Australia: Past and Present

Overview

Students investigate key developments in Australian history, from the arrival and continuing cultures of First Nations Australians to colonisation, nation-building and modern Australia. They use a structured evidence table to plan and write an informative essay that recognises both continuity and change and distinguishes historical perspectives.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• explain the significance of First Nations Australians as the world’s oldest continuing cultures
• sequence major developments in Australian history
• describe how First Nations societies adapted to environments and maintained cultural practices
• explain key effects of British colonisation and later developments
• plan and write a short informative historical essay using evidence and respectful language

Success criteria

• I can organise Australian history into a clear chronological sequence.
• I can include accurate information about First Nations cultures, colonisation, development and modern Australia.
• I can explain continuity and change rather than simply list events.
• I can use paragraphs, linking words and examples to communicate an informative explanation.

Curriculum links

• Theories about the arrival of early First Nations Australians and their migration routes across the continent.
• The social organisation and cultural practices of early First Nations Australians, including continuity and change over time.
• How First Nations Australians responded to environmental processes and changes over time.
• First Nations Australians as the world’s oldest continuing cultures, displaying evidence of continuity and change over deep time.
• The technological achievements of early First Nations Australians and their contribution to daily life and land and water management.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook and prior knowledge. Teacher opens the hook question and historical image and asks, “What stories and evidence help us understand Australia’s past?” Students complete a quick think-pair-share, identifying one event, person, place or cultural practice they associate with Australian history. Emphasise that Australia has a deep history extending tens of thousands of years before British colonisation.

2. 5–13 min · Build the historical overview. Teacher uses the chronological overview to introduce four broad periods: First Nations history and continuing cultures; environmental adaptation and technological achievement; British colonisation from 1788 and its effects; and development into modern Australia. Explain that First Nations peoples are not only part of the past: cultures, languages, relationships to Country and cultural practices continue today. Students add brief notes to the four headings on the Australian history essay planner.

3. 13–22 min · Evidence and perspectives. Teacher presents the evidence and perspectives slides featuring examples such as ancient sites, oral traditions, rock art, kinship systems, cultural burning, aquaculture, the loss of land and life following colonisation, resistance, migration, Federation and reconciliation. Clarify that “before present” dating, archaeology, genetics, oral histories and historical records provide different kinds of evidence. Discuss why sources may present different perspectives. In pairs, students classify examples on the worksheet as evidence of continuity, change, or both, then justify one choice.

4. 22–28 min · Model an informative paragraph. Teacher displays the model paragraph and colour-coded structure and identifies a topic sentence, supporting details, an example and a linking sentence. Model a paragraph such as: “First Nations Australians developed sophisticated ways to manage different environments. In some places, people used seasonal movement, water-management knowledge, cultural burning or aquaculture to care for resources. These practices show that societies adapted to environmental change while maintaining responsibilities to Country.” Students highlight the same features in the model on their worksheet.

5. 28–39 min · Independent essay writing. Teacher displays the writing task and success checklist: “Write an informative essay explaining how Australian history shows both continuity and change. Include an introduction, three short body paragraphs and a conclusion.” Students use the worksheet to plan and draft. Suggested paragraph focus: First Nations cultures and achievements; colonisation and its effects; development and modern Australia. Require at least one specific example in each body paragraph and encourage linking words such as “over time”, “however”, “as a result” and “continues today”. Circulate, confer and check that students use respectful, non-stereotyping language.

6. 39–45 min · Peer review and exit reflection. Teacher uses the peer-review prompts and plenary. Students swap drafts with a partner and check: Is the sequence clear? Is there evidence about First Nations continuity? Are colonisation’s effects explained? Is there a conclusion? Students return drafts and write one improvement they will make. Invite two or three students to share a sentence that explains continuity and change.

Resources

• the Australian history teaching deck
• the Australian history essay planner
• Classroom map of Australia and Sahul
• Projector or interactive display
• Whiteboard and markers
• Highlighters or coloured pencils
• Student exercise books or devices
• Optional approved local First Nations history resources

Assessment

• Questioning during the overview checks students’ understanding of chronology, evidence and historical perspectives.
• The worksheet provides formative evidence of students’ ability to classify continuity and change and plan relevant examples.
• Collect or scan the short essay. Use the success criteria to assess historical accuracy, respectful representation, organisation, evidence and explanation.

Differentiation

• Provide a word bank, paragraph frames and a partially completed timeline for students requiring support. Allow speech-to-text or oral rehearsal before writing.
• Pair students strategically and provide sentence starters: “An example of continuity is…”, “Colonisation changed…”, and “This is significant because…”.
• For EAL/D learners, pre-teach terms such as “continuity”, “change”, “colonisation”, “evidence”, “Country” and “reconciliation”, using visuals and repeated oral practice.
• Challenge confident writers to include two perspectives on colonisation, explain how evidence supports an interpretation, and distinguish between events, consequences and developments.