School: State School Location/suburb/region:

Teacher: Georgia Ahern

Learning Area/subject: History Date: 24/04/15

Unit: Gold rush fever Grade: 5

Topic: The effect that the gold rush had on the Aboriginal peoples Lesson # 4 of 10

Australian Curriculum Links

Content Description:
The impact of a significant development or event on a colony; for example,
frontier conflict, the gold rushes, the Eureka Stockade, internal exploration,
the advent of rail, the expansion of farming, drought. (ACHHK095)

Elaboration:
Investigating an event or development and explaining its economic, social
and political impact on a colony (for example the consequences of frontier
conflict events such as the Myall Creek Massacre, the Pinjarra Massacre; the
impact of South Sea Islanders on sugar farming and the timber industry; the
impact of the Eureka Stockade on the development of democracy)

Creating ‘what if’ scenarios by constructing different outcomes for a key

event, for example ‘What if Peter Lalor had encouraged gold miners to pay
rather than resist licence fees?’

Specific objectives:
By the end of this lesson students will:
 Recall facts about the gold rush such as dates, important people and
the location.
 Explain the concept of cause and effect in their own words.
 Apply their knowledge of the cause (the gold rush) to identify effects
it had on the Aboriginal peoples.
 Write a short story about the gold rush from an Aboriginal
person’s perspective
 Justify their decision-making.

Assessment: (what, how, who)

One formative assessment item will be the report. The students previously selected an effect from
the gold rush era (that impacted the Aboriginal peoples) from their cause and effect sheet. In the
report the students will use a range of sources that provide information on their effect and how it
impacted on the lives of the Aboriginal peoples. The students will complete this task in class and for
homework. The task will be presented orally in front of the class. The teacher will look at the use of
different sources, historical accuracy, correct grammar, spelling and punctuation and the
presentation of the report (this includes voice, pace and eye contact) in order to determine the
outcome for the student.
Lesson structure
Time Lesson Plan sequence/Learning Experiences/ teaching strategies Resources
Consider Blooms taxonomy: Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis &
Evaluation.

10 minutes Knowledge: Interactive KWL chart:

 Begin the lesson by accessing the students’ prior knowledge of the Gold Rush Era. To do http://www.readwritethink.org/c
this have the students complete the first section (know) of their interactive KWL chart. lassroom-resources/student-
 While students are completing their KWL chart draw a KWL chart on that whiteboard. interactives/creator-30846.html
 When students complete the first section of the chart, have them complete the second Laptop
section of the chart. Whiteboard and markers
 Once the students are finished ask for examples of what students have written and write
60 minutes these answers down on the whiteboard.

Comprehension:
 Explain to the students that they will need to use their understanding of the concept: cause
My Place by Nadia Wheatly and
and effect. To ensure that the students have grasped the meaning of the concept of cause
and effect have them describe the concept in their own words. Using the think, pair, share Donna Rawlins
strategy. Give students time to think about their answer and have students discuss this Hats
with the person next to them. After, they will share points from their discussion with the Sunscreen
class. Note books
 During the previous lesson the students read the book My Place by Nadia Wheatly and Class artefact
Donna Rawlins. Have the students discuss the themes and topics of the book, some of
these included: the gold rush, migration and Aboriginal peoples. Emphasise that the gold
rush had a great impact on the Aboriginal peoples, mainly because of migration.
 After the discussion, the students will participate in a dialogue circle. There will be a
number of Aboriginal peoples from the community (family members, elders, members of
the local community, teachers and academics) who will also participate in the dialogue
circle. The teacher and the students will go outside to the garden and sit in a circle. During
the first round the participants will introduce themselves and reveal something about
themselves that others may not know. During the second round the students will talk about
the focus question: in what ways did the gold rush effect Aboriginal peoples? Ensure that
the participants pass around the artefact (the power instrument). Only the person with the
artefact may speak, everyone listens respectfully to that person and the artefact is passed
clockwise. Ensure that all get a chance to participate.

Application:
 The students will individually complete the cause and effect worksheet. They will apply
their knowledge of the cause (the gold rush) to identify effects it had on the Aboriginal Cause and effect worksheet
peoples.

Analysis:
 Students will select and effect from their worksheet. The students will investigate their
chosen effect further using their notes, books or the computers to create a report. The Notes
students will present their reports to the class. Books
Computers
Synthesis:
 After listening to all of the reports the students will write a short story about the gold rush
from an Aboriginal person’s perspective. They will be encouraged to use ideas from their
report and their peers’ reports. The students will write these reports on their laptops Laptops

Evaluation:
 The teacher will have pieces of paper with the name of the effects that the students
identified in their reports set up around the room. The teacher will ask the students to pick Butcher’s paper
the effect that they believe impacted the Aboriginal peoples the greatest. The students will Pens
go over to the piece of paper with their effect. The students will now be in their groups.
 The teacher will ask the students to write down (on the butcher’s paper) the reasons for
why they believe their effect had the greatest impact.
 The groups will present their paper to the class and talk about their justification for the
effect.

Follow up/ forward Planning: Teaching evaluation:

  Students will complete their “learnt”
section of the KWL chart next lesson
 The students will look at the event: the
Eureka Stockade. The students will look
at the causes and effects associated with
this event and they will look at how this
event impacted upon the lives of the
Aboriginal Peoples.
 The students can compare and contrast
the event of the gold rush with that of
the Eureka Stockade.
EATSIPS Framework (a brief rationale on how and why you have applied these 4 themes)
Professional & Personal accountabilities:
As a teacher is will be my responsibility to
include the perspectives of the Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander peoples in my professional
practice. I believe it is imperative that teachers
are aware of the social and cultural baggage that
they bring into the classrooms when they are
embedding these perspectives in their
curriculum. Teachers who are unaware of their
cultural baggage may have components from
their personal history, attitudes and experiences
that may negatively impact on the learning of
their students. Teachers may inadvertently
exclude and devalue students just because they
have not reflected on their attitudes and
perceptions. As a result of completing the
EATSIPS program I have been participating in
deep personal reflections in order to understand
my cultural baggage. I have also had the
opportunity to consider my own experiences,
attitudes and personal history in order to
reframe perceptions that may be described as
cultural baggage.
Community Engagement:
I believe that community engagement is a vital
component the embedment of Australian and
Torres Strait Islander perspectives in the
curriculum. In my learning experience I have
formed a partnership with local Aboriginal
members of the community by having them
participate in the dialogue circle in order to
share their personal opinions and perspectives. I
have chosen to interact with this theme in my
learning experience because I know that I will be
developing trusted relationships with the
community members and that I can empower
(effectiveness, efficiency, appropriateness)
 When sharing their idea of the concept
cause and effect, most of the students
already understood the concept and
many of their explanations were the
same. If I were to do this lesson again I
would have one volunteer share and ask
if anyone could build upon that. This
would ensure that the students are not
repeating the same information but are
delving deeper in their understanding of
the concept.
Curriculum & pedagogy:
I have applied the theme of curriculum and
pedagogy in my lesson creating a learning
experience that that values diversity uses a
range of resources and strategies and promotes
respectful and fair relationships between both
teachers and students. I believe that it is
important that students feel valued and
celebrated in the classroom. By looking at
different perspectives I believe that students will
come to understand that our class climate is one
that values diversity especially that of cultural
diversity. During my lesson I incorporate a
number of visual, oral and kinaesthetic activities
and strategies. I have done this so that all
learners have a chance to participate in their
preferred learning style and to develop in others
that they find challenging. The strategy of the
dialogue circle allows all students to share their
ideas in an environment that is respectful and
fair. All students have an equal opportunity to
share their opinion, each student is listened to
and all ideas are respected.
Organisational environment:
I think that a school must look at their
environment, atmosphere, organisational
structures and operations in order to
successfully embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander into their curriculum. When
implementing the EATSIPS perspectives it is
important to use strategies that are focused on
the internal systems that could impact on the
contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander peoples. When involving the Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander community in my
learning experience I would ensure that I use the
and encourage all of the community to engage
with the school and the curriculum. This
partnership will ensure that the school keeps up
to date with the present needs and goals in the
community.
strategies of mapping, decision-making and
creating awareness. I would be interacting with
the strategy of creating awareness by involving
members of the community who will report back
and communicate with the remained of the local
community.

References/ sources:
National Council of Teachers or English. (2015). K-W-L Creator. Retrieved 20 April 2015, from:
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/kwl_creator/

Wheatley, N., & Rawlins, D. (1992). My place. Brooklyn, N.Y: Kane/Miller Book Publishers.
 Cause and Effect
NAME:____________

When we look at history we look at the concept: cause and effect. Use you knowledge of the gold
rush and the ideas of yourself, your peers and the local community to complete this sheet.

Effect
Cause (Aboriginal
Peoples)

Gold Rush