Bringing History Alive

Year Level

Year 9

Duration

60 minutes

Unit

Experiencing World War 1 (Lesson 19 of 30)

Curriculum Alignment

Australian Curriculum: History - Year 9

Content Descriptions
The experience of world wars and the impact they had on Australia and its people (ACHHS169)
Perspectives and interpretations of people from the past and present, and the importance of empathy in understanding historical experiences (ACHHS167)
General Capabilities
Literacy: interpreting and analysing sources, presenting information
Critical and Creative Thinking: formulating questions, reflecting on information
Personal and Social Capability: empathy, collaboration skills
Cross-Curriculum Priorities
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures (optional for historical empathy)

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

Conduct structured interviews with family members about war-related experiences from World War 1.
Gather and organise qualitative data from oral histories to better understand personal and community impacts of war.
Present key findings from their interviews clearly and engagingly.
Demonstrate empathy and historical understanding by reflecting on diverse war experiences.

Success Criteria

Students will:

Effectively use prepared questions to conduct a family war-related interview.
Produce a clear and informative presentation summarising their interview findings.
Show evidence of historical empathy by explaining the significance of the stories they collected.

Resources Required

Pre-prepared interview question sheets (dyslexia-friendly format: clear font, bullet points, spaced lines)
Devices for recording interviews (audio recorder, smartphone, or notebook for notes)
Presentation tools (poster materials, digital presentation software like PowerPoint or Google Slides)
Whiteboard and markers
Reflection template for extension activity

Lesson Structure

1. Introduction & Warm-up (10 minutes)

Begin with a brief discussion: Why do personal stories and family histories matter in understanding World War 1?
Recap key themes from previous lessons about the diverse experiences of Australians in WW1.
Explain the activity: students will interview a family member about war-related experiences or memories and then present their findings.

2. Interview Preparation (10 minutes)

Distribute the dyslexia-friendly interview question sheets. Highlight key questions, such as:
"Do you know of any family member who experienced WW1?"
"What stories have been passed down about their experiences?"
"How do these stories make you feel or think about the war?"
Model an example answer to a question for clarity and to reduce anxiety.
Pair students up to discuss possible family members and plan their interviews. Discuss ethical guidelines for respectful interviewing.

3. Conducting Interviews (15 minutes)

Students will either:
Conduct live interviews with a family member present in school or via phone calls if possible (this requires preparation before class), or
Use prior interviews they have conducted at home as homework (teacher can adapt depending on logistics).
Teacher circulates, supporting pairs with recording help, prompting elaboration, and scaffolding questions.
For students with dyslexia or concentration difficulties, offer scribe support, checklist reminders, or allow audio recordings.

4. Presentation Preparation (15 minutes)

Students collaborate in pairs to synthesise their interview notes into a short presentation (3-5 minutes).
Presentations can be digital slides, posters or spoken reports.
Provide sentence starters and simple template structures to support organisation (e.g., introduction, main points, conclusion).

5. Sharing & Reflection (10 minutes)

Selected pairs present to the class. Encourage respectful listening and asking questions.
Discuss how hearing multiple personal stories helps us understand WW1 from varied perspectives, humanising history.

Differentiation Strategies

Pair students strategically, mixing strengths (e.g., a student with strong verbal skills with a student who has organisational strengths).
For students with dyslexia:
Offer interview questions in large, clear fonts with bullet points and plenty of spacing.
Allow use of audio recording instead of writing notes.
Provide graphic organisers for presentations.
For students with ADHD or concentration difficulties:
Break tasks into small manageable steps with timers or chunked activities.
Provide movement breaks or standing options.
For students needing extra support with literacy, use oral rehearsals or scribing.

Extension Activities

Write a historical reflection essay exploring the significance of family stories in understanding broader historical events.
Research additional primary sources relating to their interview's topic for a richer presentation or a creative project (e.g., diary entries, letters, photos).
Create a family WW1 history poster or multimedia project for display.

Assessment

Formative assessment through observation and teacher notes during interviews and presentations.
Evaluation of students’ presentations against success criteria to assess communication skills and historical understanding.
Optional written reflection assessed for deeper engagement with historical empathy and analysis.

Teacher Tips to Wow Students and Colleagues

Use technology like voice-to-text apps to help students document interview answers instantly.
Encourage video recordings of presentations to build confidence and digital literacy skills.
Make a class digital archive or blog page where students can upload their presentations or reflections, showcasing diverse family histories.
Celebrate different cultural and community perspectives by inviting students to share stories from Indigenous Australian or migrant family histories, linking it to broader WW1 impacts in Australia.

This lesson plan balances historical investigation with personal connection, scaffolds differentiated needs effectively, and directly aligns with the Australian Curriculum's emphasis on inquiry, empathy, and critical thinking within Year 9 History.

Teaching Instructions