Child Labour in Australia

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Lesson Details

• Year Level: Year 9
• Subject: Australian History
• Unit: Australia’s Industrial Revolution (Lesson 8 of 30)
• Lesson Duration: 45 minutes
• Curriculum Reference: Australian Curriculum – Year 9 History
  • Historical Knowledge and Understanding: (ACDSEH081) – The experiences of men, women and children during the Industrial Revolution, and their changing way of life
  • Historical Skills: (ACHHS165) – Develop texts, particularly descriptions and discussions that use evidence from a range of sources

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Learning Intentions

By the end of the lesson, students will:

• Understand the prevalence of child labour during Australia’s Industrial Revolution
• Identify common industries that employed child workers and the conditions they faced
• Evaluate the reasons child labour was widely used and the reforms that led to its decline
• Analyse primary and secondary sources to develop a historical perspective

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Success Criteria

Students will demonstrate success by:
✅ Engaging in discussions about child labour conditions in Australia
✅ Analysing historical sources to identify key issues concerning child labour
✅ Writing a short reflection piece from the perspective of a child worker

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Lesson Structure

1. Hook (5 mins) – “A Day in Their Shoes”

📜 Activity: Project the image of a child labourer in 19th-century Australia (e.g. a young coal miner or factory worker). Ask students:

• What do you think their daily life was like?
• How young do you think they were?
• What challenges do you think they faced?

💬 Discussion Prompt: “Imagine waking up before sunrise to work for 12 hours in a dusty, dangerous factory. How does this compare to your daily routine?”

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2. Explicit Teaching (10 mins) – The Reality of Child Labour

👩‍🏫 Teacher Explanation:

• Explain the key industries that employed children in Australia, such as textile mills, coal mines, and farming.
• Highlight dangerous conditions: long hours, minimal pay, injuries, and exposure to hazardous materials.
• Discuss why children were used for labour: cheap workforce, small hands for intricate tasks, and lack of laws protecting them.

📜 Historical Source Analysis: Show an official document or report (e.g. parliamentary inquiry on child labour) and read a short excerpt aloud. Ask:

• What does this source tell us about how child labour was viewed at the time?
• Do you think attitudes towards child labour have changed over time?

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3. Group Activity (15 mins) – “Factory Owners vs. Reformers”

👥 Role-Playing Debate:

• Divide students into two teams: Factory Owners (who justify child labour) and Social Reformers (who argue against it).
• Each team has 5 minutes to prepare their key arguments based on what they’ve learned.
• Debate lasts for 5 minutes, with students responding to each other's points.

🔎 Debrief:

• How did it feel having to argue from different perspectives?
• Are there still places today where child labour exists?

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4. Independent Task (10 mins) – Diary Entry

📖 Task: Write a journal entry as a child worker in a 19th-century Australian coal mine or factory.

• Describe a typical workday.
• Express emotions and hardships.
• Include details from historical sources.

📝 Example Sentence Starter:
"I wake up before the sun rises, my hands already rough from the factory’s machines. Today, I will work another 14 hours pressing wool, inhaling dust. My back aches, and I long for a full meal, but the factory owner doesn’t care..."

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5. Reflection & Exit Ticket (5 mins) – “Then vs. Now”

👀 Think-Pair-Share: Ask students:

• What surprised you most about child workers in Australia’s industrial era?
• How do modern labour laws protect young people today?
• If you could write a law to protect working children back then, what would it be?

📄 Exit Ticket Prompt:
Students write one sentence on a sticky note: The most shocking thing I learned today was…

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Assessment & Differentiation

✔ Formative Assessment:

• Participation in discussions and debate
• Analysis of historical sources
• Quality of diary entry reflection

📌 Differentiation Strategies:

• ✅ Support: Provide sentence starters for students who need help getting started on the diary entry. Pair struggling students with a peer for guided discussion.
• 🌟 Extension: Ask advanced learners to research a real child worker’s story from the 19th century and write a persuasive letter demanding reform.

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Lesson Wrap-Up

🎬 Closing Thought: “What does this tell us about Australia’s progress in workers’ rights? What role do we have in ensuring fair working conditions globally today?”

💡 Link to Next Lesson: The rise of trade unions and the fight for worker’s rights in Australia.

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Resources & Materials Needed:

✅ Image of a child labourer (early Australian industry)
✅ Excerpts from a government report or newspaper article (primary source)
✅ Sticky notes for exit tickets
✅ Printed or projected debate prompts

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This engaging and thought-provoking lesson allows students to step into history, analyse sources, and form critical perspectives while deepening their understanding of child labour in Australia’s Industrial Revolution.