We’ve made planning your Australian history lessons easy with our rich online resources for Year4 students. The Australian History Mysteries primary website includes a range of interactive case studies that have been designed specifically around the Australian Curriculum: history as outlined below:
Concepts for developing understanding
The content in the history sub-strand provides opportunities for students to develop historical understanding through key concepts including sources, continuity and change, cause and effect, perspectives, empathy and significance. The Year 4 curriculum introduces world history and the movement of peoples. Students study the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, their connection to place (sources, perspectives, significance) and their contact with other societies (change and continuity, perspectives, empathy). Through a study of navigation, exploration and/or trade (sources), students come to learn about Australia’s early colonisation and develop understandings about contact between societies (continuity and change, cause and effect) and its effects on people and their environments (perspectives, empathy).
Inquiry Questions
- Why did the great journeys of exploration occur?
- What was life like for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples before the arrival of the Europeans?
- Why did the Europeans settle in Australia?
- What was the nature and consequence of contact between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and early traders, explorers and settlers?
The diversity of Australia’s first peoples and the long and continuous connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to Country/Place (land, sea, waterways and skies) (ACHASSK083 – Scootle)
Year 4 Case Studies focus on the four main inquiry questions as set out in the national curriculum.
Why did the great journeys of exploration occur?
Specific activities/lessons include:
- Activity 1 Who was the explorer?
- Activity 2 When did he explore?
- Activity 3 What is his story?
- Activity 4 Where did he want to go?
- Activity 5 How did he navigate?
- Activity 6 What was shipboard life like?
- Activity 7 Did the exploration impact on indigenous people?
- Activity 8 What impacts did the exploration have?
- Activity 9 Bringing it all together
- Activity 10 Research another explorer
Why did Europeans settle in Australia?
Specific activities/lessons include:
- Activity 1 Why did the First Fleet journey to Australia?
- Activity 2 Life in England in the 1780s — A story
- Activity 3 Life in England in the 1780s — Pictures
- Activity 4 Meet the First Fleet convicts
- Activity 5 Life on board
- Activity 6 Trace the journey of the First Fleet
- Activity 7 Life in the new colony of New South Wales
- Activity 8 Test your knowledge
What was life like for Aboriginal people before the arrival of Europeans?
Specific activities/lessons include:
- Activity 1 What was life like for Aboriginal people before the arrival of the Europeans?
- Activity 2 How did Aboriginal people come to Australia?
- Activity 3 Where did Aboriginal people come from to Australia?
- Activity 4 How long have Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander (TSI) people been here?
- Activity 5 What was life like for Aborigines before Europeans arrived?
- Activity 6 Did all Aboriginal people live in the same way?
- Activity 7 How did Aboriginal people use native plants?
- Activity 8 What type of shelters did Aboriginal people build?
- Activity 9 How did Aborigines make tools?
- Activity 10 Did Aborigines speak different languages?
- Activity 11 Exploring your landscape today