
Unit plan includes...
Unit Plan
Australia’s First People Unit Plan
This History unit covers a range of concepts relating to the diversity of Australia’s first people and the long and continuous connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to Country.
It consists of 8 lessons of approximately 60 minutes duration.
The sequence of lessons and suggested time frames should be regarded as a guide only; teachers should pace lessons in accordance with the individual learning needs of their class.
An assessment task for monitoring student understanding of the unit objectives is included and may require additional lessons.
This unit plan includes the following resources:
Overview
Objectives
- To identify Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the original inhabitants of Australia.
- To identify the diverse range of Indigenous language groups in Australia.
- To identify the importance of The Dreaming, Dreamtime stories and songlines in Aboriginal cultures.
- To identify the meaning of totems for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
- To identify how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples sourced their food from the land.
- To identify how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples used the land for shelter.
- To identify how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples used the land to make tools.
- To identify how Indigenous Australian cultures use art as a language to document their history.
Preparing for Learning
This History unit provides excellent opportunities for cross-curricular integration. Look for ways to meaningfully integrate the content of the unit with other learning areas e.g. Literacy, Numeracy, The Arts.
Prior to commencing the unit, create a classroom display which celebrates the history and culture of the original inhabitants of Australia. Display teaching resources that will stimulate the students’ interest and assist in their learning, such as the Original Inhabitants Word Wall and the Timeline of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People in Australia. For examples of additional teaching resources to display in your classroom, browse the Indigenous Australians collection on the Teach Starter website.
Some of the resources which accompany this unit plan will need to be prepared prior to teaching. For this reason, it is advised that teachers browse through all lessons before commencing the unit.
Lessons
NSW Curriculum alignment
- GE2-4
Acquires and communicates geographical information using geographical tools for inquiry
- HT2-1
Identifies celebrations and commemorations of significance in Australia and the world
- HT2-2
Describes and explains how significant individuals, groups and events contributed to changes in the local community over time
- HT2-4
Describes and explains effects of British colonisation in Australia
- HT2-5
Applies skills of historical inquiry and communication
Victorian Curriculum alignment
Australian Curriculum alignment
- ACHASSK086
The nature of contact between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and others, for example, the Macassans and the Europeans, and the effects of these interactions on, for example, people and environments
- ACHASSI082
Present ideas, findings and conclusions in texts and modes that incorporate digital and non-digital representations and discipline-specific terms
- ACHASSI081
Reflect on learning to propose actions in response to an issue or challenge and consider possible effects of proposed actions
- ACHASSI078
Interpret data and information displayed in different formats, to identify and describe distributions and simple patterns
- ACHASSI076
Sequence information about people??s lives and events
- ACHASSI073
Pose questions to investigate people, events, places and issues
- ACHASSI080
Interact with others with respect to share points of view
- ACHASSI077
Examine information to identify different points of view and distinguish facts from opinions
- ACHASSI075
Record, sort and represent data and the location of places and their characteristics in different formats, including simple graphs, tables and maps, using discipline-appropriate conventions
- ACHASSI079
Draw simple conclusions based on analysis of information and data
- ACHASSI074
Locate and collect information and data from different sources, including observations
- ACHASSK062
The importance of Country/Place to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples who belong to a local area
- ACHASSK083
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)
Find more resources for these topics
HistoryAustralian HistoryIndigenous AustraliansBack to School 2021Teach - Back to School 2021
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Solid unit, x
Chris Long · Feb 5th, 2018
Hi Chris,
Thanks for your positive comment. We hope that you enjoy using this resource with your class.
Have a great day.
Alison Smith · Feb 5th, 2018