Lesson Plan EXPLORE INQUIRY PHASE

Week: 1

Time: 45 minutes

Unit: Colonial Australia

Lesson # 2

Level: Year 5
Curriculum
(Year Level Statement that this lesson is building towards)
By the end of Year 5, students identify the causes and effects of change on particular communities, and
describe aspects of the past that remained the same. They describe the different experiences of people in the
past. They describe the significance of people and events in bringing about change.
Students sequence events and people (their lifetime) in chronological order, using timelines. When
researching, students develop questions to frame an historical inquiry. They identify a range of sources and
locate and record information related to this inquiry. They examine sources to identify points of view.
Students develop, organise and present their texts, particularly narratives and descriptions, using historical
terms and concepts.

Content descriptions
Historical knowledge and understanding:

The reasons people migrated to Australia from Europe and Asia, and the experiences and
contributions of a particular migrant group within a colony. (ACHHK096)

Historical Skills:

Use a range of communication forms (oral, graphic, written) and digital technologies (ACHHS106)

Lesson Inquiry Question:

In the 1800s, what reasons would motivate an individual and/or group to migrate to Australia and
what were their connections with other colonies?

Lesson Objectives:
(Key Knowledge and Skills students should achieve in the lesson)

By the end of this lesson students will be able to demonstrate their ability to:
1. Explain the concept of push-pull factors.
2. Identify common push and pull factors.
3. Interpret a timeline to draw conclusions regarding reasons for and feelings
about migration from different colonies.
4. Recognise inquiry questions to motivate future study.
Students Prior Knowledge:
Prior to engaging with this lesson students will already have previous knowledge in:
-

Recognising different points of view

Sequencing events in a chronological order.
Their own personal family history and migration stories.
Some of the different colonies moving to Australia in the past (emphasis on
indigenous (as previous land owners), British and Asia)

LESSON STRUCTURE:
Time
15
minutes

Introduction & Motivation:

1. Ask students what they remember about the last
history lesson they had. What are some events that
have contributed to all of us living in Brisbane at
this time?
2. Introduce the terms push and pull factors
Push factors are the reasons why people want to
leave a place things that push them away from
their place of birth.
Pull factors are the reasons why people want to go
to one place rather than another things that pull
them towards a place
3. Ask students whether they can give you some
examples of push and pull factors.
4. Ask students whether any of them or their families
have moved because of certain circumstances.
5. Give each student a piece of paper with the words
- Important
- Neutral
- Not Important
6. Have the students cut around the lines so they have
3 separate smaller pieces of paper
7. Pose the question Imagine you are moving to a
new country. What are some important factors that
you would have to take into consideration and that
would solidify such a move?
8. Present a factor (from the list on right), one at a
time, to the students and ask them to hold up the
card that best represents their thoughts as to
whether this would be an important point to
consider before moving countries. After students
hold up their desired card ask questions such as
- To those people indicating important why
do you consider this an essential factor of
moving countries?
- To those people indicating unimportant why
is it that this is not something you would
consider when moving countries?
- To those people indicating neutral why does
this factor not affect your decision?
- Have any of you, family or friends moved
places because of a factor such as this one?

Teaching Approaches &

Resources
Link with prior knowledge to
ensure lessons follow a
sequence.
The concept of assimilation is
considered here, as students
are encouraged to take new
information and incorporate it
into their existing knowledge.
Connecting to students
personal interests as a way of
increasing motivation in the
topic- Part of Experiential
Learning by learning through
content in which they have a
personal interest.
Opinion Card Template found
in resources section at end of
lesson plan.
Resources: Scissors / Glue
Constructivist theory: hands
on learning
Factors List:
Cinemas/theaters/concert halls
Good houses
Good transport system
Good
schools/hospitals/universities
Presence of family and friends
Safe streets
Parks/garden areas
Language
Culture
Unemployment/ No job
prospects for your skills or
qualifications
Climate
Geographical location

Time

Main Content:

20
minutes

1. Draw students attention to the interactive

whiteboard that should be displaying the digital
scroll
- Explain that the scroll represents two
centuries of Chinese contact with and
emigration to Australia.
2. Investigate the scroll with the students, beginning
from 1800 through to the start of the 1900s. In
doing so
- Identify the different cultures of the people in
the scroll.
- Click on the additional links to view important
facts
- Discuss the reasons for the individuals body
language in relation to the facts associated
with the time period.
- What do you think are some of the push and
pull factors considered by the different groups.
3. Allow a student at a time to come up to the board
and interact with the scroll themselves by reading
the facts associated with particular people.
Encourage these students to pose questions to the
class in order to better understand the concepts
embedded in the scroll.
4. Ask the students if they can pinpoint which colony
is not mentioned in this scroll, but that we know
definitely were present during this time.
- Discuss why they think perhaps the
aboriginals were not mentioned in the scroll.
- What do we know about this group of people?
Support and/or Extension Activities
All students participate in the lesson as a community of
learners and are directed by the specific pace of the
teacher. Therefore, no extension activities will be
required.

Time
10
minutes

Conclusion:
1. Ask the students what knowledge they already had
was reiterated during the lesson and what additional
knowledge was presented to them that they didnt
already know. Ask whether anything shocked them
about the people they saw on the scroll and the lives
these people used to lead?
2. Ask the students after investigating this topic in
more depth (throughout this lesson) what is it that
we still want to know more about?
3. As a class, formulate some inquiry questions that
will inspire research in future lessons.
4. Store these inquiry questions in the classroom where
all students can access them throughout the 5-week
History unit.

Teaching Approaches &

Resources
Interactive whiteboard
Scroll can be found via the link:
http://www.nma.gov.au/av/harve
st/harvest.htm
Vygotsky Social Learning
Theory: Constructing an active
community of learners between
students and students and
students and teachers. Exploring
as a group will encourage richer
conversations and identification
of differing perspectives.
ICT and Piaget Active
Discovery Learning: Using
digital interaction with the scroll
to motivate students in the topic
and foster inquiry.
Making specific reference to the
cross-curriculum priority of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander histories and cultures.

Teaching Approaches &

Resources
Butchers paper/cardboard- to
display inquiry questions.
Setting their own inquiry
questions allows opportunities
for these students to reflect on
their own learning in the future
and set measureable goals.

Assessment
(List all assessment and state if it is formative or summative)
Assessment for Learning: Formative Assessment:
- The lesson is designed to elicit the students prior knowledge on the topic of settlement
in Australia in the 1800s.
- Record the amount of prior knowledge that the students verbalise throughout the lesson
and use this as judgement for implementing additional lessons if necessary.
- Observe how willing students are to answer questions in front of the class and engage
in discussions with their peers.
Assessment as Learning: Self Reflection
- Observe how well students use discussions generated in the lesson conclusion to reflect
on the content they know and have learnt.
- Students create learning goals to encourage growth and development.

Evaluation
At the end of the lesson evaluate the following in regards to the effectiveness of the lesson:
-
-
-

-
-

Were students willing to participate in the class discussions and thus were they
comfortable in voicing their opinions to the rest of the class?
Did the use of ICT in the lesson increase the motivation of students in participating in
the activity. Additionally, was the digital scroll an effective resource for examining
aspects of Australias immigration history?
Do the student have the basic background knowledge required for the following lessons
in the unit. If this is not the case, what do potentially additional lessons need to focus
on teaching to ensure the students have the best opportunity of meeting the unit
learning outcomes?
How well did students maintain focus throughout the lesson?
Consider the delivery of the lesson, from a teaching perspective, to ensure clarity and
engagement is maintained in lessons to come.

Safety Considerations
-

Ensure students are seating properly on their chairs with all four legs (of the chair) firmly on
the floor.
Prior to the lesson, ensure that a clear pathway is created in the classroom that allows
students to safely access the interactive whiteboard/main classroom computer without
facing any hazards.
Prior to the lesson ensure that the link for the online scroll is functioning accurately and that
the site is safe from advertisement and/or inappropriate content.

Opinion Card Template

Neutral

Not Important