Early Australia Inquiry

Overview

This 45-minute lesson engages Year 7 students in understanding early human migration to Australia, exploring key concepts of history linked to the Australian Curriculum (v9) for Humanities and Social Sciences — History. The lesson focuses on the theories of early human evolution and migration, skills in analysing primary and secondary sources, and developing historical explanations with evidence.

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Curriculum Alignment

• Content Descriptions:

  • AC9HH7K01: Theories and historical interpretations about early human evolution and migration, including how people moved from Africa to other parts of the world, including Australia.

  • AC9HH7S03: Identifying the origin, content, context and purpose of primary and secondary sources.

  • AC9HH7S05: Describe causes and effects, and explain continuities and changes in history.

  • AC9HH7S06: Identify perspectives, attitudes and values of the past in sources.

  • AC9HH7S08: Create descriptions, explanations and historical arguments using historical knowledge and evidence.

• Achievement Standards:

  By the end of Year 7, students describe and analyse the causes and effects of events and developments in early human history and migration, evaluate sources for their usefulness and reliability, and construct evidence-based explanations using historical concepts and terms.

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Learning Objectives

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

1. Explain key theories about early human evolution and migration with a focus on Australia's settlement (AC9HH7K01).

2. Analyse primary and secondary sources to identify their origin, purpose, and usefulness for historical information (AC9HH7S03, AC9HH7S04).

3. Describe causes and effects related to early human migration to Australia (AC9HH7S05).

4. Identify perspectives and values present in historical sources relating to early migration (AC9HH7S06).

5. Use historical terms and concepts to create brief explanations supported by evidence (AC9HH7S08).

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Resources Needed

• Timeline of human migration (handout or projected)

• Selection of primary and secondary sources (images/artifacts/text excerpts) related to early Australia and human migration

• Whiteboard or chart paper and markers

• Student notebooks or worksheets

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Lesson Breakdown (45 minutes)

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

• Engage students by asking: Where do we come from? How do we know about the past?

• Briefly introduce the concept of human migration, referencing the "Out of Africa" theory and how humans eventually reached Australia.

• Show a visual timeline highlighting key milestones in early human history.

2. Source Investigation Activity (15 minutes)

• Group work (5 groups of 5 students each):

  • Provide each group with one primary or secondary source (photo of an artifact, map of migration routes, excerpt from oral history, etc.).

  • Groups answer guiding questions:

    • Who created this source?

    • When and why was it created?

    • What can this source tell us about early humans in Australia?

    • What perspectives or values might be present in the source?

• Each group briefly shares their findings with the class.

3. Cause and Effect Discussion (10 minutes)

• Based on groups’ work, facilitate discussion on:

  • Causes for human migration (e.g., environmental changes, search for food)

  • Effects of migration on the people and the land (e.g., cultural development, adaptation to new environments)

• Use the whiteboard/chart paper to model a simple cause and effect chain.

4. Historical Explanation Challenge (10 minutes)

• Pose a key question: What is the most convincing theory about how and why people came to Australia?

• Individually or in pairs, students write a short paragraph answering the question using:

  • Historical terms (e.g., migration, evidence, timeline, theory, primary source)

  • Reference to at least one group’s source and cause/effect discussion

• Encourage students to support their explanation with evidence.

5. Wrap-Up and Reflection (5 minutes)

• Invite a few students to share their explanations.

• Summarise the lesson’s key ideas, stressing how history involves interpreting evidence to understand causes, effects, and perspectives.

• Provide positive feedback on engagement and critical thinking.

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Assessment

• Monitor group discussions and presentations for understanding of source analysis and historical perspectives.

• Evaluate students' written explanations for use of historical terms, clarity of cause-effect reasoning, and reference to evidence.

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Extension Ideas

• Have students create a creative digital timeline or map tracing human migration to Australia.

• Introduce Aboriginal oral histories as rich primary sources to compare Indigenous perspectives with archaeological theories.

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This lesson plan combines inquiry-based learning, collaborative work, and historical thinking skills tailored for Year 7 students, directly addressing Australian Curriculum (v9) History standards. It encourages active engagement with diverse sources and critical use of evidence to develop historical explanations, providing a memorable and impactful learning experience for early Australian history.