Product Overview
Please note: This study guide contains two versions – a full-colour guide and a text-only version for printing and referencing.
Dreaming Big delves into the thrilling world of sports while celebrating the profound cultural heritage of Australia’s First Nations communities. Spanning six episodes, the series follows athletes from various disciplines, including motorsport, combat sport, surfing and more – each being rooted in First Nations narratives. These stories capture the determination, resilience and triumphs of individuals striving for excellence while navigating the challenges of their lives and pursuing their dreams.
By intertwining First Nations cultural values with the universal themes of sports — perseverance and unity — the series offers a dynamic lens into the lives of athletes, mentors, and families who inspire and uplift their communities.
With themes of mentorship, family and cultural pride, 'Dreaming Big' fosters cross-cultural understanding and appreciation. It is not just a series about achieving athletic dreams, but about building bridges between worlds, celebrating diversity and creating a legacy for future generations.
Curriculum Links:
Dreaming Big can be linked to the following subject areas within the Australian Curriculum:
- Health and Physical Education
- English
- The Arts (Media Arts, Drama)
It also has relevance to the General capabilities of:
- Intercultural Understanding
- Ethical Understanding
- Literacy
- Critical and Creative Thinking
- Personal and Social Capability
Dreaming Big provides opportunities for students to:
- Identify and describe the goals, challenges and cultural backgrounds of young First Nations athletes and community role models.
- Analyse how identity, family and culture shape personal aspirations and achievements.
- Explore how sport and storytelling can be used to promote cultural pride and social change.
- Evaluate media techniques used in documentary storytelling, including voiceover, interviews and visual symbolism.
- Reflect on the connection between land, culture and sport as portrayed in the series.
- Develop empathy and intercultural understanding by examining diverse lived experiences.
- Create their own narratives or media texts inspired by the stories and themes in the series.
