Lesson Plan: Understanding cultures

LEARNING AREA: Social Studies

STAGE OF INQUIRY: Finding Out

YEAR LEVEL: 4

TIME: 45minutes

LESSON TOPIC: European Settlement

AIM:
ACARA:
The nature of contact between Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders Peoples and others,
for example, the Macassans and the Europeans, and the effects of these interactions on, for
example families and the environment (ACHHK080)
The journey(s) of AT LEAST ONE world navigator, explorer or trader up to the late eighteenth
century, including their contacts with other societies and any impacts. (ACHHK078)
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) and the
implications for their daily lives. (ACHHK077)
Social Studies Scope and Sequence:
They will extend their understanding of time, recognizing important events in peoples lives,
and how the past is recorded and remembered in different ways.
INQUIRY QUESTIONS:
Does each exploration have a significant impact on society?
What difference does it make using different historical sources?
How do multiple perspectives of the same historical event come about?
LESSON OUTCOMES:
Students will understand that
There are multiple perspectives of historical events.
Cultural differences can have a profound impact on interactions with foreign groups.
Students will know:
Europeans and Indigenous Australians had different cultural backgrounds.
Students will be able to:
Reflect on their thoughts, feelings and experiences when encountering another culture.
REFERENCES & RESOURCES:
My Place episodes: www.myplace.edu.au
Episode 24 | 1788 : Dan
Episode 23 | 1788 : Waruwi
My Place card template (each number should be printed on coloured cardboard, at least 10 on Pink
cardboard)Appendix3
My Place Rabbit and Bilby culture instruction sheetsAppendix4
RubricAppendix5
STUDENT ASSESSMENT:
Student discussion when comparing European and Aboriginal cultures.
Journal reflection.
SELF ASSESSMENT:
Note how many questions were asked after instructions given did the instructions need to be clearer?
Rate behaviour from good to distracted - Were the students appropriately challenged?
Note how long you spent on each section- Was the time management appropriate?
Check you had all the resources- Were you adequately prepared?
Note down pedagogies used in the lesson and compare with other lessons Is there a range of
pedagogies being used?

TEACHING PROCEDURE:
TIME
5
mins

STEPS

COMMENTS

1 INTRODUCTION (whole class)

When colonizing Australia, Europeans and Indigenous
Australians had a clash of cultures. It is important to understand
the impact that different cultural backgrounds and perspectives
can have on documenting historical events.
Watch the 2 My Place videos which are set in 1788 when the
first fleet came to Botany Bay.

5 mins

2. EXPLICIT TEACHING (whole class)

Hand out butchers paper to each table and give them 2 minutes
to write down similarities and differences between the
Europeans and Indigenous people from what they viewed in the
clips.

20 mins

3 EXPLORATION/PRACTICE(individual)
Split the class in 2. Give one half the Rabbit culture and the
other half the Bilby culture, hand out instructions sheets for their
culture.
Hand out coloured cards. There should be 5 cards with the pink
cards spread out between the students.
Give students 10 minutes to learn their cultures rules, after that
time take away the instruction sheets.
Each group chooses 2 members to go over and observe the other
culture, without interacting, for 2 minutes.
After observing students return and explain to their group their
observations and what they think are the other cultures rules.
After 2 minutes explaining, a group of 5 is sent this time to
interact with the other culture making sure they abide by their
own cultures rules for 2 minutes. Repeat again with the group
members that have not visited.

15mins4

CONCLUSION (whole class share/reflect)

One student from each culture describes the other culture.
Discuss what problems arose when visiting the different culture
and if there were behavioural differences.
One student from each culture explains their cultures rules and
then the class discusses any misconceptions or judgments made.
In their journals,
Reflect on what it was like visiting a new culture and any
problems and how these were solved.
Reflect on what impacts different perspectives may have
had when the Europeans encountered the Indigenous
people.

Students should easily

notice clothing and
housing while there are
some more complex
differences in beliefs and
interactions with elders.

Stress that the cultural

attributes of the bilby and
rabbit cultures are
fictional and are not
based on any one
particular group of
people. It is intended to
reflect the differences in
the way various cultures
do, see, and understand
things and to challenge
individuals to see things
from a different
perspective.

Appendix3
Appendix4

Appendix5

Not Evident

Developing

Competent

Highly Competent

Shows no reflection to
their experience in the
activity. Cannot identify
any issues faced when
foreign groups interact.

Currently developing the

skill of reflection. Identifies
cultural differences such as
beliefs, family, food,
clothing and housing.
Identifies an issue faced
when foreign groups
interact.

Reflects on their
experience in the activity.
Reflects on cultural
differences such as beliefs,
family, food, clothing and
housing and how they are
perceived. Identifies an
issue faced when foreign
groups interact.

Draws connections w
their experience in the
activity to the experie
by Europeans and
Indigenous Australian
Reflects in-depth on c
differences such as be
family, food, clothing
housing and how they
perceived. Identifies i
faced when foreign gr
interact.