, all the animals followed / thanked the rainbow serpent. 6. Those animals who won t obey the serpents will turn into humans / stones. SDG 15 - LIFE ON LAND 3 READING VOCABULARY Completa il testo con le parole mancanti. Poi con la classe discutete in che modo l uomo può vivere in armonia con la natura. fundamental existence damaged land respect identity The Importance of Land The relationship with land remains 1. for the identity of the Australian Aboriginal people. For the indigenous, land is much more than soil, rocks or minerals. Land relates to all aspects of 2. - culture, spirituality, language, law, family and respect - the land sustains and provides for the people, and the people DO-IT-YOURSELF 4 WRITING GROUP WORK Dividetevi in gruppi e fate una ricerca su uno dei seguenti argomenti. Quando avrete reperito le informazioni create un quiz da 12 domande da proporre alla classe. Typical Australian animals Typical Australian plants / flowers Typical Aboriginal traditions un attività di Do-it-yourself: compiti di realtà da svolgere in coppia o in gruppo che mirano allo sviluppo di soft skill quali leadership, collaboration e team working sustain and manage the 3. through culture and ceremonies. Because of this close connection, when the land is ODDITIES 4. , this has real impact on Indigenous people. The significance of circles in Aboriginal art Circles are important symbols in Aboriginal art. Their first and most important meaning is the circle of life and the interconnection of all living creatures. But they also represent places where people come together, fire, waterholes or ceremonial sites. Djapirri Muninggirrity, from Nhulunbuy community in the Northern Territory, says: Land is our 5. . Rather than owning land, each person belongs to a piece of land. The relationship between Aboriginal people and land is one of 6. . If they come and destroy our land and our sacred sites, they take away our life too. Without land, we are nothing. Adapted from: www.australianstogether.org.au/discover/indigenous-culture/the-importance-of-land/ 81 una rubrica dedicata all Agenda 2030 o alle Competenze del 21° secolo alcune curiosità che arricchiscono il testo