Connection Focus: / The unit British Colonisation provides students with the opportunity to study Australia’s original human inhabitants, and the arrival and consequences of occupation by the British. The topic also provides students with the opportunity to reflect on the European and Aboriginal people who made major contributions to Australian society in the early days of colonisation. / Cross-Curriculum Priorities:
Cross-curriculum priorities
/ Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander
histories and cultures
/ Asia and Australia's
engagement with Asia
/ Sustainability
General capabilities
/ Critical and creative thinking
/ Ethical understanding
/ Information and communication
technology capability
/ Intercultural understanding
/ Literacy*
/ Numeracy
/ Personal and social capability
Other learning across the curriculum areas
/ Civics and citizenship
/ Difference and diversity
/ Work and enterprise
Students will be engaged in: /
Students will be engaged in:
•researching key events and people from Australia’s history•researching key events and people in developing Australian traditions and heritage
•recognising the contribution of people and groups from other countries to Australian heritage
• recognising the changes to people and places in the Sydney region as a result of British colonisation
•appreciating music and art from that time period.
• researching the voyage of James Cook in relation to colonisation and world exploration at the time
HSIE Link: / This unit provides opportunities for students to explore issues related to Australia’s originalinhabitants, explorers before the British and the British arrival and occupation of Australia.The unit focuses on the evaluation of viewpoints about the consequences of Britishcolonisation for people, groups and the environment, and on formulating informed opinions.
History Link: / Throughout this unit students will learn about the history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.Students will examine European exploration and colonisation in Australia and throughout the world up to the early 1800s. They will examine the impact of exploration on other societies, how these societies interacted with newcomers, and how these experiences contributed to their cultural diversity.
CAPA Link: / Students will be given the opportunity to dabble with different media and to experience and build on a broad spectrum of techniques and skills, creating effects that will enhance their artistic work.British paintings such as the watercolours of William Bradley may be compared and contrasted with Indigenous art works in terms of purpose, media and techniques to explore cultural differences. Australian folk songs such as ‘Botany Bay’ will be taught. This can be sung at the grand friend’s day performance. Opportunities for dramatising the events of the First Fleet voyage and landing in Sydney Cove can also be incorporated to enhance student s knowledge and understanding.
Mathematics Link: / Students will be engaged in lesson content whereby they will be required to use mathematical knowledge and skills to organise and interpret
information about historical events. They will analyse numerical data to make meaning of the past, They will use timelines to understand cause
and effect. As well as using calendars and dates to interpret information about significant events from the past.
English Link: / Historical knowledge and understanding will be discovered via a number of historical fiction titles appropriate for this level.Students will explore how texts on the same topic can differ according to purpose and audience. Students will read and respond to a variety of imaginative and informative texts on issues related to explorers before the British, Australia’s original inhabitants, British exploration and subsequent occupation and colonisation of Australia.Composing and creating a variety of texts, including multimodal texts, with the purpose of informing their audience.
An English Unit of work that can be used in conjunction with this program can be sourced at:
Written
Enora and the Black Crane by Arone Raymond Meeks
Meet Captain Cook by Rae Murdie
Other titles(not referred to in unit but could be read during fruit break)
What’s your storyby Rose Giannone
My Place by NadiaWheatley
The Rabbits by Shaun Tan
The First Fleet by Alan Boardman
Novels which can be read include:
Stowaway by Karen Hesse
Letters of Rosie O’Brien by Kate Walker / Visual
Aboriginal Languages map:
/ Multimodal
Aboriginal Languages map:
My Place for teachers:
A convict story:
First Australians:
Victorian crime and Punishment Website
Captain Cooks first voyage :
Additional Resources / Finding Bennelong:
Indigenous Australians:
Assessment
/Evidence: / Assessment for Learning
*anecdotal records
* comments or notations
* conversations
* marks & grades
* feedback / Assessment as Learning
*Self-assessment of writing tasks, including assessment of handwriting style of key letters covered and the use and correct spelling of topic words and high frequency words from texts. Identify skills that need further practise.
* Peer assessment
* Questioning
* Skill practise / Assessment of Learning
* writing tasks graded, based on set criteria’s
* student achievement against selected outcomes
* student achievement against set learning goals
* end of unit assessment task
* achievement against Literacy Continuum Markers
British Colonisation
Key Concept/s: What was life like for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples before the arrival of the Europeans?Curriculum Area/s: History & HSIE
Outcomes and related Content:
HT2-3 describes people, events and actions related to world exploration and its effects.
The diversity and longevity of Australia's first peoples and the waysAboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoplesare connected toCountry and Place (land, sea, waterways and skies) and the implications for their daily lives (ACHHK077)
Students will:
identify the original inhabitants of Australia and create a timeline indicating their longevity in Australia of more than 50,000 years
investigate, drawing on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community representatives (where possible) and other sources, the traditional Aboriginal way of life, focusing on people, their beliefs, food, shelter, tools and weapons, customs and ceremonies, art works, dance, music, and relationship to Country
HT2-5 applies skills of historical inquiry and communication
Sequence historical people and events.
Use historical terms.
Locates relevant information from sources provided
CCS2.1Describes events and actions related to the British colonisation of Australia and assesses changes and consequences.
sequences significant events related to humanoccupation in Australia
Completion Date / Learning Intention / Teaching and Learning Activities / Resources
To find out what knowledge the students bring to the unit.
For students to know what life was like for Aboriginals before Colonisation.
For students to know what life was like for Aboriginals before Colonisation.
For students to know the significance of Dreamtime stories to Aboriginal people.
For students to be able to give a retell of the Dreamtime story: Enora and the Black crane. / Throughout first week, have the students complete their title pages.
Lesson Focus: What knowledge do students bring to the unit?
Introduction:
As a class: Complete a KWL. Find out what the students already know about aspectsof who were Australia’s first people, Why Europeans settled in Australia, Who are some famous explorers of Australia , etcAsk them what they would like to know more about.
It is also suggested that a word bank and/or glossary is begun in the classroom which students can add to throughout the unit.
List all the words that students predict they may come across during their learning about British Colonisation. Discuss the role of word banks/glossaries in learning e.g. Word banks help us to remember and spell new words.
View the following video:
As a class read the text Aboriginal Australia before Colonisation (page 87, Primary Society and environment, book E- RIC Publication).
Ask students to highlight the words: historian, colonisation, indigenous and multicultural in the text. Encourage students to work out what they mean from the text (dictionaries should be used to complete the activity, to ensure the correct answer is recorded.
Draw a chalk line on the board or floor that is two or four metres long. Explain to students that this is a timeline representing 80 000 years of Aboriginal peoples living in Australia. Ask students to indicate by putting marks on the line showing how long Australia has been settled by white people. Explain that the last centimetre (for a 4m line or only ½cm for a 2m line) represents the 200 years since British colonisation. Discuss this representation of the colonisation of Australia compared to students’ perception of the length of time.
Display an Aboriginal language map of Australia.
Explain that before 1788 there were several hundred, (estimated between 250 and 500), Aboriginal language groups or nations. Use the NSW interactive map on the web site to locate the Aboriginal language group or nation of your local area.
Jointly refer to List of Aboriginal nations on the web site, selecting the Nation in which the school is located. Share and explain the information with students. Identify and record local Aboriginal words and their meanings. Undertake additional searches of the Aboriginal people of the local area as required.
Use a local area map (obtained from local council or street directory) to identify places in the area named in the Aboriginal language.
Lesson Focus: Aboriginal life before Colonisation
- Ask students if they know how long Aborigines have lived in Australia. Explain that it is thought they have lived in Australia for between 40-80000 years. Add this information to the timeline created in the previous lesson. Ask students if they know anything about what life was like for Aborigines for these 80000 years. *Provide an opportunity for the Koori kids in the class to share their own knowledge and to take the lead in class discussions.
- View the powerpoint presentation to enhance students learning of Aboriginal culture: This power point gives information about the culture and lifestyle of Aboriginal people with a focus on Aboriginal art, which can be referred to for future learning activities.
- Show clip “Before Time” from My Place website. As a class, discuss the differences between Barangaroo and her friends, and themselves, eg. The differences in the games they play, the food they eat, clothing (No playstations!!)
Read Information Sheet 1.3 – Aboriginal Food. (Source from:
Collect two large sheets of paper to create a wall display for your class.On one piece of paper draw or stick pictures of different types of food that theAboriginal People of Australia ate. You could use the internet to find pictures of thedifferent types of food or draw them in coloured pencil.On the second piece of paper draw pictures of how these people used to catchtheir food.Use the collage to report back to your class about the foods that the Aboriginalpeople ate.
Lesson Focus: Dreamtime stories
- Explain to students the concept of the Dreamtime. The Dreamtime is the Aboriginal belief system which expresses what the Aborigines believe to be the beginning of life and the creation of the world. The Dreamtime is deeply rooted in the land and its significance must be emphasised.
As a class, discuss the story and the message contained within it. Students write three ‘I remember…’ statements about the text, and then have the students use these statements to aid them in writing a summary of the book.
Then have students create their own artwork to accompany their book summary. / Unit title page
Card or butchers paper for word wall.
Aborigine PowerPoint presentation
MyPlace clip 1 Barangaroo
Information Sheet 1.3 – Aboriginal Food.
Book: Enora and the Black Crane by Arone Raymond Meeks
Materials for art lesson: paper, water colours, cotton buds and paintbrushes.
Key Concept/s: Traditional songs and dances from that era
Curriculum Area/s: CAPA
Outcomes and related Content:
MUS2.1 Sings, plays and moves to a range of music, demonstrating a basic knowledge of musical concepts.
sings songs demonstrating a greater awareness of beat, pitch, tone colour and structure
moves to music maintaining a constant beat, identifying structure, identifying changes in pitch, elements of duration and dynamics
DAS2.1 Performs dances from a range of contexts demonstrating movement skills, expressive qualities and an understanding of the elements of dance.
moves with awareness of safe dance practice including movement skill — action in space, control, alignment, use of breath and with sensitivity to the sound accompaniment
performs a dance devised from a cultural or historic context (eg discuss the theme and intention from an Australian Bush Dance) and create a dance using key features by varying the rhythmic movement, patterns and expressive qualities to create a personal response.
Completion Date / Learning Intention / Teaching and Learning Activities / Resources
For students to learn the song ‘Bound for Botany Bay” so that they can perform it at the Grandfriends day
For students to know that the Heel n Toe polka is a form of bush dance and know the moves in order to perform at the Open Day and Grand friends day, Community event / Throughout the term teach the students the following songs and dance. These will be also
consolidated during the CAPA Group time throughout the term.
Provide the students with a little history about each song:
1.For we are bound for Botany Bay
Share a recorded version of the convict song ‘Bound for Botany Bay’.
Who is singing this song?
Why are they singing it?
Why are they saying ‘farewell to Old England forever?’
Where were they going? Why?
Determine students’ existing knowledge from their answers to the last two questions.
Explain/define some of the words used in the song:
- rum culls - friends
- Old Bailey - famous English prison
- To cut a swell - to make a good impression
- a swell - well dressed person
- dookies - not a real word at all but from 'dukes'
Locate both London and Botany Bay on a map. Track the journey of the First Fleet from Portsmouth to Rio de Janeiro, around the Cape of Good Hope to Table Bay (now Cape Town) and across the Indian Ocean to Botany Bay. Use the map’s scale to estimate the length of the journey. View the animated map from the State Library of New South Wales website.
Why did the journey take about 250 days to complete?
- Heel n toe Polka
Eras of bush dance in Australia
- Early European 1770–1850 settlers came with their local dance traditions.
- Gold rush 1850–1860 miners brought dances from Europe some via the American gold rush.
- Pastoral period 1860–1950 rural woolshed balls and dances in local halls.
- Revival 1950–1960 collectors and enthusiasts document and perform dances.
Words:
Video: Heel n toe Polka
Key Concept/s: What was life like in Britain in the 18th Century?
Why did Europeans settle in Australia?
Curriculum Area/s: History, HSIE & English
Outcomes and related Content:
HT2-5 applies skills of historical inquiry and communication
Sequence historical people and events.
Use historical terms.
Locates relevant information from sources provided
CCS2.1Describes events and actions related to the British colonisation of Australia and assesses changes and consequences.
sequences significant events related to human occupation in Australia
Completion Date / Learning Intention / Teaching and Learning Activities
Some of thefollowing lessons were sourced from: / Resources
For students to know what was like in England 250 years ago.
For students to know how criminals were punished in England in 1700 and 1800’s.
For students to be able to complete a convict profile sheet.
For students to know how the problem of England’s overflowing prisons were addressed. / Lesson Focus: What was life like in Britain in the 18th Century?
Focus question: What was life like in England 250 years ago?
- Show students excerpts from the film Oliver Twist (2005 / Ronald Harwood, screenplay / Roman Polanski, director) to answer the question: What was life like in London at this time in history? (Slide 4- Susan Burke, First fleet IWB)
- Discuss living conditions for the poor in London, as depicted in the film. Why might many people have resorted to crime? How did those in authority deal with misbehaviour?
Image from Roman Polanski's film, Oliver Twist (2005)
Source: © Guy Ferrandis/Tristar Pictures/Bureau
L.A. Collection/Corbis
- Discuss the value of this film as a 'historical source'. Ask students to suggest possible primary sources (drawings, letters, court records etc) that might provide more useful 'evidence' for further investigation of this topic. (Slides 5-7, Susan Burke, First fleet IWB)
- Students use the Chronology(PDF, 104 KB) exercise to sequence events leading to British settlement in Australia, exploring cause and effect. (Slide 8- Susan Burke, First fleet IWB)
- Use the events shown in the Chronology(PDF, 104 KB) exercise to create a classroom timeline.