David Unaipon – Inventor, Storyteller & Visionary

David Unaipon was a visionary Indigenous inventor, storyteller and advocate whose curiosity and innovative spirit have inspired generations. Known as the ‘Australian Leonardo da Vinci,’ Unaipon’s groundbreaking work continues to shape our understanding of Indigenous contributions to STEM.

🎬 Multimedia Resources

Primary Years (3–6)

Animated Video: “Meet David Unaipon” (2 mins)

• Use the introductory section of the YouTube video (0:06–1:30).
• Narration: “David Unaipon, born at Point McLeay Mission, was always curious. He asked big questions and invented helpful machines, like a sheep-shearing tool, making life easier for Australians. Today, his face proudly appears on our fifty-dollar note!”

Interactive Puzzle

Profile Cards

Middle Years (7–9)

Profile Video: “David Unaipon – Curiosity & Invention” (4 mins)

• Curated clips from YouTube video (0:06–2:30).
• Focus: His life, invention of mechanical sheep-shearing device and overcoming challenges.

Interactive Podcast: “Unaipon’s Storytelling and Innovation”

• Script based on Chapter 4 (Storytelling) of Dean Foley’s book and YouTube video highlights.
• Includes reflection prompts like “How can traditional stories inspire modern inventions?”

Senior Years (10–12)

In-depth Podcast: “Unaipon’s Legacy – Innovation, Advocacy & Equality” (8–10 mins)

• Detailed narrative based on Chapter 5 (Facing Challenges) and Chapter 7 (Why He’s on the Fifty-Dollar Note) of Dean Foley’s book.
• Key topics: Discrimination, intellectual property rights, advocacy for equality.

Video Documentary Clip: Overview of Unaipon’s Life and Contributions

• Curated and edited YouTube video (entire video 0:06–8:54).
• Historical context, inventions, societal impact and contemporary reflections.

📚 Interactive Lesson Plans

Primary Years (3–6): “Invent Like David”

• Objective: Understand basics of invention and David’s childhood curiosity.
• Activities: Watch animated video, draw inventions inspired by David’s sheep shearer.

Middle Years (7–9): “Stories & Machines”

• Objective: Explore the link between storytelling and inventions.
• Activities: Podcast reflection, storyboard creations, group presentations based on Foley’s Chapter 4 (Storytelling).

Senior Years (10–12): “Vision and Advocacy”

Activities: Structured debate using video/documentary, research assignments using Dean Foley’s chapters on advocacy and recognition.

Objective: Examine David’s broader societal impact.

📝 Case Study Worksheets

Primary Years (3–6)

Worksheet: Match the Inventions: David Unaipon’s Creations

Activity:
Match each picture to its description by drawing a line -then add a descriptive sentence beneath each invention description to clarify its societal impact:

Picture	Invention Description	Impact on Society
🐑	Mechanical sheep-shearing handpiece	Helped shearers work faster and safer.
⚡	Centrifugal motor (early electricity generator)	Provided easier and wider access to electricity.
🚁	Helicopter inspired by a boomerang	Inspired new designs in aviation and flight control.
🧵	Mechanical rope-making device	Simplified rope production, making it quicker and more reliable.

Images are located —> here.

Reflection Questions:

1. Which invention do you think helped people the most? Explain why.
2. If you could create an invention to help your community, what would it be and why?

Middle Years (7–9)

Worksheet: Compare the Shears: Traditional vs. Mechanical

Activity:
Fill out the table comparing traditional blade shearing with David Unaipon’s mechanical shearing handpiece. Use the provided YouTube video and additional research to help.

Aspect	Traditional Blade Shearing	Mechanical Handpiece (Unaipon’s invention)
Speed (fast or slow?)
Effort (easy or tiring?)
Safety (safe or risky?)
Number of sheep/day
Cost (high or low?)
Environmental impact

(Use the YouTube video and Chapter 3 of Dean Foley’s book for details.)

Reflection Questions:

1. How did Unaipon’s invention change Australian sheep farming?
2. What lesson about perseverance can we learn from David Unaipon’s life?
3. Why do you think innovation is important in improving traditional practices like sheep shearing?

Senior Years (10–12)

Worksheet: Breaking Barriers: David’s Innovation Journey

• Book – Who’s David Unaipon by Dean Foley
• YouTube Video – David Unaipon: Australia’s Da Vinci by Kembla Creative, Australian Wool Innovation and Heineger Australia.

Activity:
Research each of David Unaipon’s challenges using the above resources then summarise each issue and David’s response clearly in your table.

Challenge	How David Responded
Facing discrimination at patent office
People underestimating his inventions
Cultural stories published without credit
Limited formal education/resources

(Use detailed information from Chapters 3, 5 and 7 of Dean Foley’s book and the provided YouTube video.)

Icons are located —> here.

Extension Activity: “Advocacy Campaign Project”

• Create a short advocacy campaign (poster, infographic, or digital media post) that honours David Unaipon’s legacy. Highlight ways your community can support Indigenous innovators today.

Reflection Questions:

1. How do the challenges David faced reflect similar issues inventors might encounter today?
2. Suggest ways schools and communities could actively support innovation today.

Answer Keys (Teacher Use)

Primary Years Answer Key:

Picture	Invention Description
🐑🐑	Mechanical sheep-shearing handpiece
🌀	Centrifugal motor (early electricity generator)
🪃	Helicopter inspired by a boomerang
🧵🪢	Mechanical rope-making device

Images are located —> here.

Middle Years Suggested Answers:

Aspect	Traditional Blade Shearing	Mechanical Handpiece
Speed	Slow	Fast
Effort	Tiring	Easy
Safety	Risky	Safe
Number of sheep shorn/day	~30	300+

Senior Years Suggested Answers:

Challenge	How David Responded
Facing discrimination at patent office	Continued inventing and shared ideas publicly
People underestimating his inventions	Calmly demonstrated the effectiveness of his inventions
Cultural stories published without credit	Continued to share stories to promote cultural understanding
Limited formal education/resources	Self-taught; used observation, reading, experimentation

Educational Notes for Teachers:

• Encourage discussion around fairness, perseverance and cultural respect.
• Emphasise David Unaipon’s role as an inspiration for overcoming adversity and his significant impact on Australian society.
• Provide opportunities for creative expression (students can draw inventions, write reflections or present findings).

Virtual Excursion

Reflection & Evaluation

Digital Reflection Forms (Google Forms or Microsoft Forms)

Create simple, accessible digital reflection forms to collect feedback from students after completing the activities.

Primary Years (3–6) Reflection Form

Student Name: ___________
Class: ___________

1. Learning about David Unaipon made me feel:

• 😊 Happy
• 🤔 Curious
• 🌟 Inspired
• 😮 Surprised

2. My favourite invention by David Unaipon is:

• Mechanical Sheep Shearer 🐑
• Rope-Making Device 🪢
• Helicopter Inspired by Boomerangs 🪃

3. One thing I learned from David Unaipon’s story is:

(Open-ended short answer)

4. Draw or describe something you’d love to invent:

(Open-ended short answer or file upload)

Middle Years (7–9) Reflection Form

Student Name: ___________
Class: ___________

1. After learning about David Unaipon, I feel:

• More interested in Indigenous culture
• Inspired to invent or create
• Motivated to face challenges
• A greater sense of respect for diversity

2. What part of David’s story inspired you most? Why?

(Open-ended short answer)

3. Which activity (video, worksheet, group activity) helped you learn best? Why?

(Open-ended short answer)

4. What important lesson will you take from David Unaipon’s life and use in your own life?

(Open-ended short answer)

Senior Years (10–12) Reflection Form

Student Name: ___________
Class: ___________

1. Reflect on David Unaipon’s challenges. What did they teach you about resilience and perseverance?

(Open-ended paragraph response)

2. How did learning about David Unaipon change or deepen your understanding of Indigenous contributions to Australian society?

(Open-ended paragraph response)

3. How can we apply David Unaipon’s advocacy and respect for cultural diversity in our community today?

(Open-ended paragraph response)

4. Rate your own learning experience:

• ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent
• ⭐⭐⭐ Good
• ⭐⭐ Satisfactory
• ⭐ Needs Improvement

Educator Rubrics (PDF downloads)

Primary Years (3–6) Rubric

Criteria	Excellent (4)	Good (3)	Satisfactory (2)	Needs Improvement (1)
Engagement	Fully engaged, enthusiastic participation throughout activities.	Mostly engaged, shows consistent interest.	Occasionally engaged, needs prompting.	Rarely engaged, minimal participation.
Understanding of David’s ideas	Clearly and accurately describes ideas and inventions.	Generally accurate with minor misunderstandings.	Basic understanding with frequent guidance.	Limited understanding, requires significant assistance.
Creative Response	Exceptionally creative, original ideas clearly expressed.	Creative and original, with clear expression.	Some creativity, ideas could be clearer.	Limited creativity, ideas unclear.
Participation & Effort	Consistently high effort, active collaboration.	Good effort, collaborative attitude.	Inconsistent effort, occasional collaboration.	Low effort, little collaboration.

Student Self-Assessment with Scaled Rating:

• How actively did I participate in group discussions? (1–5)
  (1 = Not Active, 5 = Very Active)
• How effectively did I connect David Unaipon’s story to my experiences? (1–5)
• How thoughtful were my questions and contributions during activities? (1–5)

Middle Years (7–9) Rubric

Criteria	Excellent (4)	Good (3)	Satisfactory (2)	Needs Improvement (1)
Comprehension of Key Concepts	Demonstrates thorough understanding of Unaipon’s inventions and their significance clearly and consistently.	Demonstrates good understanding with minor gaps.	Basic understanding, may need guidance or clarification.	Limited understanding, significant support required.
Reflective & Critical Thinking	Offers insightful and well-supported reflections and comparisons.	Provides relevant reflections with some detail.	Basic reflections, needing more depth or support.	Superficial reflections, lacking detail and clarity.
Collaboration in Group Activities	Actively collaborates, positively leads, and supports peers consistently.	Works well with others, participates actively.	Occasionally participates, may need encouragement.	Minimal participation, limited interaction with peers.
Cultural Understanding	Clearly articulates deep understanding of Indigenous perspectives linked to Unaipon’s life.	Demonstrates good awareness of Indigenous perspectives.	Basic awareness shown, requires prompting.	Little awareness or sensitivity demonstrated.

Senior Years (10–12) Rubric

Criteria	Excellent (4)	Good (3)	Satisfactory (2)	Needs Improvement (1)
Engagement	Fully engaged, enthusiastic participation throughout activities.	Mostly engaged, shows consistent interest.	Occasionally engaged, needs prompting.	Rarely engaged, minimal participation.
Understanding of David’s ideas	Clearly and accurately describes ideas and inventions.	Generally accurate with minor misunderstandings.	Basic understanding with frequent guidance.	Limited understanding, requires significant assistance.
Creative Response	Exceptionally creative, original ideas clearly expressed.	Creative and original, with clear expression.	Some creativity, ideas could be clearer.	Limited creativity, ideas unclear.
Participation & Effort	Consistently high effort, active collaboration.	Good effort, collaborative attitude.	Inconsistent effort, occasional collaboration.	Low effort, little collaboration.

Student Self-Assessment Guides (PDF)

Primary Years (3–6) Self-Assessment

• ✅ I listened well to the stories about David Unaipon
• ✅ I shared my ideas during discussions
• ✅ I learned new things about inventions

Middle Years (7–9) Self-Assessment

• ✅ I participated actively in group discussions
• ✅ I connected ideas from David Unaipon’s life to my own experiences
• ✅ I asked thoughtful questions

Senior Years (10–12) Self-Assessment

• ✅ I critically analysed and reflected on David Unaipon’s contributions
• ✅ I actively contributed to class debates and discussions
• ✅ I linked lessons from Unaipon’s life to broader social and cultural issues

Implementation Instructions:

• Google Forms/Microsoft Forms: Easy digital implementation for quick feedback collection.
• PDF Rubrics & Guides: Downloadable and printable formats for classroom use.

🌍 Virtual Excursion

Scan the QR codes or click the interactive links below to virtually explore significant locations in David Unaipon’s life

Open to public on the 9th of August to celebrate National Science Week.

Notes:

• All interactions in this virtual space should remain respectful and educationally focused.
• Constant moderation is not provided; please report concerns immediately.
• Parents should supervise usage by minors to ensure online safety.
• Be cautious with personal information shared within this environment.

Additional Resources

• Image folder —> here.
• Book – Who’s David Unaipon by Dean Foley

Note: Teachers are eligible for a FREE copy for educational use and school-based printing / use. Please request yours from Dean using your teaching email at stories@indigenousnewsaustralia.com

#DavidUnaipon
#IndigenousSTEM
#NationalScienceWeek2025
#InspiringAustralia

🙏 Acknowledgment

“This project received grant funding through Inspiring Australia – An Australian Government Initiative.”