Little J finds a Hawk Moth caterpillar on the Tar vine in the backyard that he names ‘Sausage’. He wants to take it to school but the caterpillar has other ideas and disappears underground. Nanna teaches Little J the story about the Yeperenye caterpillar of the Arrente people from central Australia. Sausage finally returns to give Little J a further lesson on life cycles. Sissy wants to perform a dance for the school with Big Cuz, but Big Cuz feels ‘shame’.

Explore - Interpret data and information displayed in pictures and texts and on maps

Theme - PLACE

After viewing Little J & Big Cuz, Episode 10 ‘Transformation’, ask students to identify parts of the story focused on the interconnections between language and place, and actions in the individual stories about each character.

Focus students’ attention on the Arrernte story of the Three caterpillars that Nanna tells Little J. Have students pose and respond to their own questions about the story (who? what? where? why? and when? questions) to understand the meaning and significance of the story.

Have students identify Aboriginal words and their meaning from the Aboriginal language and/or Torres Strait Islander language spoken locally. Develop a class list that students can add to through the course of the activity. For example:

Access a variety of Aboriginal language and/or Torres Strait Islander language resources to develop as extensive list as possible, such as

• Lou Bennett speaks her mind (reviving the Yorta Yorta language), ABC Goulburn Murray
• Our mother tongue: GunaiKurnai (video), ABC Open
• Our mother tongue: Woiwurrung (video) ABC Open
• Arrernte Dictionary: Alice Springs, Aboriginal Australia Art & Culture Centre,,
• Pitjantjatjara Language Lesson – Walytja / family,  Big Hart
• A school lesson in Aboriginal language Guugu Yimidhirr (video, Cape York Partnership:
• Open-source Yawaru language app, NITV
• Welcome to Country app (NITV) 
• Welcome to country app
• Yugambeh Language app:
• Welcome to Country: Australian Indigenous Language Groups and Cultural Protocols

Provide students with map of the local area and, as a class, have the students identify the names of places (towns, suburbs, road, streets, school, creeks & rivers) that they think are Aboriginal names and/or Torres Strait Islander names.

Divide the class into groups and allocate them a section of the local map to read and list the Aboriginal name references and/or Torres Strait Islander name references. Using a local language dictionary, find the meanings of the place names. Source local Aboriginal Dreaming stories and/or Torres Strait Islander Bipo Bipo Taim (Before Before Time) stories that include some of the names/words so students understand the significance of the name.

Ask students to rename their suburb and four streets near their house with Aboriginal names and/or Torres Strait Islander names.

Invite students to write a letter to the local Town Council/City Council lobbying for all street names to be changed to Aboriginal names and/or Torres Strait Islander names as a gesture of reconciliation and recognition of the First People.