!

Canberra'
Inquiry'Ques/on!
Lets!move!though!,me!and!discover!who,!what,!when,!where!and!why!is!Canberra.'
BIG'ideas!

Canberra!is!the!capital!of!Australia,!which!has!a!rich!history!in!terms!of!war,!se=lement,!federa,on!and!government.!

Canberra!has!signicant!geographical!features!and!placement!in!Australia.!
Teaching'Proposal'
In!this!unit!students!will!be!inves,ga,ng!the!place!of!Canberra.!Their!overarching!inquiry!ques,on!encourages!students!to!take!a!collabora,ve!learning!journey!
with!their!class!as!they!work!to!develop!skills!in!remembering,!examining,!categorising,!evalua,ng,!inves,ga,ng!and!crea,ng.!Students!learning!will!be!facilitated!
to!understand!the!geographical,!poli,cal!and!historical!signicance!of!Canberra.!The!inquiry!lessons!allow!students!to!become!their!own!experts!on!a!par,cular!
signicant!monument!or!event!in!Canberra!of!interest!to!them.!This!allows!each!student!to!be!our!personal!tour!guide!during!our!trip,!using!their!specialised!
knowledge!from!their!nal!interestIbased!project!to!inform!the!class.!This!unit!integrates!the!assessment!into!the!learning!as!students!create!their!ongoing!camp!
booklet!that!is!individualised!depending!on!the!ac,vi,es!and!inves,ga,ons!they!have!chosen.!The!unit!has!a!range!of!assessment!strategies!structured!so!that!
students!are!able!to!show!what!they!know!(Wilson!and!Murdoch!2004).!The!crossIcurricular!priority!of!Aboriginal!and!Torres!Strait!Island!Histories!and!Cultures!is!
strongly!integrated!into!this!unit.!This!integra,on!is!a!rich!opportunity!for!learning!as!students!delve!into!historical!subjects!including!Indigenous!right!to!vote!in!
Australia!and!The!Aboriginal!Embassy!Tent.!However,!the!unit!also!allows!for!contemporary!understanding!of!Indigenous!cultures!(Gilbert!and!Hoepper!2014)!
through!their!camp!which!includes!ac,vi,es!such!as!visi,ng!of!spaces!such!as!the!Aboriginal!Art!exhibi,on!at!Na,onal!Gallery!in!Canberra,!which!shows!a!,meline!
of!art!from!historical!to!contemporary.!
!
During!the!lessons!the!class!will!explore!the!history!of!federa,on!and!the!structure!of!parliament.!Students!will!understand!the!geographical!features!of!Canberra!
and!placement!in!rela,on!their!to!home!and!school.!In!teaching!this!unit,!students!will!become!informed!ci,zens!of!Australia,!prepared!to!grasp!future,!deeper!
learning!into!global!educa,on.!The!Melbourne!Declara,on!expresses!at!goal!2!that!all!young!Australians!become!successful!learners,!condent!and!crea,ve!
individuals!and!ac,ve!and!informed!ci,zens!(Ministerial!Council!on!Educa,on,!Employment,!Training!and!Youth!Aairs!2008,!p.8).!This!goal!is!further!
characterised!by!students!who!are!ac,ve!in!their!learning,!ICT!literate,!make!sense!of!their!world!and!its!history,!have!an!understanding!of!Australias!government!
and!structure,!and!have!a!perspec,ve!which!works!towards!reconcilia,on!through!an!understanding!Indigenous!histories!and!culture!(2008,!p.9).!This!unit!will!
allow!students!to!progress!towards!these!characteris,cs!through!the!content!of!the!lessons!and!the!teachers!pedagogical!approach.!!
!!
Furthermore,!another!aim!for!this!unit!is!to!create!a!sense!of!belonging!to!Australia!through!the!study!of!a!par,cular!place.!The!Australian!Curriculum,!Geography!
encourages!studies!of!place!as!places!are!important!to!our!security,!iden,ty!and!sense!of!belonging!(ACARA!2013).!As!students!progress!through!their!learning!
in!this!unit,!they!will!build!a!sense!of!belonging!towards!Australia.!!
!!
This!unit!will!be!taught!through!an!inquiry!approach.!Tradi,onal!approaches!to!learning!are!o`en!teacher!centred!focusing!on!low!level!thinking!such!as!the!
reci,ng!of!facts!without!the!applica,on!of!this!knowledge!(Wilson!and!Murdoch!2004!p.3).'Through!engaging!students!in!an!inquiryIbased!unit,!the!pedagogical!
approach!is!aiming!for!teaching!for!understanding!(Wilson!and!Murdoch!2004!p.3).!This!means!embracing!complexity!and!teaching!higher!order!skills!such!as!
inves,ga,on,!analysing!and!the!communica,on!of!their!ndings!(Wilson!and!Murdoch!2004).!This!approach!makes!students!ac,ve!in!their!learning!journey!about!
Canberra.!!
!!
Students!will!complete!the!lessons!with!the!hope!of!a=ending!an!excursion!to!Parliament!House!Melbourne!and!their!camp!in!Canberra!(see!a=ached!appendix!for!
eldwork!day).!Excursions/camps!allow!the!applica,on!of!knowledge!from!the!classroom!and!engage!all!senses!(Behrendt!and!Franklin!2014).!An!excursion/camp!
engages!students!in!Experien,al!Learning!(Behrendt!and!Franklin!2014).!Experien,al!learning!is!authen,c,!rstIhand,!sensoryIbased!learning.!Experien,al!
ac,vi,es!explore,!touch,!listen!to,!watch,!move!things,!dissemble!and!reassemble.!(Behrendt!and!Franklin!2014,!p.238).!Experien,al!learning!increases!student!
interest,!mo,va,on!and!knowledge.!Students!are!immersed!in!a!par,cular!environment!and!therefore!allow!their!curiosity!to!engage!them!in!their!environment.!
This!may!result!in!ac,vity!such!as!conversa,ons!or!further!inves,ga,on!about!subject!ma=er!between!peers.!Through!an!excursion!of!the!students!senses!are!
engaged,!allowing!them!to!make!more!connec,ons!than!they!would!learning!about!the!subject!in!the!classroom!(Behrendt!and!Franklin!2014).!!
!!
References:!
!!
ACARA!(Australian!Curriculum,!Assessment!and!Repor,ng!Authority)!2013,!Geography,+Educa,on!Services!Australia,!retrieved!28th!April!2015,!<!h=p://
www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/humani,esIandIsocialIsciences/geography/ra,onale>.!
!!
Behrendt,!M,!&!Franklin,!T!2014,!'A!Review!of!Research!on!School!Field!Trips!and!Their!Value!in!Educa,on',Interna/onal+Journal+Of+Environmental+&+Science+Educa/on,!9,!3,!pp.!
235I245,!Educa,on!Source,!EBSCOhost,!viewed!28!April!2015.!
!!
Gilbert,!R!&!Hoepper,!B!2014,!Teaching+Humani/es+and+Social+Sciences:+History,+Geography,+Economics+&+Ci/zenship,!Cengage!Learning!Australia,!Melbourne.!!
!!
Ministerial!Council!on!Educa,on,!Employment,!Training!and!Youth!Aairs!2008,!Melbourne+Declara/on+On+Educa/on+Goals+for+Young+Australians,!ACARA,!retrieved!28th!April!2015,!
<www.curriculum.edu.au/verve/_resources/na,onal_declara,on_on_the_educa,onal_goals_for_young_australians.pdf>.!
Murdoch,!K,!&!Wilson,!J!2008,!Crea/ng+A+LearnerICentred+Primary+Classroom+:+LearnerICentred+Strategic+Learning,!n.p.:!London!;!New!York!:!Routledge,!2008.,!DEAKIN!UNIV!
LIBRARY's!Catalog,!EBSCOhost,!viewed!28!April!2015.!
!!

Learning'inten/ons!
At!the!end!of!this!unit,!students!will!understand!that:!
1. Federa,on!is!an!important!part!of!Australias!history!for!both!
Indigenous!and!European!people!
2. The!loca,on!of!Canberra!in!rela,on!to!us!and!Australia!as!a!
whole.!Looking!at!places,!people!and!,me.!
3. We!can!teach!others!through!our!c,,ous!stories!based!on!real!
events!and!people!
4. We!will!explore!the!role!of!parliament!in!Canberra!
5. Canberra!has!signicant!historical!and!current!features!that!we!
can!individually!explore!

Key'skills'!
At!the!conclusion!of!!this!unit!students!will!be!able!to:!
Name'and'remember'signicant!places,!people!and!events!
Examine'the!geographic!loca,on!of!Canberra'!
Categorise!historical!people!and!places!in!Australias!history!
Evaluate'and'assess!based!on!criteria!
Create!and'compose'a!camp!booklet!(porqolio!of!work)!
!!
!
Assessment'Evidence!
Class!discussion!(diagnos,c).!
Students!stories!!c,,ous!based!on!real!people!
Forma,ve!conferencing!of!assignments!
Peer!and!selfIreec,on!I!verbal!feedback.!
Students!completed,!individualized!camp!booklets!are!collected!and!
assessed!against!a!rubric!created!by!the!level!6!teaching!team.!
(Summa,ve!assessment).!!
Australian'Curriculum'
History,!Geography,!Civics!and!Ci,zenship,!Intercultural!understanding!
and!cross!curriculum!priori,es!of!ATSI!cultures!and!histories!(see!
planner!document!for!full!descrip,ons)!
!
InterIcurricular!links:!Literacy,!Mathema,cs,!Cri,cal!thinking,!ICT!and!
Thinking!Processes!
'

Lesson'1!
Learning'inten/on:'Federa,on!is!an!
important!part!of!Australias!history!for!
both!Indigenous!and!European!people.!!
Ac/vity:'Students!watch!BTN!clip!on!
federa,on!
h=p://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/
s3962777.htm,!followed!by!discussion!
ques,ons!provided!by!the!BTN!website!
which!include!a!focus!on!federa,on!not!
bene,ng!everyone!(meaning!
Aboriginal!people!and!their!rights).!
Looking!at!the!Aboriginal!people!not!
bene,ng!from!federa,on!students!will!
create!a!class!mind!map!discussing!
reasons!why!this!may!have!been!so.!
Students!will!then!have!a!blank!outline!
map!of!Australia!and!will!write!and!
name!the!states!and!territories!to!then!
have!their!own!individual!map!of!
Australia!as!it!is!today.!
Resources:'Blank!map!of!Australia,!BTN!
discussion!ques,ons.!
Australian'curriculum:'ACHHK113,!
ACHHS119,!ACHHS120,!ACHHS125,!
ACHHS!118,!OI2,!OI6.!
Assessment:'Class!discussion!
(diagnos,c).!
!

Lesson'2!
Learning'inten/on:'Lets!understand!the!
loca,on!of!Canberra!in!rela,on!to!us,!
and!Australia!as!a!whole!!looking!at!
places,!people!and!,me.!!
Ac/vity:'Students!will!use!Ipads!to!use!
goggle!earth!focusing!in!on!Canberra!
and!where!it!is!in!Australia.!Students!
will!then!zoom!out!and!compare!where!
Canberra!is!compared!to!their!school!
mapping!it!vaguely!on!their!map.!
Students!will!then!apply!BOLTS!to!the!
map.!If!the!lesson!nishes!early!read!the!
book!Are+We+There+Yet?!by!Alison!
Lester.!!
Resources:'Students!maps!of!Australia,!
Ipads,!Are+we+There+Yet?+book.!
Australian'curriculum:'ACHGS041,!
ACHGS043!
!

Lesson'3!
Learning'inten/on:'Lets!understand!the!
loca,on!of!Canberra!in!rela,on!to!us,!
and!Australia!as!a!whole!Ilooking!at!
places,!people!and!,me.!
Ac/vity:'Students!will!watch!the!
YouTube!clip!to!engage!them!into!the!
lesson!
h=ps://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=UjJ_8hNyTZY.!They!will!then!discuss!
why!Canberra!was!chosen!as!the!capital!
over!NSW!and!VIC!looking!at!their!map!
and!distance!between!the!states.!As!a!
class!students!will!brainstorm!names!
and!places!or!objects!men,oned!in!the!
clip!highligh,ng!historical!indigenous!
landmarks!such!as!the!embassy!tent!and!
then!in!small!groups!choose!and!
inves,gate!one!of!these!things!and!
create!a!small!presenta,on!such!as!a!
Prezi,!PowerPoint!etc.!students!will!copy!
the!list!of!people!and!places!into!the!
camp!booklet!along!where!their!map!is!
kept.!
Resources:'Ipads,!computers,!student!
maps,!camp!booklets.!
Australian'curriculum:'ACHHS125,!
ACHHK113,!OI2,!OI6.!
!

Lesson'4!
Learning'inten/on:'Federa,on!is!an!
important!part!of!Australias!history!for!
both!Indigenous!and!European!people.!
Ac/vity:'Students!will!refer!back!to!the!
list!created!as!a!class!in!their!camp!
booklets!and!from!this!draw!out!a!
historical!place!or!person.!From!here!
students!individually!have!a!library!
research!lesson!where!they!examine!
and!gather!informa,on!on!their!chosen!
historical!topic!They!will!have!a!
template!to!guide!their!thinking!and!
research.!This!research!will!lead!on!to!
the!next!lessons!ac,vity.!
Resources:'Rubric,!camp!booklets.!
Australian'curriculum:'ACHHS125,!
ACHHK113!
!

Learning'inten/on:'We!can!teach!
others!through!our!c,,ous!stories!
based!on!real!events!and!people.!!
Ac/vity:'Background!knowledge!!
students!are!working!on!crea,ve!wri,ng!
in!English.!Students!are!given!a!range!of!
historical!topics!from!their!list!
previously!made!to!create!a!short!
narra,ve!of!real!events.!Students!will!
highlight!the!chosen!topic!in!their!camp!
booklets.!To!engage!the!students!in!this!
lesson!the!teacher!will!model!a!story!
they!wrote!which!was!based!on!the!life!
of!Chicka!Dixon,!the!Aboriginal!elder!
responsible!for!the!poli,cal!leadership!
in!crea,ng!the!Aboriginal!Embassy!Tent.!!
Resources:'Camp!booklet,!list!of!names!
or!places.!
Australian'curriculum:'ACHHS124,!OI2,!
OI6.!
Assessment:'Students!stories.!
!

Lesson'6!
Learning'inten/on:'We!will!explore!the!
role!of!Parliament!in!Canberra.!
Ac/vity:'Students!will!complete!the!
three!levels!of!government!worksheet!
and!discuss!answers!as!a!class.!From!this!
they!are!aware!of!the!basics!of!poli,cs!
in!Australia!and!what!each!level!of!
government!does!and!is!responsible!for.!
This!work!sheet!can!be!glued!into!their!
camp!booklet.!This!will!assist!students!in!
their!prepara,on!for!their!eldwork!day!
to!Parliament!House!in!Melbourne.!
Resources:'Three!levels!of!government!
worksheet.!
Australian'curriculum:'ACHCK036,!
ACHHK113!
!

Lesson'7!
Learning'inten/on:'We!will!explore!the!
role!of!Parliament!in!Canberra.!
Ac/vity:'Students!organize!events!into!
individual!,melines!on!,me!toast!or!by!
hand!about!the!history!of!Parliament!
looking!at!prime!ministers!over!,me!as!
well!as!including!important!dates!to!do!
with!the!federa,on!of!Australia!and!the!
laws!for!each!state!including!the!right!to!
vote!for!women!and!Indigenous!people!
etc.!Students!can!refer!to!past!work!
done!in!their!camp!booklets!for!help!as!
well!as!research!on!the!internet.!This!
,meline!will!be!added!to!the!booklet.!
Following!this!lesson,!students!will!
a=end!a!eldwork!day!at!Parliament!
House!Melbourne.!
Resources:'Ipads,!camp!booklets.!
Australian'curriculum:'ACHHS117,!
ACHHS125,!ACHHK113,!OI6!
!

Lesson'8!
Learning'inten/on:'Canberra!has!
signicant!historical!and!current!
features!that!we!can!individually!
explore.'!
Ac/vity:'Students!choose!a!topic!that!
has!been!touched!on!in!the!past!7!
lessons!and!a`er!crea,ng!a!KWL!will!
begin!a!small!project!on!it!covering!the!
criteria.!They!will!conference!with!the!
teacher!individually!to!check!
development.!The!project!can!be!in!the!
form!of!a!Prezi,!poster,!story,!
PowerPoint!etc.!
Resources:'Camp!booklet,!Ipad,!
computers,!books.!
Australian'curriculum:'ACHHS125!
Assessment:!Forma,ve!conferencing.!
!

Lesson'9!
Learning'inten/on:'Canberra!has!
signicant!historical!and!current!
features!that!we!can!individually!
explore.!
Ac/vity:'Students!will!present!their!
projects!to!peers!and!receive!wri=en!
and!verbal!feedback!evalua,ng!their!
presenta,ons.'They!will!then!work!on!
xing!their!projects!un,l!they!go!on!
camp!where!they!will!then!share!their!
good!copy.!
Resources:'Projects,!feedback!template.!
Australian'curriculum:!
ACHHS125,!ACHHS121!
Assessment:'Peer!and!selfIreec,on!I!
verbal!feedback.!!

Lesson'10!
Learning'inten/on:'Canberra!has!
signicant!historical!and!current!
features!that!we!can!individually!
explore.!
Ac/vity:'Students!travel!to!Canberra!by!
bus.!By!now!students!are!experts!from!
their!projects!and!share!with!the!group!
their!project!before!or!a`er!they!visit!or!
discuss!that!par,cular!historical!or!
geographical!place!in!Canberra.!!
Resources:'Camp!booklets!
Australian'curriculum:!
ACHHS121,!ACHHK113,!ACHCK035!
'!
Assessment:'Students!completed,!
individualized!camp!booklets!are!
collected!and!assessed!against!a!rubric!
created!by!the!level!6!teaching!team.!
(Summa,ve!assessment).!!

References'for'lessons'
ABC!2015,!Behind!The!News,!Federa,on,!retrieved!April!18!2015,!<h=p://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/
s3962777.htm>.!
!
A!Blooming!Orange!2013,!Blooming+Orange:+Blooms+Taxonomy+helpful+Verbs+Poster,+Smart!Tutor,!retrieved!29th!
April!2015,!<h=p://thinkonline.smar=utor.com/bloomingIorangeIbloomsItaxonomyIhelpfulIverbsIposter/>.!
!
ACARA!(Australian!Curriculum,!Assessment!and!Repor,ng!Authority)!20,!Aboriginal+and+Torres+Strait+Islander+
(ATSI)+histories+and+cultures,+Educa,on!Services!Australia,!retrieved!28th!April!2013,!<h=p://
www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/crosscurriculumpriori,es/AboriginalIandITorresIStraitIIslanderIhistoriesIandI
cultures>.!
!
ACARA!(Australian!Curriculum,!Assessment!and!Repor,ng!Authority)!2013,!Geography,+Educa,on!Services!
Australia,!retrieved!28th!April!2015,!<!h=p://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/humani,esIandIsocialIsciences/
geography/ra,onale>.!
!
ACARA!(Australian!Curriculum,!Assessment!and!Repor,ng!Authority)!2009,!History,+Educa,on!Services!Australia,!
retrieved!28th!April!2015,!<!h=p://h=p://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/humani,esIandIsocialIsciences/
history/curriculum/fI10?layout=1#level6>.!
!
Canberra,!the!Capital!of!Australia,!published!July!17!2014,!VideoVoyage.TV,!retrieved!April!18!2015,!<h=ps://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjJ_8hNyTZY>.!
!
!
!