LESSON PLAN

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PART A: PREPARATION AND STRATEGIES

Year: 8
Syllabus section: HISTORY (STAGE 4) Depth Study 6: Expanding Contacts
Stage 4
6d: Aboriginal and Indigenous Peoples, Colonisation and Contact History
Unit Name: Ngara
Integrated Curriculum between ENGLISH, HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY and SCIENCE
Lesson Topic: Colonisation
Prior knowledge/skills required
Field trip

Duration: 60 minutes
Resources (Attach classroom ready resources/worksheets students will be using, including
relevant pages from textbooks)
Images for story sharing
Aboriginal Australia Map
Laminated cards
String
iPads
Mini research task worksheet
Glue
Quality Teaching Elements (lesson focus) - Highlight relevant items
1. Intellectual Quality
2. Quality Learning Environment
3. Significance
1.1 Deep knowledge
2.1 Explicit quality criteria
3.1 Background knowledge
1.2 Deep understanding
2.2 Engagement
3.2 Cultural knowledge
1.3 Problematic knowledge
2.3 High Expectations
3.3 Knowledge integration
1.4 Higher-order thinking
2.4 Social Support
3.4 Inclusivity
1.5 Metalanguage
2.5 Students self regulation
3.5 Connectedness
1.6 Substantive communication
2.6 Student direction
3.6 Narrative
How are Quality Teaching (QT) elements achieved in the lesson?
QT element
1.2
2.2
3.5

Indicators of presence in lesson

Students develop a deep understanding of what colonisation was like for the
Indigenous peoples.
Students must work together in various groups to complete given tasks.
Students are physically connected through the use of strings and therefore feel an
emotional connection through empathy task.

PART B: SEQUENCE OF ACTIVIES IN LESSON

Syllabus outcomes: (number/s and descriptor)
HT4-3 Describes and assesses the motives and actions of past individuals and groups in the context of past societies
HT4-4 Describes and explains the causes and effects of events and developments of past societies over time
Life Skills:
HTLS-5 Recognises the significance of people and events in the past
HTLS-9 Recognises different perspectives of people, events and issues
Students learn to:
Students learn about:
Interpret history through the actions, attitudes and
Developments, decisions and events from the past
motives of people in the context of the past
that produced later actions, results or consequences
Identify and describe different perspectives of
Different perspectives of participants in a particular
participants in a particular historical context
historical context
Identify and locate a range of relevant sources, using
The actions, attitudes and motives of people in the
ICT and other methods
context of the past
Timing
10 Mins

Lesson content
Introduction to colonisation:
Definition Activity

Student activity

Teacher activity

Upon walking into the classroom, students

are asked to grab a dictionary from the front
shelf, sit at their desk, open their books and
find the definitions for the words on the
board: invasion, occupation,

Teacher will ask students to look for the words

in the dictionary and write down the
definition.

colonisation and settlement.

Four different students are asked to share
the definition they found.

Teacher writes down the definitions on the

board in case some students could not find the
word.

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10 Mins

Story Sharing Ngara: Weaving

the past and the future (Field
trip)

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Students will be listening to the story that
will be shared which has been chosen from
the field trip that they previously attended.

Teacher will be sharing a story called Weaving

the past and the future that includes a
woman named Jodi stripping bark from a tree
and transforming it into of strings.
Teacher will explain that the strings symbolise
unity and connectedness and weaving them
together creates a memory for their future.

15 Mins

Empathy Task

Students are given a card each that has the

name of an Aboriginal national group.
Students will then get into pairs and each
pair is given a string. They will tie both cards
to each end of the string and stand in a circle
holding their cards.
This will create a circle of unity with the
strings all over lapping.
After the strings are cut, students will share
their feelings about how it felt to have the
connection between them cut.

Teacher will link this to the Empathy task that

by telling them to remember what the strings
symbolise as they will symbolise the same
thing in the task they will be doing next.
Teacher will put up a map of Aboriginal
Australia and discuss the map with the
students.
Teacher will then ensure that each student has
a card and each pair has a string to tie the
cards to.
Teacher will demonstrate to the class how to
tie the cards onto the string and will circulate
around the classroom as students do it on
their own.
After students stand in a circle, the teacher
will walk with a pair of scissors, cutting each
string, symbolising colonisation.

15 Mins

Mini Research Task

Students will be given an iPad each in order

to complete the mini research task that
focuses on the national group that is on their
card.
Through the research task, students will gain
knowledge about the national Aboriginal
group on their card. This will give them an
insight on the context in which colonisation
took place.

10 Mins

Reflection of learnt content

(Extension Task)

PART C: ANALYSIS AND SELF-REFLECTION

How have outcomes been achieved?
Learning outcome
4.3
4.4

S.5
5.9

After completing the worksheet, students

will glue it into their books. If not completed,
students will be asked to complete it for
homework.
If there is extra time, students will sit in a
circle and in an anti-clockwise direction and
share a fact about the National group they
researched.

Teacher will then ask the students how it felt.

Teacher will give out the worksheet, ensuring
that all students are provided with one.
Teacher will read through the questions on the
worksheet and then chooses two students to
hand out the iPads.
Teacher will circulate around the classroom,
assisting any students who require help with
the research.

Teacher will encourage students to share a

fact about what they have researched in order
for other students to gain knowledge about
other National groups.

Method of measuring and recording

Students are encouraged to assess the motives and actions which lead to
colonisation while taking into consideration the context.
Through the empathy and research activities, students will be able to describe the
cause of colonisation and effects of it on Aboriginal peoples. They also look into
developments regarding the National tribe.
Recognises the significance of people and events in the past through the research
task questions.
Through the empathy task, students recognise the perspective of the Aboriginal

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peoples regarding colonisation

Links to next lesson
The next lesson requires students to apply to content learned through the research of the Indigenous tribes as they will be
required to research what the Indigenous tribes are known as today and make links between them.
AISTL graduate standards and evidence that this lesson achieves this standard.
AITSL Standard
Evidence within this lesson
2.4 Understand and respect Aboriginal Non-Indigenous students are given the empathy task to empathise with the
and Torres Strait Islander people to
Indigenous students and make them aware of the effects it had on them. This
promote reconciliation between
activity therefore promotes reconciliation between them.
Indigenous and non-Indigenous
Australians
3.3 Use teaching strategies

A range of teaching strategies are employed: Individual and whole class work

WHS considerations
Ensure that scissors that will be used for activity does to come into contact with students
Strings that will be used for activity must be used in a safe manner

References
Board of Studies, NSW. (2003). History: Years K-10: Syllabus. Sydney, Australia
Craven, R. (2011). Teaching Aboriginal Studies: A practical resource for primary and secondary teaching. Allen &
Unwin.
Aboriginal Australia Map retrieved from: http://nationalunitygovernment.org/pdf/aboriginal-australia-map.pdf
Blank Aboriginal Australia Map retrieved from:
http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/shared/abmaps/nations.htm

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IMAGES FOR STORY SHARING

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ABORIGINAL AUSTRALIA MAP IN RELATION TO EMPATHY TASK

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CARDS FOR EMPATHY TASK

Ngunnawal

Cammeraygal

Eora

Kamilaroi

Muthi Muthi

Tharawal

Wiradjuri

Wonnarua

Alyawarre

Anmatjera

Arrernte

Gurindji

Kunibidji

Luritja

Murrinh-Patha

Pitjantjatjara

Tiwi

Warlpiri

Yolngu

Guugu Yimithirr

Kalkadoon

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Pila Nguru

Adnyamathanha

Dieri

Kaurna

Maralinga Tjarutja

Ngarrindjeri

Narungga

Gunai

Kulin

Yorta Yorta

Jarrakan

Noongar

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WORKSHEET FOR MINI RESEARCH TASK

INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIA: Mini Research Task

1. Name of Indigenous Australian Group:
__________________________________________________________

2. Location on Map:

3. Notable individuals:

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4. Language spoken:

5. Fact/s about the Indigenous Australian Group:

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